Huskers Clash with K-State in WNIT

Nebraska
19-12, 8-8 Big 12
at Kansas State
21-10, 8-8 Big 12
Bramlage Coliseum
Manhattan, Kan.
Friday, March 24, 7 p.m.
Live Internet Video: Free on Huskers.com and KStateSports.com
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network (1400 KLIN Lincoln/Huskers.com)
Series Record: Kansas State Leads 40-27
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 64-62 OT, Feb. 18, 2006 in Lincoln
Last Meeting in Manhattan: Kansas State won, 71-64, Feb. 4, 2006
Nebraska All-Time in Postseason WNIT: 7-5 (Fifth appearance)

Huskers Head to Manhattan to Clash with Cats Again
The Nebraska women’s basketball team (19-12 overall, 8-8 Big 12) continues its postseason run by traveling to Manhattan, Kan., to collide with Big 12 foe Kansas State (21-10, 8-8) for the third time this season on Friday, March 24, at 7 p.m. at Bramlage Coliseum. A free live video stream and audio broadcast will be available tonight on Huskers.com.

A live radio broadcast will be available on the Pinnacle Sports Network, including 1400 AM-KLIN in Lincoln, 1110 AM-KFAB in Omaha and world wide on Huskers.com with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action.

The Huskers advanced to the WNIT quarterfinals for the first time in school history by powering past the Wyoming Cowgirls, 72-67 in Laramie, Wyo., on Wednesday night. The win improved NU’s season victory total to 19, the Huskers’ most wins since the 1998-99 season. It also gave Nebraska two postseason wins in the same season for the first time in school history.

Two-time first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy led the Huskers with 21 points, including five three-pointers, in another spectacular postseason effort. In six postseason games, Hardy has never scored fewer than 18 points and is averaging 20.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game in postseason action.

The Wildcats know all too well the scoring and shot-making ability of Hardy. In the last meeting between the two teams in Lincoln on Feb. 18, Hardy hit the game-winning jumper with two seconds left in overtime to bring Nebraska back from a 12-point second-half deficit to secure a 64-62 win. That shot capped a 23-point effort for the junior from Kansas City, Mo.

That victory by the Huskers over the Wildcats in mid-February helped spark Nebraska’s late-season surge. The overtime win followed on the heels of a 65-57 win at Kansas, which started NU’s current stretch of winning seven of its last nine games.

Nebraska’s WNIT quarterfinal appearance against Kansas State will mark the second straight season that the Huskers have battled the Wildcats three times in the same year.

Hardy Repeats as First-Team All-Big 12
Nebraska junior Kiera Hardy became just the second Husker to capture back-to-back first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors when the league office announced its 2006 teams before the Big 12 Tournament.

Hardy, a 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., is averaging 17.6 points per game, while adding 3.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per contest. Hardy’s 100 assists this season are just 11 shy of her career total of 111 entering her junior season, while her 57 steals are also a career-best total.

Hardy ranks second in the Big 12 with 79 three-pointers on the year, which has shattered Nebraska’s junior single-season record and ranks as the third-highest total in school history.

Last season, Hardy tied Amy Stephens’ Nebraska single-season record with 85 three-pointers, including a school-record tying seven threes against Iowa in the second round of the WNIT. Stephens also hit seven three-pointers in a game for the Huskers against Kansas on Feb. 4, 1989.

Hardy, who smashed WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge’s career school three-point record this season, joined DeForge as the only Huskers to ever claim two first-team All-Big 12 awards. DeForge earned first-team honors in both 1997 and 1998.

The only players in school history to earn first-team all-conference awards in three straight seasons are 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings and 1988 Big Eight Player of the Year Maurtice Ivy.

Hardy owns Nebraska’s career three-point record with 194 in just 90 games, while DeForge finished her career with 155 three-pointers. Hardy also ranks 10th on NU’s career scoring list with 1,402 points.

Hardy needs 31 more points to climb into ninth place on Nebraska’s all-time scoring list and may have a chance to become just the third Husker in school history to reach the 2,000-point plateau next season.

Griffin Earns Spot on Big 12 All-Rookie Team
Nebraska’s Kelsey Griffin claimed one of five spots on the Big 12 Conference All-Rookie Team announced on March 3, by the league office in Dallas. She added another impressive accomplishment when she was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year by the Dallas Morning News, after the newspaper named fellow league freshman Courtney Paris from Oklahoma as its Big 12 Player of the Year.

Griffin, a 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, is averaging 13.1 points and a team-leading 6.0 rebounds per game while starting all 31 games for the Huskers this year. Griffin’s impressive numbers came despite being limited significantly during the last eight games by illness.

Griffin’s scoring average and field goal percentage (54.1 percent) rank among the top six freshman seasons in school history, while she set an NU freshman record with 116 free throws made and ranks second with 167 free throw attempts. She has added solid totals with 40 steals and 23 blocked shots on the season.

