Huskers to Face UCI, USC

The Nebraska women’s basketball team continues a three-game stretch against California foes when the Huskers travel to the West Coast to battle UC Irvine on Friday at 9 p.m. (central), before ending the Thanksgiving weekend road trip against USC on Sunday at 4 p.m. in Los Angeles.

Live radio coverage of both games will be provided by the Husker Sports Network, including 98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln and worldwide on Huskers.com with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action.

Nebraska (3-1) has won three straight games since dropping its season opener at No. 13 Arizona State. The Huskers are coming off a 76-62 victory over Cal State Fullerton in their home opener on Nov. 17. The win over the Titans in Lincoln followed on the heels of an impressive 66-59 win over No. 18 New Mexico at the Veterans Day Classic in Tempe, Ariz., on Nov. 13. NU opened its three-game winning streak with a 93-53 pounding of 2006 NCAA Tournament qualifier Florida Atlantic in Arizona.

Kelsey Griffin earned a spot on the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament team. The 6-2 sophomore forward from Eagle River, Alaska, averaged 15.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in three contests, including her fourth career double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds in the win over New Mexico.

She added her second straight double-double and fifth of her career with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the Huskers’ win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17. Griffin leads the Huskers in scoring and rebounding with 15.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 62.9 percent from the field.

Griffin, the Dallas Morning News Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2006, provides the punch inside for the Huskers, while two-time first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy does the damage from outside. Hardy, who is Nebraska’s career three-point leader with 203, ranks ninth on Nebraska’s all-time scoring list with 1,459 points. She is averaging 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a senior.

Jelena Spiric provides the Huskers with a dangerous threat from both inside and outside. The 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Spiric joined Griffin on the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament team. She is averaging 7.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Seniors Chelsea Aubry (6.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and Ashley Ford (2.3 ppg, 3.0 apg, 1.3 spg) round out Nebraska’s probable starting lineup against the Anteaters.

Huskers Power Past Titans, 76-62
Kelsey Griffin produced her second straight double-double and Cory Montgomery scored a team-high 15 points, as the Nebraska women’s basketball team rallied for a 76-62 victory over Cal State Fullerton in the Huskers’ home opener at the Devaney Center on Friday night.

Griffin, a 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, scored 13 points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, to post her fifth career double-double. She scored nine points and had eight boards in the second half.

Nebraska improved to 3-1 with the victory, while Cal State Fullerton slipped to 1-2. True freshman Cory Montgomery scored 13 of her team-high 15 points in the second half, while senior forward Chelsea Aubry also added eight of her 10 points in the second stanza to power the Huskers.

While Nebraska’s post players dominated the second half, it was the guards who shot the Huskers back into the game in the first half. Nebraska trailed 18-7 midway through the first half after Cal State Fullerton connected on its first five shots from the field and eight of its first 10 to take control early.

But freshman Nicole Neals sparked the Husker comeback by burying a pair of three-pointers. Neals finished the first half with eight points. TK LaFleur also gave NU a lift by hitting a three off the bench and turning up Nebraska’s defensive pressure to begin to reel in the Titans.

Then Kiera Hardy took over.

The two-time first-team All-Big 12 guard got a steal and a layup to pull NU within two possessions at 26-20 with five minutes left in the half. A pair of Hardy free throws cut CSF’s lead to three at 27-24, before a jumper and a three-pointer cut the Titans’ lead to just one point at 34-33 at halftime. Hardy scored 12 of her 14 points in the first half, including the 202nd and 203rd three-pointers of her career.

In the second half, it was all inside for the Huskers. Aubry gave NU its first lead since 4-2 with a layup just 11 seconds into the second half to make it 35-34. She added another layup to give the Huskers the lead for good at 37-36 with 18:21 left. Montgomery, Griffin and Danielle Page, who scored six of her eight points in the second half, then carried the scoring and rebounding load the rest of the way for Nebraska.

The Huskers shot 48.2 percent (27-56) from the field, including 35 percent (7-20) from three-point range. NU also hit 71.4 percent (15-21) of its free throws and outrebounded CSF, 34-29. Nebraska also forced 23 Titan turnovers, while committing just 18 turnovers of its own.

Cal State Fullerton was led by Charlee Underwood, who hit 10-of-15 field goal attempts, including a pair of three-pointers, to finish with a game-high 25 points. Underwood hit her first seven field goal attempts of the game to shoot the Titans to the early lead. Toni Thomas added 12 points and nine boards for Fullerton, while India McDaniel added 12 points of her own.

