Huskers Open Big 12 Play at Texas

Nebraska (12-2)
at Texas (10-3)
Frank Erwin Center (16,775) 
Austin, Texas

Wednesday, Jan. 3, 7 p.m.
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln/Huskers.com)
Series Record: Texas leads, 12-3

Streaking Huskers Tipoff
Big 12 Season at Texas
After posting the most non-conference wins since 1980-81, the Nebraska women’s basketball team (12-2) carries its six-game overall winning streak and school-record-tying seven-game road winning streak to Austin to battle the Texas Longhorns on Wednesday, Jan. 3.

Nebraska’s Big 12 opener against Texas (10-3) at the Erwin Center is set to tip-off at 7 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 and Texas both head into Big 12 play on the brink of national rankings after winning tournament titles on the road last week. The Huskers, who ran past NC State (94-74) and the hosts from Florida (81-73) at the State Farm Classic in Gainesville, captured their first road tournament title since claiming the Big Kona Classic crown in 1996. Texas snuck past Oregon State (65-64) before rolling to a 73-45 win over the hosts from San Diego at the Surf-N-Slam Hoop Classic.

Nebraska was led in Florida by two-time first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy, who scored a game-high 29 points in the championship game win over the Gators. Hardy captured tournament MVP honors by averaging 22.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists, while hitting six three-pointers.

The 5-6 senior from Kansas City, Mo., is one of 50 preseason candidates, along with UT’s Tiffany Jackson, for the Naismith Trophy. Hardy is averaging 15.1 points, 2.9 boards and 3.4 assists on the year while leading NU with 33 three-pointers (40.2 percent). She has made 74 consecutive starts while ranking eighth in school history with 1,628 points and eighth in Big 12 history with 229 three-pointers.

Kelsey Griffin, the 2006 Dallas Morning News Big 12 Freshman of the Year, joined Hardy on the all-tournament team after posting back-to-back double-doubles in NU’s wins at the State Farm Classic. The 6-2 forward led Nebraska with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win over NC State before adding 15 points and a season-high 13 boards against Florida. The sophomore from Eagle River, Alaska, leads NU in both scoring and rebounding with 15.3 points and 8.5 boards per game while producing six double-doubles, including three in her last four games.

Senior Chelsea Aubry has also given the Huskers a dangerous weapon from long range. The 6-2 power forward from Kitchener, Ontario, has connected on 19 of her last 27 three-point attempts (70.4 percent).

Huskers Win State Farm Title with 81-73 Victory at Florida
Kiera Hardy scored a game-high 29 points and Kelsey Griffin added her sixth double-double of the year with 15 points and 13 rebounds to lead Nebraska to the State Farm Classic title with an 81-73 victory over the hosts from Florida at the O’Connell Center on Dec. 29.

With the victory, Nebraska became just the third team other than the host Gators to win the State Farm Classic, while the Huskers also won their first tournament title on the road since capturing the Big Kona Classic in 1996.

NU improved to 5-2 on the year against 2006 NCAA Tournament teams with all five wins coming away from Lincoln.

Along with the two big efforts from Hardy and Griffin, Nebraska received a career-high-tying 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench from Danielle Page, along with 10 points from sophomore TK LaFleur.

Hardy, a two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, earned State Farm Classic MVP honors with her second-highest point total of the season. She hit 10-of-21 shots from the field, including 4-of-12 three-pointers, despite playing against a box-and-one defense focused on her for much of the game. Hardy also hit 5-of-6 free throws on the night, including four straight to end the game and seal the NU victory.

Griffin, who produced her third double-double in the last four games, including back-to-back double-doubles in the State Farm Classic, joined Hardy on the all-tournament team, while scoring six points in the last four minutes, including each of her last four free throws in the final 1:18.

Nebraska bounced back from its worst start of the season, trailing 6-0 in the first 3:30, before finding the scoreboard. The Huskers’ deficit grew as large as nine points at 14-5 with 14:09 left in the first half before storming back in a big way.

Hardy gave the Huskers their first lead of the game with a three-pointer to make it 22-20 with 8:34 left in the half, and Nebraska never relinquished the lead again. Hardy’s three ignited an 11-0 run that ended with a Page layup to make it 28-20 Huskers with 4:33 left in opening period. NU’s lead grew as large as 12 at 40-28 on another Hardy jumper with 1:26 left in the half, before a Sha Brooks three-pointer closed the Husker lead to 40-31 at the half.

Brooks, who finished with 24 points to lead the Gators, sparked a quick three-point barrage from the Gators that continued at the start of the second half. Depree Bowden knocked down a triple to cut the NU lead to six, before Jennifer Mossor added another three to cut it to 40-37 with 18:41 to play.

Griffin stopped the Florida surge with a layup, but Mossor connected on another three to make it a two-point game at 42-40. Nebraska continued to hold off the Gators, as a Hardy jumper ignited an 8-0 run capped by a Griffin steal and fastbreak layup to push NU’s advantage back to 55-44 with 12:36 left.

