Huskers Create Memorable Moments in 2005

The Nebraska women’s basketball program closed a memorable 2004-05 campaign by producing its second consecutive postseason trip and its second straight 18-win season.

In a season filled with milestone victories and breakout individual performances, the Huskers exceeded preseason expectations by finishing in the top half of the conference standings in the powerful Big 12 by posting their first .500 or better league mark since the 2000 campaign. Nebraska went on to win its first Big 12 Tournament contest since that same season.

In one of the greatest team efforts in program history, the Huskers battled to a 103-99 triple overtime victory over No. 2 Baylor at the Devaney Center on Jan. 12. The win not only marked the longest game in school history, it earned a place in the record book as Nebraska’s first-ever win over a top-five opponent. The win also moved the Huskers to 3-0 in the Big 12 for the first time since the 1991-92 season.

One month later, the Huskers notched another landmark moment by running to an 88-59 victory over No. 14 Iowa State in front of more than 12,000 fans at the Devaney Center. NU’s 29-point margin over the Cyclones represented the largest victory margin over a ranked foe in the history of the program.

Although the Huskers fell just shy of making a trip to the NCAA Tournament, Nebraska did earn an invitation to the SportsView.TV Postseason WNIT for the second straight year. The Huskers also rolled to a first-round tournament victory for the second consecutive season with their 66-57 win over Marquette in Milwaukee on St. Patrick’s Day.

Along with their success on the court, the Huskers enjoyed a resurgence at the turnstiles. Nebraska ranked No. 25 nationally in average home attendance by attracting more than 4,000 fans per game to the Devaney Center, an increase of more than 30 percent over the 2003-04 season.

Nebraska drew more than 12,000 fans for its victory over No. 14 Iowa State on Feb. 12, and surpassed that number with more than 13,000 fans at the Huskers’ next home game against No. 17 Kansas State on Feb. 23. Those two crowds ranked among the top five in program history and marked the first time in school history that NU had drawn back-to-back crowds of more than 12,000 for any women’s event.

Young Players Building Basketball Excitement at Nebraska
One of the major reasons for the growing interest among Husker fans was the emergence of several young talents for Nebraska, including sophomore sensation Kiera Hardy. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., led the Big 12 during league play with 20.9 points per game.

Hardy became the first Husker since Nicole Kubik in 2000 to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors, while becoming just the third sophomore in school history to capture first-team all-conference accolades. Along the way, Hardy established a new sophomore scoring record by pouring in 609 points, surpassing the 583 points scored by two-time All-American Karen Jennings in 1990-91.

Hardy put an exclamation point on her spectacular sophomore season by tying the school record by burying seven three-pointers in the second round of the WNIT against Iowa. Her record-tying effort also moved her into a tie with Amy Stephens for the best single-season three-point performance in school history with 85 threes on the season.

Big 12 Newcomer-of-the-Year Jelena Spiric added to Hardy’s exciting offensive presence. The 6-1 forward from Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro continued to improve her play throughout the season and finished as NU’s third-leading scorer and fourth-leading rebounder with 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Less than one year removed from major knee surgery, Spiric could enjoy even greater success as a senior in 2005-06.

Another junior college transfer, Elena Diaz, came on strong down the stretch in her first season at Nebraska. A regular in Nebraska’s starting lineup during conference play, Diaz averaged 6.0 points and 4.8 boards per game.

Sophomore forward Chelsea Aubry added a strong inside presence for the Huskers by averaging 9.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. One of Nebraska’s captains in 2004-05, Aubry hopes to take on even more leadership responsibilities while creating even more production in her second year as a starter in 2005-06.

Joining Aubry and Hardy in a strong sophomore class was Jessica Gerhart. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, finished fourth on the team in scoring at 7.8 points per game while adding 4.3 rebounds per contest. Early in Big 12 play, Gerhart was averaging better than 13 points and better than seven rebounds per game before battling an illness midway through the conference season. Gerhart started NU’s first 18 games, but missed the Huskers’ last 14 starts.

Freshman Danielle Page picked up the slack in Gerhart’s absence, establishing herself as an inside presence for the future. The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., was a two-time Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week award winner and led the Huskers with 31 blocked shots on the year. She finished the season averaging 6.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Freshman Sarah White also saw increased playing time late in the year, appearing in 11 of Nebraska’s 12 games. Junior guard LaToya Howell added a consistent defensive presence, while junior center Bojana Samardziska showed glimpses of offensive explosiveness during the season.

Overall, the Huskers return 11 of the 12 players on their 2004-05 roster heading into next season, including junior Ivana Drmanac and sophomore Heather Kephart, who will apply for a medical redshirt for this past season. Only honorable-mention All-Big 12 point guard Jina Johansen will be lost. The three-year starter from Dannebrog, Neb., closed her NU career ranked No. 2 on the Huskers’ all-time assist with 567. She added 568 points to finish as just the third player in school history to score more than 500 points and dish out more than 500 assists in her career.

Hardy Earns First-Team All-Big 12 Honors
Kiera Hardy became just the eighth player in Nebraska history, and just the third Husker sophomore, to earn first-team all-conference honors when the Big 12 announced the coaches’ selections on Friday, March 4.

The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., who led the Big 12 in scoring with 20.9 points per game in league action, is Nebraska’s first first-team All-Big 12 pick since Nicole Kubik in 1999-2000, and just the third Husker to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors, joining two-time first-team All-Big 12 pick Anna DeForge (1996-97, 1997-98).

Hardy will enter her junior season with 856 career points, including a sophomore school record 609 points in 32 games in 2004-05, after scoring 247 points in 27 games as a true freshman. Hardy ranked among the top 30 players nationally in scoring as a sophomore.

Hardy ranked among the top scorers in the Big 12 overall with 19.0 points per contest. She scored a career-high 37 points in Nebraska’s win over No. 2 Baylor, and added a 31-point effort against Hampton. She scored 26 or more points eight times in 2004-05, while producing 15 games with 20 or more points. Hardy had produced double figures in 25 consecutive games before managing eight points against Kansas State in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on March 9. She scored in double figures in 28 of 32 games in 2004-05.