Scouting the University of California Irvine Anteaters
The UC Irvine Anteaters head into the week with a 1-2 record after splitting a pair of weekend road games at New Mexico State and UTEP. The Anteaters suffered a 64-51 loss at UTEP on Saturday, after knocking off New Mexico State, 61-47, on Friday night. UC Irvine suffered its third loss of the season with an 81-50 setback at Fresno State on Tuesday. The Anteaters shot just 31.3 percent against were outrebounded by 26 against the Bulldogs.

Stephanie Duda, a 5-10 junior forward, has done the most damage for the Anteaters. Duda is nearly averaging a double-double with 11.3 points and 9.0 rebounds through four contests. Duda posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win over New Mexico State, after scoring 13 points and pulling down 16 boards in a season-opening loss to Eastern Washington at the Bren Center on Nov. 13.

Kelly Cochran, a 6-0 sophomore forward, has also provided the Anteaters with a potent presence. Cochran averaged 12.5 points and 6.5 boards through four contests, including a team-high 17 points at Fresno State, 16 points against Eastern Washington and 11 rebounds against New Mexico State.

Senior guard Angie Ned leads the UCI backcourt with 5.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, while junior Christina Zdenek has contributed 6.8 points and 3.0 boards per game. Freshman guard Rebecca Maessen has added 6.0 points and 1.3 rebounds per contest to round out the Anteaters’ probable starting five.

The Anteaters list only two players taller than 6-0 on their 14-player roster, and both of them are freshmen. Naomi Halman, a 6-4 forward/center from Haarlem, Netherlands has come off the bench in all four games and has averaged just over 20 minutes per contest. She has averaged 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 fouls per game.

Klinta Lisnere, a 6-3 freshman center from Riga, Latvia has appeared in three contests, playing a total of 17 minutes without scoring and grabbing just one rebound.

Other key players for the Anteaters have been Annie Mai, a 5-9 junior guard, who started in the opener against Eastern Washington before coming off the bench against New Mexico State, UTEP and Fresno State. She is averaging 3.8 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. Miranda Forry, a 5-10 junior guard has appeared in all four games, averaging 1.0 point and 2.0 rebounds per game. Kirian Ishizaki, a 5-8 sophomore guard, and Keyonna Johnson, a 5-6 freshman guard, have both appeared in three contests.

Nebraska vs. UC Irvine Series History
Friday’s game with the Anteaters will mark the first meeting in history between the two schools in women’s basketball.

However, the Huskers can draw some indirect connections with UCI head coach Molly Tuter, who is in her second full season at the helm. Tuter, a 1998 graduate of Arizona State, took over the head coaching reins midway through the 2004-05 season, before spending her first full season on the sideline a year ago.

The Huskers can expect the Anteaters to have a detailed scouting report from ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne, who coached Tuter as a Sun Devil. Tuter was a four-year letterwinner for the Sun Devils, scoring 1,374 points. She was a two-time honorable-mention All-Pac- 10 honoree. Tuter spent the 1997-98 season as a member of the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA.

A native of Soldotna, Alaska, Tuter was twice named Gatorade State High School Basketball Player of the Year while attending Soldotna High School. Nebraska’s leading scorer and rebounder, sophomore forward Kelsey Griffin, was also a Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year at Chugiak High School in Eagle River.

Hardy Joins Big 12’s Three-Point Elite
Kiera Hardy has connected on 7-of-16 three-pointers (43.8 percent) through Nebraska’s first four games this season. While shooting a high percentage from long range, including 50 percent at the season-opening Veterans Day Classic, Hardy has also put herself into an elite class of shooters in Big 12 history.

Hardy’s second three-pointer in Nebraska’s win over No. 18 New Mexico on Nov. 13 not only gave the Huskers a 31-30 lead, it was also her 200th career three-pointer, making her just the 12th player in Big 12 history to reach the 200 mark.

Hardy hit one more three-pointer in the second half against the Lobos to push her school-record career total and added two more three-pointers in NU’s win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17 to match former Colorado guard Jenny Roulier’s career total of 203 from 1998-99 to 2001-02 for 11th on the all-time Big 12 charts.

A 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., Hardy needs just 11 more threes to match Iowa State’s Lindsey Wilson (2000-03) in 10th place on the Big 12’s all-time list. Oklahoma State guard Jennifer Crow (1997-00) sits in ninth place with 215 - just 12 ahead of Hardy.

Hardy, who hit a school-record 85 three-pointers as a sophomore in 2004-05, and added 81 threes a year ago while leading the Big 12 with 2.53 made per game, could realistically climb to No. 2 on the all-time chart. Megan Taylor of Iowa State ranks second in league history with 287 career three-pointers as a four-year starter at Iowa State from 1998 to 2001. Laurie Koehn from Kansas State owns the Big 12 record with 392 three-pointers in her career from 2001 to 2005.

