Huskers Clash with Lady Colonels

Nebraska (9-2)
vs. Nicholls State (2-7)

Devaney Center (13,595)
Lincoln, Neb.
Thursday, Dec. 21 ? 7:05 p.m.
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln/Huskers.com)
Series Record: Nebraska leads, 1-0
(NU 107, Nicholls State 38, Dec. 10, 1995, Lincoln)

Huskers Close Non-Conference
Home Slate with Nicholls State
The Nebraska women’s basketball team will conclude the home portion of its 2006-07 non-conference schedule when the Huskers play host to Nicholls State on Thursday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. with live radio coverage provided by 98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln, select Husker Sports Network stations and worldwide on Huskers.com with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action.

Nebraska (9-2) extended its winning streak to three games with a thrilling 60-57 win over in-state rival Creighton on Tuesday night. It was the Huskers’ first win over the Bluejays at the Civic Auditorium in Omaha since 1998, and helped the Huskers improve to 5-1 away from the Devaney Center this season.

Kiera Hardy, who last week was named one of 50 preseason candidates for the Naismith Trophy, scored eight straight points late in the game to give the Huskers a pair of four-point leads in the final five minutes after Creighton had taken a six-point lead with just over eight minutes left. Hardy finished the night with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.

The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., is averaging 14.4 points per game while leading the Huskers with 24 three-pointers on the season. Hardy, who has made 71 consecutive starts in NU’s lineup and scored 1,574 points in her career, ranks ninth in Big 12 history with 220 three-pointers.

Kelsey Griffin led the Huskers against the Jays with her fourth double-double of the season. The 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, scored 13 points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to give her seven double-doubles in her career. Griffin leads the Huskers in scoring, rebounding and steals on the year with 14.6 points, 8.3 boards and 1.5 steals per game.

Senior forward Chelsea Aubry has also given the Huskers a dangerous weapon from long range. The 6-2 native of Kitchener, Ontario, scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds in the win over Creighton, while also hitting a pair of three-pointers. She has posted double figures in three of her last four games, while connecting on 13 of her last 17 three-point attempts. She has hit at least two threes in four straight contests.

Senior guards Jelena Spiric and Ashley Ford have joined Hardy, Griffin and Aubry in the starting lineup for each of Nebraska’s first 11 games. Spiric, the 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, is averaging 6.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and is tied with Griffin for the team lead with 1.5 steals per game. Ford, the only Lincoln native on NU’s roster, has added 1.7 points, 1.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game from her point guard spot.

Nebraska Knocks Off Creighton, 60-57
In a game that featured two dramatically different halves, Nebraska survived a last-second three-point attempt by Creighton to escape the Civic Auditorium with a 60-57 win over the Bluejays on Tuesday night.

Nebraska improved to 9-2 on the year after battling back from a six-point deficit late in the second half, while Creighton slipped to 2-8 on the season. The Bluejays had their two-game winning streak snapped, while Nebraska captured its third straight victory by winning its first game against Creighton at the Civic Auditorium since 1998.

The Huskers controlled the first half as both teams struggled offensively. Nebraska led 24-17 in what was the fourth-lowest scoring first half by both teams in school history. The 17 points scored by CU in the first half tied for the fifth-lowest opponent total in the NU record book.

The two teams erupted in the second half, combining for 41 points in the first eight minutes while scoring on nearly every possession. At one point, Creighton scored on eight of nine possessions to turn an eight-point deficit with 14:52 to play into a six-point lead with 8:44 left.

Nebraska led for the first 28 minutes of the game after bolting out of the gate to an 11-0 lead in the first 5:45 with baskets from five different Huskers, including a three-pointer from Chelsea Aubry.

CU freshman Megan Neuvirth broke up the Husker shutout on her layup with 14:10 left in the half. Nebraska maintained a double-digit lead after Cory Montgomery’s first career three-pointer made it 20-10 with 8:02 left in the first half. Neuvirth also gave the Bluejays their biggest lead of the game in the second half at 49-43 with 8:44 left. Jelena Spiric came through with a huge three-pointer to stop CU’s surge, before freshman Kala Kuhlmann added a jumper to cut Creighton’s lead to one at 49-48 with 6:53 left.