Hardy Sets Sophomore Scoring Record
Kiera Hardy scored 21 points to lead Nebraska past Marquette in the first round of the SportsView.TV Postseason WNIT and take over the top spot on the Huskers’ sophomore scoring list. Hardy added 26 points in the season finale against Iowa in the second round of the WNIT to finish the year with 609 points, for the ninth-highest scoring total by any Husker - regardless of class - in school history.

In 32 games with 31 starts as a sophomore, Hardy struck for 609 points to surpass two-time All-American Karen Jennings’ 574 points in 1990-91. Jennings, who earned the Wade Trophy as the nation’s top player as a senior in 1992-93, averaged 20.5 points per game over 28 games in her second season as a Husker.

Hardy, a 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., also knocked Jennings out of Nebraska’s top-10 single-season scoring list. Hardy moved ahead of Nafeesah Brown’s 605 points as a senior in 1993-94 to finish in ninth-place on NU’s single-season scoring list. Hardy is the first Husker to score 600 points in a season since Nicole Kubik hit for 654 points in 1998-99.

Hardy Ties NU Game and Season Three-Point Mark in Finale
First-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy closed a scintilating sophomore season with a captivating performance in Nebraska’s season finale against Iowa in the second round of the SportsView.TV Postseason WNIT.

Hardy connected on 7-of-11 three-pointers against the Hawkeyes to tie the school single-game record for three-pointers made in a game. Her shooting performance came despite facing a box-and-one defense with Hawkeye guard Crystal Smith face-guarding her all over the floor in the final 29 minutes.

Hardy’s seven three-pointers against the Hawkeyes pushed her season total to 85, tying Amy Stephens’ school record established in 1988-89.

With two full seasons of eligibility remaining, Hardy is on pace to shatter Nebraska’s career three-point record. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., has hit 115 three-pointers in just 59 career games to shoot into sixth place on Nebraska’s career three-point list. Hardy has hit 1.95 three-pointers per game in her career, and is well ahead of school-record pace, while ranking among the top 25 nationally with 2.66 three-pointers per game in 2004-05.

WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge owns NU’s school record with 155 three-pointers in 117 career games (1.3 pg). Hardy is the only player on Nebraska’s top-10 three-point list who has played fewer than 100 career games. Kate Galligan, who ranks No. 2 on NU’s career list with 145 three-pointers, knocked down her shots in just 103 games (1.4 pg) for the highest frequency among the former players on the NU top-10 list.

Hardy ranked second in the Big 12 Conference with 3.06 made three-pointers per game in league contests. Along with her seven three-pointers against Iowa, she hit six three-pointers in the win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, and six more in a win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 1. She added five threes in an 88-59 win over No. 14 Iowa State on Feb. 12, and at No. 23 Kansas State on Jan. 15.

Spiric Captures Big 12 Newcomer-of-the-Year Honors
Junior college transfer Jelena Spiric captured Big 12 Newcomer-of-the-Year honors with a solid first season at Nebraska. Spiric, who started 23 of NU’s 32 games, including each of the Huskers’ last 18 contests, became just the fifth Husker in history and the first since Keasha Cannon-Johnson in 2002 to win conference newcomer-of-the-year honors.

The 6-0 forward from Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro, produced strong postseason performances for the Huskers in the WNIT. She closed the season with 18 points and six rebounds against Iowa in the tournament’s second round, after scoring 13 points on a perfect shooting night, while adding eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in NU’s opening-round win at Marquette on March 17.

Spiric ended her first year at Nebraska by averaging 8.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game. She was even better in Big 12 play, averaging 9.3 points and 4.6 boards per game.

Over Nebraska’s final 10 games, Spiric averaged 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, while scoring eight or more points in all 10 contests. She finished the year with 12 double-figure scoring efforts, and all of them came in NU’s final 22 games.

Along with her scoring and rebounding numbers, Spiric ranked second on the team with 53 total steals and fourth on the club with 58 assists.

Spiric made her first Big 12 start in Nebraska’s 103-99 triple overtime victory over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, and erupted for career highs with 19 points and nine rebounds to help the Huskers to an upset over the Bears. She added her second Big 12 start in the loss at No. 23 Kansas State on Jan. 15, scoring 10 points and pulling down five boards.

The Big 12 Rookie of the Week on Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, Spiric averaged 13 points and six rebounds in wins over Colorado and Missouri to open Big 12 play. She averaged 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game against Baylor and Kansas State.

In the win over Baylor, Spiric hit 15-of-16 free throws, including eight straight free throws to open the third overtime period to lead the Huskers to victory. Spiric’s 15 made free throws rank as the second-highest total in NU history, while her 16 attempts rank fourth on the Husker career chart. Her 44 minutes played against the Bears also demolished her previous career high of 26 minutes played one week earlier against Colorado.

Spiric scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds, while also dishing out four assists and grabbing two steals in Nebraska’s 81-74 win at Missouri on Jan. 8. During NU’s decisive 26-6 run in the final 8:26, Spiric hit 5-of-6 free throws, while adding one rebound, one assist and one steal to help the Huskers.

She had a solid 11-point, five-rebound effort against Kansas State on Feb. 23 that included a career-high five steals. In the Huskers’ win over Memphis on Dec. 30, Spiric scored 10 points, while dishing out a career-best six assists and pulling down five rebounds.

Through Nebraska’s first seven games this season, when she started five contests, Spiric averaged just 3.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

A 2004 NJCAA All-American at Colby (Kan.) Community College, Spiric has seen the most time on the court of any of the junior college transfers despite being slowed by a knee injury. Spiric suffered a torn ACL in the final game of her sophomore season and underwent offseason surgery.

Johansen Ends Career among NU Assist, Minute Leaders
Jina Johansen closed a solid four-year career with the Huskers among the school’s all-time leaders in assists and minutes played.

The honorable-mention All-Big 12 selection established a school senior season record with 191 assists in 2004-05 to shatter the previous senior season mark of 169 assists set by Meggan Yedsena in 1993-94.

Johansen’s assist total as a senior tied for the second-best total in school history, trailing only Yedsena’s school single-season record of 195 assists in 1991-92.