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 Nebraska mark of 155 three-pointers in 117 career games.

With seven three-pointers against Iowa on March 21, 2005, Hardy shares Nebraska’s single-game record and has hit six or more three-pointers in a game on five occasions.

Along with her prowess as a three-point shooter, Hardy is also one of the most prolific scorers in Nebraska history. Her 14-point performance in Nebraska’s win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17 increased her career total to 1,459 points, which ranks ninth in Husker history.

Hardy needs 82 points to move into a tie for No. 8 on NU’s career scoring list with Angie Miller, who produced 1,541 points from 1983-84 to 1986-87.

Hardy scored a career-high 37 points in Nebraska’s 103-99 triple overtime victory over eventual national champion Baylor on Jan. 12, 2005. It is one of three 30-point performances in Hardy’s career. She has scored 20 or more points on 27 occasions in her 95-game career.

Griffin Gets Sophomore Season Off to Strong Start
After a record-breaking start to her Nebraska career in 2005-06, Kelsey Griffin produced an award-winning opening weekend to her sophomore season.

The 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, earned a spot on the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament team by averaging 15.7 points and 8.7 rebounds to lead the Huskers to a 2-1 record that included a 66-59 win over No. 18 New Mexico on Nov. 13.

In the win over the Lobos, Griffin produced her fourth career double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, including 11 points and nine boards in the second half alone. Griffin’s effort allowed the Huskers to post their first road win over a top-25 non-conference opponent in nearly a decade.

Griffin led the Huskers in scoring in two of three games at the Veterans Day Classic and produced Nebraska’s top individual rebounding total in all three contests. She scored 17 points and grabbed seven boards in just 23 minutes against No. 13 Arizona State in the season opener, before adding 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting and seven rebounds in just 13 minutes in a romp past Florida Atlantic.

She added her second straight double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Huskers to a 76-62 win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17. It was Griffin’s fifth career double-double and increased her season averages to 15.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. She is shooting 62.9 percent from the field on the year, while also leading the Huskers with eight steals on the season.

Griffin could eclipse the 500-point mark for her career against UC Irvine. She enters the weekend trip to California with 484 points in 36 career games, and needs just 16 more to reach the 500-point mark. Griffin has also pulled down 230 rebounds in her young career.

The Dallas Morning News 2006 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Griffin was one five players chosen to the coaches Big 12 All-Rookie team a year ago. She averaged 13.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game as a true freshman, despite being limited by illness during Nebraska’s final nine games of the season. She also managed to battle through her condition to start all 32 games for the Huskers, becoming the first NU freshman since Meggan Yedsena in 1990-91 to start every game of her rookie campaign. Griffin is just the fourth Husker freshman in history to start every game in her first year.

She finished the year with 424 points, to rank as the fourth-best total by a freshman in school history. Her 54.1 field goal percentage ranked third among all freshmen in school history, while her 121 made free throws set NU’s freshman record.

Griffin produced one of the best rookie performances in Nebraska history with 31 points and 14 rebounds in a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 27, 2005. She also tied the school record with 18 free throw attempts against the Islanders. She added 28 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high three blocked shots at Kansas State on Feb. 4.

The 2005 Gatorade Alaska High School Player of the Year put up an even better performance in Nebraska’s exhibition opener against Nebraska-Kearney to open her sophomore campaign on Nov. 1. Griffin poured in 35 points on 14-of-16 shooting from the field and pulled down 13 rebounds in just 22 minutes of action.

Spiric Off to Solid Start in Senior Season
Jelena Spiric made a successful return to the court at the Veterans Day Classic Nov. 10-13, after missing the entire 2005-06 season with a knee injury.

The 6-0 senior from Belgrade, Serbia, earned a spot on the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament team with her 13-point, five-rebound performance in the Huskers’ 66-59 win over No. 18 New Mexico on Monday. For the tournament, Spiric averaged 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

She added five points, four assists and a career-high 10 rebounds in Nebraska’s home-opening victory over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17. For the season Spiric is averaging 7.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Spiric suffered a torn right ACL in practice on Oct. 18, 2005, just days after the start of fall practice. Spiric’s injury sidelined her for the duration of her second season at Nebraska.

An outstanding student and experienced international player, Spiric considered returning to Europe to pursue a professional career after earning her bachelor’s degree as a biochemistry major in May of 2006.

