Hot Huskers Open Home Stand with UTPA

Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1)
vs. Texas-Pan American (3-3)
Devaney Center (13,595) ? Lincoln, Neb.
Tuesday, Nov. 28 ? 7:05 p.m.
Radio: Husker Sports Network (98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln/Huskers.com)
Series Record: Texas-Pan American Leads, 1-0

The Nebraska women’s basketball team pursues its sixth straight win while making a quick turnaround from a five-day trip to California, when the Huskers open a four-game home stand by taking on Texas-Pan American at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.

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

Nebraska (5-1) has won five straight games since dropping its season opener at No. 13 Arizona State. The Huskers are coming off an impressive 72-65 victory at preseason top-25 USC on Sunday. The win over the Women of Troy followed on the heels of an 80-66 victory at UC Irvine on Friday.

The Huskers, who have played five of their first six games on the road this season, added a 76-62 win over the Cal State Fullerton Titans in NU’s home opener on Nov. 17.

With the win over USC, the Huskers have already defeated three 2006 NCAA Tournament qualifiers on the road this season. USC joined New Mexico and Florida Atlantic in the Huskers’ win column, after competing in the Big Dance a year ago.

Two-time first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy enjoyed one of the best performances of her career with 32 points, four rebounds, four assists and five steals in the win over USC. Hardy’s fourth career 30-point scoring effort in her career followed a 23-point outburst at UC Irvine that included a season-high five three-pointers.

Hardy, who earned Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors for her weekend performance, crossed the 1,500-point mark in her career with her first basket of the second half against USC, while increasing her career three-point total to 212, just two shy of joining the Big 12’s all-time top-10. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., leads the Huskers with 16.3 points per game, while ranking second in the Big 12 with 16 made three-pointers. She has also hit 45.7 percent of her three-pointers on the year to rank among the Big 12 leaders.

Kelsey Griffin, the 2006 Dallas Morning News Big 12 Freshman of the Year, has played well early in the season. The 6-2 sophomore forward from Eagle River, Alaska, posted her third straight double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds at UC Irvine, before adding 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds at USC. Griffin is averaging 16.2 points and a team-leading 9.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 62.7 percent from the field.

Huskers Run Past USC, 72-65 in Los Angeles
Nebraska erupted for a 16-6 run in the first four minutes of the second half to break a halftime tie, and the Huskers never looked back to notch their fifth consecutive victory with a 72-65 win over USC at the Galen Center on Sunday afternoon.

Preseason All-American Kiera Hardy produced one of the best performances of her career by scoring 32 points with four rebounds, four assists and five steals to lead the Huskers. It tied for the second-highest scoring total of her career and her fourth career 30-plus scoring effort.

The two-time first-team All-Big 12 guard from Kansas City, Mo., hit 14-of-23 shots from the field, including 4-of-10 three-pointers. Hardy, who scored 17 points to carry the Huskers in the first half, added 15 in the second half, including the game-clinching three-pointer with 49 seconds left in the game to help Nebraska improve to 5-1. USC, which was ranked in the top 20 in the preseason national rankings, slipped to 2-3 on the year.

"Whoa - what a performance by Kiera Hardy," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "Kiera had a great game offensively, but the best thing about her today was that she played a complete game. She started it for us on defense with her pressure on the ball, and she also distributed the ball well and rebounded well."

Sophomore forward Kelsey Griffin added 15 points, including a big second half with 13 points, while leading the Huskers on the glass for the sixth consecutive game with seven rebounds.

The Huskers, who struggled from the field in the first half, caught fire in the second half to build a double-digit lead before the first media timeout. Nebraska shot 64 percent from the field in the second half, including key early three-pointers from Nicole Neals, Chelsea Aubry and Jelena Spiric to build the second-half advantage.

Nebraska finished the day shooting 49.2 percent (30-61) from the field, including 36.4 percent (8-22) from three-point range. The Huskers also forced 23 turnovers by the Women of Troy, while committing just 15 miscues of their own.

Hardy, who was 7-of-12 from the field in the first half, was the only Husker to hit more than one field goal in the first half, as NU shot just 38.9 percent in the first half and just 30.8 percent (4-13) from three-point range. Nebraska was also shut out at the free throw line in the first half, going 0-for-1.