Johansen ranked third in the Big 12 and among the top 20 players nationally with 6.0 assists per game as a senior and finished her career with 567 assists to rank second in school history, trailing only Yedsena’s 696 career assists.

Along with her passing prowess, Johansen also established herself as an ironwoman in the Nebraska lineup. Johansen set the school single-season record with 1,156 minutes played in 2004-05. Johansen broke Yedsena’s previous school mark of 1,129 minutes in 1991-92. Johansen, who spent 1,028 minutes on the floor as a sophomore in 2002-03, joined Yedsena as the only two players in school history to play 1,000 or minutes two times in their career.

Johansen established a school and Big 12 Conference record by playing all 55 minutes in the Huskers’ 103-99 triple overtime win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12. Johansen finished the night with 10 points and eight assists to lead the Huskers to their first-ever win over a top-five opponent.

She also worked overtime by playing the full 45 minutes on Senior Night against Missouri on Feb. 26. In her career, Johansen played the full 40 minutes on 16 other occasions.

Johansen ended her senior season by playing a team-leading 36.1 minutes per game, while averaging 6.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest. She added 6.0 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Johansen, who was the only returning player to start a game in a Nebraska uniform entering her senior season, was the only Husker to start all 32 games in 2004-05. She earned starts in 63 consecutive games to close her career with 95 all-time starts.

While Johansen helped set the tone for the turnaround of the Nebraska program with her work ethic on the court, she also established herself as a top performer in the classroom. She was a three-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection and carried a 3.696 grade-point average as a nutrition/dietetics major.

Hardy Joins Johansen across 1,000-Minute Mark
Kiera Hardy joined Jina Johansen as a workhorse for the Huskers in 2004-05. Hardy played exactly 1,038 minutes and averaged 32.4 minutes per game as a sophomore. Hardy’s total ranked as the fifth-highest total in school history, while she joined Johansen as just the second duo in school history to play 1,000 or more minutes in the same season. Meggan Yedsena and Karen Jennings were the first pair to each play 1,000 minutes in 1991-92.

Three Huskers Earn Academic All-Big 12 Honors
Three Nebraska women’s basketball players were honored for their achievements in the classroom by earning academic All-Big 12 Conference honors, the league announced March 2.

Senior Jina Johansen led the trio of Husker honorees by claiming her third straight first-team academic All-Big 12 award. The 5-7 point guard from Dannebrog, Neb., carries a 3.696 grade-point average as a nutrition and dietetics major, while ranking among the Big 12 Conference leaders in assists.

Johansen was joined on the first team by Jessica Gerhart. The 6-2 sophomore forward from Fenton, Iowa, is also a nutrition and dietitics major. Sophomore Chelsea Aubry added second-team academic All-Big 12 accolades. The 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, who has not declared a major, ranks as Nebraska’s second-leading scorer and top rebounder this season.

Overall, 46 student-athletes were named to the women’s basketball academic All-Big 12 teams.

Nominated by each institution’s director of student-athlete support services and media relations offices, the women’s basketball academic all-league squad consisted of 37 first-team members combined with nine on the second team. First team members include those who have maintained a 3.20 or better grade point average, and the second team are those who have a 3.0 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.

Big 12 Conference Sends Eight Teams to Postseason
The Huskers were one of eight Big 12 Conference women’s basketball teams to earn postseason tournament berths in 2005. Nebraska, which made its second straight postseason trip, joined Texas A&M in the SportsView.TV Postseason WNIT. Both the Huskers and Aggies added WNIT victories.

The five Big 12 Conference teams that finished ahead of the Huskers in the league standings, Baylor, Texas, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Iowa State, all earned trips to the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Oklahoma, which tied NU in the league standings, but lost to the Huskers by 19 points in early February in Lincoln, also managed an NCAA Tournament berth.

Nebraska’s Attendance on the Rise Again
The Huskers enjoyed another strong season at the turnstiles, finishing the season with an average home attendance of 4,022 fans per game at the Devaney Center. Nebraska’s 2004-05 average home attendance, which ranks as the fourth-highest average in school history, rose more than 30 percent from last season’s average of 3,074 fans per game. Last year’s average was an increase of nearly 20 percent from Coach Connie Yori’s first season in 2002-03.

Nebraska’s season-high crowd of 13,023 for the Kansas State game on Feb. 23, marked the third-largest crowd in school history, replacing the 12,429 fans NU drew for the Iowa State game on Feb. 12. The two games marked the first time in school history that NU had drawn back-to-back crowds of more than 12,000 fans to the Devaney Center.

Huskers Faced One of Nation’s Toughest Schedules
Nebraska closed the regular season with a schedule that was ranked No. 47 nationally by the WBCA/Summerfield Strength of Schedule Index. The Huskers’ overall Ratings Percentage Index came in at No. 65 on March 14. The Huskers had climbed as high as No. 30 in the RPI after their win over Iowa State on Feb. 12, while their strength of schedule was ranked among the top 25 in the nation at that time.

The Huskers squared off against 11 Associated Press Top 25 teams in 2004-05. The Huskers posted their first-ever win over a top-five opponent with a 103-99 triple overtime win over Big 12 Conference champion Baylor on Jan. 12. The Big 12 Champion Bears were ranked No. 2 nationally at game time.

Nebraska added its largest victory margin ever against a ranked opponent with its 88-59 win over No. 14 Iowa State in Lincoln on Feb. 12. Nine of the Huskers’ 14 losses came against teams that ended the year in the final regular-season AP top 25, while seven of those setbacks came on the road.

Nebraska Led Big 12 at the Free Throw Line
Nebraska shot a Big 12 Conference-leading 74.9 percent at the free throw line in 2004-05, which ranked as the second-best team free throw percentage in school history.

In Big 12 games, the Huskers connected on a conference-best 77.9 percent of their free throws. Nebraska starters Jina Johansen (90.0 percent) and Kiera Hardy (80.9 percent) both shot better than 80 percent from the line, while Jelena Spiric (78.9 percnet), Jessica Gerhart (78.1 percent), Chelsea Aubry (77.5 percent), LaToya Howell (74.3 percent) and Danielle Page (73.6 percent) each hit better than 70 percent of their free throws.