Spiric chose to return for her final season at Nebraska, and the Huskers are planning to make it a memorable one for the 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

Spiric entered her final season at Nebraska in the best playing condition of her career and it showed in the Huskers’ 122-55 exhibition-opening win over Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 1. Spiric poured in 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, including a 2-for-4 night from three-point range, while adding four rebounds, four assists and three steals for the Huskers. She added 13 points and six boards in a 97-59 win over UNO.

As a junior in 2004-05, Spiric averaged 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on the year, but increased her averages to 9.3 points and 4.6 boards per game in conference action.

Spiric was slowed at the start of her Nebraska career after suffering a torn left ACL in the final game of her junior college career at Colby Community College. Spiric earned NJCAA first-team All-America honors in her only season at Colby, averaging 15.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

She opened her collegiate career at NCAA Division II UMass-Lowell, averaging 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game for the River Hawks as a freshman in 2002-03.

Aubry, Ford Add Leadership to Husker Lineup
Senior forward Chelsea Aubry and senior point guard Ashley Ford have been vocal leaders for the Huskers at both ends of the court for the Huskers at the start of 2006-07.

Aubry, perhaps Nebraska’s most experienced player with 62 career starts, is averaging 6.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game after posting her first double-figure scoring effort of the season with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17. She added six points and seven rebounds in Nebraska’s 66-59 win over No. 18 New Mexico on Nov. 13.

The 6-2 forward has returned to her natural power forward position this season after unselfishly moving to the three spot last year to compensate for the loss of Jelena Spiric to a knee injury. Aubry’s numbers suffered last season as she adjusted to the wing, but her role as a leader on the team became even more recognizable.

In NU’s three games in Arizona, Aubry showed her unselfishness on defense by stepping in to take repeated charges as one of the Huskers’ best interior defenders and rebounders.

A three-year captain, Aubry played for the Canadian National Team at the 2006 World Championships in Brazil, after helping the Canadians earn a spot in the World Championship the previous summer.

A member of Nebraska’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and an academic All-Big 12 performer in the classroom, Aubry participated in the NCAA Leadership Conference in 2005.

Despite being NU’s most inexperienced senior, Ford has also taken on a major leadership role for the Huskers this season. The 5-7 guard from Lincoln Northeast High School has started NU’s first four games and is averaging 2.3 points, 1.0 rebound and 3.0 assists per game.

Ford has also proven herself as one of Nebraska’s best all-around defenders, not only putting solid pressure on the ball, but hawking the passing lanes and stepping in to take repeated charges on defense.

Page Making Miraculous Return from Knee Injury
Junior Danielle Page has made a remarkably fast recovery from an ACL injury in mid-June and returned to a full practice schedule on Monday, Oct. 30.

Page who underwent surgery on her right knee on June 29, spent an efficient four months rehabilitating her knee and has looked strong in practice. The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., was given the green light for full participation before NU’s final exhibition game against UNO.

Although she was not expected to be ready for a full return until the start of the Big 12 Conference season in January, Page saw game action in Nebraska’s exhibition finale against Nebraska-Omaha.

Page showed no ill-effects of her injury. In fact, she showed the exceptional lateral quickness that made her one of Nebraska’s top shot-blockers in school history. She also connected on three mid-range jumpshots on her way to scoring 10 points. She added seven rebounds, one block, one steal and one assist in just 15 minutes of action off the bench.

Page has made major contributions to open the regular season by averaging 5.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. She has averaged 13.8 minutes per game off the bench. Last season, Page averaged 15.6 minutes per contest, while contributing 4.3 points and 3.6 boards per game.

A dominant defender in the post, Page is one of the leading shot-blockers in Nebraska history, ranking No. 7 on the Husker career block chart with 70. She has added 54 steals and 171 defensive rebounds in her career, making her one of NU’s top all-around defensive players.

LaFleur Making Greater Impact as Sophomore
Sophomore TK LaFleur will see significant minutes this season after surging down the stretch in her freshman campaign. The 5-8 guard from Houston averaged 7.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in NU’s final 10 games and had an excellent offseason. LaFleur provides the Huskers with an athletic presence on the wing, along with solid defensive skills, while she continues to expand her offensive game.

She demonstrated her improvements with the best performance of her career in Nebraska’s 93-53 win over Florida Atlantic on Nov. 12 at the Veterans Day Classic in Tempe, Ariz. LaFleur tied her career highs with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists against the Owls. She scored 12 points and pulled down four boards in the first half alone to power the Huskers to a 30-point halftime lead.

Through four games this season, LaFleur is averaging 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game to help the Huskers to a 3-1 record. She has also hit 3-of-7 attempts from three-point range.