But Florida refused to surrender, chipping away at the Nebraska lead until a Brooks layup made it 72-71 Huskers with 1:31 left. Hardy and Griffin closed the door on Florida by combining for NU’s final nine points to outscore UF 9-1 the rest of the way.

Along with double-digit scoring contributions from Hardy, Griffin, Page and LaFleur, the Huskers received a career-high-tying 11 rebounds from Chelsea Aubry to go along with seven points. Jelena Spiric also just missed a career-best with nine boards, as the Huskers dominated the glass against the Gators, 54-39.

Scouting the Texas Longhorns
Texas heads into the start of Big 12 play on a three-game winning streak after capturing the Surf-N-Slam Hoop Classic title in San Diego on Dec. 30. The Longhorns started their three-game streak with a 73-68 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, before coming back from 13 points in the second half for a 65-64 win over Oregon State in San Diego on Dec. 28.

All three of UT’s losses have come at the hands of top-25 teams, including lopsided losses to No. 4 Duke (80-52) and No. 5 Tennessee (67-46) before the start of its current three-game winning streak. The Longhorns’ other loss came at New Mexico (63-60) on Nov. 17, a team Nebraska defeated 66-59 on Nov. 13.

The only other common non-conference opponent between the Huskers and Horns was Texas-Pan American, which UT defeated 75-44 on Dec. 6, after NU ran past the Lady Broncs 77-37 on Nov. 28.

Texas is led by two-time first-team All-Big 12 forward Tiffany Jackson. The 6-3 senior is averaging 19.5 points and 9.1 rebounds to lead the Longhorns in both categories. The amazingly versatile Jackson also leads Texas in blocks (16) and steals (38), while ranking third on the team in assists (27).

While Jackson provides Texas with a dominant inside game, sophomore guard Erika Arriaran leads the UT perimeter game with 10.5 points and 21 three-pointers. Arriaran is the only Longhorn with more than four made three-pointers. Arriaran has hit 41.2 percent (21-51) of her attempts, while the rest of the UT roster has combined to hit 12-of-32 threes (37.5 percent).

Redshirt freshman Earnesia Williams, a 6-1 forward, has added 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, while 5-9 junior guard Erneisha Bailey has contributed 6.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while ranking second on the team with 32 steals.

Freshman Brittainey Raven, a 6-0 guard, rounds out UT’s probable starting lineup with 5.7 points and 2.6 boards per game.

Carla Cortijo, who leads Texas with 43 assists on the year while adding 4.9 points and 4.3 rebounds, has added four starts this season. Niqky Hughes has also made a start while averaging 5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds. Aubrey Cook (2.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg) and Katrina Robinson (3.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg) have each made two starts.

The Longhorns own dominant statistics, outscoring their opponents by nearly 14 points per game, while posting a plus-3.2 rebound margin and a plus-5.0 turnover margin. UT is shooting 43.1 percent from the field, including 39.8 percent from three-point range. The Horns have also been solid at the free throw line connecting on 72 percent of their attempts.

Nebraska vs. Texas Series History
Texas leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 12-3, including an eight-game winning streak heading into Wednesday night’s game in Austin. The Longhorns, who won last year’s meeting 80-62 in Lincoln, have never lost to Nebraska in Austin. UT owns a perfect 6-0 record at the Erwin Center against the Huskers.

Nebraska has won just one game outside of Lincoln against Texas, a 60-55 win at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., on March 3, 1999 - NU’s last win over the Longhorns.

Huskers Getting it Done Away from Home in 2006-07
Nebraska heads to Texas riding a seven-game road winning streak. The Huskers’ streak is tied for the longest road winning streak in school history with the 1976-77 club and the 1996-97 squad.

The Huskers’ 7-1 road record this season is tied for the second-best start in school history, as the 1996-97 team also opened 7-1, while the 1991-92 Huskers began the season with a school-record 9-1 mark.

Last season, Nebraska posted an 8-9 record away from the Devaney Center. including four wins in the Huskers’ last seven road games. Overall, NU has won 11 of its last 14 games outside of Lincoln. The Huskers’ eight road wins a year ago marked NU’s most since going 9-8 in 1999-2000.

Nebraska has not won 10 road games since earning 11 victories in 1992-93. The 1975-76 Huskers won a school-record 15 games (15-8), while the 1976-77 squad added 14 wins (14-14).

Huskers’ Non-Conference Season a Success in All Areas
Not only did Nebraska post its highest non-conference victory total (12) in 25 years and tie the school record for the longest road winning streak (7) in school history, the Huskers ran to a 12-2 non-conference mark despite playing seven teams that advanced to the 2006 NCAA Tournament (5-2 record).

Nebraska posted non-conference victories against teams from 10 different conferences, eight states and all four of the time zones in the contiguous 48 states. NU went 1-0 against teams from the ACC, Atlantic Sun, Big West, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, SEC, Southland and West Coast conferences, while going 2-1 against the Big Ten and 1-1 against the Pac-10. The Huskers also notched one win over an NCAA Division-I Independent.