Kiera Hardy, who scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists, then took over. The senior guard from Kansas City, Mo., hit a jumper to give Nebraska the lead back at 50-49, before draining a three-pointer to make it 53-49 NU. After Creighton’s Ally Thrall answered with a three-pointer, Hardy converted a three-point play to keep the Huskers in control at 56-52 with 3:59 left.

Nebraska did not trail again, as Creighton cut the NU lead to one point at 56-55 before Spiric answered with a layup, and Kelsey Griffin and TK LaFleur added free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Griffin led NU with 13 points and 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Spiric added 11 points, and Aubry added 10 points and six rebounds in a strong effort to give Nebraska four players in double figures.

Chevelle Herring and Thrall led CU with 12 points, while Tyrai Bronson added eight points.

For the game, Nebraska hit 48.1 percent of its shots from the field, including 60 percent shooting in the second half. Creighton hit just 34.8 percent of its shots from the field, but hit 48.2 percent of its shots from the field in the second half. CU hit 25 percent (5-20) from three-point range, including 4-of-11 shooting in the second half.

In the lowest scoring first half of the season for the Huskers, Nebraska missed nine of its final 13 shots from the field in the first half to end the stanza shooting just 37.9 percent, including 2-of-7 shooting from three-point range. NU also committed 12 first-half turnovers and did not attempt a free throw.

Although the Huskers struggled offensively late in the first half, the NU defense suffocated the Bluejays throughout the half. CU shot just 20 percent from the field (6-30), including 1-of-9 (11.1 percent) in the opening period. Creighton did hit 4-of-6 free throws, while committing 10 turnovers.

Scouting the Nicholls State Lady Colonels
Nicholls State carries a 2-7 record into Thursday night’s game with the Huskers in Lincoln. The Lady Colonels will be playing their eighth game away from home in their first 10 games. They own a 1-1 home record at Stopher Gym, which received major renovations, including a new floor and chairbacks seats after sustaining major damage during Hurricane Katrina.

Away from Stopher Gym, Nicholls State is 1-6 with its only win coming against Wright State in Miami’s Thanksgiving tournament. The Lady Colonels are 0-6 in true road games this season, including lopsided losses at Arizona State, Arizona and Miami.

Coach Mark Cook, who is in his third season at Nicholls State, has a diminutive team led by 5-6 guard Jamie Octave. The senior was a third-team All-Southland Conference selection a year ago and is averaging 16.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while leading the club with 19 steals on the season.

Nicholls State’s four-guard lineup also features 5-9 senior guard Claire Barry, who is averaging 12.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Barbara Febus, a 5-9 freshman guard, adds 6.0 points and 4.3 boards per game, while 5-5 freshman guard Tiffany Lewis has pitched in 4.0 points and a team-leading 2.3 assists per game. Dominique Washington, a 5-10 sophomore forward, rounds out the starting lineup averaging 4.7 points and a team-leading 5.6 rebounds as the tallest starter for the Lady Colonels.

Those five players have joined each other in the starting lineup for all nine games this season, and only one other Lady Colonel - Heather Knights - has seen action in every contest. Maggie Green has made eight appearances, but no other Nicholls State player has appeared in more than four games.

As a team, Nicholls State is averaging just 51.8 points per game, while shooting just 32.6 percent from the field and 26.6 percent from three-point range. The Lady Colonels are surrendering 72.2 points per game, while opponents are connecting on 45.2 percent of their attempts from the field, including 29 percent from three-point range.

The Lady Colonels’ lack of size has certainly been a detriment early in the year, as they carry a minus-16.1 team rebounding margin.

