Huskers Travel to ISU Saturday

Nebraska (10-4, 2-1)
at Iowa State (10-4, 1-2)
Hilton Coliseum (14,092)
Saturday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m.
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network
(1400-KLIN Lincoln/Huskers.com)
Live Stats: Cyclones.com
Series Record: Nebraska Leads, 34-28
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 88-59, Feb. 12, 2005 in Lincoln
Last Meeting in Ames: Iowa State won, 74-54, Jan. 22, 2005

Huskers Hope to Get Back on Winning Track at Iowa State
The Nebraska women’s basketball team (10-4, 2-1) will try to end the first quarter of Big 12 Conference regular-season action on a winning note, as the Huskers travel to Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, to clash with the Iowa State Cyclones (10-4, 1-2) on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m.

The contest can be heard live on radio on the Pinnacle Sports Network on 1400 AM-KLIN in Lincoln and world wide on Huskers.com with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action.

Nebraska and Iowa State enter the games in strangely similar situations. Both teams are 10-4 overall, while the Huskers are a game up on the Cyclones in the league standings at 2-1. Both teams are coming off mid-week losses and both teams own similar numbers up and down the key statistical categories, including opponent scoring average, team rebounding margin, turnovers per game, and opponent three-point field goal percentage.

Both teams have also featured their same starting lineups for each of the first 14 games this season.

The Huskers will try to rebound from a 64-58 loss to No. 24 Missouri in Lincoln on Wednesday night, while Iowa State will try to bounce back from an 80-50 loss at previously ranked Texas.

Reigning Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week Kelsey Griffin led the Huskers against Missouri, producing her second career double-double with a team-high 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, including a career-high nine offensive boards. The 2005 Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year, Griffin is averaging 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game to rank among the top freshmen in the Big 12 this season.

Returning first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy added 14 points against Missouri, after a 26-point effort in the Huskers’ 73-61 win over previously unbeaten Kansas on Jan. 11. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., enters the Iowa State game averaging 17.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

Junior guard Lyndsey Medders leads the Cyclones with 15.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and a staggering 8.6 assists per game. Medders’ numbers slipped considerably on Wednesday while sitting out the second half of ISU’s loss at Texas with back spasms. Brittany Wilkins has added 14.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for Iowa State.

Griffin Earns Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week Honors
Nebraska freshman Kelsey Griffin claimed the first Big 12 Conference weekly award of her career, earning Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week honors from the league office in Dallas on Monday, Jan. 9.

The 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, averaged 14 points and eight rebounds per game in the first two Big 12 contests of her career last week.

The 2005 Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year helped the Huskers snap a 21-game losing streak against Colorado in Boulder with 12 points and nine rebounds in an 80-62 win over the Buffs on Wednesday. She added 16 points and seven rebounds to help the Huskers defeat previously unbeaten Kansas, 73-61, in front of a season-high crowd of 7,114 at the Devaney Center on Saturday.

On the week, Griffin hit nearly 65 percent of her shots from the field and 75 percent of her free throw attempts to help Nebraska open Big 12 play with a 2-0 record for the second straight year. Griffin ranks among the top freshmen in the Big in scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game on the year.

Griffin got her second week of Big 12 competition off to an even better start individually, posting her second career double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds against Missouri. Griffin pulled down nine offensive boards against the Tigers. She enters the Iowa State game averaging 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Huskers Receive Votes in Associated Press Top 25
Nebraska received eight top-25 votes in this week’s Associated Press rankings, the first votes the Huskers have earned this season. NU’s vote total theoretically puts them at No. 36 in the national rankings, trailing Baylor (5th), Oklahoma (16th), Missouri (24th), Texas (31st), Kansas (32nd) and ahead of No. 39 Kansas State.

Missouri entered the poll for the first time this season at No. 24 after knocking off defending national champion Baylor, 64-61, in Columbia, Mo., on Wednesday, before beating Kansas State by 26 points at Mizzou Arena on Saturday. The Tigers improved to 3-0 in the Big 12 by beating the Huskers 64-58 on Wednesday.

Huskers Taking Care of the Rock in Big 12 Action
Nebraska has been phenomenal at protecting the basketball through the first three games of Big 12 Conference action this season. The Huskers have committed no more than 10 turnovers in any of their first three league games, including a season-low eight turnovers against Missouri on Wednesday.

The Huskers opened conference play by committing 10 turnovers at Colorado on Jan. 4, before committing just 10 more miscues against Kansas in Lincoln on Jan. 7. Through three league games, NU has committed just 28 turnovers, two fewer than the 30 turnovers Iowa State committed in its last game at Texas on Wednesday.

Nebraska is averaging just 9.3 turnovers per game in Big 12 play, while forcing 16 turnovers per contest for a plus-6.7 turnover margin. Iowa State is averaging 18.7 turnovers per game in league play, while forcing just 15 turnovers per game, for a minus-3.7 team turnover margin.

The Huskers produced three of the top four turnover marks in school history in Coach Connie Yori’s first three seasons at Nebraska. Last season, the Huskers averaged just 15.4 turnovers per game (493 total turnovers) for the third-fewest total turnovers in school history.

Through 14 games in 2005-06, the Huskers have been even better, averaging just 14.7 turnovers per game. Nebraska has turned the ball over just 206 times this season. With 13 regular-season games remaining and one more game guaranteed in the Big 12 Tournament, even if the Huskers averaged 20 turnovers per game, they would still finish the season with the second-lowest turnover total in school history with 486.

NU has committed more than 17 turnovers in only two games this season (LSU, Grambling State). The Huskers committed a season-high 24 turnovers against Grambling State, but NU’s high turnover total in the win over the Lady Tigers followed on the heels of 11 turnovers against Texas State on Dec. 20. NU turned the ball over just 13 times against South Dakota State and Michigan, while adding just 14 turnovers against Creighton and Texas Southern, before adding 15 turnovers against Northern Arizona.