Although she did not earn a start in her freshman season, LaFleur averaged nearly 17 minutes per game off the bench, including 21 minutes per contest during the final 10 games. She averaged 5.4 points per game on the year, while ranking third on the team with 20 made three-pointers (32.3 percent).

Husker Freshmen Contributing Early and Often
Nebraska’s five-player freshman class has made significant contributions while gaining meaningful experience through the Huskers’ first four games.

Cory Montgomery, a 6-2 forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., has made major contributions in all four contests, averaging 10.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game off the bench. Montgomery established a career high with 16 points in the Huskers’ 93-53 win over Florida Atlantic on Nov. 12. She added a team-high 15 points in NU’s 76-62 win over Cal State Fullerton in Lincoln on Nov. 17.

Montgomery was a five-year varsity MVP at Cannon Falls and one of the top-10 players in the state of Minnesota a year ago. She scored 2,238 points, grabbed 1,240 rebounds, blocked 387 shots and dished out 261 assists to establish school records in all four categories.

Nicole Neals, a native of Chandler, Ariz., has also provided a spark off the bench for the Huskers. Neals is averaging 6.0 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.8 steals per game, while leading the freshmen with 18.8 minutes per contest. Neals scored eight points, including a pair of three-pointers to help ignite Nebraska’s comeback from an 11-point first-half deficit in the win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17. She also led NU with a game-high 16 points, including a 4-for-4 shooting effort from three-point range in the exhibition win over Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 4.

WBCA High School All-American Yvonne Turner dished out six assists in the win over Florida Atlantic and averaged 1.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. Turner saw action in all three games at the Veterans Day Classic in Arizona. The Omaha native led Bellevue East to a state title a year ago. Her progress was slowed in the offseason by a left foot injury that forced her into a walking boot for eight weeks.

Freshman center Nikki Bober enjoyed a solid debut by scoring double figures with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field in NU’s win over Florida Atlantic. The tallest player on the Husker roster, the 6-4 post player from Elmwood-Murdock averaged 17 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a senior, after rebounding from a season-ending knee injury early in her junior season.

Des Moines Register Iowa Female Athlete-of-the-Year Kala Kuhlmann played 11 solid minutes off the bench against No. 13 Arizona State on Nov. 10, before missing the win over Florida Atlantic with an illness. She played two minutes against New Mexico and Cal State Fullerton. Kuhlmann finished her career as the fourth-leading scorer in Iowa High School history with 2,337 points. As a sophomore at Charter Oak-Ute, Kuhlmann led the state by averaging 28 points per game.

Huskers Tackle Challenging 2006-07 Schedule
After playing 16 games against teams that advanced to postseason play in 2005-06, Nebraska will face an even more challenging road during the 2006-07 campaign.

Nebraska’s regular-season schedule could include as many as 18 games against 2006 postseason qualifiers with as many as seven non-conference games against some of the nation’s best teams. Among the Huskers’ eight road non-conference games this season, as many as six could come against 2006 NCAA teams.

The Huskers dove headfirst into the postseason-caliber action with three games against 2006 NCAA Tournament qualifiers on the road in the opening weekend of the season. Nebraska fell to No. 13 Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz, on Nov. 10, before rebounding with a 93-53 win over 2006 NCAA qualifier Florida Atlantic in the second game of the Veterans Day Classic on Nov. 12.

The Huskers faced their third straight 2006 NCAA Tournament squad when they knocked off No. 18 New Mexico, 66-59, in Tempe on Nov. 13. The victory marked Nebraska’s first non-conference road win since defeating No. 16 Western Kentucky on Nov. 20, 1997.

On Nov. 26, the Huskers will likely face a third top-25 squad at USC. The Women of Troy joined Arizona State and New Mexico in advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

The Huskers will welcome 2006 NCAA qualifier Minnesota to the Devaney Center on Dec. 5. The Golden Gophers will be the only NCAA team that ventures to Lincoln during the non-conference season. The game with Minnesota will also be the second of six straight contests NU will play in Nebraska from the week after Thanksgiving through Christmas.

The Huskers will get ready for Big 12 play by facing 2006 NCAA qualifier NC State at the State Farm Classic in Gainesville, Fla., on Dec. 28. If the Huskers can get past the Wolfpack, they could see the hosts from Florida in the championship game on Dec. 29. The Gators earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament last year and have received preseason top-25 consideration.

While the Huskers could play seven of their first 14 games against 2006 postseason qualifiers, their 16-game Big 12 Conference schedule will only offer more challenges with 11 games against postseason competition. Nebraska opens the Big 12 slate at Texas, a perennial national power that did not advance to postseason play in 2006.

