Hardy Earns Big 12 Weekly Honors

Lincoln - Nebraska junior guard Kiera Hardy captured her second Big 12 Conference Player-of-the-Week award of the season and fourth of her career when the league office announced its weekly winners on Monday. Hardy averaged 21 points per game in Husker wins over Kansas State and Kansas last week.

Hardy, a 5-6 native of Kansas City, Mo., capped a strong week by scoring 23 points, including 19 after halftime, in the Huskers' 64-62 overtime victory over Kansas State in Lincoln on Saturday. Hardy scored eight points in overtime, including the game-winning shot with two seconds left to lead the Huskers back from a 12-point second-half deficit.

Hardy connected on four three-pointers against the Wildcats with all four coming after halftime and a pair in the overtime. She added three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 38 minutes against KSU.

Her performance against Kansas State followed on the heels of a 19-point effort in a 65-57 win over Kansas in Lawrence on Wednesday. Hardy's effort included four more three-pointers with three coming in the game's first four minutes and a fourth trifecta with 2:26 left in the contest to snap a 51-51 tie and put the Huskers up for good. She added six rebounds as the Huskers completed a season sweep of the Jayhawks.

For the week, Hardy averaged 21.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while hitting 8-of-16 three-pointers and 8-of-9 free throw attempts. She increased her season averages to a team-leading 17.4 points per game, along with 3.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

Hardy has increased her school-record total to 176 three-pointers in her career, including a junior single-season record of 61 three-pointers this season. She also ranks 11th in school history with 1,274 career points and needs just 11 points heading into Tuesday night's game with Oklahoma State in Lincoln to crack Nebraska's all-time top 10.