She enjoyed two of the top five games by a freshman in school history with her 31-point, 14-rebound effort in a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in Miami, Fla., on Nov. 27, and her 28-point, 12-rebound performance at Kansas State on Feb. 4. She added a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds against Missouri on Jan. 11.

Griffin earned two Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week honors during the league season, with her first coming after helping the Huskers to wins over Colorado and Kansas to open the Big 12 season on Jan. 9. She earned her second award after her performance at Kansas State on Feb. 6.

After earning her second Big 12 weekly award, Griffin produced another dominant week by averaging 19.5 points per game in losses at No. 12 Baylor and to No. 24 Texas A&M. Against the Aggies, Griffin scored 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field for her fourth 20-point performance of the season.

Against the Lady Bears, Griffin hit for 19 points while knocking down 11-of-12 free throws. For the week, she hit 13-of-16 shots from the field and 13-of-15 free throws.

Hot Huskers Roll into First WNIT Quarterfinal Appearance
In Coach Connie Yori’s fourth season at Nebraska, the Huskers have won a postseason tournament game in each of the past three seasons and the 2005-06 squad became the first NU team in school history to win two postseason contests in the same season.

The Huskers knocked off Drake, 62-59, in the first round of the WNIT on March 16 to post their third postseason victory in the last three seasons, before running to a 72-67 win at Wyoming on March 22 to advance to the WNIT quarterfinals for the first time in school history.

Nebraska’s 19 wins are the most by the Huskers since the 1998-99 season, when the Huskers finished 21-12 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. NU has won 18 or more games in each of the past three seasons and advanced to at least the second round of the WNIT each year.

This season, Nebraska has won seven of its last nine games with its only two losses coming to top 25 opponents on the road (Oklahoma, Texas A&M).

Nebraska won four of its last five regular-season games and notched a 1-1 record in the Big 12 Tournament to post a first-round tournament win for the second straight season.

The 2005-06 Huskers finished Big 12 play at 8-8 to claim a tie for sixth for the second straight season. NU produced its second straight .500 league mark, accomplishing the feat for the first time since back-to-back .500 or better Big 12 records in 1999 and 2000.

The Huskers’ success over the last three years comes in stark contrast to their three previous seasons, which all ended in losing records. In Yori’s first season in Lincoln, a handful of scholarship players managed just an 8-20 record and a 1-15 league mark in 2002-03.

Quick Hitters: 2005-06 Husker Highlights

• Nebraska’s 19 victories are its most since 1998-99. A win against Kansas State would give the Huskers their first 20-win season since going 21-12 in 1998-99.
• Nebraska opened the postseason with two victories for the first time in school history, advancing to the WNIT quarterfinals for the first time.
• The Huskers are one of the hottest teams in the Big 12, winning seven of their last nine games entering the KSU contest in the WNIT quarterfinals.
• NU advanced to the postseason for the third straight year and won at least one Postseason WNIT game for the third straight season.
• The Huskers have posted 18 or more wins in each of the past three seasons.
• Nebraska went a perfect 5-0 in rematches with Big 12 North Division teams this season, including a 64-62 overtime win over Kansas State in Lincoln on Feb. 18. NU added another win by defeating Colorado in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament.
• The Huskers own a Big 12-best 8-3 record against North Division schools, including a 7-3 regular-season mark, and a win over Colorado in the Big 12 Tournament.
• Nebraska defeated Colorado in Boulder for the first time in 20 years and notched the first season sweep of the Buffaloes in the past 21 seasons. The Huskers went 3-0 against CU for the first time in school history.
• The Huskers posted the first combined series sweeps of Colorado and Kansas in school history, producing a perfect 5-0 record against the Buffaloes and Jayhawks.
• Nebraska has not won back-to-back games against Kansas State since the 2000-01 season, the last time the Huskers won in Manhattan.

Husker Record Watch: Individual Achievements

• Kiera Hardy needs six more three-pointers to become the first player in Nebraska history to connect on 200 career three-pointers. Hardy has hit 194 threes in 90 career games. No other NU player has ever hit 100 three-pointers in fewer than 100 career games. Hardy also needs six more three-pointers to tie her single-season school record of 85 set last season.
• Hardy needs 31 points to climb into ninth place on Nebraska’s career scoring list. She enters the Kansas State game with 1,402 career points.
• With 10 points at Wyoming, Kelsey Griffin became just the fifth freshman in Nebraska history to score 400 or more points in her rookie season. Griffin has scored 405 points while starting all 31 games for NU.
• LaToya Howell enters the WNIT quarterfinals with 151 assists on the season, which ranks as the fifth-best total by a senior in school history. She needs two more assists to produce one of the top-10 overall assist totals in school history, and seven more assists to climb to fourth on NU’s senior season chart.
• Danielle Page has notched 38 blocked shots on the season, which is tied for the ninth-best single-season block effort in school history. Page’s total ranks as the second-best total by a sophomore in school history. Page’s next block will be the 70th of her career, ranking as the seventh-best total in NU history.
• LaToya Howell (151) and Kiera Hardy (100) have become the first Husker teammates since Nicole Kubik and Brooke Schwartz in 1999-2000 to record 100 or more assists in the same season.

