Huskers Continue Climb in 2006

Nebraska Cornhuskers
19-13, 8-8 Big 12

• 19 Victories - Most Wins since 1998-99
• First-ever trip to WNIT Quarterfinals
• Third Straight Postseason Tournament Appearance
• Third Straight Season with at least one Postseason Tournament Victory
• Third Straight Season with at least 18 Victories
• Second Straight .500 Finish in the Big 12 Conference
• Second Straight Season with a Big 12 Tournament Victory
• Undefeated in regular-season rematches with Big 12 North Division schools

Huskers Continue Climb in 2006, Ready to Rise Again in 2007
The Nebraska women’s basketball team finished its most successful season since 2000 by closing the 2005-06 campaign with a 19-13 overall record among the final eight teams in the 2006 Postseason WNIT.

The Huskers, who finished with an 8-8 mark and a tie for sixth place in the regular-season Big 12 Conference standings, continued a steady climb toward national prominence in 2005-06.

Nebraska’s 19 victories represented the program’s most wins in Coach Connie Yori’s four seasons, following 18-win campaigns in 2004 and 2005. The 19 wins were also the most by a Husker team since the 1998-99 season.

The Huskers, who finished the season as one of the hottest teams in the Big 12 by winning seven of their final 10 games, produced a pair of postseason victories for the first time in school history, after winning a WNIT first-round game for the third straight season. After earning the No. 6 seed in the Big 12 Tournament for the second straight season, the Huskers produced a Big 12 Tournament win for the second straight year.

Nebraska continued to show improvement throughout the season, as the Huskers posted a perfect 5-0 record in regular-season rematches with Big 12 North Division foes.

Junior guard Kiera Hardy continued to build one of the finest careers in Nebraska history by earning first-team All-Big 12 honors for the second straight year, while smashing the school’s career three-point record.

Freshman forward Kelsey Griffin also erupted onto the scene, earning Big 12 Freshman-of-the-Year honors from the Dallas Morning News, while capturing a spot on the league’s All-Rookie Team chosen by the coaches.

The Huskers’ success and improvement came despite being dealt a major blow before the start of the season, when 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Jelena Spiric was lost for the season to knee injury. Nebraska’s only true wing player, Spiric’s loss forced a shuffling from top to bottom in the Husker lineup.

Despite the position changes, another season-ending injury to Heather Kephart, and several major illnesses late in the year, Nebraska continued to climb the ladder in the Big 12 and set the stage for what the Huskers hope will be a breakthrough season in 2006-07.

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., averaged 17.5 points per game, while adding 3.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per contest. Hardy’s 101 assists this season were just 10 shy of her career total of 111 entering her junior season, while her 59 steals were also a career-best total.

Hardy ranked second in the Big 12 with 81 three-pointers on the year, which shattered Nebraska’s junior single-season record and ranked as the third-highest total in school history.

In 2004-05, 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 in 2005-06, 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 196 in just 91 games, while DeForge finished her career with 155 three-pointers. Hardy also ranks 10th on NU’s career scoring list with 1,416 points.

Hardy needs 17 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, averaged 13.3 points and a team-leading 6.0 rebounds per game while starting all 32 games for the Huskers in 2005-06. Griffin’s impressive numbers came despite being limited significantly during the last nine 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 121 free throws made and ranked second with 174 free throw attempts. She added solid totals with 40 steals and 24 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.

Senior Spiric Set to Bolster Husker Lineup in 2006-07
Nebraska forward Jelena Spiric, who missed the entire 2005-06 season after suffering a knee injury in fall practice, is expected to boost the Husker lineup in 2006-07.

The 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Spiric will apply for a medical hardship to participate in her second senior season. Spiric suffered a knee injury during the first official week of fall practice and underwent surgery. Her recovery has gone well, and Spiric is expected to be 100 percent by the start of the 2006-07 season.

Spiric, a 6-1 senior from Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro, played most of her junior season at Nebraska at less than 100 percent after suffering a similar injury to her other leg in the final game of her junior college career.

Despite the limitations, 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.

During the summer and early fall of 2005, Spiric had emerged as one of Nebraska’s most dominant players in practice. Nebraska’s only true wing player, Spiric was poised to be a major contributor both offensively and defensively. She was also expected to carry a portion of Nebraska’s leadership role.

Spiric’s expected return next season gives the Huskers four players who have started at least 23 games at the Division I level.

Huskers Return Load of Starting Experience in 2006-07
Nebraska will return five players who have started at least one game at the Division I level, including four players who have started at least 23 games for the Huskers. Overall, NU will feature players with 178 career starts in Husker uniforms.