Nebraska vs. Nicholls State Series
Nebraska and Nicholls State have met just one time in women’s basketball and the contest appears frequently in the Husker record book. The Huskers rolled to a 107-38 victory over the Lady Colonels on Dec. 10, 1995. The 69-point win ranks as the fourth-largest victory margin in school history, while NU’s 107 points were tied for the 11th-highest point total in program history.

Nebraska led 54-28 at halftime, then held the Lady Colonels to just 10 points in the second half, the fewest points ever scored by an NU opponent in the second half. The Huskers had 23 steals in the first meeting with Nicholls State which is tied for the eighth-best total in the school record book.

Hardy Named to Preseason Naismith Trophy List
Nebraska senior Kiera Hardy was named to a list of 50 candidates for the 2007 Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Dec. 11.

A two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, Hardy is Nebraska’s career three-point leader and ranks ninth in Big 12 history with 220 three-pointers. The 5-6 guard out of O’Hara High School in Kansas City, Mo., also ranks eighth in NU history with 1,574 career points.

Hardy has helped NU to three consecutive postseason tournament appearances. The Huskers had suffered through three consecutive losing seasons before her arrival in Lincoln. So far in 2006-07, Hardy is averaging 14.4 points per game and leads the Huskers with 24 three-pointers, while shooting 42.9 percent from long range.

She has started a team-leading 74 games in her career, including 71 straight starts dating back to Nov. 26, 2004. The last game Hardy did not start for NU came at Washington State on Nov. 22, 2004. Hardy has produced 20 or more points 31 times in her 102-game Husker career.

Hardy is one of five players from the Big 12 Conference on the preseason Naismith Trophy list, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris, Texas A&M’s Morenike Atunrase, Iowa State’s Lyndsey Medders, and Tiffany Jackson from Texas.

The list of the top 50 players was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its preseason criteria on player performances from last season and expectations for 2006-07.

In January, the Board of Selectors will narrow its preseason list to the top 30 players in the nation. Those players, and others who distinguish themselves throughout the season, will be eligible for the final ballot in March.

Aubry Putting on Threemendous Display in Last Six Games
Forward Chelsea Aubry is enjoying the most prolific long-range shooting success of her career in 2006-07. the senior from Kitchener, Ontario, has hit at least two three-pointers in each of the last four games and has hit at least one three in six straight contests.

She has hit 13 of her last 18 long-range attempts, after missing her first five shots from beyond the arc to open the season. After shooting 75 percent (12-16) from three-point range over the last six games, Aubry has climbed to second in the Big 12 in three-point shooting percentage at 56.5 percent, trailing only Oklahoma forward Leah Rush (65 percent, 13-20).

Kate Galligan owns NU’s single-season record at 45.6 percent (52-114) in 1995-96. A career 32.6 percent shooter from three-point range entering the season, Aubry has nearly tripled her three-point total (five) from her freshman year and matched her three total as a sophomore when she started 26 games for NU.

Last season, Aubry connected on 27-of-77 (35.1 percent) of her three-point attempts. She has hit 58 three-pointers in her career and needs just nine more to become the first forward to crack Nebraska’s all-time top-10 list in that category.

Aubry’s success has also carried over inside the arc as well. A career 44.8 percent shooter, Aubry has hit 55.6 percent of her shots from the field this season and has hit at least 50 percent of attempts from two-point range in each of the last five games. On the year, she has hit 50 percent or more of her two-point attempts in 10 of 11 contests.

Griffin Causing Double Trouble for Opponents
Kelsey Griffin, the Dallas Morning News 2006 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, has continued to expand her game as a sophomore. The 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, has produced four double-doubles in NU’s first 11 games, surpassing her season total of three from her freshman campaign when she started all 32 games for the Huskers.

Griffin is coming off a strong 13-point, 11-rebound effort against Creighton on Tuesday when she played a season-high 31 minutes. She posted three consecutive double-doubles with 17 points and 12 rebounds against Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 17), 13 points and 12 rebounds at UC Irvine (Nov. 24) and a season-high 22 points and 10 boards at USC (Nov. 26). Her four double-doubles this season are tied for fifth most in the Big 12 this season.

