<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln- True freshman Kelsey Griffin scored a game-high 18 points and added a team-high seven rebounds, but the Nebraska women’s basketball team shot just 32.2 percent from the field in a 68-49 season-opening loss to South DakotaState at the BobDevaneySportsCenter on Saturday afternoon.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
Griffin, who started for the Huskers (0-1), led the Huskers by hitting 7-of-12 shots from the field, while junior Jessica Gerhart chipped in eight points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field. Although Griffin and Gerhart combined to hit 11-of-19 shots from the field, the rest of the Huskers managed just 8-of-40 shooting, including a 2-for-20 effort from All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy.
Griffin's 18-point effort tied for the third-best scoring total by a freshman in a career-opener, but the Huskers saw their streak of 24 consecutive season-opening victories snapped by the Jackrabbits. Griffin's production trails only WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge's school-record 22 points against Gonzaga on Nov. 24, 1995, and Deb Powell's 19 points against Pacific Christian on Nov. 20, 1981, among NU freshmen in career-opening games.
Husker All-American Karen Jennings also scored 18 points in her career debut against St. Louis on Nov. 24, 1989, while Angie Miller added 18 points in her first game against South Florida on Nov. 25, 1983.
Nebraska's cold shooting included just 21.4 percent (6-28) in the first half, which allowed South DakotaState to race to a 37-18 halftime lead, which the Huskers were never able to overcome.
Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said the Huskers were disappointed in the loss.
“Obviously we’re disappointed in our performance, but credit goes to <?xml:namespace prefix="u1"?>South DakotaState," Yori said. "They are a very good team and they play the game the way it’s supposed to be played. They play hard, they play as a unit and that’s something we need to come closer to. We need to get back to work.”
While the Huskers struggled from the field, South DakotaState was red hot from beyond the three-point arc. The Jackrabbits threatened the DevaneyCenter record by knocking down 13-of-25 three-pointers on the afternoon. SDSU's 13 three-pointers, fell just one shy of the Nebraska opponent record and the DevaneyCenter mark of 14, which has been accomplished on three occasions, most recently by IowaState on Jan. 26, 2002.
Heather Sieler led the Jackrabbits with 15 points, including a trio of three-pointers, while freshman Ashlea Muckenhirn pitched in 13 points off the bench, including a game-high four three-pointers. Megan Vogel added 13 points for the Jacks, while nearly posting a double-double with nine rebounds. Vogel also pitched in five assists.
The Jackrabbits received solid contributions from eight players who each scored five or more points.
Nebraska forced the Jackrabbits to commit 21 turnovers, producing 10 steals, but SDSU grabbed 52 rebounds to the Huskers' 32.
SDSU held the Huskers to 18 points in the first half, while hitting 41.7 percent of shots from the floor. The Jackrabbits also hit seven three-point attempts in the first half.
The Huskers return to action a 7 p.m. Monday when they take on in-state rival, Creighton at the BobDevaneySportsCenter. The Bluejays opened their season with a 93-77 loss at Northwestern on Saturday afternoon.
Official Basketball Box Score Official Basketball Box Score South Dakota State vs Nebraska 11/19/05 12:05 p.m. at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: South Dakota State 1-0 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 32 Megan Vogel......... f 4-13 2-6 3-4 2 7 9 2 13 5 4 0 0 33 44 Jennifer Warkenthien f 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 3 0 1 2 1 0 17 54 Christina Gilbert... c 2-6 0-0 1-2 0 6 6 3 5 1 3 0 0 19 04 Andrea Verdegan..... g 2-4 1-3 0-0 1 3 4 1 5 4 2 0 1 29 20 Heather Sieler...... g 5-10 3-6 2-2 0 4 4 2 15 5 4 0 4 27 14 Natalie Carda....... 2-3 1-2 0-0 0 2 2 0 5 0 1 0 0 4 24 Morgan Meier........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 30 Stacie Oistad....... 0-2 0-1 0-0 2 1 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 11 40 Sarah Meckley....... 2-5 2-2 0-0 0 5 5 3 6 3 2 0 1 22 42 Ashlea Muckenhirn... 4-9 4-5 1-2 1 4 5 3 13 0 2 1 1 19 50 Courtney Grimsrud... 3-5 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 3 6 1 0 1 0 18 TEAM................ 4 4 8 Totals.............. 24-57 13-25 7-10 10 42 52 20 68 21 21 3 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-29 41.4% 2nd Half: 12-28 42.9% Game: 42.1% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 7-14 50.0% 2nd Half: 6-11 54.5% Game: 52.0% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 6-8 75.0% 2nd Half: 1-2 50.0% Game: 70.0% 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: Nebraska 0-1 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 23 GRIFFIN, Kelsey..... f 7-12 0-0 4-9 3 4 7 1 18 0 1 1 2 28 33 GERHART, Jessica.... f 4-7 0-0 0-1 0 1 1 3 8 0 0 0 1 18 45 AUBRY, Chelsea...... f 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 2 0 0 1 1 0 18 05 HOWELL, LaToya...... g 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 3 3 4 0 6 4 0 1 27 21 HARDY, Kiera........ g 2-20 2-5 2-4 1 4 5 3 8 4 2 0 1 32 02 FORD, Ashley........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 14 12 LaFLEUR, TK......... 2-7 2-4 0-0 1 2 3 2 6 1 0 0 1 19 14 WHITE, Sarah........ 1-2 0-1 1-2 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 11 15 DIAZ, Elena......... 2-6 0-0 0-2 0 4 4 1 4 0 2 1 2 20 52 PAGE, Danielle...... 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 13 TEAM................ 2 4 6 Totals.............. 19-59 4-11 7-18 7 25 32 16 49 13 13 3 10 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 6-28 21.4% 2nd Half: 13-31 41.9% Game: 32.2% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-7 14.3% 2nd Half: 3-4 75.0% Game: 36.4% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 5-12 41.7% 2nd Half: 2-6 33.3% Game: 38.9% 2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Officials: Lorenzo Alvarez Jr., Jesse Dickerson, Darcy Schlabach Technical fouls: South Dakota State-None. Nebraska-None. Attendance: 1953 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total South Dakota State............ 37 31 - 68 Nebraska...................... 18 31 - 49