USC stayed in the game at the line in the opening stanza, hitting 9-of-12 free throws. USC hit 10-of-21 shots (47.6 percent) from the field and 3-of-6 shots (50 percent) from three-point range, but committed 13 first-half turnovers and NU attempted 15 more field goals than the Women of Troy in the first half.

The Huskers cooled down USC in the second half, limiting the Trojans to just 39.3 percent shooting in the second half, including just 27.3 percent from three-point range. The Women of Troy were able to stay in the game by outscoring NU, 17-4 at the line, while shooting 81 percent at the line for the game. Nebraska hit just 4-of-11 free throws on the day.

For the game, Chloe Kerr led USC with 25 points, while Jamie Hagiya added 15 points in a losing effort.

Scouting the Texas-Pan American Lady Broncs
Texas-Pan American comes to Lincoln with a 3-3 record after suffering back-to-back road losses at Texas State and Louisiana-Monroe on Friday and Saturday. Both contests were decided by four points or less after the Lady Broncs trailed by double digits at halftime.

UTPA’s first loss of the year came against Louisiana-Lafayette, while the Lady Broncs own wins over Centenary, Texas A&M-International and Schneider.

Despite their .500 record, the Lady Broncs own dominant statistical advantages, including a plus-11.2 scoring margin and a plus-5.5 rebounding margin, while notching 12.7 steals per game. UTPA is shooting 49.4 percent from the field, including a solid 35.4 percent from three-point range. Texas-Pan American has also held opponents to dismal 23.7 percent shooting from three-point. The Lady Broncs have struggled at the free throw line, shooting just 54.5 percent as a team.

The Lady Broncs are led by 6-0 freshman forward Aleeya Grigsby, who is averaging 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while junior guard Tamara Vaughn has contributed 10.2 points and 2.8 boards per game. Grigsby and Vaughn have done plenty of damage from long range, as Vaughn is shooting 46.2 percent (6-14) from three-point range, while Grigsby has knocked down 50 percent (4-8) of her threes.

LeKeisha Gray, a 5-4 point guard, has also been active from three-point range, leading UTPA with 23 attempts. Gray has only hit six threes on the season to shoot 26.1 percent, but she has hit four of her last six attempts, after starting the season just 2-of-17 from long range. Freshman Rose Esther Jean, a 6-0 guard, has contributed 7.0 points and 4.2 boards per game to round out UTPA’s probable starting backcourt.

MaHogany Daniel, the only senior in UTPA’s starting lineup, has added 6.2 points and a team-leading 7.2 rebounds, while adding a team-best eight blocked shots.

The starters have been only part of the story for UTPA, which has received strong contributions off the bench from at least six other players. Teshay Winfrey (6.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 7-18 3FG) leads the Lady Broncs in three-pointers made, while shooting 38.9 percent from long range. Robin Garrett (6.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 16-20 FG), a 6-3 sophomore center, hit 15 of her first 16 shots from the field on the season.

Rachel Jones has added 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, while starting UTPA’s last game in place of Gray. La’Shae Woodard has pitched in 2.3 points per game, while Tiona Wilson has added 2.0 points and 1.0 rebound while playing in all six games.

Taylor Schneider, a high school teammate of Husker freshman Nicole Neals at St. Mary’s of Phoenix, Ariz., has appeared in four games with two starts for the Lady Broncs, averaging 3.3 points and 0.8 rebounds per game.

Nebraska vs. Texas-Pan American Series History
Texas-Pan American leads the all-time series with Nebraska 1-0. The Lady Broncs escaped from Lincoln with a 61-58 win on Jan. 5, 2003. Alex Gravel led UTPA with 22 points, including a 6-of-12 effort from three-point range. The Lady Broncs outrebounded NU, 42-30, and were also a perfect 14-of-14 at the free throw line to hold on for their first win of the season, after opening the year with 11 straight losses.

The Lady Broncs finished the 2002-03 season with a 7-21 record, while the Huskers fell to 7-4 on the year with the loss in their non-conference finale, before finishing Coach Connie Yori’s first season in Lincoln with an 8-20 mark. Jessie Runty, a walk-on from Elkhorn and the daughter of former Husker quarterback Steve Runty, led NU with 11 points, including 3-of-5 shooting from three-point range. The scoring total represented half of Runty’s 22 points on the year for the Huskers.

Hardy Joins Big 12’s Three-Point and Scoring Elite
Preseason All-American Kiera Hardy leads the Huskers with 16.3 points per game after pouring in 32 points in Nebraska’s 72-65 win at USC on Sunday. Hardy’s total tied for the second-highest scoring mark of her career, trailing only her 37-point performance against eventual national champion Baylor in 2005.