In 2003-04, the Huskers committed just 488 turnovers (16.3 per game), which ranked 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.

Scouting the Iowa State Cyclones
The Iowa State Cyclones head into Saturday’s game with the Huskers in Ames, after suffering their worst loss of the season in an 80-50 setback at Texas on Wednesday night. The loss dropped ISU to 1-2 in Big 12 Conference action. The Cyclones defeated Oklahoma State in Stillwater, 71-62, last Wednesday, after opening the league season with an 87-67 loss to Oklahoma in Hilton Coliseum.

Iowa State’s loss to the Sooners marked the Cyclones’ first home loss of the season. Although ISU started 6-0 at home, its wins came against IUPUI, Akron, UC Riverside, Nicholls, IPFW and Iowa. None of Iowa State’s wins have come against ranked foes, but all four of its losses have come to teams that have been ranked in the top 25 at some point during the season.

Nebraska and Iowa State enter Saturday’s game in strangely similar situations. Both teams are 10-4 overall, while the Huskers are a game up on the Cyclones in the league standings at 2-1. Both teams are coming off mid-week losses and both teams own similar numbers up and down the key statistical categories, including opponent scoring average, team rebounding margin, turnovers per game, and opponent three-point field goal percentage.

Both teams have also featured their same starting lineups for each of the first 14 games this season. In a change of pace, Nebraska will be the first Big 12 North opponent of the season for the Cyclones, while the Huskers will be playing their fourth straight foe from the North division.

In another coincidence, the top players on both teams have suffered back pain during the season. Iowa State guard Lyndsey Medders missed much of the Texas game with back spasms. The junior leads ISU with 15.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and an impressive 8.6 assists per game. NU guard Kiera Hardy suffered a back injury before the Michigan game, and was limited for a week in practice but has not missed significant playing time because of the injury.

In addition to Medders, Arlington, Neb., native Brittany Wilkins has been solid for the Cyclones with 14.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Heather Ezell has given ISU three players in double figures with 12.1 points and a team-leading 38 three-pointers.

Freshman center Nicky Wieben has added 9.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, along with a team-leading 30 blocks, while junior guard/forward Megan Ronhovde rounds out the ISU starting five with 9.1 points and 7.4 rebounds, while adding 29 three-pointers.

Lisa Bildeaux is the only non-starter for ISU to play in all 14 games this season, as she averages a solid 5.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in more than 20 minutes per game off the bench. Amanda Nisleit has added 8.8 minutes per game in 12 appearances, but no other Cyclone has appeared in 10 games this season for ISU.

Traditionally one of the top three-point shooting teams in the Big 12, Iowa State has hit just 30.9 percent of its threes on the season, while hitting just 40.9 percent overall from the field. The Cyclones are also shooting less than 70 percent at the free throw line. ISU has been strong on the glass, posting a plus-4.4 team rebounding margin, but in Big 12 play the Cyclones are a minus-9.0 on the boards.

Nebraska vs. Iowa State All-Time Series
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Iowa State 34-28, including an 88-59 victory over the Cyclones at the Devaney Center on Feb. 12, 2005, in the last meeting between the two schools. However, ISU posted a 74-54 win over the Huskers at Hilton Coliseum on Jan. 22, 2005, the eighth straight win for the Cyclones against the Huskers in Ames.

This Saturday’s game will mark the first night game between the Huskers and Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum since Jan. 28, 1999. The last six seasons, Nebraska has played Iowa State during the day in Ames.

Huskers Come Up Short Against No. 24 Tigers
Freshman forward Kelsey Griffin produced the second double-double of her career with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds but it was not enough to stop No. 24 Missouri from defeating Nebraska, 64-58, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Wednesday night.

The reigning Big 12 Rookie of the Week, Griffin scored 12 of her team-high 16 points in the second half, and finished the game by hitting 8-of-15 shots from the field. She pulled down a career-high nine offensive rebounds among her 12 boards on the night to help the Huskers grab 16 offensive rebounds for the game.

But reigning Big 12 Player-of-the-Week LaToya Bond of Missouri enjoyed a better night by pouring in 21 points and grabbing six rebounds from her guard position to help the Tigers improve to 13-2 overall and 3-0 in the Big 12 to extend their winning streak to 12 games. The Huskers slipped to 10-4 overall, snapping their eight-game winning streak, while leaving Missouri and Oklahoma as the only two unbeaten teams in Big 12 play.

The Huskers struggled to shoot 36.1 percent (22-61) from the field, including just 30.3 percent in the first half. Despite NU’s shooting woes, the Huskers still led 29-27 at halftime.

But Missouri came out firing in the second half, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the field to open the period to build an eight-point lead at 43-35 with just over 14 minutes left in the game.

The Tigers finished at 46.2 percent from the field for the game, including 53.6 percent in the second half. Both teams hit five three-pointers on the night.

Missouri outrebounded Nebraska, 39-35, but NU overcame the rebounding deficit by committing a season-low eight turnovers, including just three in the second half to stay within striking distance of the Tigers. NU forced 16 MU turnovers for the game.

After Missouri built its eight-point lead, Griffin led an NU comeback by scoring four straight points to cap a 6-0 Husker run to trim the lead to 45-43 with 10:30 left in the game. But the Tigers found enough answers to keep Nebraska at bay, never allowing the Huskers closer than four points the rest of the way.

Missouri took its biggest lead of the game at nine points (59-50), before Chelsea Aubry led NU back with five straight points to cut the edge to 59-55 with 1:19 left, but MU made the plays to win down the stretch.

Aubry finished with 11 points and five rebounds, while Kiera Hardy gave the Huskers three players in double figures with 14 points, five boards and three assists. Hardy managed just two points in the second half against the Tigers after putting up 12 points in the first half.