Last season, Griffin produced her first career double-double with a career-high 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 her second career double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds against Missouri on Jan. 11, 2006, before erupting for 28 points, 12 boards and a career-best three blocks at Kansas State on Feb. 4, 2006.

Griffin Ranks High in Big 12 Statistics
Kelsey Griffin ranks eighth in the Big 12 Conference in both scoring and rebounding with 14.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, while ranking in a tie for fifth in the league in field goal percentage at 58.3 percent.

The 6-2 sophomore forward ranks fourth in the conference with 3.27 offensive rebounds per game, while ranking 11th in the leauge with 5.00 defensive boards per contest. She has led Nebraska in rebounding in nine of 11 games this season.

In the NCAA individual statistics released Dec. 18, Griffin ranked 25th nationally in field goal percentage.

Griffin leads Nebraska in both scoring and rebounding, while tying Jelena Spiric for the team lead with 16 steals. Griffin also leads the Huskers with 35 made free throws and 56 free throw attempts.

Griffin, who earlier this season earned a spot on the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament team, has scored 585 points and grabbed 283 career rebounds while starting 43 consecutive games to open her career for the Huskers.

Last season she became 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.

Hardy Increasing Efficiency as a Senior
Kiera Hardy is averaging 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent (24-56) from three-point range through the first 11 games in 2006-07.

As solid as those numbers are, they only tell part of the story of Hardy’s continually increasing contribution to Nebraska’s success.

Hardy’s production has come while averaging just 25.8 minutes and 10.6 field goal attempts per game. In her three-year career at Nebraska entering this season, Hardy averaged 15.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from three-point range. She produced those numbers while attempting 14.2 field goals per game in 28.2 minutes per contest.

Hardy earned Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors on Nov. 27, after erupting for a season-high 32 points in a win at USC on Nov. 26. Against the Women of Troy, Hardy hit 14-of-23 shots from the field, including 4-of-10 three-pointers. She added four rebounds, four assists and five steals in 31 minutes. The USC contest was the second in a three-game stretch where Hardy averaged 22.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in just 22.3 minutes per game during three NU wins over UC Irvine, USC and Texas-Pan American.

Perhaps even more impressively, Hardy shot 64.1 percent (25-39) from the field, including a blistering 54.5 percent (12-22) from three-point range. She was also a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line during that stretch.

At UC Irvine, Hardy scored 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a season-best 5-of-9 three-pointers. Against Texas-Pan American, Hardy scored 11 points in the first 5:45 of the game, to help the Huskers bolt to an 18-4 lead and blow away the Lady Broncs in a 40-point win. Hardy was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, including a 3-for-3 performance from long range. She also hit both of her free throw attempts against UTPA to finish with 13 points in just 11 total minutes of action.

Hardy Among Nebraska’s Scoring Stars
Preseason All-American Kiera Hardy is averaging 14.4 points per game, including a season-high 32 points in Nebraska’s 72-65 win at USC on Nov. 26. Hardy’s total against the Women of Troy 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 enters the Nicholls State game ranked eighth on the Husker all-time scoring list with 1,574 points and needs 204 points to catch Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-83) in the No. 7 spot with 1,778.

Hardy ranks 10th in the Big 12 in scoring this season, while also ranking 11th in assists (3.45 apg) and 14th in free throw percentage (78.8 percent). She is shooting a career-best 46.2 percent from the field and a career-high 42.9 percent from three-point range.

Hardy Shoots Toward Top of Big 12 Three-Point Charts
Nebraska’s all-time three-point leader, Kiera Hardy has hit 24 of her 56 three-point attempts to open the season to climb into ninth place on the Big 12’s all-time three-point list with 220. Hardy needs just four more threes to catch former Colorado guard Mandy Nightingale in eighth place with 224.

The active Big 12 three-point leader is Erin Higgins, who has hit 232 trifectas in her four-year career. Higgins, who entered the season with 222 threes, knocked down just 10-of-41 threes through Oklahoma’s first nine games.