Kiera Hardy, Nebraska’s top returning scorer the past two seasons and one of the top 10 scorers in NU history, headlines the list of Husker returning starters with 64 career starts. Fellow senior-to-be Chelsea Aubry has added 58 career starts.

Sophomore-to-be Kelsey Griffin joined Hardy and Aubry in the starting lineup for all 32 games in 2005-06, making her the first freshman in 15 years and only the fourth in school history joining Meggan Yedsena (1990-91), Angie Miller (1983-84) and Jan Crouch (1975-76) to start every game in her rookie season.

Senior Jelena Spiric, who made 23 starts as a junior before missing the 2005-06 season with an injury, will give the Huskers a fourth returning senior starter next season. Senior-to-be Ashley Ford added one start at point guard in her first season at NU.

In addition to starting experience, junior-to-be Danielle Page (64 games), sophomore-to-be TK LaFleur (32 games), and Ford (32 games) give NU an experienced supporting cast.

Six Husker Recruits Enjoy Stellar Seasons in 2005-06
Nebraska’s six-player class of newcomers for 2006-07 has all the makings for one of the best recruiting classes in Husker history.

Headlining the list of newest Huskers is Yvonne Turner (Bellevue, Neb.). A first-team WBCA All-American and Miss Basketball in the state of Nebraska, Turner will play in the WBCA All-Star game this weekend at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Boston. The 5-9 guard out of state champion Bellevue East High School averaged 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.7 steals per game. The captain of the Lincoln Journal Star’s Super State squad also helped the Chieftains and Coach Scott Jensen to state runner-up finishes in both 2004 and 2005. Turner is just the second Husker in history to play in the WBCA High School All-Star game.

Turner will be joined by another Nebraska all-stater in 6-4 center Nikki Bober. The Elmwood-Murdock product earned Class C-2 first-team all-state honors after producing 17.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a senior.

In addition to two of the top players in the state of Nebraska, one of the best players in Iowa will bring her all-around game to the Husker backcourt next season. Kala Kuhlmann closed her career as the fourth-leading scorer in Iowa girls high school history with 2,337 points. The 5-10 guard from Charter Oak-Ute was a three-time first-team all-state performer in Class 1A as named by the Des Moines Register. Her amazing career scoring total came despite suffering a knee injury the summer before her junior season that trimmed her scoring average by six points a game from her sophomore to junior campaign.

The Huskers will be boosted inside by another high school scoring sensation. Cory Montgomery, a 6-2 forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., poured in more than 2,000 points in her five-year prep career while leading Cannon Falls to the Minnesota Class 2A state title as a senior. Montgomery was named the MVP of the state tournament after averaging 27 points and 12 rebounds in three tournament games.

After scoring 37 points and grabbing 17 rebounds in the semifinal game, Montgomery scored 15 points, pulled down seven boards and dished out seven assists in the championship game victory. A five-time team MVP at Cannon Falls, Montgomery owns school records in scoring, rebounds and assists. Montgomery was also an honorable-mention McDonald’s High School All-American.

Nicole Neals gives the Huskers another 2,000-point prep scorer. Not only a talented scorer, Neals played point guard for one of the most dominant high school programs in the nation - St. Mary’s in Chandler, Ariz. Neals led St. Mary’s to the Class 5A Division I state title and a No. 19 final ranking by USA Today in 2006. Neals had 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals in the state title game win over Mesa Red Mountain. In the Sacajawea National Invitational in Sioux City, Iowa, earlier this season, Neals scored 28 points and hit six three-pointers to help St. Mary’s past Denison-Schleswig. Neals added 19 points in the first round of the same tournament to defeat Kuhlmann and Charter-Oak. Kuhlmann finished with 17 points.

While the talented high school players have grabbed headlines in the Husker class, junior college transfer Ana Fakatou may be able to make an immediate impact for NU next season.

Fakatou, a 5-11 forward at Cypress College in California, averaged 17.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore to earn Orange Empire Conference MVP honors for the second straight season, while adding first-team all-state honors for the second time in her career. Fakatou closed her two-year junior college career with 1,095 points while adding 548 rebounds. She shot 52 percent from the field, including 36 percent from three-point range, and 75 percent at the free throw line during her career. She scored a season-high 34 points against Santa Rosa, and managed 10 double-doubles, including 20 points and 18 boards against Cerritos this season.

Fakatou was a standout as a three-year starter at Long Beach Wilson High School in California.