Hardy Poised for Husker Career Three-Point Record
First-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy enters Saturday’s game at Iowa State needing just four three-pointers to break Nebraska’s career three-point record held by current WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge (1995-98).

Hardy has hit 152 three-pointers in just 73 career games to shoot into second place on Nebraska’s career three-point list. Hardy has hit 2.1 three-pointers per game in her brief career, and is on pace to shatter the school record during her junior season.

DeForge holds 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.

Hardy hit a season-high six three-pointers against Texas Southern on Dec. 7, when she moved ahead of Husker all-time greats Amy Stephens and Nicole Kubik on NU’s three-point chart. She tied the school single-game record with seven threes against Iowa in the WNIT last season.

Hardy ranks among Big 12 leaders with 37 three-pointers this season, an average of 2.6 three-pointers per game. After tying the school single-season record with 85 three-pointers last season and smashing the school’s sophomore record, Hardy needs just 11 more three-pointers to produce the best three-point shooting season by an NU junior. Sabrina Brooks (1987-88) holds the Husker junior record with 47 three-pointers.

Hardy ranked second in the Big 12 Conference with 3.06 made three-pointers per game in league contests last season. She hit six three-pointers in the win over No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, and matched that total with six three-pointers in the win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 1.

She established her career high with a school-record tying seven three-pointers in NU’s season finale against Iowa in the 2005 Postseason WNIT at the Devaney Center. She also vaulted into a tie for the single-season school record with 85 threes on the season, previously set by Amy Stephens in 1988-89. The previous NU three-point record by a sophomore was Galligan’s 50 three-pointers in 1993-94.

Hardy Quickly Climbing Nebraska Career Scoring List
Kiera Hardy, the top returning scorer this season in the Big 12, became the 22nd player in Nebraska history to score 1,000 career points with her 15-point effort in the Huskers’ 96-47 win over Texas State on Dec. 20.

In just three weeks, Hardy has climbed from 23rd to 14th on NU’s scoring list with 1,107 points entering the Iowa State game. She needs just 10 points to climb past Meggan Yedsena into 13th place and 178 points break into the Huskers’ all-time top 10.

Hardy hit for 26 points against Kansas on Jan. 7, the third time this season she has scored 26 or more points. She scored a season-high 32 points against Northern Arizona on Dec. 31, after striking for 26 points against No. 3 LSU on Nov. 25.

Hardy, who reached the 1,000-point mark in just her 68th career game, has scored in double figures in 12 consecutive games, including five games with 20 or more points. She opened the season with back-to-back eight-point efforts, before scoring 26 against No. 3 LSU. She added 22 points with six assists on Dec. 3 at No. 10 Minnesota, before scoring 20 points with six three-pointers and six more assists in Nebraska’s 93-68 win over Texas Southern on Dec. 7.

In addition to her dynamic scoring abilities, Hardy has increased her impact for the Huskers in 2005-06 on both the offensive and defensive ends. Through 14 games, Hardy is averaging 3.7 assists to rank among the top 15 players in the Big 12. During a four-game stretch from Nov. 27 to Dec. 10, Hardy was even better at distributing the basketball, averaging 6.3 assists per contest. Hardy set or tied her career high in assists in three straight games against Minnesota, Texas Southern and Northwestern, including eight assists in a 30-point win over the Wildcats. With 52 assists, Hardy is quickly approaching her assist total (67) from 2004-05, in less than half the games.

On the season, Hardy also ranks among the top 10 players in the Big 12 with her 1.79-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (52 assists-29 turnovers). Last season, Hardy’s assist-to-turnover ratio was 1-to-1.34 (67 assists-90 turnovers).

Defensively, Hardy has been stellar. She leads the Huskers and ranks second in the Big 12 with 34 total steals in 14 games (2.4 spg), just 17 steals shy of her 51 steals in 32 games a year ago. At her current pace, Hardy could threaten one of the top five steal seasons in school history and possibly move into the Huskers’ career top 10 by the end of the year.

Huskers Displaying Defensive Dominance
As impressive as Nebraska’s offense has been in averaging 73 points per game, including a pair of 90-plus scoring efforts, the Husker defense has been shutting down opponents at a record pace.

The Huskers put a stranglehold on Northwestern, giving up just 50 points on Dec. 10. A week later, Nebraska was even better on defense, allowing just 49 points to a solid Michigan squad. Against Texas State on Dec. 20, the Huskers may have played their best defense of the season, giving up 47 points to a team that entered the game averaging 80 points per contest. The Huskers lowered their best defensive total of the season to 40 points in the win over Grambling State on Dec. 29.

The win over Grambling State marked the first time in school history that the Huskers held four straight opponents to 50 or fewer points.

Through 14 games, Nebraska has allowed just 59.3 points per game, the lowest opponent scoring average since NU allowed 58.7 points per game in 1996-97. The Huskers have held five of their first 14 opponents, including Creighton, Northwestern, Michigan, Texas State and Grambling State to 50 or fewer points this season.

Last year, Nebraska held five opponents to 50 or less in 32 games, which marked the first time since 1996-97 that an NU team had held five foes to 50 or less during a season. The 1996-97 squad held six opponents to 50 or fewer points, which was the most since holding eight opponents to 50 or fewer points in a 36-game season in 1978-79. NU has twice held nine foes to 50 or less in a season (1974-75 and 1976-77).

In Coach Connie Yori’s four seasons in Lincoln, the Huskers have held opponents to 50 or fewer points 17 times in 104 games. In Nebraska’s six previous seasons (beginning in 1996-97), which included three trips to the NCAA Tournament, the Huskers held only 19 opponents to 50 or less in a span of 185 games.