A Look at the 2006 Postseason WNIT Field
The 2006 Postseason WNIT expanded to 40 teams this year, adding eight more spots to last year’s 32-team field. The Big 12 Conference was well-represented in this year’s WNIT field, as Nebraska joined Iowa State, Kansas State and Kansas in the tournament.

Play in the tournament began March 15, with four preliminary-round games scheduled. Nebraska took the court for the first time on March 16, defeating Drake, 62-59, in Lincoln.

Nebraska advanced to take on Kansas State in the quarterfinals by defeating Drake, 62-59, in Lincoln on March 16, before knocking off Wyoming in Laramie, 72-67, on March 22.

The win over the Cowgirls set up the Huskers’ third-round matchup at Kansas State, which is set for March 24 at 7 p.m.

The game time and location of NU’s possible WNIT semifinal contest against Western Kentucky has not been announced, but the semifinals are scheduled to be played March 25-28, with the championship game set for March 29-April 1. All games in the WNIT are played at host sites determined on a round-by-round basis.

Scouting the Kansas State Wildcats
The Kansas State Wildcats (21-10, 8-8) enter the WNIT quarterfinals after working their way to a 64-61 win over Fresno State in Manhattan on Wednesday night. The Wildcats opened the WNIT with an 88-68 home win over Idaho State on March 17.

Kansas State has won four of its past five games with all four wins coming against postseason-caliber competition, including a pair of wins over WNIT qualifier Kansas. KSU is 4-5 in its past nine games, with all nine games coming against postseason qualifiers, including a pair of losses to NCAA Sweet 16 qualifier Baylor, a loss to Big 12 champion and NCAA Sweet 16 qualifier Oklahoma, and losses to WNIT qualifiers Iowa State and Nebraska. Three of those five losses have come at Bramlage Coliseum.

The Wildcats and Huskers split the season series, with KSU managing a 71-64 win at Manhattan on Feb. 4, before NU grabbed a 64-62 overtime win in Lincoln on Feb. 18.

Junior swing player Claire Coggins has led the Wildcats throughout the season, averaging 13.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, while hitting a team-leading 69 three-pointers on the year.

Coggins is one of three Wildcats averaging double figures, and all three of those KSU players have hit 50 or more three-pointers on the year.

Junior Twiggy McIntyre has added 10 points per game primarily as a reserve guard this season. She has added 54 three-pointers while shooting a team-best 41.9 percent (1.0 attempt per game minimum) from long range. Sophomore Kimberly Dietz has also averaged 10 points per game while starting 21 contests for KSU, while ranking second on the squad with 59 threes.

Freshman center JoAnn Hamlin has managed 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while fellow freshman Marlies Gipson is the only Wildcat to start all 31 contests this year. She is averaging 8.7 points and a team-leading 6.5 boards per game. Gipson also leads the Wildcats with 58 blocks on the year.

Freshman guard Shalee Lehning rounds out Kansas State’s probable starting five with 6.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and a team-leading 5.4 assists per game. She also leads KSU with 52 steals on the year. Lehning is shooting 49.7 percent from the field on the year, but has hit just 9-of-40 three-pointers.

The Wildcats also get strong support off the bench from senior center Jessica McFarland (6.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and freshman forward Danielle Zanotti (2.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg).

Kansas State has been solid in all areas this season, averaging 70.2 points per game, while holding foes to 61.9 points per contest. KSU is shooting 43.7 percent from the field, including 35.2 percent from three-point range. The Wildcats are averaging 6.9 made three-pointers per game. KSU is also hitting 70.8 percent of its free throws.

KSU has matched the opposition on the glass, while posting a plus-1.4 team turnover margin.

Nebraska vs. Kansas State All-Time Series
Kansas State leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 40-27, but the Huskers won the last game in the series with a 64-62 overtime win at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Feb. 18. In that game, Kiera Hardy hit the game-winning jumper with two seconds left in overtime to cap Nebraska’s 12-point second-half comeback.

The overtime game was just the second in the 67-game history of the series, joining KSU’s 104-103 victory in Lincoln on Jan. 18, 1983.

Nebraska’s win in Lincoln last month snapped a five-game losing streak to Kansas State. The Huskers have also suffered five straight losses to the Wildcats in Manhattan, dating back to their last win at Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 17, 2001. That NU victory also marked the last time the Huskers posted back-to-back wins over the Wildcats, joining a 67-58 win over KSU in Lincoln in 2001. Those two victories capped a five-game winning streak for the Huskers in the series.

From 1998 to 2002, the Huskers won eight of 10 contests between the two schools. Since then, the Wildcats have won seven of the last nine meetings.

The Nebraska-Kansas State series dates back to Feb. 17, 1975, when the Wildcats posted a 51-point win. Friday’s game will mark the 32nd all-time meeting between the two schools in Manhattan.