Departing Players Helped Huskers Climb in Big 12
Nebraska expects to lose three seniors, one junior and two sophomores from its 2005-06 squad. Senior starter LaToya Howell, who started 31 games at point guard as a senior, and junior starter Jessica Gerhart, who has played in 92 career games with 50 career starts will leave the biggest holes for the Huskers to fill next season.

Howell averaged 4.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and a team-leading 5.0 assists per game, while Gerhart ranked third on the team in scoring with 9.1 points while adding 3.4 rebounds per game. Howell averaged 27.9 minutes per game, while Gerhart pitched in 23.3 minutes per contest. Gerhart will complete her bachelor’s degree in three years and is expected to bypass her final season of eligibility to pursue her chosen career field within the medical profession in chiropractic school.

Senior Elena Diaz, who played in all 64 games for the Huskers over the past two seasons with 23 starts as a junior, completed her eligibility in 2005-06. Diaz averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game as a senior. Fellow senior Ivana Drmanac, who played in five contests in 2005-06, averaged 0.8 points and 0.4 rebounds per game.

Sophomore Heather Kephart is not expected to play again after battling major injuries for the first three seasons of her NU career. Kephart appeared in 11 contests as a freshman and one game as a sophomore in 2004-05. She did not play at all in 2005-06 after being granted a medical hardship before last season.

Sophomore Sarah White, who averaged 2.1 points and 0.9 rebounds while playing in all 32 games in 2005-06, is expected to transfer to complete her eligibility.

Husker Record Watch: Individual Achievements

• Kiera Hardy will enter her senior season needing just four more three-pointers to become the first player in Nebraska history to connect on 200 career three-pointers. Hardy has hit 196 threes in 91 career games. No other NU player has ever hit 100 three-pointers in fewer than 100 career games.
• Hardy needs 17 points to climb into ninth place on Nebraska’s career scoring list. She will enter her senior season with 1,416 career points, needing 584 points to become just the third player in school history to reach the 2,000-point plateau. Hardy scored 609 points as a sophomore and 560 points as a junior.
• Hardy’s 81 three-pointers in 2005-06 ranked as the third-highest total by a Husker in history, trailing only her 85 three-pointers last season and the 85 three-pointers by Amy Stephens in 1988-89.
• Kelsey Griffin produced the fourth-highest scoring total by a freshman in school history with 424 points while starting all 32 games for NU in 2005-06. Griffin’s point total trailed only Debra Powell’s 461 points (1981-82), Kathy Hagerstrom’s 449 points (1979-80) and Darcy Williamson’s 426 points (1975-76) among all-time Husker freshmen.
• Griffin set an NU freshman record with 121 made free throws, while her 174 free throw attempts ranked second among all Husker freshmen. Griffin’s .541 field goal percentage ranked as the third-best mark by a freshman in school history, while her 13.3 points per game scoring average and 192 total rebounds both ranked sixth among all NU freshmen.
• Griffin, who started all 32 games in 2005-06, became the first freshman in 15 years and only the fourth in school history joining Meggan Yedsena (1990-91), Angie Miller (1983-84) and Jan Crouch (1975-76) to start every game in her rookie season.
• LaToya Howell finished her senior season with 159 assists to tie Stacy Imming (1986-87) for the third-best total by a senior in school history. Howell’s total also tied Imming for the eighth-best overall assist total in the NU record book.
• Howell (159) and Hardy (101) became the first Husker teammates since Nicole Kubik and Brooke Schwartz in 1999-2000 to record 100 or more assists in the same season.
• Danielle Page notched 38 blocked shots on the season, which is tied for the ninth-best single-season block effort in school history. Page’s total ranked 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.

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 Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Huskers made their third straight trip to the Postseason WNIT and 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. Nebraska opened the 2006 tournament by defeating Drake, 62-59, at the Devaney Center on March 16. The Huskers have played host to at least one postseason tournament game in each of the past three years.

Overall, the Huskers are 7-6 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 (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.

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 seven career Postseason WNIT games. Hardy has averaged 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.1 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 14 or more points in each of her seven career postseason games, including four 20-point scoring efforts. Her 138 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 Sweep Big 12 North Foes in Rematches
Nebraska was a perfect 5-0 this season in regular-season 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.

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 her senior season, Hardy ranks 10th all-time at Nebraska in scoring with 1,416 points and needs 17 points to move into ninth place.

With 560 points in 2005-06, Hardy’s scoring total ranked fifth all-time among Nebraska juniors. She needs 584 points to become just the third player in NU history to reach the 2,000-point plateau. She scored 609 points as a sophomore in 2004-05.