Rebounding, Turnover Margins Creating Victories for NU
Nebraska has been solid this season in the key areas of rebounding and turnover margin.

Through 14 games, Nebraska owns a team rebounding margin of plus-3.9 per game, while posting an impressive turnover margin of plus-5.8. NU’s success in those two categories has helped the Huskers attempt an average of 6.9 more shots per game than their opponents, while also getting to the free throw line an average of 2.4 more times per game.

Nebraska’s rebounding margin has dipped to a minus-2.3 in Big 12 Conference action, but its turnover margin has increased to plus-6.7 per game, giving the Huskers an average of 1.3 more field goal attempts and 2.3 more free throw attempts than their Big 12 foes.

Nebraska has enjoyed five double-figure rebounding advantages this season, including a season-high plus-22 rebound margin at Northwestern. The Huskers grabbed 19 more rebounds than Texas State, 13 more than No. 10 Minnesota, 11 more than Creighton and 10 more than Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Only one team has produced a double-digit advantage on the glass against the Huskers, as South Dakota State grabbed 10 more boards than NU in the season opener.

In the turnover column, Nebraska has enjoyed at least a plus-five turnover margin in 11 of 14 games this season, and only one opponent - No. 3 LSU - forced a negative turnover result by NU. In the other two games, No. 10 Minnesota and Northwestern matched the Huskers’ turnover total.

The Huskers put up season highs with plus-10 turnover margins against Michigan and Texas State, while adding plus-nine turnover results against Creighton and Texas Southern.

Nebraska produced plus-eight turnover marks against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Missouri, while enjoying a plus-seven turnover advantage in three straight games against Grambling State, Northern Arizona and Colorado.

The Huskers added plus-five turnover results against South Dakota State and Kansas.

Huskers Creating Success from Three-Point Range
Nebraska has been hitting three-pointers at a near-school-record rate so far in 2005-06. The Huskers have hit 35.7 percent of their three-pointers through 14 games, which would rank as the third-best shooting percentage in school history, trailing only a 41.3 percent success rate from three-point range in 1987-88, and 39.6 percent accuracy in 1988-89.

Nebraska have averaged 5.07 made three-pointers per game, just ahead of the 5.03 three-pointers the Huskers hit last season when they set the school record with 161 made three-pointers in 32 games.

Griffin Off to Record-Breaking Start for Huskers
Kelsey Griffin is off to a record-breaking start to her Nebraska career. The 6-2 freshman forward from Eagle River, Alaska, has scored in double figures in 11 of her first 14 games to become the fastest player in NU history to score 100 points. Griffin went over the century mark on the Huskers’ first basket of the game at Northwestern, and added 20 more points on the day.

The 2005 Gatorade Alaska High School Player of the Year has continued her strong scoring pace by crossing the 200-point plateau in her 14th game against Missouri. She produced the second double-double of her career with 16 points and 12 rebounds against the Tigers to increase her averages to 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Both averages are challenging school freshman records of 15.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game produced by Debra Powell in 1981-82.

Griffin produced possibly the best performance by a freshman in school history with 31 points and 14 rebounds for her first career double-double in a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She became the first freshman in history to score 30 or more points in a regulation game and she tied the school record with 18 free throw attempts.

Griffin ranks among the top 15 players in the Big 12 in scoring, rebounding, offensive rebounds and field goal percentage.

Although it is early in her young career, Griffin has already etched her name in the Nebraska record books in several categories and is threatening to do even more damage as the Big 12 Conference season heats up.

Griffin became just the 17th Husker (56 performances) in history to score 30 or more points in a game with her 31-point effort against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 27.

Among Big 12 Conference freshmen, Griffin trails only Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris, a strong contender for national freshman of the year, in scoring and rebounding.

Aubry Providing Solid Leadership, Production in Big 12
Junior captain Chelsea Aubry continues to give the Huskers strong production, despite playing somewhat out of position as Nebraska’s three-player this year.

Aubry made the move from power forward to the wing after the season-ending knee injury to Jelena Spiric in fall practice. Aubry’s scoring average has dipped from her sophomore season, but her rebounding, assist and steals totals are on the rise, and her sacrifice has helped inspire her Husker coaches and teammates.

Through 14 games, Aubry is averaging 7.3 points per game, down from her 9.2 points per contest in 2004-05, while contributing 5.6 rebounds per game. Her production and comfort level on the wing have continued to improve throughout the season, and she is averaging 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game through three Big 12 Conference contests.

Aubry opened Big 12 play by scoring 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field at Colorado on Jan. 4. She added nine points and five boards in the Huskers’ win over Kansas on Jan. 7, before contributing 11 points and five rebounds against No. 24 Missouri on Jan. 11.

Aubry has already dished out 14 assists this year, nearly matching her 16 assists in 29 games a year ago, while snagging 12 steals through 14 games to surpass the 10 steals she produced in 30 games as a freshman and nearly match the 17 steals in 29 games as a sophomore in 2004-05.

Aubry provided one of the best efforts of her career with 18 points and eight rebounds in Nebraska’s 84-50 victory over Creighton on Nov. 21. The 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, hit 7-of-12 shots from the field, including a pair of three-pointers, while adding a pair of assists and a steal to help the Huskers blow past the Bluejays.

Aubry’s seven made field goals against CU tied her career high, while her point total was just two shy of her career-best 20 points at Texas A&M last season.

She added a strong performance with 13 points and five rebounds while matching her career high with three assists in just 18 minutes of action against Texas Southern on Dec. 7. She added 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field at Colorado on Jan. 4 to mark the 20th time in her career that she has produced double figures in points. She also set a career best with four assists against Northwestern on Dec. 10.

Over the summer, Aubry helped the Canadian National Team qualify for the 2006 World Championships in Brazil. The appearance at the 2006 World Championships will be the first for the Canadians since 1994.