Huskers Advance to Quarterfinals with Win at Wyoming
Kiera Hardy continued her postseason dominance by scoring 21 points and hitting five three-pointers to lead three Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska powered its way to a 72-67 victory over Wyoming in front of school-record crowd of more than 4,400 fans at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie on Wednesday.

The Huskers, who trailed 58-57 with just under seven minutes remaining in the contest, watched Hardy hit her fifth three-pointer of the game to give NU the lead back 60-58 with just over six minutes left and the Huskers never trailed again.

Nebraska led by as many as 12 points on two occasions in the game, but Wyoming grabbed three one-point leads in the second half before Hardy’s big three.

Although Hardy grabbed headlines, it was the rest of the Huskers who closed out the win, as Hardy’s three-pointer marked her final points of the contest.

Freshman Kelsey Griffin added 10 points and seven rebounds, including a huge three-point play in the final minute to give Nebraska the lead for good at 70-67.

Griffin’s three-point play followed a pair of crucial free throws by point guard LaToya Howell, which capped an outstanding all-around effort by the senior who finished with eight points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Sophomore forward Danielle Page put an exclamation point on the win with her only basket of the game in the closing seconds, after freshman TK LaFleur forced a Wyoming turnover at the other end to prevent any Cowgirl hopes of a tie. LaFleur produced another strong effort as well, finishing with eight points including a pair of three-pointers.

Junior forward Chelsea Aubry contributed her seventh double-figure scoring effort of the season with 10 points, and played a major role in getting the Huskers off to strong starts in both halves. Aubry scored five early points to help Nebraska sprint to a 15-3 lead to open the game, before Wyoming reeled off 10 straight points to cut the NU margin to 15-13.

Nebraska answered with a run of its own, as Hardy scored 11 of NU’s next 15 points to regain control. The Huskers regained their 12-point edge on a LaFleur jumper to make it 32-20. But Wyoming closed the half with an 8-0 run and NU settled for a 32-28 halftime lead.

Aubry got NU rolling again in the second, again scoring five early points to help the Huskers regain an eight-point lead at 39-31. From then on, it was a possession game, as both teams hit big shots and came up with big plays over the final 10 minutes.

Hanna Zavecz led all scorers with 27 points for the Cowgirls, while Jodi Bolerjack added 21 points. Wyoming ended its season with a 21-9 record, including a 10-6 mark in the Mountain West Conference.

Hardy Huge for Huskers in Postseason Play
Two-time first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy has been nearly unstoppable for the Huskers in six career Postseason WNIT games. Hardy has averaged 20.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game in postseason play, including a 26-point effort that included a school-record seven three-pointers in a 2005 Postseason WNIT appearance against Iowa in 2005.

Hardy has scored 18 or more points in each of her six career postseason games, including four 20-point scoring efforts. Her 124 career postseason points are a Nebraska record.

Hardy added 21 points in the Huskers’ first-round 2005 WNIT win at Marquette last season, and scored 20 points in NU’s 2004 Postseason WNIT home loss to Oregon State.

In her first-ever postseason appearance as a freshman, Hardy scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out two assists and had two steals in the Huskers’ 73-60 win over Drake on March 18, 2004.

Hardy opened the 2006 postseason with 18 points and two rebounds while notching career postseason highs with five assists and four steals in a 62-59 win over Drake on March 16. Hardy also hit the game-winning three-pointer with 1:34 left against the Bulldogs.

In Nebraska’s win at Wyoming, Hardy scored 21 points and hit five three-pointers, while adding five rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Huskers Earn 14th Postseason Tournament Bid
The Nebraska women’s basketball team earned its 14th postseason tournament bid in school history when it accepted an invitation to the 2006 WNIT. The Huskers are making their third straight trip to the Postseason WNIT and have posted first-round victories in each of the last three years.

NU posted two wins to open the postseason for the first time in school history when the Huskers knocked off Wyoming in the WNIT second round on March 22.

Overall, the Huskers are 7-5 in the WNIT, including a 2-1 record in their first appearance in the NWIT in Amarillo, Texas, in 1976. The Huskers went 1-2 in the NWIT in 1992.

Nebraska owns six all-time NCAA Tournament appearances, including bids in 1988, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

The Huskers also claimed three AIAW Regional Tournament bids in 1979, 1980 and 1981. NU defeated Drake, 64-63, in the AIAW Regional in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 8, 1980.

Huskers Sweep Big 12 North Foes in Rematches
Nebraska was a perfect 5-0 this season in rematches with Big 12 Conference North division teams and added a sixth victory by defeating Colorado for the third time this season in the opening round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Dallas on March 7.

The Huskers, who posted regular-season sweeps of both Kansas and Colorado for the first time in school history, opened their second tour of the league’s northern half with a 70-54 home win over Colorado on Jan. 28. The Huskers opened the conference season with an 80-62 win at Colorado for their first win in Boulder in 20 years.