Huskers Take Care of the Rock
The Huskers have produced three of the top four turnover marks in school history in Coach Connie Yori’s first three seasons at NU, including a Yori-coached team top mark of just 15.4 turnovers per game in 2004-05.

Nebraska committed just 493 turnovers in 32 games in 2004-05, including a season-low seven turnovers in its win at Missouri on Jan. 8. The 15.4 turnovers per game ranked as the second-best average in school history, while the 493 total turnovers ranked as the third-lowest total in the school record book.

In 2003-04, the Huskers committed just 488 turnovers (16.3 per game), which ranks as the second-lowest total in school history, trailing only the 369 turnovers in 32 games in 1991-92 (11.5 per game).

The Huskers achieved their fourth-lowest turnover total with 497 total turnovers (17.8 per game) in Coach Connie Yori’s first season at Nebraska in 2002-03.

Yori Establishes Foundation for Success at Nebraska
After three seasons as Nebraska’s head coach, Connie Yori has the Husker program moving in the right direction.

The Huskers had suffered through four consecutive losing seasons, before Yori helped Nebraska turn the corner in 2003-04 with one of the nation’s top turnarounds. The Huskers’ 10-game improvement tied for the ninth-best swing in NCAA Division I women’s basketball in 2003-04. More impressively, NU’s 18-12 record came against a powerful schedule that included 19 games against teams that advanced to postseason play.

The Huskers raced to a 10-1 non-conference record that included victories over No. 13 Ohio State and eventual WNIT champion Creighton, before notching one of the biggest wins in school history with an 81-63 victory over No. 9 Kansas State in league play. The Huskers finished with a 7-9 record in the Big 12 to finish in a tie for seventh place. NU was a two-point loss to Missouri or three-point loss to No. 13 Colorado away from earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000.

The Huskers made their first postseason appearance since 2000 and played host to a postseason tournament game for the first time since 1993. Nebraska notched just the second home postseason victory in school history with a first-round WNIT win over Drake, before hosting just the third postseason game in school history in the second round against Oregon State.

Along with the success on the court, the Huskers also enjoyed a rejuvenation at the turnstiles, as attendance grew nearly 20 percent from the 2002-03 season. Nearly 450 more fans per game were in attendance at the Devaney Center last year, while 10,000 more total fans came to women’s basketball games than a year earlier. The Huskers averaged nearly 3,100 fans per game in 2003-04.

Nebraska continued to make strides in Yori’s third season. Despite losing four seniors who each started all 30 games in 2003-04, the 2004-05 Huskers worked their way to an 8-8 Big 12 mark for the school’s first .500 conference record since 1999-2000. The Huskers also notched their first Big 12 Conference Tournament victory since 2000 by beating Oklahoma State on March 8. The Huskers earned their second straight Postseason WNIT bid and advanced to the second round of the WNIT for the second straight year with a 66-57 victory at Marquette on March 17.

The Huskers posted their first-ever victory over a top-five opponent with their 103-99 triple overtime win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, and produced their largest victory margin in school history over a ranked foe with their 88-59 rout of No. 14 Iowa State on Feb. 12.

Nebraska’s success on the court carried over to the stands, as the Huskers attracted two of the four-largest crowds in school history against the Cyclones on Feb. 12 (12,429) and Kansas State (13,023) on Feb. 23. It marked the first time in school history that NU had drawn back-to-back crowds of more than 12,000.

The Huskers’ average home attendance of 4,022 fans per game ranked as the fourth-highest attendance mark in school history and represented more than a 30 percent increase over 2003-04. Nebraska averaged nearly 5,800 fans per game during Big 12 action at the Devaney Center.

Although the Huskers struggled to an 8-20 overall record and a 1-15 Big 12 mark in 2002-03, NU players accepted the principles of hard work and conditioning and showed major strides throughout the season. Despite carrying a roster of just five or six scholarship players in 2002-03, NU returned five experienced starters for 2003-04. That group of five starters was a model of consistency, starting all 30 games to help fuel Nebraska’s turnaround.

NU also featured some depth in 2003-04, a luxury they lacked in 2002-03. Yori and her staff made up some major ground on the recruiting trail by adding five freshmen to their 2003-04 roster. They continued their recruiting success by adding one Division I transfer, four junior college transfers and a pair of freshmen for 2004-05.

The 2002 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Yori led Creighton to a 24-7 overall mark and a 16-2 MVC record in 2001-02 to capture the league’s regular-season and tournament titles. Yori’s success at CU in 2001-02 capped a 170-115 career mark at Creighton. Her teams made two trips to the NCAA Tournament in 1994 and 2002. Before taking over the top job with the Bluejays, Yori led NCAA Division III Loras College to a 25-25 record in two seasons from 1990 to 1992. She also served as an assistant coach at Creighton from 1986 to 1989.

Yori was one of the top players in Creighton history, and she still owns the school record for career scoring average at 20.3 points per game. She ranks as CU’s No. 3 all-time leading scorer with 2,010 points, and she had her No. 25 jersey retired. She was inducted into the Creighton Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992.

A native of Ankeny, Iowa, the 41-year-old Yori is married to Kirk Helms, and the couple had their first child, Lukas, in early July of 2004.

Aubry Provides Solid Inside Presence at Both Ends
Sophomore Chelsea Aubry was one of Nebraska’s most solid players at both ends of the court in her second season with the Huskers. The 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario led the team in rebounding and ranked second on the club in scoring with 9.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Aubry produced one of the best performances of her career by scoring a career-high 20 points, while adding four rebounds in a 73-59 win at Texas A&M on Feb. 16. She was perfect from the field against the Aggies, hitting 7-of-7 field goal attempts, including her only three-pointer. She was also perfect at the free throw line, knocking down all five of her attempts. She was huge in the clutch, as she and freshman Danielle Page joined forces to score all 17 of Nebraska’s points in the final six minutes to turn a three-point lead into a 14-point victory.

Aubry added a solid 11-point, six-rebound effort in the opening-round WNIT victory at Marquette, when she set a career high by connecting on all three of her three-point field goal attempts. She closed the season by hitting her final four three-point attempts, including her only attempt from beyond the arc against Iowa.