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

Hardy scored in double figures 28 times as a junior, including 12 20-plus scoring efforts with her most recent coming with 21 points at Wyoming on March 22. 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 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 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 196. 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 81 three-pointers in 2005-06, an average of 2.53 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 established a Nebraska junior single-season record with 81 threes in 2005-06, 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 in 2004-05. 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, turned the ball over just nine times in their final 80 minutes of action at the Devaney Center in 2005-06.

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

The Huskers produced 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 averaged just 13.6 turnovers per game. Nebraska turned the ball over just 435 times for the second-lowest turnover total in school history. NU 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).

In 2004-05, the Huskers averaged just 15.4 turnovers per game (493 total turnovers) for the fourth-fewest total turnovers in school history. In 2003-04, NU committed just 488 turnovers (16.3 per game), which ranks as the third-lowest total in school history, trailing only the 369 turnovers in 32 games in 1991-92 (11.5 per game) and the 435 turnovers in 2005-06.

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

Turnover Margin Creates Victories for Huskers
Nebraska was solid in the key area of turnover margin in 2005-06. The Huskers produced a stellar plus-4.8 team turnover margin by averaging just 13.6 turnovers per game, while forcing an average of 18.4 turnovers per contest.

NU’s success in creating turnovers while taking care of the basketball helped the Huskers attempt an average of 4.3 more shots per game than their opponents, while also getting to the free throw line an average of 1.1 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 committed a total of just nine turnovers 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 32 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 six 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 and at Kansas State (March 24), plus-two at Kansas State (Feb. 1) and plus-two against Texas A&M (March 8).

Huskers Rank among Big 12 Leaders at Line Again
Nebraska continued its recent tradition of ranking among the top Big 12 teams at the free throw line, hitting 72.2 percent of its free throws in 2005-06.

Nebraska ranked third in the Big 12, trailing only Colorado’s 74.0 percent accuracy and Iowa State’s 73.7 percent success at the line. The Huskers’ success rate ranks as the fifth-best percentage in school history. The previous two seasons, the Huskers 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 2005-06 Husker lineup featured six players who shot better than 70 percent at the line, including Jessica Gerhart (84.0 percent), Kiera Hardy (78.6 percent), LaToya Howell (76.1 percent), Chelsea Aubry (74.3 percent), Danielle Page (73.8 percent) and Sarah White (73.3 percent).

Huskers Displaying Defensive Dominance
Nebraska allowed just 62.9 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 showed 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 held six of their opponents, including Creighton, Northwestern, Michigan, Texas State, Grambling State and Iowa State to 50 or fewer points in 2005-06.

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 122 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 Enjoy Success Against Strong Schedule
Nebraska put together its most successful season since 1999-2000 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 18 games against 2006 postseason qualifiers, including eight contests against NCAA Tournament teams and 10 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’ 13 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 four seasons at Nebraska, Coach Connie Yori clearly has the Husker program on the rise. 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.

Yori has led the Huskers to at least 18 victories in each of the past three seasons, including 19 wins in 2005-06 which ranked as NU’s highest victory total since 1998-99. Nebraska advanced to the Postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament for the third straight year and opened the postseason with a pair of victories for the first time in school history.

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. The Huskers have produced a first-round postseason win in each of the past three seasons.

Nebraska finished with a 19-13 overall record and an 8-8 Big 12 mark in 2005-06. That followed 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.

LaFleur Flourishes Late in Freshman Campaign
Freshman guard TK LaFleur enjoyed a solid rookie season for the Huskers in 2005-06. Although fellow freshman Kelsey Griffin earned postseason honors, LaFleur became a consistent and potent contributor as her first season progressed.

Over the final seven games of the season, LaFleur averaged 7.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, after averaging 4.9 points and 1.7 boards per contest through NU’s first 25 games. Over those final seven contests, LaFleur averaged 21 minutes per game off the bench, nearly six more minutes per game than her first 25 games of the season.

She also heated up from long range, hitting 7-of-12 three-point attempts (58.3 percent) during the final seven games, after knocking down just 26 percent (13-of-50) through the first 25 games in 2005-06. LaFleur’s 20 three-pointers on the year ranked third among the Huskers, trailing only Kiera Hardy and Chelsea Aubry.

While LaFleur’s contribution increased significantly down the stretch, she did provide the Huskers with consistent production from start to finish in 2005-06. The freshman from Houston, Texas, played in all 32 games for NU and found the scoring column in 30 games. She played at least eight minutes in all 32 contests.