Four days later, Nebraska notched a 54-42 victory over Iowa State in Lincoln, that avenged a 79-57 loss to the Cyclones in Ames on Jan. 14.

The Huskers closed the sweep of Kansas with a 65-57 win in Lawrence on Feb. 15, after handing the Jayhawks their first loss of the season in a 73-61 win in Lincoln on Jan. 7.

Nebraska came back from a 12-point second-half deficit in a 64-62 overtime win over Kansas State at the Devaney Center on Feb. 18, to avenge a 71-64 loss at Manhattan on Feb. 4.

The Huskers suffered a 64-58 loss to No. 24 Missouri on Jan. 11, in NU’s first loss of the Big 12 season that snapped an eight-game Husker winning streak at the time, but Nebraska avenged that setback with a 75-62 win over the Tigers in Columbia to close the regular season on March 1.

Overall, the Huskers finished 8-3 against the Big 12 North in 2006, the best record by any North division schools against other members of the North. Nebraska matched Missouri with a 7-3 regular-season record against North teams before adding a win over Colorado in the Big 12 Tournament.

Hardy Joins Top 10 on Nebraska Career Scoring List
Two-time first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy continues to climb the Nebraska career scoring list.

Heading into the quarterfinals of the 2006 Postseason WNIT, Hardy ranks 10th all-time at Nebraska in scoring with 1,402 points and needs 31 points to move into ninth place.

With 546 points this season, Hardy’s scoring total ranks fifth all-time among Nebraska juniors. The top returning scorer this season in the Big 12, Hardy 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.

Hardy has scored in double figures 27 times this season, including 12 20-plus scoring efforts with her most recent coming with 21 points at Wyoming on Wednesday. She had 28 points and six rebounds in NU’s loss to No. 22 Texas A&M in the Big 12 Tournament on March 8. She scored a season-high 32 points in a win over NCAA Tournament qualifier Northern Arizona on Dec. 31.

Five of Hardy’s 20-point scoring efforts came against 2006 NCAA Tournament teams. She produced her top performance of the Big 12 campaign with 29 points, including six three-pointers, against Texas on Jan. 18, before adding 28 points on 11-for-16 shooting from the field in the regular-season finale against Missouri in Columbia on March 1.

Hardy, who has scored 26 or more points seven times this season, scored 26 points against No. 3 LSU on Nov. 25, 26 more in a loss at Texas Tech on Jan. 21, and 26 a third time in a win over Kansas on Jan. 7.

Hardy, who owns 27 career 20-point scoring efforts, reached the 1,000-point mark in just her 68th career game.

Hardy Rewriting Nebraska’s Three-Point Record Book
First-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy will continue to rewrite the Nebraska record book for the rest of her career as the top three-point shooter in school history.

Hardy smashed Nebraska’s three-point record with six three-pointers against Texas on Jan. 18. She finished the night with 158 threes in 75 games, shooting past current WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge’s previous mark of 155 three-pointers in 117 career games.

Not only did Hardy shatter the mark in 42 fewer games played than DeForge, she hit her first 155 three-pointers in 18 fewer attempts. Hardy has increased her career total to 194. She is the only player on Nebraska’s top-10 three-point list who has played fewer than 100 career games.

Hardy matched her season-high with six three-pointers against Texas, after hitting six three-pointers against Texas Southern on Dec. 7. She tied the school single-game record with seven threes against Iowa in the 2005 WNIT.

Hardy ranks second in the Big 12 with 79 three-pointers this season, an average of 2.55 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 has established a Nebraska junior single-season record with 79 threes this year, surpassing the 47 three-pointers hit by Sabrina Brooks in 1987-88.

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.

Huskers Set School Turnover Mark Against Cowgirls
Nebraska set a school single-game record by committing just four turnovers in the Huskers’ 81-56 win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 21.

As miniscule as that number may seem, the Huskers nearly matched it in their next home game by committing just five turnovers in a 62-59 win over Drake in the first round of the Postseason WNIT on March 16. The Huskers, who did not commit a turnover in the second half against the Bulldogs, have turned the ball over just nine times in their last 80 minutes of action at the Devaney Center.

Those numbers continue an impressive trend for Nebraska over the past several seasons.

The Huskers are on their way to producing their fourth of the top five turnover marks in school history in Coach Connie Yori’s four years at Nebraska.

In 2005-06, the Huskers are averaging just 13.6 turnovers per game. Nebraska has turned the ball over just 421 times this season for the second-lowest turnover total in school history. NU has committed more than 17 turnovers only three times all season (LSU, Grambling State, Texas A&M).

The Huskers were even better in Big 12 regular-season play, averaging just 12.3 turnovers per game, while forcing 16.6 turnovers per contest to rank second in the league with a plus-4.3 turnover margin. NU committed more than 15 turnovers just once (Texas A&M, 25) in 16 league games. They produced single-digit turnover marks against Oklahoma State (4), Missouri (8) and at Kansas (9).