Aubry scored 15 points in the Huskers’ opening-round Big 12 Tournament victory over Oklahoma State on March 8 in Kansas City, Mo. She added 14 points in the regular-season finale against Colorado. She produced double figures 11 times in 2004-05, including three of Nebraska’s last five games. She opened the season with four straight double-figure scoring efforts.

After starting each of NU’s 12 non-conference games, Aubry suffered a foot injury in practice on Jan. 1, and did not play in NU’s first three Big 12 games. She came off the bench in the Huskers’ next three league games, before making her first start in Big 12 action in Nebraska’s 59-48 victory over Kansas in Lincoln on Jan. 29.

Aubry scored nine points, grabbed six rebounds and set a career high with three steals in the Huskers’ 88-59 win over No. 14 Iowa State on Feb. 12. In Nebraska’s win over Oklahoma on Feb. 6, Aubry scored seven points and pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds in NU’s 70-51 victory. In the Huskers’ loss at Texas on Feb. 9, Aubry finished with 10 points and eight boards.

In the Huskers’ home win over Washington State on Nov. 22, Aubry scored 16 points for the third time in 2004-05 and powered a strong second-half effort against the Cougars. She opened the season with a then-career-high 16 points to go along with six rebounds in a 74-71 win over Western Illinois in the first round of the Preseason WNIT on Nov. 12. She added 16 points and four boards in the loss at No. 10 Notre Dame Nov. 14.

Aubry was one of NU’s top players off the bench as a true freshman, averaging 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest. She played in all 30 games last season and averaged 18.4 minutes of action per contest off the bench.

Nebraska’s first-ever Canadian women’s basketball player, Aubry gained international experience this summer by playing with the Canadian Senior National Team. One of the top junior players in Canada, Aubry spent 2003 with the Canadian Under-20 National Team and represented her home country at the World University Games.

Diaz Surges Down Stretch in Solid Rookie Season
Elena Diaz provided the Huskers with consistent scoring and rebounding options in their last five games before the SportsView.TV Postseason WNIT.

The 6-1 junior forward from Medellin, Colo., by way of Dodge City (Kan.) Community College averaged 10.2 points and 7.2 rebounds over NU’s final five regular-season contests, including a career-high 15 points and a career-high tying nine rebounds in the Huskers’ loss to No. 17 Kansas State in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on March 9.

Diaz, who made 23 starts on the year, including 15 in Big 12 regular-season play, scored 10 points in each of NU’s last three regular-season league games, before adding the 15-point effort against Kansas State. She finished the season with six double-figure scoring efforts, including 11 points against Northern Colorado on Nov. 19, and 11 more in NU’s 103-99 triple overtime win over Baylor on Jan. 12.

Diaz closed her junior season by averaging 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, after averaging 6.9 points and 5.5 boards per contest in Big 12 play.

She scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds against both Missouri (Feb. 26) and Colorado (March 2), while scoring 10 points and pulling down nine boards in the loss to Kansas State on Feb. 23. Her performance against KSU followed an eight-point, four-rebound effort at Kansas on Feb. 20 that included a career-high four steals. She added six points and set her career high with nine rebounds at Texas A&M on Feb. 16.

In NU’s 88-59 win over No. 14 Iowa State on Feb. 12, Diaz produced one of the best all-around efforts of her career when she scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out a career-high six assists. In Nebraska’s 103-99 triple overtime win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, Diaz scored 11 points, while pulling down seven rebounds. In Big 12 play, Diaz shot a team-best 55.6 percent from the field.

Diaz opened the season with a seven-point, five-rebound effort in the first-round Preseason WNIT victory over Western Illinois on Nov. 12, before making the first start of her career in the loss at No. 10 Notre Dame in the second round of the tournament.

Freshman Page Helps Huskers Late in Big 12 Season
True freshman Danielle Page showed glimpses of her potential throughout her rookie season. Not only did the 6-2 sophomore from Monument, Colo., lead the Huskers with 31 blocked shots, she also displayed her scoring and rebounding abilities during the heart of the Big 12 Conference campaign.

In league action, Page ranked as Nebraska’s fourth-leading scorer and rebounder with 8.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. She added a team-best 1.3 blocks per game to go along with 1.1 steals per contest.

For the season, Page averaged 6.0 points and 4.1 boards per contest, while leading the Huskers with 1.0 block per game. She ranked among the top 10 freshmen in the Big 12 in scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals. She also finished her first season with the fourth-best block total by a freshman in school history with 31.

Page claimed her first Big 12 Conference Rookie-of-the-Week award on Jan. 31, after posting the first double-double of her career with 12 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Huskers’ 59-48 win over Kansas on Jan. 29. She followed up her award-winning effort against the Jayhawks by producing the best week of her young career in wins over Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.

In Nebraska’s win over Oklahoma on Feb. 6, Page established her career scoring high for the fifth consecutive game by erupting for 15 points against the Sooners. She added four blocks, six rebounds and two steals.

She added her second Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week award on Feb. 14, after leading the Huskers with 13 points in the loss at No. 17 Texas on Feb. 9, before scoring eight points, grabbing five rebounds and blocking a career-high five shots in NU’s 88-59 rout of No. 14 Iowa State on Feb. 12.

Page came through big down the stretch in a 73-59 win at Texas A&M on Feb. 16. Page teamed with Chelsea Aubry to score Nebraska’s final 17 points in the closing six minutes to win going away after leading just 56-53. Page finished with 11 points, five rebounds and NU’s only block in the game.

Page was also one of the catalysts during NU’s decisive 23-6 run over the final 12 minutes in a 70-51 win over Oklahoma on Feb. 6. She scored nine points, grabbed three rebounds, blocked three shots and recorded two steals down the stretch for the Huskers. Her effort against OU followed a 12-point, five-rebound performance in the Huskers’ win at Oklahoma State on Feb. 1. She tied her previous career-high scoring effort against OSU, while setting a career high with four assists against the Cowgirls.

In the last 13 games, Page connected on 39-of-46 free throws (84.8 percent). Through her first 19 games, she hit just 14-of-26 shots from the free throw line (53.8 percent), before finishing at 73.6 percent at the line on the season.