Hardy ranks second in the Big 12 with 2.18 made three-pointers per game, trailing only Missouri’s Alyssa Hollins (2.42 mpg) this season. Hardy also ranks eighth in the Big 12 in three-point accuracy at 42.9 percent, which ranks her among the top 50 long-range shooters in the national statistics as well.

After hitting a school-record 85 three-pointers as a sophomore in 2004-05, Hardy added 81 threes a year ago while leading the Big 12 with 2.53 made per game. She could realistically climb to No. 2 on the Big 12 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, 2006. 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.

Aubry Leading the Huskers at Home and Away
Through Nebraska’s first five home games, Chelsea Aubry is averaging 11.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in the friendly confines of the Devaney Center. Aubry is shooting a sizzling 64.9 percent from the field at home, including a blistering 71.4 percent (10-14) from three-point range.

Those numbers came in sharp contrast to Aubry’s first five games away from the Devaney Center, when she averaged 5.6 points and 1.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 16.7 percent (1-6) from three-point range.

However, in Nebraska’s road win over Creighton on Tuesday night, Aubry continued her strong offensive play, scoring 10 points to go along with six rebounds, while hitting 4-of-6 shots from the field, including 2-of-3 three-pointers. It was Aubry’s fourth double-figure scoring effort of the year and first away from the Devaney Center.

Aubry’s numbers at home this season are not necessarily a reflection of her four-year career at Nebraska. In fact, Aubry has traditionally been one of the Huskers’ top players on the road. She scored a career-high 20 points on a 7-for-7 shooting night from the field at Texas A&M on Feb. 16, 2005, and last season she scored 10 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting effort from the floor in Nebraska’s win at Colorado on Jan. 4. The win over the Buffs marked NU’s first win in Boulder in 20 years.

Aubry has started 69 games in her NU career, including an active streak of 57 straight starts, dating back to a Jan. 29, 2005 win over Kansas. Aubry’s last non-start came at Iowa State on Jan. 22, 2005.

Overall, Aubry has increased her scoring and rebounding averages to 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. She scored a season-high 18 points against Michigan on Dec. 9, and had 14 points and a team-leading eight rebounds against Minnesota on Dec. 5. She added eight more rebounds and eight points in the Huskers’ win over Northwestern on Dec. 16. She posted her first double-figure scoring effort of the season with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in a win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17.

Aubry 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 Championships 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.

Spiric Returns from Injury for Senior Season
Jelena Spiric has made a successful return to the court 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 is coming off a solid 11-point effort at Creighton on Tuesday night, her second double-figure scoring effort of the season. Spiric is averaging 6.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a team-leading 1.5 steals 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.

Huskers Have Featured Solid Starting Five
The Nebraska lineup has showcased the same starting five through each of the first 11 games, with seniors Kiera Hardy, Cheslea Aubry, Jelena Spiric and Ashley Ford joined by sophomore Kelsey Griffin.

In 2003-04, Nebraska featured the same starting lineup in all 30 games, as one of just eight schools in the nation to start the same five players every game during the season.

Nebraska’s opponent on Thursday night, Nicholls State, has used the same starting lineup for each of its first nine games this season.

Husker Depth Creating Impressive Dividends
Although Nebraska’s 2006-07 roster features just 12 names, all hands have been on deck through the Huskers’ first 11 games. All 12 players have appeared in at least three games, while 11 players have appeared in seven or more contests. Eleven Huskers are also averaging at least 10 minutes per game.

Nebraska’s depth allowed the Husker starters to rest their legs during a rigorous road schedule to open the season. NU played five of its first six games away from the Devaney Center with four of those contests coming against 2006 NCAA Tournament qualifiers, but the Husker starters were still able to stay fresh.

Senior guard Kiera Hardy leads the Huskers with 25.8 minutes per game. Seniors Jelena Spiric (25.4 mpg) and Chelsea Aubry (24.3 mpg) and sophomore Kelsey Griffin (22.3 mpg) are the only other Huskers averaging 20 or more minutes per contest.