Aubry has spent the past two seasons on the Canadian Senior National Team. She was also a member of the Canadian World University Games Team in 2003 as a member of the Canadian Under-20 National Team.

Huskers Continue to Rank among Big 12 Leaders at Line
Nebraska has continued its recent tradition of ranking among the top Big 12 teams at the free throw line. Through 14 games, the Huskers have hit 74.2 percent of their free throws, while getting to the line an average of 19.4 times per game.

Nebraska’s percentage ranks second in the Big 12, just behind Colorado’s 74.3 percent accuracy. The Huskers’ success rate would rank as the fourth-best percentage in school history, just behind their 74.9 percentage in 2004-05, and just ahead of their 74.0 percent accuracy in 2003-04. The school record is 79.0 percent set in 1981-82.

The Husker lineup features seven players shooting better than 70 percent at the line, including Jessica Gerhart (90.9 percent), Danielle Page (83.3 percent), Chelsea Aubry (81.8 percent), LaToya Howell (80 percent), TK LaFleur (78.3 percent), Kiera Hardy (74.4 percent) and Sarah White (72.7 percent).

Gerhart Back on Track Early in 2005-06
Nebraska forward Jessica Gerhart has provided a solid scoring option for the Huskers through her first 14 games this season. The 6-2 junior from Fenton, Iowa, is averaging 9.2 points and 3.8 boards per game.

Gerhart was extremely consistent through NU’s first 13 games, producing double figures in eight of 13 games, while scoring no fewer than six points in any contest before going scoreless against No. 24 Missouri on Wednesday.

Gerhart struck for season highs of 14 points and eight rebounds in NU’s 84-50 win over Creighton on Nov. 21, connecting on 7-of-9 shots from the field with her only two misses coming from beyond the three-point arc. Gerhart opened the regular season with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, which all came in the second half.

She added 12 points in NU’s win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 27, which featured 10 points in the first half, including a buzzer-beating jumper to end the first half. She scored 12 more points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field in the Huskers’ rout of Texas Southern on Dec. 7, before adding another dozen at Northwestern on Dec. 10. She scored 12 again and added five rebounds in the Huskers’ 69-49 win at Michigan on Dec. 17.

Against Texas State, Gerhart missed her first seven shots from the field before erupting for 11 straight points to turn a 12-point NU lead into a 23-point cushion in a span of just three minutes. She finished with 13 points by hitting six of her final seven shots from the field, including a three-pointer at the end of the first half. She added 10 points in the Huskers’ win over Kansas on Jan. 7.

Gerhart has also shown improvement on the defensive end. In the past four games, Gerhart has grabbed seven steals to push her season total to 10, matching her total from all of 2004-05. She needs just six more steals to match her career total of 16 in 60 games in 2003-04 and 2004-05 combined.

Last year, Gerhart started NU’s first 18 games. Through 14 contests a year ago she ranked second on the team with 13.2 points, while leading the club with 7.0 rebounds per game. She also hit nearly 50 percent of her shots from the field through the first 14 games.

She battled illness and finished the season by hitting 44.8 percent of her shots from the field on the year. She finished the year averaging 7.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore.

Page Provided Productive Minutes in NU Win Streak
Danielle Page got off to a slow start to the 2005-06 season while coping with a breathing condition thats limited her playing time early in her sophomore season.

However, after averaging just 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds through the season’s first five games, the 6-2 forward helped fuel Nebraska’s eight-game winning streak from Dec. 7 through Jan. 7.

During NU’s winning streak, Page averaged 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocked shots and 1.1 steal per game. She had 10 points, two rebounds, one block and one steal to help the Huskers win in her home state of Colorado for the first time in Page’s lifetime (20 years). Her success at CU came despite taking an elbow from CU’s Jackie McFarland to the nose midway through the second half.

Page produced 12 points, five rebounds, two blocks and a career-high tying three steals against Grambling State on Dec. 29. Page had six points and a season-high 10 boards in a season-high 23 minutes against Texas State.

She scored a season-high 14 points and pulled down six rebounds in just 16 minutes at Northwestern on Dec. 10, after scoring seven points and grabbing six boards in 18 minutes against Texas Southern on Dec. 7.

Page enters the Iowa State game averaging to 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while leading the Huskers with 13 total blocked shots. During NU’s winning streak, Page produced 10 of her 13 blocks and nine of her 11 steals on the season. She also found her way repeatedly to the free throw line, where she hit 22-of-26 free throws, after hitting just 3-of-4 free throws in the first five games. Page had hit 16 straight free throws before two misses at Colorado. She ranks among Big 12 leaders with her 83.3 percent (25-30) accuracy on the year.

LaFleur Making Solid Contributions as Freshman
Although fellow freshman Kelsey Griffin has grabbed headlines with her eye-popping career-opening performances, TK LaFleur is also showing her talents early in her Husker career.

The 5-9 guard from Houston, Texas, is averaging 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.6 steals per game. She produced a career-high 16 points in the win over Texas State on Dec. 20, scoring 13 points, including a pair of three-pointers, in the second half to spark her third double-figure scoring performance of the season.

She erupted for a 15-point, two-assist, three-steal effort against Texas Southern on Dec. 7, just four days after scoring 10 points at No. 10 Minnesota. LaFleur has come off the bench in each of Nebraska’s first 14 games, but ranks fifth on the team in scoring.

Against Minnesota, LaFleur hit a pair of three-pointers and added threes in wins over Texas Southern, Northwestern and Michigan. She hit two more three-pointers against Texas State and another against Grambling State to push her season total to 10, which trails only Kiera Hardy’s 37 among the Huskers.