The Huskers play their Big 12 home opener against defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma on Jan. 6. The home game with the Sooners will start a stretch of nine consecutive games against 2006 postseason clubs for the Huskers.

The nine-game stretch will include a game with 2005 NCAA and Big 12 champion Baylor at the Devaney Center on Feb. 3, along with road contests at 2006 NCAA qualifiers Missouri (Jan. 20) and Texas A&M (Jan. 24). Big 12 North series with 2006 WNIT champion Kansas State and WNIT qualifier Kansas will be completed during the run, while the Huskers will also face WNIT qualifier Iowa State at home on Jan. 31.

If Nebraska can capitalize on its opportunities during the first 10 games of the Big 12 schedule, the Huskers could have a chance to build momentum heading into the postseason with four of their last six league games coming against teams that did not advance to postseason play a year ago.

The Huskers will honor their four-player senior class on Feb. 27 in the regular-season finale against Colorado, before heading to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at the COX Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., March 6-10.

Huskers Sixth in Preseason Big 12 Poll
The Nebraska women’s basketball team was tabbed as the No. 6 team in the Big 12 by the league coaches, the conference office announced in its preseason poll on Tuesday, Oct. 17.

Defending conference champion Oklahoma was picked to win its second consecutive conference title in 2006-07. The Sooners received all 11 possible first-place votes for a total of 121 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

Texas A&M was selected second (107 points), followed by Texas in third (101 points), Baylor fourth (94 points) and Iowa State fifth (68 points), with the Huskers just two points behind the Cyclones in sixth with 66 points.

The second tier of conference teams opened with a tie for seventh between Kansas State and Texas Tech with 57 points. Missouri (ninth, 43 points), Kansas (10th, 36 points), Colorado (11th, 26 points) and Oklahoma State (12th, 16 points) rounded out the preseason ballot.

Oklahoma is ranked as high as second nationally in preseason publications, while Texas A&M, Baylor, Iowa State, Texas, Kansas State and Texas Tech have also received recognition in preseason polls. Nebraska has received votes in several preseason publications.

Baylor and Oklahoma advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2005-06 and were joined in the NCAA Tournament by Texas A&M and Missouri. Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Nebraska competed in the WNIT.

Yori Leading New Growth in Nebraska Program
Now in her fifth season at Nebraska, Coach Connie Yori hopes to have the Huskers heading into the growth stage of what began as a major rebuilding project in 2002.

Yori arrived in Lincoln on June 24, 2002, and was left with only a handful of healthy scholarship players and three consecutive losing seasons behind the existing players. After a challenging first season, Yori guided the Huskers to one of the nation’s top turnarounds in 2003-04.

Nebraska finished the season with an 18-12 record and the Huskers’ 10-game improvement tied for the ninth-best swing in NCAA Division I women’s basketball in 2003-04. More impressively, NU’s final record came against a powerful schedule that included 19 games against teams that advanced to postseason play.

The Huskers raced to a 10-1 non-conference record that included victories over No. 13 Ohio State and eventual WNIT champion Creighton, before notching one of the biggest wins in school history with an 81-63 victory over No. 9 Kansas State in league play. The Huskers finished with a 7-9 record in the Big 12 to finish in a tie for seventh place. NU may have been a two-point loss to Missouri or three-point loss to No. 13 Colorado away from earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000.

The Huskers made their first postseason appearance since 2000 and played host to a postseason tournament game for the first time since 1993. Nebraska notched just the second home postseason victory in school history with a first-round WNIT win over Drake, before hosting just the third postseason game in school history in the second round against Oregon State.

Nebraska continued the momentum in 2004-05 by replacing four senior starters from 2003-04 and finishing with an 18-14 overall mark and its second straight postseason bid. The Huskers’ 8-8 Big 12 mark was their best finish since 2000, and included the biggest victory in school history, a 103-99 triple overtime win over eventual national champion and then-No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, 2005.

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

Nebraska kept building in 2005-06 by winning two postseason games for the first time in school history. NU’s 19-13 record also marked the Huskers’ most victories since the 1998-99 campaign. The Huskers finished with an 8-8 league mark for the second straight year and won a game in the Big 12 Championship for the second consecutive season.

Perhaps most impressively, the Huskers went 5-0 in regular-season rematches with Big 12 North Division opponents and completed the first three-game sweep of Colorado in school history. Overall, Nebraska posted a 7-3 regular-season mark against Big 12 North foes.

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

Huskers Continue Recruiting Success with Strong Class
Nebraska women’s basketball coach Connie Yori announced the signing of five impressive recruits to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period for the 2007-08 season on Nov. 10.