Last season, the Huskers averaged just 15.4 turnovers per game (493 total turnovers) for the third-fewest total turnovers in school history.

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.

Gerhart’s Hot Shooting Fuels Huskers’ Streak
Jessica Gerhart has helped spark Nebraska’s 7-2 record to close the season with her hot shooting from the field. Over the past 11 games, the 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, has hit 54.0 percent (47-87) of her attempts from the field, including a perfect 8-for-8 shooting night against Oklahoma State on Feb. 21.

Gerhart scored 16 points in just 15 minutes in one of the most efficient performances by a Husker this season against the Cowgirls. She added 15 points on 7-for-16 shooting from the field in the Huskers’ regular-season finale at Missouri, before opening the Big 12 Tournament with 10 points and seven rebounds in a first-round win over Colorado in Dallas on March 7. She opened NU’s winning streak by hitting 6-of-9 shots from the field to score 14 points at Kansas on Feb. 15.

She began her hot shooting by knocking down 5-of-6 shots from the field against No. 12 Baylor on Feb. 8.

Gerhart is averaging 9.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 84.0 percent at the free throw line. She scored a career-high 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting against Colorado on Jan. 28, and has scored in double figures 15 times this season.

While her shooting touch has been on fire, her defensive intensity has also heated up. Over the past 11 contests, Gerhart has grabbed nine steals, including a career-high four steals in the Huskers’ overtime win over Kansas State on Feb. 18. Her nine steals in the past 11 games surpassed her total of six steals from her entire freshman season when she played in all 30 games for NU, while pushing her season total to 21, surpassing the 16 total steals she had in 60 games entering her junior year.

Aubry Giving Huskers Dangerous Threat from Outside
Junior Chelsea Aubry became a potent threat from long range during Big 12 Conference action. The 6-2 forward from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, shot 41.0 percent from three-point range during regular-season league play.

She hit 16-of-39 shots from beyond the arc against league foes and sizzled in NU’s final nine games of the Big 12 season, burying 12 of her last 29 three-point attempts, including tying her career high with three three-pointers against both Iowa State on Feb. 1 and Oklahoma State on Feb. 21.

She hit her only three-point attempt against Drake in the first round of the WNIT and hit 2-of-3 attempts at Wyoming. She ranks second among the Huskers with 27 three-pointers, more than doubling her total of 13 three-pointers a year ago.

Aubry has found her offensive niche while playing somewhat out of position for NU this year. She 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.

Aubry is averaging 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. She has scored in double figures seven times this season. She has dished out 30 assists this year, nearly doubling her total of 16 in 29 games a year ago, while snagging 21 steals to surpass the 17 steals she had in 29 games as a sophomore.

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.

She added 13 points in the Huskers’ win over Iowa State Feb. 1, when she tied her career high with a trio of three-pointers. Aubry opened Big 12 play by scoring 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field at Colorado on Jan. 4. She contributed 11 points and five rebounds against No. 24 Missouri on Jan. 11. She added 10 points, including tying a career best with a trio of three-pointers at Iowa State on Jan. 14.

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.

Howell Helps Huskers Push for Postseason Play
Senior LaToya Howell has helped ignite Nebraska’s 7-2 record over the past nine games with drastically improved production in all areas of her game.

The 5-5 point guard from Chicago, Ill., has produced stellar all-around performances in the Huskers’ WNIT victories, averaging 8.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 3.5 steals. Against Drake Howell had nine points, four rebounds, seven assists and four steals. She also sank a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left to seal the 62-59 victory. In Wednesday’s win at Wyoming, Howell produced eight points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals, while sinking a pair of free throws to give NU a 67-65 lead with just over a minute to play.

Howell is averaging 4.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Her 151 assists on the year rank as the fifth-highest total by a senior in school history, and she needs two more assists to rank among the top 10 seasons overall in that category in the NU record book.

During NU’s last nine games, Howell is averaging 5.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.4 steals, compared to the 3.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game she averaged through NU’s first 22 games.

Howell has grabbed 26 of her 50 steals on the season in her last 10 games, while setting her career rebounding mark twice with eight rebounds against Kansas State on Feb. 18, and a career-high nine boards at Missouri on March 1. Her eight rebounds in the overtime victory over Kansas State on Feb. 18, came in a career-high 41 minutes.

Howell played one of her best games of the season in NU’s win over Colorado in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on March 7 in Dallas. Howell scored nine points, dished out seven assists and grabbed six boards to help the Huskers advance to the second round in the tournament for the second straight season.

Howell tied her career high with 10 assists in just 24 minutes in the Huskers’ 81-56 win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 21, the second time in league play she has dished out 10 assists (at Iowa State, Jan. 14).

She has started 30 of NU’s 31 games, coming off the bench behind Ashley Ford only against Texas A&M.

Page Surging Down Stretch for Huskers
Sophomore Danielle Page has provided Nebraska with a major lift off the bench during the past nine games, playing a major role in NU winning seven of its past nine games.