Page scored eight points in Nebraska’s win over Memphis on Dec. 30, when she added seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Page came up big down the stretch for the Huskers in their win at Missouri on Jan. 8. She finished with seven points, four rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. During Nebraska’s 26-6 surge in the final 8:26, Page scored three points, grabbed all four of her rebounds and blocked both of her shots on the night. In Nebraska’s win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, Page played a career-high 39 minutes off the bench and scored six points, grabbed four rebounds and snagged two steals.

Hardy’s 37 in Baylor Win Placed Her Among NU Elite
Kiera Hardy’s career-high 37-point performance in Nebraska’s win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, in Lincoln placed her among an elite list of Huskers.

Not only did Hardy’s total tie for the seventh-highest single-game effort in school history, it also provided her with her second 30-point effort of the season. Her first 30-point performance came against Hampton in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on Nov. 27.

The two 30-point outbursts during her breakout sophomore season placed her among a select group of Huskers who accomplished multiple 30-point games as sophomores. The last NU sophomore to produce a pair of 30-point games was two-time All-American Karen Jennings, who did it in 1990-91.

Debra Powell, who was an All-Big Eight performer on the court and an All-American sprinter on the track, was the first Husker sophomore to score 30 in a game on multiple occasions. Powell produced three 30-point games in 1982-83. Maurtice Ivy, who was the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1988 after leading the Huskers to their only conference title in school history, matched Powell’s feat with a trio of 30-point performances as a sophomore in 1985-86. A year later, Amy Stephens added two 30-point efforts during her sophomore season in 1986-87.

Hardy’s 37 points is the highest single-game total among the elite group of NU sophomore scorers and ranks as the second-highest scoring performance in school history by a sophomore, trailing only a 41-point eruption by Crystal Coleman against Oklahoma State on Feb. 19, 1983. The performance was Coleman’s only 30-point or more scoring game of her career, which ended at Nebraska after her sophomore season.

Hardy is just the seventh player in Nebraska history to record two or more 30-point efforts in the same season, and one of just eight Huskers to score 30 twice in her career. The last player to score 30 points twice in the same season was Kubik, who had a trio of 30-point performances in 1998-99. Only 16 different Huskers in history have scored 30 or more points in a single game - a total of 54 times. Jennings owns the NU record with 12 30-point scoring efforts in her career, including eight in 1991-92.

Gerhart Gave Scoring, Rebounding Strength before Illness
Jessica Gerhart experienced an up-and-down sophomore season for the Huskers. The 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, started each of Nebraska’s first 18 games and was the Huskers’ second-leading scorer and top rebounder with 13.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game after posting the first double-double of her career with 17 points and 11 rebounds in NU’s win at Missouri on Jan. 8.

After producing a solid nine-point, eight-rebound effort in the Huskers’ 103-99 triple overtime victory over Baylor on Jan. 12, Gerhart’s season took a tough turn. Over the next three games, she hit just 4-of-21 shots from the field and was knocked out of the starting lineup for the first time by illness against Kansas on Jan. 29.

On Feb. 1, Gerhart did not make the trip to Oklahoma State and instead underwent an appendectomy. She did not play in the win over Oklahoma on Feb. 6 and played a total of just 31 minutes and scored just six points off the bench over the next five games (Texas, Iowa State, Texas A&M, Kansas, Kansas State).

Gerhart gave the Huskers a much-needed boost off the bench in the regular-season home finale on Feb. 26 against Missouri with 10 points, for her first double-figure scoring effort since posting a double-double in NU’s first meeting with the Tigers. Gerhart had scored in double figures in 10 of NU’s first 14 games on the season.

She continued to come off the bench in NU’s final five games, and she finished the season as NU’s fourth-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder with 7.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

A first-team academic All-Big 12 selection who has spent her time working in the classroom, in the community and on the court, Gerhart far surpassed her production from her freshman season. In 30 games as a sophomore, Gerhart scored 235 points, 144 more than the 91 points she scored in 2003-04. She has also hit 14 three-pointers, after going without a made three-pointer as a freshman.

Gerhart’s 128 rebounds more than doubled the 52 boards she grabbed in 30 games in 2003-04. She also finished second on the squad with 11 blocked shots in 2004-05.

Gerhart hit for a career-high 20 points in the Huskers’ 89-46 victory over Northern Colorado at the Devaney Center on Nov. 19, and followed that effort the next time out with a team-high 19 points in a win over Washington State on Nov. 22. She led the Huskers with 16 points in a win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 20, and 13 points in the Huskers’ rout of Memphis on Dec. 30. She added 16 more points in NU’s win over Colorado Jan. 5.

Gerhart hit the first three three-pointers of her career and finished with 13 points in the second-round Preseason WNIT loss at No. 10 Notre Dame. Her performance against the Fighting Irish followed a then-career high 17-point, nine-rebound effort in the first-round WNIT win over Western Illinois on Nov. 12. Against the Westerwinds, Gerhart hit a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to seal NU’s victory. She added 13 points at No. 10 Ohio State.

Howell Keys Husker Defensive Pressure
LaToya Howell earned six starts in her first competitive season as a Husker, but came off the bench in each of NU’s last 18 games to provide a defensive spark. Howell helped Nebraska’s defense turn up the heat by averaging 2.5 steals per game (54 total steals) over the last 22 games, including a career-high five steals against Missouri (Feb. 26) and at Colorado (March 2), and six games with four steals each during that stretch (at Creighton, vs. Colorado, vs. Kansas and vs. Kansas State three times).

The 5-5 guard started NU’s first two Big 12 Conference games. In the Huskers’ 103-99 triple overtime win over No. 2 Baylor, Howell sparked NU with nine points off the bench. In NU’s 88-59 win over No. 14 Iowa State on Feb. 12, Howell scored eight points, including six in the first half, while producing three rebounds and two steals. She added eight points, four rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes off the bench against No. 10 Texas Tech on Jan. 19.