The Huskers, who are entering their fifth season under Yori, will be joined next season by Kaitlyn Burke (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), Dominique Kelley (Lincoln, Neb.), Jessica Periago (Toulon, France), Catheryn Redmon (Grand Prairie, Texas) and Monique Whittaker (Onalaska, Texas).

Yori said the talented incoming class will help the Huskers transition next season after the expected departures of senior starters Kiera Hardy, Jelena Spiric, Chelsea Aubry and Ashley Ford.

Nebraska’s newest crop of Huskers boasts impressive international experience, the best player in Nebraska, and Texas-sized talent. But more importantly, each of the Huskers’ five newcomers will bring outstanding work ethics to the court and the classroom.

"The common denominators with these five are that each of the five works hard, has great character and is a very talented basketball player," Yori said. "We are extremely pleased with what we expect to be another very good recruiting class."

Dominique Kelley, 5-7, G, Lincoln, Neb. (Northeast)
One of the top players in the state of Nebraska, Dominique Kelley is ranked among the top 200 players overall in the nation. The 5-7 guard from Lincoln Northeast led the Rockets to the Class A state championship with a perfect 24-0 record as a sophomore in 2004-05.

Kelley earned first-team Super-State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star and first-team All-Nebraska accolades from the Omaha World-Herald in 2006. In addition to earning all-city and all-conference honors, Kelley was ranked as the No. 169 player overall and the No. 50 point guard nationally by All-Star Girls Report during the summer of 2006. As a junior, Kelley averaged 15.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Kelley chose Nebraska over Colorado, Creighton, Missouri, Iowa, Iowa State, Colorado State and New Mexico.

Kaitlyn Burke, 5-7, G, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (National Elite Development Academy)
The most decorated player in Nebraska’s recruiting class, Canadian Junior National Team member Kaitlyn Burke brings extensive international experience to the Husker roster.

Burke, who will be the second Canadian to play basketball at Nebraska following current Husker forward Chelsea Aubry, has spent several years in the Canadian National Team program and is one of the first players to attend Canada’s new National Elite Development Academy for basketball in Hamilton, Ontario.

One of the 12 best young players in Canada, the 5-7 guard played high school basketball for Argyle Secondary School in her hometown of North Vancouver, British Columbia before attending the National Elite Development Academy in 2006. The most valuable player of the Canadian Under-17 National Championships in 2006, she helped Team Canada to a second-place finish at the 2006 World Championship qualifier.

Burke averaged 18 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and five steals per game in high school

Jessica Periago, 6-4, C, Toulon, France (National Institute of Sports)
One of the top young players in France, Jessica Periago played for the French National Team at the 2005 U-18 European Championships. A 6-4 center from Toulon, France, Periago will bring size and skill to the Nebraska roster. Just 18 years old, Periago has graduated from high school in Paris. She plans to enroll at Nebraska during the spring semester of 2007. She is not expected to play for the Huskers during the second half of the 2006-07 season, but will be eligible to practice while redshirting to become acclimated to life in the United States.

Along with her impressive size, the left-handed Periago runs the floor well and has trained at the international level for the past three years while preparing for the European Championships.

Periago chose Nebraska over Old Dominion, Washington, Colorado State and San Francisco.

Catheryn Redmon, 6-3, F/C, Grand Prairie, Texas (Mansfield Timberview)
The most highly ranked player nationally in Nebraska’s recruiting class, Catheryn Redmon joins fellow Texan Monique Whittaker (Onalaska) in the 2007-08 freshman class at Nebraska. Redmon is ranked as the No. 14 post player in the nation by the All-Star Girls Report and the No. 59 player overall in the country.

In both her sophomore and junior seasons, Redmon helped DeSoto High School to 33-4 records. In the 2005-06 Fullcourt Press preseason poll, DeSoto was ranked as the No. 22 high school team nationally.

Redmon chose Nebraska over TCU and Colorado.

Monique Whittaker, 5-10, G, Onalaska, Texas (Livingston)
One of two talented Texans in Nebraska’s recruiting class, Monique Whittaker earned first-team All-Texas honors as a junior and was ranked as one of the top 25 players in the state.

A 5-10 guard out of Livingston High School near Houston, Whittaker averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game for Coach Pennee Hall. As a sophomore, Whittaker contributed 18 points and eight rebounds per contest.

She is a nominee for the Wendy’s High School Heisman in the state of Texas, and she was a Texas Basketball Magazine All-State selection in 2004-05.