The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., has averaged 5.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocked shots and 1.1 steals, while pulling down 18 of her 38 offensive boards on the season and 10 of her 22 steals in the past nine contests.

Page got off to a slow start to the 2005-06 season while coping with a breathing condition that limited her playing time early in her sophomore season. She averaged just 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds through the season’s first five games, but Page helped fuel Nebraska’s eight-game winning streak from Dec. 7 through Jan. 7.

During that eight-game winning streak, Page averaged 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocked shots and 1.1 steals per game. She scored a season-high 14 points and grabbed six boards in NU’s win at Northwestern on Dec. 10. She added 12 points and five rebounds against Grambling State and produced her third double-figure scoring effort of the season with 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).

Page, who blocked 31 shots as a freshman, leads the Huskers with 38 blocks this season to rank as the second-best total by a sophomore in school history. She is just the second player in school history, joining NU all-time block leader Janet Smith, to post back-to-back 30-block seasons during her freshman and sophomore campaigns. Page’s 38 blocks also move her into a tie for ninth on NU’s overall single-season block list with Charlie Rogers (1999-00).

Page’s 69 career blocked shots in less than two full seasons have already moved her into seventh place on Nebraska’s all-time list.

Turnover Margin Creating Victories for Huskers
Nebraska has been solid this season in the key area of turnover margin.

The Huskers have produced a stellar plus-4.9 team turnover margin by averaging just 13.6 turnovers per game, while forcing an average of 18.5 turnovers per contest.

NU’s success in creating turnovers while taking care of the basketball has helped the Huskers attempt an average of 4.5 more shots per game than their opponents, while also getting to the free throw line an average of 1.5 more times per game.

Nebraska produced its most lopsided turnover margin of the season by going plus-17 in its first-round WNIT victory over Drake on March 16. NU committed just five turnovers, all in the first half, against the Bulldogs, while holding Drake without a steal for the entire game.

In their last two home games, the Huskers have committed a total of just nine steals in wins over Drake and Oklahoma State (Feb. 21).

The Huskers were plus-12 in the turnover column in a 70-54 win over Colorado on Jan. 28. NU committed just 11 turnovers against the Buffaloes, while forcing 23 CU miscues. The Huskers added a plus-11 turnover total in their overtime win over Kansas State on Feb. 8, forcing 23 Wildcat turnovers while committing only 12 turnovers of their own, including just three after halftime.

The Huskers added a plus-10 turnover margin in their win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 21, committing a school-record low four turnovers while forcing 14 Cowgirl miscues. The Huskers also provided plus-10 turnover margins against Michigan and Texas State in non-conference play.

The Huskers have enjoyed at least a plus-five turnover margin in 19 of 31 games this season, and only five opponents - No. 3 LSU, Iowa State (Jan. 14), No. 12 Baylor, No. 24 Texas A&M (Feb. 11) and Wyoming - forced negative turnover results by NU. In the other five games, No. 10 Minnesota and Northwestern matched the Huskers’ turnover total, while the Huskers were a plus-one in the turnover column at Texas Tech, plus-two at Kansas State and plus-two against Texas A&M (March 8).

Huskers Displaying Defensive Dominance
Nebraska is allowing just 62.5 points per game this season, its best team scoring defense average in the past decade, trailing only the 1996-97 squad’s 58.7 points allowed per contest.

Nebraska’s defense has shown the ability to shut 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.

Nebraska held Iowa State to just 42 points on Feb. 1, the third-lowest scoring total by an NU Big 12 foe in the 10-year history of the league.

The Huskers have held six of their opponents, including Creighton, Northwestern, Michigan, Texas State, Grambling State and Iowa 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 18 times in 121 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.

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 31 games, the Huskers have hit 72.1 percent of their free throws.

Nebraska ranks third in the Big 12, trailing only Colorado’s 74.0 percent accuracy and Iowa State’s 73.7 percent success. The Huskers’ success rate ranks as the fifth-best percentage in school history. The past two seasons, the Huskers have hit 74.9 percent (2004-05) and 74.0 percent (2003-04) from the line. The school record is 79.0 percent set in 1981-82. NU added the third-best shooting percentage in school history with 74.5 percent accuracy in 1988-89.

The Husker lineup features six players shooting better than 70 percent at the line, including Jessica Gerhart (84.0 percent), Kiera Hardy (78.6 percent), LaToya Howell (76.2 percent), Danielle Page (73.8 percent), Chelsea Aubry (72.7 percent) and Sarah White (73.3 percent).

Hardy Increases Passing Proficiency in Junior Season
In addition to her dynamic scoring abilities, Kiera Hardy has increased her impact for the Huskers in 2005-06 on both the offensive and defensive ends. Hardy is averaging 3.2 assists to rank among the top 15 players in the Big 12. She produced a career-high nine-assist effort in the win over Colorado on Jan. 28 and added seven assists at Kansas State on Feb. 4. With 100 total assists this season, Hardy has shattered her 2004-05 total of 67 in 32 games. She has dished out 33 more assists while committing 25 fewer turnovers than a year ago.