Howell, Diaz End Husker Careers on High Notes
Seniors LaToya Howell and Elena Diaz played the best basketball of their Nebraska careers down the stretch in the Huskers’ final 10 games of the 2005-06 season, helping NU finish with a 7-3 record in its last 10 games.

Howell, a 5-5 point guard from Chicago, Ill., produced stellar all-around performances in the Huskers’ WNIT games, averaging 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 3.3 steals per game in wins over Drake and Wyoming, along with a loss at Kansas State.

Howell had nine points, four rebounds, seven assists and four steals against Drake, while also sinking a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left to seal the 62-59 victory.

In the Huskers’ win at Wyoming on March 22, 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. She closed her NU career with five points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals at Kansas State.

Howell finished the season averaging 4.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Her 159 assists on the year tied for the third-highest total by a senior in school history and tied for eighth overall in the NU record book.

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).

Diaz, a 6-1 forward from Medellin, Colombia, supplied a major boost down the stretch as well, averaging 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game over the Huskers’ final eight games. Diaz capped her career by scoring a season-high 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field at Kansas State.

She produced one of her best all-around games of the season with 11 points and nine rebounds in a Senior Night victory over Oklahoma State on Feb. 21.

Before her late-season surge, Diaz had struggled to average just 3.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. She caught fire down the stretch, hitting 55.6 percent of her shots from the field. She also added five of her 10 assists on the season in the final five games.

Gerhart’s Hot Shooting Fuels Huskers’ Streak
Jessica Gerhart helped spark Nebraska’s 7-3 record to close the season with her hot shooting from the field. Over the final 12 games, the 6-2 forward from Fenton, Iowa, hit 52.2 percent (48-92) 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 against the Cowgirls. She added 15 points on 7-for-16 shooting from the field in NU’s 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 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 averaged 9.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.2 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 caught fire late in the season, her defensive intensity also heated up. Over the final 12 contests, Gerhart grabbed 10 steals, including a career-high four steals in NU’s overtime win over Kansas State on Feb. 18. Her 10 steals in the last 12 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 22, surpassing the 16 total steals she had in 60 games entering her junior year.

Aubry Gives 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 ranked second among the Huskers with 27 three-pointers, more than doubling her total of 13 three-pointers from 2004-05.

Aubry found her offensive niche while playing somewhat out of position for NU as a junior. 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 dipped from her sophomore season, but her assist and steals totals rose.

Aubry averaged 6.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, and she scored in double figures seven times in 2005-06. She dished out 33 assists as a junior - more than doubling her total of 16 in 29 games as a sophomore, while snagging 21 steals to surpass the 17 steals she had in 29 games 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.

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.

Page Surges Down Stretch as Sophomore for Huskers
Sophomore Danielle Page provided Nebraska with a major lift off the bench during the final 10 games of 2005-06, playing a major role in NU winning seven of its last 10 contests.

The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., averaged 5.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 blocked shots and 1.0 steal, while pulling down 19 of her 39 offensive boards on the season and 10 of her 22 steals in the last 10 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, led the Huskers with 38 blocks in 2005-06 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 moved 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 moved her into seventh on NU’s all-time list.

Hardy Increases Passing Proficiency in Junior Season
In addition to her dynamic scoring abilities, Kiera Hardy increased her impact for the Huskers in 2005-06 on both the offensive and defensive ends. Hardy averaged 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 101 total assists as a junior, Hardy shattered her 2004-05 total of 67 in 32 games. She dished out 34 more assists while committing 24 fewer turnovers than the 2004-05 campaign.

On the year, Hardy ranked among the top 10 players in the Big 12 with her 1.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (101 assists-66 turnovers). As a sophomore, Hardy’s assist-to-turnover ratio was 1-to-1.34 (67 assists-90 turnovers).

Defensively, Hardy was solid. She led the Huskers and ranked among Big 12 leaders with 1.8 steals per game. Her 59 steals were a career high, surpassing the 51 steals she had in 79 more minutes in 2004-05.

Griffin Finishes Fourth on Freshman Scoring List
Kelsey Griffin enjoyed a record-breaking start to her Nebraska career. The 6-2 freshman forward from Eagle River, Alaska, closed her first season with 424 points to produce the fourth-highest scoring total by a freshman in school history. Her 19-point, seven-rebound at Kansas State to close the season marked her 21st double-figure scoring effort of the season, despite battling a major illness over the past nine games.

Griffin became the fastest player in NU history to score 100 points. She went over the century mark on NU’s 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 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 in the second round of the WNIT.

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.

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.