She was named the most valuable player in District 18-4A in 2005-06, after being named the district’s offensive player of the year as a sophomore in 2004-05. She was an all-region selection following both her sophomore and junior years.

Whittaker chose Nebraska over Texas State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

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 social activities, 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 mgreen@fastbreakersonline.com or call the Nebraska women’s basketball office at (402) 472-6462.

2007 Fastbreakers Membership Levels
Tip-In - $50 - Access to Preferred Parking, game information, e-mail news, Yearbook, game day program, game notes, year-end banquet invite

3-Pointer - $100 - Same as Tip-In, plus one media guide and a free Lil’ Breakers membership

Slam Dunk - $250 - Same as 3-Pointer, plus Complimentary Preferred Parking, Eligible for Coach of the Game

All-Star - $500 - Same as Slam Dunk, plus a silver commemorative pin

MVP - $1,000+ - Same as All-Star, plus free admission for two at all Backboard Banquets and gold commemorative pin

Fastbreakers Set Backboard Banquet Schedule
The Fastbreakers announced their Backboard Banquet Schedule for the 2006-07 season in early November. Each Backboard Banquet will be held 90 minutes before tip-off each game. Each meal will be served by Premier Catering and reservations can be made by calling Rose Sousek in the Nebraska women’s basketball office at (402) 472-6462.

Backboard Banquet Schedule - Dinner
Friday, Nov. 17 - Cal State Fullerton - 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 5 - Minnesota - 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 17 - Kansas State - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 17 - Missouri - 5:30 p.m.

Make the Right Call with Traveling Fastbreakers
The Fastbreakers are planning two bus trips to Nebraska women’s basketball road games during the 2006-07 season. Make plans now to join the Fastbreakers’ trips to Kansas (Jan. 13) and Colorado (Feb. 10).

The buses to Lawrence, Kan., on Saturday, Jan. 13, will depart from the Lincoln Public Schools District Office parking lot at 59th and O St. at 2 p.m. The cost is $25 per person or $100 per family. The reservation deadline is Dec. 15. The cost of the trips to Kansas and Colorado do not include the cost of the game tickets.

For the trip to Boulder, Colo., the buses will depart the LPSDO lot at 5:30 a.m. The cost for the trip to Colorado is $90 per person and a group rate of $129 (plus tax) has been reserved at the Boulder Marriott for the night of the game. A deposit of $50 is required and the reservation deadline is Jan. 17. The number for the Boulder Marriott is 888-238-2178 to reserve the group rate by Jan. 10.

To sign up for the trip, stop at the Fastbreakers tables in the concourse at any Husker home game, or call Connie Renken at 450-1785 or 476-0306 or Kathy Branchaud at 432-8990 for more information.

Huskers Make Permanent Leap to Froggy
For the first time, all of Nebraska’s women’s basketball games this season will be available on the same Husker Sports Network station in Lincoln, Froggy 98.1 FM-KFGE.

All of Nebraska’s regular-season games, home and away, will be available on KFGE unless the game conflicts with a Nebraska football broadcast, including the Huskers’ Nov. 24 game at UC Irvine (possibly Colorado football) and a potential bowl game conflict on Dec. 28 or Dec. 29.

In the past, the women’s basketball team’s primary station in Lincoln has been 1400 AM-KLIN, the sister station of KFGE. Nebraska’s games carried on the entire Husker Sports Network were aired on KLIN, but if conflicts with football, men’s basketball or volleyball existed, the women’s basketball games were moved to KFGE, forcing Husker fans in Lincoln to search their radio dials for broadcasts.

This season, the women’s basketball games will be heard exclusively on KFGE and continue to be available for free around the world on Huskers.com.

Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch are teaming up for their sixth full season on the call of the game, with Coatney providing the play-by-play. The pregame show hits the air 25 minutes before each game.

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home
Since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 301-108 (.736) in games played in the arena, including 109-69 (.612) in conference games. Nebraska finished with an 11-4 record at home in 2005-06, including a postseason win over Drake at the Devaney Center on March 16.

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, with an 81-58 win over San Diego on March 17, 1993, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Devaney Center. The Huskers added a 73-60 win over Drake in the first round of the WNIT on March 18, 2004, before losing 75-67 in the next round to Oregon State on March 22, 2004. Nebraska closed its 2004-05 season with a 71-67 loss to Iowa on March 25, 2005 in the second round of the WNIT.

Attendance is a big part of Nebraska’s 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.

The Huskers ranked 25th nationally in 2004-05 by averaging 4,022 fans per contest. The Huskers attracted two of the four largest crowds in school history in back-to-back games on Feb. 12 and Feb. 23, 2005 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.