In NU’s win over Kansas on Jan. 29, Howell knocked down her only three-point attempt and hit a free throw to score the first four points of Nebraska’s decisive 10-0 run in the second half. Howell’s spark helped turn a 39-37 NU lead with 11 minutes left into a 49-37 edge with 7:50 to play against KU. She knocked down all six of her free throw attempts and snagged a pair of steals to help the Huskers to a 73-71 win over Oklahoma State on Feb 1.

Howell finished her junior season averaging 3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a team-leading 2.1 steals per game. In conference play, she ranked second in the Big 12 with 2.5 steals per game.

After spending the entire 2003-04 season as a redshirt and missing Nebraska’s first two regular-season games in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, Howell finally played her first regular-season game as a Husker in the win over Northern Colorado and made her first start in the win over Washington State. Howell scored a season-high 10 points, grabbed two rebounds and distributed three assists against Northern Colorado. She added seven points, a season-high six rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win over Washington State. She dished out a season-best six assists in the win over Southeastern Louisiana.

The junior from Chicago, Ill., was one of the Huskers’ top players in practice during her redshirt season after transferring from Air Force before the 2003 fall semester.

Howell was one of the best players in the Mountain West Conference as a sophomore, earning a pair of Mountain West Conference Player-of-the-Week awards in 2002-03. She started 17 games and averaged 17.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 3.2 steals per game. Her top performance as a sophomore came with a 38-point outburst against Minnesota on Nov. 30, 2002, which tied the school single-game scoring record. She also set the school single-game steals record with eight steals against the Runnin’ Rebels on Feb. 23, 2002.

Despite playing a shortened sophomore season, Howell still set the Air Force single-season assist mark with 119 assists in 2002-03. She also established the school’s single-season steals record with 90 steals in 2001-02. As a freshman, Howell averaged 10.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.2 steals per game.

Samardziska Shows Solid Production
Bojana Samardziska made a splash with a career-high 19 points in Nebraska’s 69-60 win over Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 7, and the junior college transfer showed she is capable of producing solid numbers.

Samardziska, a 6-4 center from Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro, arrived against Tennessee-Martin by knocking down 9-of-12 shots from the field. She also hit her only free throw attempt of the game, while pulling down five rebounds, blocking two shots and snagging one steal in the win over the Skyhawks. She did all that in just 13 minutes of court time, in an amazingly productive performance.

Samardziska had scored just 21 points in Nebraska’s first seven games before her outburst against Tennessee-Martin. She entered the UT-Martin game averaging 3.3 points per game.

She added another hugely productive outing in the win over Memphis on Dec. 30, when she scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and added a blocked shot in just 11 minutes of action off the bench.

In Nebraska’s win over Colorado to open Big 12 Conference play on Jan. 5, Samardziska helped the Huskers with 10 points, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal in a career-high 20 minutes. She made her first start of the year in place of an injured Chelsea Aubry in the win at Missouri on Jan. 8.

Samardziska averaged 3.1 points per game, despite playing just 6.7 minutes per contest. She added 1.8 rebounds per game, while ranking third on the team with nine blocks. For the season, Samardziska shot 50.0 percent (29-58). She also contributed nine steals and five assists, while committing just eight turnovers.

In her two-year career at Colby (Kan.) Community College, Samardziska scored 1,038 points and grabbed 601 rebounds. She captured first-team NJCAA Region VI All-Tournament honors by averaging 26 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 blocked shots per game in 2004. She averaged 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game on her way to second-team All-Jayhawk West Conference honors last season.

White, Drmanac Add Depth to Nebraska Roster
Freshman Sarah White’s production was a pleasant surprise for the Huskers. NU coaches had considered redshirting White, as she made the transition from high school post player to college wing player, but injuries to Nebraska backcourt players Heather Kephart, LaToya Howell and Jelena Spiric forced White into action earlier than expected.

The 6-0 native of Topeka, Kan., stepped up to the challenge. After going scoreless in eight minutes in the season-opening win over Western Illinois, White struck for six points, including her first career three-pointer at No. 10 Notre Dame. She produced a career-high seven points in the win over Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 1.

White, who played in 21 games as a freshman, scored six points and grabbed three rebounds in 12 minutes in NU’s win over Memphis on Dec. 30. She added six more points and one rebound in just six minutes of work against Colorado. She played 12 minutes in the loss at Texas, where she scored two first-half points and added three rebounds. She added two more points and three rebounds in just four minutes in the win over Iowa State on Feb. 12, before scoring two points and grabbing one rebound in the win at Texas A&M on Feb. 16. She played 12 minutes at Kansas on Feb. 20, including significant minutes in the first half against her homestate school.

She played a career-high 14 minutes in the Big 12 Tournament against No. 17 Kansas State, where she scored three points and grabbed three rebounds. She played in 11 of NU’s final 12 games and averaged 2.2 points and 1.1 rebounds per game on the season.

Junior college transfer Ivana Drmanac also added depth to Nebraska’s backcourt. The 6-1 forward played in 19 games and averaged 0.8 points and 0.6 rebounds per game for the Huskers. She also knocked down four three-pointers for the Huskers, and dished out eight assists in just 5.2 minutes per game.

Huskers Faced Challenging 2004-05 Schedule
The Huskers squared off against another loaded schedule in 2004-05 with 16 games against teams that advanced to the postseason in 2005.

The Huskers, who played four 2005 postseason qualifiers during the non-conference season, opened the regular season in the 2004 Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Preseason WNIT began Nov. 12 with the Huskers’ win over Western Illinois (74-71). NU advanced to the second round to take on 2005 NCAA qualifier Notre Dame. The Huskers fell to the No. 10 Fighting Irish, 73-57 in South Bend. The Irish went on to win the Preseason WNIT title, and the Huskers rebounded with impressive home victories over Northern Colorado (89-46) on Nov. 19, and Washington State (78-61) on Nov. 22.

Nebraska traveled to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam during the Thanksgiving holiday and returned with a third-place showing after falling to eventual champion North Carolina State (55-45) on Nov. 26. The Wolfpack earned a bid to the 2005 NCAA Tournament. NU ran to a 72-54 win over Hampton to close the tournament on Nov. 27.