Hardy’s fourth 30-point scoring effort of her career pushed her career total beyond 1,500 points with her first basket of the second half. She ranks ninth in Husker history with 1,514 points and needs 27 points to catch Angie Miller in the No. 8 spot on NU’s all-time list with 1,541 from 1983-84 to 1986-87. Hardy has scored 20 or more points on 31 occasions in her 97-game career.

Hardy hit 4-of-10 three-pointers at USC, after connecting on a season-high 5-of-9 threes at UC Irvine on Friday to push her career total to 212. Hardy is just two threes shy of matching Iowa State’s Lindsey Wilson (2000-03) in 10th place on the Big 12’s all-time list with 214. Oklahoma State guard Jennifer Crow (1997-00) sits in ninth place with 215 - just three ahead of Hardy.

Kiera Hardy has connected on 16-of-35 three-pointers (45.7 percent) through Nebraska’s first six games this season. 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.

Griffin Among Big 12’s Best in Scoring, Rebounding
After a record-breaking start to her Nebraska career in 2005-06, Kelsey Griffin has increased her production early in her sophomore campaign.

The 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, posted three consecutive double-doubles to increase her career total to six before settling for 15 points and seven rebounds in the Huskers’ 72-65 win at USC on Nov. 26. Griffin has doubled her career total for double-doubles already this season, after producing three in 32 games last season.

Through six games as a sophomore, Griffin is averaging 16.2 points and a team-leading 9.2 boards per contest. She ranks ninth in the Big 12 in scoring and eighth in the league in rebounding. She scored a season-high 22 points and grabbed 10 boards in just 15 minutes at UC Irvine on Friday night. She has led the Huskers on the boards in all six games this year, including a season-high 12 rebounds against New Mexico and Cal State Fullerton.

Griffin’s scoring and rebounding numbers have been made even more impressive because she is averaging just 22.2 minutes per game while working to control a breathing problem that limits her participation.

Griffin has been nothing short of spectacular in the second half, averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 boards after halftime of NU’s last four games. In the win over No. 18 New Mexico, she posted 17 points and 12 rebounds, including 11 points and nine boards in the second half to earn a spot on the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament team and help the Huskers 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 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 had 13 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Huskers to a 76-62 win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17. Along with leading NU in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage, she also leads the Huskers with 13 steals, while adding three blocked shots.

Griffin eclipsed the 500-point mark for her career against UC Irvine and has 521 points in 38 career games. Griffin has also pulled down 247 rebounds in her young career.

The Dallas Morning News 2006 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Griffin was one of 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 NU history with 31 points and 14 boards 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 blocks at Kansas State on Feb. 4.

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 Nov. 13. 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 6.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 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.

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 64 career starts, is averaging 6.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. She posted 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.

Aubry continues to show her unselfishness on defense by stepping in to take repeated charges as one of the Huskers’ best interior defenders.

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 six games and is averaging 2.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal 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. 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 5.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 block and 1.0 steals per game. She had her strongest performance of the season with nine points, five rebounds and a career-high tying five blocked shots against the Anteaters. Last season, Page averaged 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 75. She has added 55 steals and 177 defensive rebounds in her career, making her one of NU’s top all-around defensive players.

LaFleur Playing Well in Second Season
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 six games this season, LaFleur is averaging 4.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game to help the Huskers to a 5-1 record. She has also hit 3-of-9 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 six games.

Cory Montgomery, a 6-2 forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., has made major contributions in all six contests, averaging 8.5 points and 2.3 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 5.0 points, 1.3 rebound and 0.5 steals per game, while leading the freshmen with 17.3 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 added six points on a pair of big threes to help the Huskers win at USC on Nov. 26.

WBCA High School All-American Yvonne Turner dished out six assists in the win over Florida Atlantic and has averaged 1.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.5 steals per game. Turner has seen action in all three games at the Veterans Day Classic in Arizona and at USC. She missed NU’s win at UC Irvine with an illness. 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 has played in five games, including career highs with 11 minutes off the bench against No. 13 Arizona State on Nov. 10 and UC Irvine on Nov. 24. Kuhlmann missed NU’s win over Florida Atlantic with an illness. 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 posted their third win of the season over an NCAA Tournament team with a 72-65 victory 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.

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
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.