On the year, Hardy also ranks among the top 10 players in the Big 12 with her 1.6-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (100 assists-65 turnovers). Last season, Hardy’s assist-to-turnover ratio was 1-to-1.34 (67 assists-90 turnovers).

Defensively, Hardy has been solid. She leads the Huskers and ranks among Big 12 leaders with 1.8 steals per game. Her 57 steals are a career high, surpassing the 51 steals she had in 113 more minutes a year ago.

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 20 times and became 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. She achieved the 300-point mark in her 21st game against No. 12 Baylor in Waco on Feb. 8, when she scored 19 points while going head-to-head with Baylor All-American Sophia Young. Griffin added 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field against No. 24 Texas A&M.

She became just the fifth freshman in Nebraska history to score 400 points after her 10-point, seven-rebound effort at Wyoming win the WNIT. She is averaging 13.1 points and a team-leading 6.0 rebounds per game.

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.

She added another top-five effort by a freshman with 28 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high three blocked shots at Kansas State on Feb. 4. That performance earned her second Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week honor of the season. She earned her first award on Jan. 9.

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.

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.

Huskers Enjoy Success Against Strong Schedule
Nebraska put together its third straight winning season despite playing some of the nation’s toughest competition week in and week out in the Big 12 Conference and throughout the non-conference season.

Overall the Huskers played 17 games against 2006 postseason qualifiers, including eight contests against NCAA Tournament teams and nine more against WNIT qualifiers. Seven opponents were ranked in the top 25 at game time, including No. 3 LSU, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 10 Minnesota, No. 12 Baylor, No. 22/24 Texas A&M and No. 24 Missouri.

The Huskers’ 2005-06 schedule was highlighted by a road game at defending national champion Baylor on Feb. 8 in Waco, Texas, and a matchup with two-time NCAA Final Four participant and then-No. 3 LSU at the Miami Thanksgiving Classic.

NU faced a third top 12 team on the road when the Huskers took on Minnesota in Minneapolis on Dec. 3, and made it a fourth road appearance against a top 12 squad at Big 12 champion Oklahoma on Feb. 26.

While four of the Huskers’ 12 losses came at the hands of top 12 opponents, three more setbacks came to top 25 foes, including a pair of setbacks to Texas A&M, and a loss to Missouri on Jan. 11.

The Huskers posted one of their biggest wins of the season by knocking off the Tigers in the regular-season rematch at Missouri on March 1 to conclude the regular season. NU added a win over another 2006 NCAA Tournament qualifier by beating Northern Arizona in Lincoln on Dec. 31.

In addition to the two wins over 2006 NCAA Tournament foes, NU added six victories over teams in the 2006 WNIT field, including Kansas (2), Kansas State, Iowa State, Drake and Wyoming.

Yori Establishing Firm Foundation at Nebraska
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 has the Huskers securely placed among the top tier of teams in the always tough Big 12 Conference.

For the second straight season, Nebraska earned the No. 6 seed at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship and won a first-round game in the league tournament. The Huskers also finished with a .500 league record for the second straight season, while earning their third consecutive postseason trip to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Huskers have produced a first-round postseason win in each of the past three seasons.

The Huskers own a 19-12 overall record and an 8-8 Big 12 mark in 2005-06. That follows on the heels of an 18-14 overall mark and an 8-8 league mark in 2004-05, when the Huskers advanced to the second round of the WNIT for the second straight year. Nebraska’s successful season came despite replacing four starters from the the 2003-04 squad, 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.

NU’s postseason streak began with an 18-12, 7-9 season in 2003-04, when the Huskers posted a first-round home WNIT victory over Drake. That season, the Huskers produced one of the nation’s top turnarounds with a 10-game improvement over their 2002-03 campaign, which tied for the ninth-best swing in NCAA Division I women’s basketball in 2003-04. NU’s amazing improvement came despite playing a powerful schedule that included 19 games against teams that advanced to postseason play.

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.

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.

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.).

On Feb. 15, Turner became just the second Husker recruit in history to earn All-America status from the WBCA. She is scheduled to compete in the WBCA High School All-Star game on April 1 at the NCAA Women’s Final Four at the FleetCenter in Boston. 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.

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home
Since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 300-108 (.735) in games played in the arena, including 109-69 (.612) in conference games. Nebraska finished the regular season 11-4 at home in 2005-06.

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 3-2 all-time in home postseason play, including a 62-59 victory over Drake in the first round of the 2006 WNIT on March 16.

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.

Nebraska picked up its first home postseason victory in school history with an 81-58 win over San Diego on March 17, 1993, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Devaney Center.

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 ranks among the top 30 schools nationally with an average home attendance of 3,316 fans per game in 2005-06.

The Huskers ranked 25th nationally last season by averaging 4,022 fans per contest. 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.