After running past Southeastern Louisiana, 82-35 at home on Dec. 1, the Huskers defeated Tennessee-Martin, 69-60, on Dec. 7. Nebraska suffered its second loss to a top 10 team when it fell at No. 10 Ohio State, 86-61, on Dec. 11. The Buckeyes advanced to the Sweet 16 in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers fell to 2005 WNIT qualifier Creighton, 58-57, at the Omaha Civic Auditorium on Dec. 18, before rebounding for an impressive 81-70 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 20. The Ragin’ Cajuns did not earn a postseason trip but did post a school record with 22 victories in 2004-05.

Nebraska closed the non-conference season with an 82-50 rout of Memphis at the Devaney Center on Dec. 30. The Lady Tigers returned four starters from a team that won 20 games in 2003-04.

Nebraska opened Big 12 play with an impressive 84-62 win over Colorado, before posting an 81-74 come-from-behind win at Missouri on Jan. 8. The Huskers added the biggest win in school history by knocking off No. 2 Baylor, 103-99 in triple overtime at the Devaney Center on Jan. 12. The Bears went on to win the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles before advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight.

The Huskers suffered their first conference loss in a 74-59 setback at No. 23 Kansas State on Jan. 15, before dropping their first home game in league action to No. 10 Texas Tech, 68-58, on Jan. 19. NU also fell at No. 19 Iowa State 74-54, to end a streak of four straight games against ranked foes. All three of those teams earned bids to the 2005 NCAA Tournament, including a trip to the Sweet 16 by Texas Tech.

Nebraska rebounded with a 59-48 win over Kansas in Lincoln on Jan. 29, before knocking off Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Feb. 1. The Huskers snapped a six-game series losing streak to 2005 NCAA qualifier Oklahoma with a 70-51 win over the Sooners on Feb. 6, before falling at No. 17 Texas 83-53, on Feb. 9.

The Huskers rebounded with their most lopsided win over a ranked opponent in school history with an 88-59 win over No. 14 Iowa State on Feb. 12. Nebraska added its third road Big 12 win of the year with a solid 73-59 win at Texas A&M on Feb. 16, before the Aggies went on to advance to the third round of the Postseason WNIT.

The Huskers fell on the road to Kansas 67-53 on Feb. 20, and lost their second straight game with a 94-69 setback to No. 17 Kansas State on Feb. 23 in Lincoln. After a 70-65 setback in overtime to Missouri on Feb. 26 in Lincoln, the Huskers closed the regular season with a narrow 78-76 loss at Colorado on March 2.

Nebraska bounced back for a 60-45 win over Oklahoma State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on March 8, marking the Huskers’ first conference tournament win since 2000. NU ended its trip to Kansas City, Mo., with a 71-45 loss to No. 17 Kansas State on March 9, which marked the Huskers 11th game against a team that closed the 2004-05 regular season in the Associated Press Top 25.

The Huskers added their second straight trip to the Postseason WNIT and earned a second consecutive first-round tournament victory by defeating Marquette 66-57 in Milwaukee on March 17. NU closed its season with a 71-67 loss to Iowa on March 21 in Lincoln.

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home
Since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 289-104 (.735) in games played in the arena, including 104-66 (.612) in conference games.

The Huskers have rolled to a 12-4 home record, after running to a 13-4 home mark in 2003-04. NU’s home victory total last year more than doubled its home victory total from 2002-03. The Huskers were 5-3 at home in the Big 12 and 8-1 against non-conference competition, including 1-1 in postseason WNIT play. Nebraska is 2-2 all-time in home postseason play, with an 81-58 win over San Diego on March 17, 1993, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Devaney Center. The Huskers added a 73-60 win over Drake in the first round of the WNIT on March 18, 2004, before losing 75-67 in the next round to Oregon State on March 22, 2004. NU also suffered a 71-67 loss to Iowa on March 25 to close its run in the 2005 Postseason WNIT.0

Attendance is a big part of the Huskers’ success. Nebraska’s average home attendance increased nearly 20 percent in 2003-04 to 3,074 fans per game. The Huskers averaged 449 more fans per game than the 2,625 fans per contest that NU drew in 2002-03.

In 2004-05, the Huskers produced two of the four largest crowds in school history in back-to-back games on Feb. 12 and Feb. 23. Nebraska closed the regular season with its third-largest crowd of the year with 6,068 fans on Senior Night on Feb. 26. NU finished the year ranked No. 25 nationally in average home attendance with 4,022 fans per game. The increase of 951 fans represented more than a 30 percent increase over the 2003-04 season average ranked as the fourth-highest attendance mark in school history.

NU drew its fourth-largest crowd in school history with a season-high 12,429 fans in attendance for an 88-59 win over No. 14 Iowa State on Feb. 12. It was NU’s largest crowd in the past five seasons, dating back to a school-record crowd of 13,226 against Kansas State on Feb. 26, 2000. The Huskers surpassed the mark in their next home game when 13,023 fans filled the Devaney Center to watch NU clash with Kansas State on Feb. 23. It was the first time in school history that Nebraska had back-to-back crowds of more than 12,000.

Nebraska ranked 14th nationally in average home attendance in 1999-2000 with 4,772 fans per game, after ranking 15th nationally with a school-record average of 5,000 fans per game in 1998-99. NU added an average home crowd of 4,204 in 2000-01.

Nebraska’s Top 10 Single-Game Attendance Figures
1. 13,226 - Kansas State, Feb. 26, 2000 (W, 65-56)
2. 13,135 - #15 Iowa State, Feb. 7, 1999 (W, 68-67)
3. 13,023 - #17 Kansas State, Feb. 23, 2005 (L, 69-94)
4. 12,429 - #14 Iowa State, Feb. 12, 2004 (W, 88-59)
5. 12,181 - #22 Iowa State, Feb. 28, 1998 (W, 78-53)
6. 11,465 - Colorado, Feb. 22, 1998 (W, 68-60)
7. 10,221 - #11 Texas Tech, Feb. 21, 1999 (L, 62-75)
8. 8,637 - #13 Texas Tech, Feb. 9, 1997 (W, 62-57)
9. 7,901 - #23 Kansas, Feb. 13, 2000 (W, 75-72)
10. 7,012 - Iowa State, Feb. 23, 1997 (L, 55-57)