Ranked as the No. 5 two-guard in the nation by the All-Star Girls’ Report in 2003-04, LaFleur’s family moved from the Houston area to Grayslake, Ill., for her final two years of high school. She played at Warren Township High School and earned third-team Class AA all-state honors. As a sophomore at Langham Creek High School in Houston, she averaged 21.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.6 steals and 4.1 assists per game in 2002-03.

She was an adidas Top 10 All-Star in both 2003 and 2004 and earned Street & Smith’s Honorable-Mention High School All-America honors.

Griffin Erupts for 31 Points, 14 Rebounds vs. Islanders
After producing one of the top career-opening performances by a freshman in school history against South Dakota State, Kelsey Griffin produced perhaps the best game by a freshman in school history with 31 points and 14 rebounds in NU’s 76-64 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sunday at the Miami Thanksgiving Classic.

The 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska hit 9-of-18 shots from the field and 13-of-18 free throws to lead the Huskers with 31 points in 31 minutes. She pulled down six offensive rebounds among her career-best 14 boards, which marked the highest total by a Husker since Margaret Richards grabbed 15 rebounds on Dec. 21, 2003.

Griffin became the first Husker freshman in history to score 30 or more points in regulation, while becoming just the second Husker frosh to hit for 30 points, trailing only Deb Powell’s 34-point outburst on Feb. 25, 1982 in an overtime contest with Notre Dame. Powell got her 34 points while playing 44 minutes against the Fighting Irish. She added 12 rebounds in a stellar all-around performance by one of the best players in NU history.

Griffin’s 18 free throw attempts against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi set the NU freshman mark and tied the overall school record in that category, previously held by Margaret Richards (Eastern Kentucky, Nov. 29, 2003) and Nicole Kubik (Kansas, Jan. 16, 1999).

Griffin, the 2005 Gatorade Alaska High School Player of the Year, tipped off her Nebraska career by scoring a game-high 18 points and adding a team-high seven rebounds to go along with two steals in Nebraska’s opener against South Dakota State on Nov. 19.

Her 18-point effort tied for the third-best scoring total by a freshman in a career-opener, trailing 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.

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 career game against South Florida on Nov. 25, 1983.

All four of the other Huskers who have scored 18 or more points in the first games of their careers went on to score 1,500 or more points at Nebraska.

Hardy, Griffin Claim All-Tournament Honors in Miami
Kiera Hardy and Kelsey Griffin earned all-tournament honors at the Miami Thanksgiving Classic Nov. 25-27.

Hardy led all players with a tournament record 45 points to average 22.5 points, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game for the tournament. Hardy scored 26 points and grabbed five steals in an opening-round loss to No. 3 LSU, before adding 19 points and five assists in a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Hardy’s all-tournament honors marked the second straight season that she earned a spot on an all-tournament team at Thanksgiving, joining her accolades at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, last season.

Griffin opened the tournament with a seven-point, five-rebound performance while going head-to-head with LSU’s 6-6 center Sylvia Fowles in the opener, before bouncing back with one of the best performances by a freshman in school history with 31 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

For the tournament, Griffin averaged 19.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Huskers Add Freshman to Roster During Finals Week
Nebraska freshman Sara Hieb experienced a whirlwind Finals Week in her first semester in Lincoln. The Brandon, S.D., native was added to NU’s roster on Dec. 15, after going through her first practice of the season on Dec. 14. She received her No. 3 jersey on Dec. 16 and joined the Huskers for their trip to Ann Arbor, Mich., later that day.

Hieb, a 5-3 guard out of Brandon Valley High School, had three practices and spent the weekend studying Nebraska’s offense before suiting up for the first time against Michigan in Crisler Arena. Not only did the walk-on suit up for the game, she played more than one minute in the Huskers’ 69-49 win over the Wolverines. Three days later, she added three more minutes of playing time in NU’s rout of Texas State on Dec. 20, before playing four minutes in the Huskers’ win over Grambling State on Dec. 29. She added one minute at Colorado on Jan. 4.

Although she did not see game action in the Huskers’ 73-61 win over Kansas on Jan. 7, she impressed the crowd of more than 7,000 Husker fans with a striking rendition of the National Anthem before the game.

Hieb, an architecture major at Nebraska, led Brandon Valley to state tournament appearances in 2002, 2003 and 2004 as an All-ESD Conference player. She earned a spot on the South Dakota Class AA All-State Tournament Team in 2004, after setting the tournament record with 11 three-pointers.

Drmanac Returns to Court in Win Over Wolverines
Nebraska senior forward Ivana Drmanac made her first appearance of the season in Nebraska’s 69-49 victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor on Dec. 17.

Drmanac, who missed the first seven games of the season after undergoing knee surgery, went through a full schedule of practices Dec. 12-16 before seeing her first playing time of the year in the game’s final minute at Michigan. Unfortunately for Drmanac, her usual jersey No. 30 did not make the trip to Michigan with her, so she made her first appearance of the year wearing No. 10.

The native of Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro made her first appearance in her No. 30 at home against Texas State on Dec. 20. She played six minutes and scored her first two points while adding an assist against the Bobcats. She played three more minutes in the win over Grambling State, adding a rebound and a steal. She also saw action at Colorado in NU’s Big 12 opener on Jan. 4.

Hardy Earns Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 Honors
Nebraska junior guard Kiera Hardy captured one of five spots on the Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 squad voted on by the league coaches and announced by the Big 12 Conference office in Dallas on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

Hardy, a 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., joins Baylor’s Sophia Young, Texas’ Tiffany Jackson, Texas Tech’s Erin Grant and Oklahoma’s Leah Rush on the five-player preseason honor squad. Hardy, Grant, Jackson and Young, who was voted the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, all earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2004-05, while Rush claimed a spot on the second-team a year ago.