Off the bench, Nicole Neals, TK LaFleur and Cory Montgomery have all averaged more than 16 minutes per game, while Danielle Page has contributed nearly 14 minutes per contest. Yvonne Turner, Kala Kuhlmann and Nikki Bober have also seen significant playing time in their first seasons at Nebraska.

Those numbers come in stark contrast to the 2004-05 season, when Jina Johansen led the Huskers by playing a school-record 36.1 minutes per game, Hardy averaged 32.4 minutes per game as sophomore, and only eight players averaged double-figure minutes.

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 4.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and a team-leading 1.1 blocks per game. She had her strongest performance of the season with nine points, five rebounds and a career-high tying five blocked shots against UC Irvine on Nov. 24. She added a season-high nine rebounds to go along with four points against Northwestern on Dec. 16. 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 81. She has added 59 steals and 187 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 is seeing 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.

She added eight points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal in just 13 minutes of action in the Huskers’ win over Michigan on Dec. 9, before adding nine points, four boards and a steal in 16 minutes in a win over Northwestern on Dec. 16. She scored all nine points in the second half against the Wildcats.

Through 11 games this season, LaFleur is averaging 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 steals per game to help the Huskers to an 9-2 record. She has also hit 6-of-20 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 11 games.

Cory Montgomery, a 6-2 forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., has made major contributions in all 11 contests, averaging 9.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game off the bench. Montgomery established a career high with 18 points in the Huskers’ 77-37 win over Texas-Pan American on Nov. 28. She added 16 points and a career-high five rebounds in a 93-53 win over Florida Atlantic on Nov. 12, while pumping in a team-high 15 points in NU’s 76-62 win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17. She added 14 points in the Huskers’ win over Michigan on Dec. 9, producing double figures in four of her first 11 games as a Husker.

Nicole Neals, a native of Chandler, Ariz., has also provided a spark off the bench for the Huskers. Neals is averaging 4.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.5 steals per game, while leading the freshmen with 18.5 minutes per contest. She scored a career-high nine points in a career-high 29 minutes against Minnesota on Dec. 5, and added career-bests with six rebounds and four assists in the Huskers’ win over Michigan on Dec. 9. She had 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.

Des Moines Register Iowa Female Athlete-of-the-Year Kala Kuhlmann has played in 10 games, and has hit big shots in back-to-back games for the Huskers this week. Kuhlmann hit a pair of jumpers late in the second half at Creighton, one to tie the score at 43 after the Bluejays took their first lead of the game, and one to trim a three-point CU lead to just one with 6:53 left. Kuhlmann’s spark ignited NU’s offense to a 60-57 win.

In the win over Northwestern on Dec. 16, Kuhlmann hit both of her shots from the field late in the second half as well, one putting the Huskers up by four points and one to put NU up by five after the Wildcats had narrowed Nebraska’s lead to just one possession. She has scored four points in each of the last three games after scoring a total of four points in the Huskers’ first eight contests this season.

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.

WBCA High School All-American Yvonne Turner dished out six assists in the win over Florida Atlantic and has averaged 1.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Turner has seen action in seven contests. 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. Bober added four points, one rebound, two steals and a blocked shot in the Huskers’ 77-37 win over Texas-Pan American on Nov. 28, and pitched in five points, three rebounds and a block in NU’s win over Michigan on Dec. 9. 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.

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 battled 2006 NCAA qualifier Minnesota at the Devaney Center on Dec. 5. The Golden Gophers are the only NCAA team that ventured to Lincoln during the non-conference season. The game with Minnesota was 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 honor their four-player senior class on Feb. 27 in the regular-season finale against Colorado, before going to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at the COX Convention Center in Oklahoma City, 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
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 303-109 (.735) in games played in the arena, including 109-69 (.612) in conference games. NU is 4-1 at home in 2006-07.

Nebraska finished with an 11-4 record at home in 2005-06, including a postseason win over Drake 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 WNIT second round.

Attendance is a big part of NU’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.