Hardy is the top returning scorer in the Big 12 Conference this season after averaging 19.0 points per game as a sophomore in 2004-05, including a league-leading 20.9 points per contest in conference games. She set Nebraska’s sophomore single-season scoring record with 609 points, while also tying the school record with 85 made three-pointers on the season.

Huskers Face Loaded 2005-06 Schedule
Nebraska will have a pair of chances to knock off 2005 NCAA Women’s Final Four teams when the Huskers battle LSU and defending national champion Baylor this season.

Overall the Huskers play 13 games against 2005 postseason qualifiers, including 10 contests against NCAA Tournament teams. Five opponents are ranked among the top 25 in the current AP poll, including No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Baylor, No. 15 Minnesota, No. 19 Texas and No. 20 Oklahoma.

Minnesota was the fourth consecutive 2005 postseason qualifier the Huskers have faced this season and the second 2005 NCAA Sweet 16 qualifier. Nebraska is 2-2 against 2005 postseason qualifiers so far in 2005-06.

"This is our toughest non-conference schedule since I have been at Nebraska," Head Coach Connie Yori said. "In making our schedule, we have always considered the quality and position of our program. We think this is the best team that we have been able to put on the floor in our time at Nebraska, so we are going to play our best schedule."

After opening against a tough South Dakota State squad on Nov. 19, Nebraska got its first taste of postseason-caliber competition when the Huskers blew past Creighton 84-50 at the Devaney Center on Nov. 21. The Bluejays posted 19 wins a year ago and earned a bid to the WNIT.

NU hit the road for the first time at the Miami Thanksgiving Classic where the Huskers lost to No. 3 LSU, 74-55, on Nov. 25. The Lady Tigers produced a 33-3 record while running the table to win the 2005 SEC title. The Tigers lost to Baylor in the Final Four to end their season.

The Huskers posted their second win of the year over a 2005 postseason qualifier with a 76-64 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the Miami Thanksgiving Classic. The Islanders produced a 23-7 mark a year ago and advanced to the second round of the WNIT.

Nebraska remained on the road to start December when the Huskers fell to Big Ten power and No. 10 Minnesota 78-70 in Minneapolis on Dec. 3. The Golden Gophers finished 26-8 last season and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 where they lost to Baylor. Minnesota earned a trip to the Final Four in 2004.

After returning home for a 93-68 run past Texas Southern, the Huskers continued their road trip through Big Ten cities with an 80-50 rout of Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., on Dec. 10, and a 69-49 win over Michigan in Ann Arbor on Dec. 17. The Huskers added a 96-47 win over a Texas State team that came to Lincoln with a 7-1 record. The Huskers added a 69-40 pounding of Grambling State on Dec. 29, the preseason pick to finish second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. NU closed non-conference play with a 70-56 win over Northern Arizona on Dec. 31.

The Huskers opened a rugged Big 12 schedule on the road at Colorado on Jan. 4, the site of their final conference regular-season game of the 2004-05 season. After beating the Buffaloes, 80-62, at CU for the first time since 1985, Nebraska returned to the Devaney Center and knocked off previously unbeaten Kansas, 73-61.

Tied with No. 24 Missouri atop the conference standings at 2-0, the Huskers play host to the 12-2 Tigers on Jan. 11. NU carried an eight-game winning streak into the contest, while MU brought an 11-game winning streak to Lincoln, including a win over defending national champion Baylor to snap the Lady Bears’ 30-game winning streak. The Tigers snapped NU’s streak with a 64-58 win.

The Huskers open an eight-game stretch in which they face seven 2005 postseason qualifiers. The showdowns start on Jan. 14 in Ames, when the Huskers take on 2005 NCAA qualifier Iowa State, before taking on another NCAA squad with Texas on Jan. 18 in Lincoln. NU then travels to NCAA qualifier Texas Tech on Jan. 21, before returning home to take on Colorado before battling the Cyclones on Feb. 1. The Huskers face NCAA qualifiers Kansas State (Feb. 4) and Baylor (Feb. 8), before playing host to Texas A&M (Feb. 11), which advanced to the third round of the 2005 WNIT.

The Huskers travel to Kansas on Feb. 15, before closing their home schedule against Kansas State (Feb. 18) and Oklahoma State on Senior Night (Feb. 21). NU ends the regular season on the road with trips to Oklahoma (Feb. 26) and Missouri (March 1), before heading to Reunion Arena in Dallas for the Big 12 Championship (March 7-11).

Spiric Out for Season with Injury in Fall Practice
Nebraska forward Jelena Spiric was lost for the season with a knee injury suffered during the first official week of fall practice. Spiric, a 6-1 senior from Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro, underwent surgery and will likely apply for a medical hardship.

Spiric captured Big 12 Newcomer-of-the-Year honors in her first season at Nebraska in 2004-05, despite playing most of the season at less than 100 percent after suffering a similar injury to her other leg in the final game of her junior college career. Spiric averaged 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game with 23 starts as a junior, including 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in Big 12 competition. In a pair of Postseason WNIT games, Spiric averaged 15.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest.

Kephart Likely Out for Season with Recurring Injury
Sophomore guard Heather Kephart is likely out for the season with a recurring injury, Nebraska Coach Connie Yori announced in early November. Kephart, a 5-8 shooting guard from Canute, Okla., appeared in only one game for NU in 2004-05, and was granted a medical hardship to regain her sophomore season of eligibility this year.

However, Kephart has continued to struggle with injuries and was limited to only partial participation through the opening weeks of practice. One of the top scorers in the history of Oklahoma high school basketball (2,747 career points), Kephart appeared in just 11 games as a freshman before being sidelined with an injury.

Huskers Fifth in Preseason Big 12 Poll
The Nebraska women’s basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the 2005-06 Big 12 Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, released by the league office in Dallas on Thursday, Oct. 13. The Huskers, who return four starters from last year’s club that advanced to the postseason for the second straight year, were picked higher than any other team from the Big 12 North Division.

Schools from the Big 12 South Division occupied the top four spots in the poll, with defending national champion Baylor (113) claiming the No. 1 position with six first-place votes from opposing coaches in the league. Texas (110) earned the No. 2 spot with two first-place votes, while Texas Tech (108) took the No. 3 spot with four first-place votes. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team in the 1-12 predicted order of finish.

After the predicted log jam in the top three spots, Oklahoma, which tied Nebraska in sixth place in the final 2004-05 Big 12 standings, received the fourth-highest vote total with 91 points. Nebraska was picked to finish fifth with 70 points, while fellow Big 12 North foe Kansas was close behind with 66 points. The four schools ahead of the Huskers in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll have all received top 25 rankings from several publications.

Texas A&M (7th, 59 points), Kansas State (8th, 56 points), Iowa State (9th, 45 points), Missouri (10th, 37 points), Oklahoma State (11th, 23 points), and Colorado (12th, 14 points) rounded out the poll.

Yori Establishing Firm Foundation at Nebraska
Now in her fourth season at Nebraska, Coach Connie Yori has the Husker program moving in the right direction. After the Huskers suffered through four consecutive losing seasons, Yori helped Nebraska turn the corner in 2003-04 by producing 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.

Nebraska continued the momentum last year by replacing four senior starters from 2003-04 team and finishing with an 18-14 overall mark and its second straight postseason bid. The Huskers’ 8-8 Big 12 mark was their best finish since 2000, and included the biggest victory in school history, a 103-99 triple overtime win over eventual national champion and then-No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, 2005.

The Huskers also won their first Big 12 Tournament game since the 2000 campaign and continued their climb in the classroom as well. NU posted a team GPA of better than 3.0 during the spring 2005 semester, as 10 Huskers earned spots on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Academic Honor.

Nebraska has also enjoyed a rejuvenation at the turnstiles, with attendance surging nearly 60 percent over the past two seasons. The Huskers ranked 25th nationally in average home attendance in 2004-05, averaging 4,022 fans per game. The increase represented a nearly 30 percent increase over the 2003-04 season, and included a pair of crowds of more than 12,400 at the Devaney Center with a season-high 13,023 against Kansas State. Nebraska averaged nearly 5,800 fans per game during Big 12 action at the Devaney Center.

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

Six Recruits Set to Join Huskers for 2006-07 Season
Nebraska women's basketball coach Connie Yori announced the signing of six impressive recruits to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period for the 2006-07 season.

The Huskers, who are entering their fourth season under Yori, will be joined next season by Nikki Bober (Murdock, Neb.), Ana Fakatou (Long Beach, Calif.), Kala Kuhlmann (Charter Oak, Iowa), Cory Montgomery (Cannon Falls, Minn.), Nicole Neals (Chandler, Ariz.) and Yvonne Turner (Bellevue, Neb.).

Yori said the large incoming class promises to give the Huskers their deepest and most talented team during her tenure for the 2006-07 campaign. The group also makes it possible to give NU its first full roster since Yori's arrival at Nebraska in 2002-03, when the Huskers had only a handful of active scholarship players.

"We are very excited about this incoming class, not only because of the depth it might create for us next year, but also because there are some very talented players in this group," Yori said. "Hopefully next year we will feel like we have overcome the numbers situation that we have had in our first four years in the program. This class takes us another step closer to being able to play the exciting style of up-tempo basketball we want to be able to play."

For complete biographies on Nebraska’s incoming recruiting class, visit Huskers.com. Click on Basketball under the Women’s Sports menu. Then click Roster and click on 2006-07 season.

Fastbreakers Booster Club
The Nebraska Women’s Basketball Booster Club, the Fastbreakers, and Lil’ Breakers Booster Club provide dynamic support to the Huskers. Membership benefits include regular e-mail news flashes during the season, a free Nebraska Yearbook, game information, invitations to monthly pre-game meals with the coaches, access to preferred parking, an invitation to the postseason awards banquet and much, much more.

For more information on the Fastbreakers and Lil’ Breakers Booster Club, please visit the Nebraska women’s basketball home page on Huskers.com, e-mail Fastbreaker President Susan Ferris at scf333@aol.com or call the Nebraska women’s basketball office at (402) 472-6462.

The Fastbreakers will host several pregame "Backboard Banquets" during the season. The banquets begin at 5:30 p.m. and are held on the upper concourse of the Devaney Center. This year’s banquets will include guest speakers and several giveaways, along with great food from Premier Catering.

The cost of each meal is $10 per person and the proceeds go to the Husker women’s basketball program. For reservations to attend any of the "Backboard Banquets" please call Rose Sousek at the basketball office at (402) 472-6462.

2006 Fastbreakers Pregame Backboard Banquet Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 1 - Iowa State - 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 21 - Oklahoma State - 5:30 p.m.

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home
Since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 295-106 (.736) in games played in the arena, including 105-67 (.610) in conference games. Nebraska is 6-2 at home this season.

The Huskers rolled to a 12-4 home record in 2004-05, after running to a 13-4 home mark in 2003-04. 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. Nebraska closed its 2004-05 season with a 71-67 loss to Iowa on March 25, 2005 in the second round of the WNIT.

Attendance is a big part of the Huskers’ success. The Huskers drew their largest crowd outside of the month of February in school history with 7,114 fans at the Devaney Center on Jan. 7, 2006, for the Huskers win over Kansas.

Nebraska’s average home attendance increased by almost 60 percent since the 2002-03 season. Last year, Nebraska ranked 25th nationally by drawing 4,022 fans per game to the Devaney Center.

In 2004-05, the Huskers attracted two of the four largest crowds in school history in back-to-back games on Feb. 12 and Feb. 23. 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.