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 eighth in Big 12 history with 229 three-pointers. The 5-6 guard out of O’Hara High School in Kansas City, Mo., also ranks eighth in NU history with 1,628 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 15.1 points per game and leads the Huskers with 33 three-pointers, while shooting 40.2 percent from long range.

She has started a team-leading 77 games in her career, including 74 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 32 times in her 105-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.

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 six double-doubles, including three in the last four games, in NU’s first 14 contests, doubling her season total of three from her freshman campaign when she started all 32 games for the Huskers.

Griffin is coming off back-to-back double-doubles with 15 points and 13 rebounds at Florida (Dec. 29) and 18 points and 10 boards against NC State (Dec. 28) to earn a spot on the all-tournament team while leading the Huskers to the State Farm Classic title in Gainesville, Fla. She scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds in just 20 minutes in the Huskers’ 38-point win over Nicholls State (Dec. 21), after adding her fourth double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Creighton on Dec. 19, 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 six double-doubles this season are tied for third most in the Big 12 this season, trailing only Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (11) and Colorado’s Jackie McFarland (7).

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.

Aubry Putting on Threemendous Display
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 one three-pointer in each of the last nine games, including five games with two or more triples.

She has hit 18 of her 26 long-range attempts in the last nine games and 19 of her last 27 overall, after missing her first six shots from beyond the arc to open the year. After shooting 69.2 percent (18-26) from three-point range over the last nine games, Aubry leads the Big 12 in three-point shooting at 57.6 percent (19-33).

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 quadrupled her three-point total (five) from her freshman year and surpassed 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 64 three-pointers in her career and needs just three 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 53.3 percent of her shots from the field this season. On the year, she has hit 50 percent or more of her two-point attempts in 11 of 14 contests.

Aubry, who has increased her season averages to 8.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, was averaging just 6.6 points and 2.0 boards through NU’s first five games. She is averaging 10.0 points and 5.0 boards over the past nine contests.

Griffin Ranks High in Big 12 Statistics
Kelsey Griffin ranks sixth in the Big 12 Conference in scoring with a team-leading 15.3 points per game while ranking seventh in the league in rebounding with 8.5 boards per contest. Her 58.0 field goal percentage also ranks fifth in the Big 12.

The 6-2 sophomore forward ranks fourth in the conference with 3.36 offensive rebounds per game, while ranking 10th in the league with 5.14 defensive boards per contest. She has led Nebraska in rebounding in 11 of 14 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. Griffin also leads the Huskers with 48 made free throws and 72 free throw attempts. Griffin, who earlier this season earned a spot on the Veterans Day Classic and the State Farm Classic all-tournament teams, has scored 638 points and grabbed 311 rebounds while starting 46 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 15.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 40.2 percent (33-82) from three-point range through the first 14 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 25.5 minutes and 11.3 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. The earned State Farm Classic Tournament MVP honors after her 29-point performance at Florida on Dec. 29. She hit 10-of-21 shots from the field, including 4-of-12 three-pointers, while knocking down four straight free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal an 81-73 victory and Nebraska’s first road tournament title in a decade.

Against USC, 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 Shoots Toward Top of Big 12 Three-Point Charts
Nebraska’s all-time three-point leader, Kiera Hardy has hit 33 of her 82 three-point attempts to open the season to climb into eighth place on the Big 12’s all-time three-point list with 229.

The active Big 12 three-point leader is Erin Higgins, who has hit 236 trifectas in her four-year career. Higgins, who entered the season with 222 threes, has knocked down just 14-of-49 threes through Oklahoma’s first 11 games.

Hardy ranks second in the Big 12 with 2.36 made three-pointers per game, trailing only Kansas State’s Kimberly Dietz (2.38 mpg) this season. Hardy also ranks 11th in the Big 12 in three-point accuracy at 40.2 percent.

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.

Hardy Among Nebraska’s Scoring Stars
Preseason All-American Kiera Hardy is averaging 15.1 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 crossed the 1,600-point scoring mark with 29 points at Florida on Dec. 29. She ranks eighth on the Husker all-time scoring list with 1,628 points and needs 150 points to catch Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-83) in the No. 7 spot with 1,778.

Hardy ranks eighth in the Big 12 in scoring this season, while also tying for ninth in assists (3.36 apg) and seventh in free throw percentage (80.5 percent). She is shooting a career-best 46.2 percent from the field and a career-high 40.2 percent from three-point range, which ranks 11th in the Big 12.

Aubry Leading the Huskers at Home and Away
Through Nebraska’s first six home games, Chelsea Aubry is averaging 10.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in the friendly confines of the Devaney Center. Aubry is shooting a sizzling 59.5 percent from the field at home, including an amazing 73.3 percent (11-15) 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 last three road wins at Creighton (10 pts., 6 reb.) on Dec. 19, versus NC State (16 pts., 3 reb.) on Dec. 28, and at Florida (7 pts., 11 reb.), Aubry has averaged 11 points and 6.7 boards per game while hitting 7-of-12 three-pointers. Aubry owns five double-figure scoring efforts on the year.

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 72 games in her NU career, including an active streak of 60 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 3.9 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. She tied a career-high with 11 boards at Florida on Dec. 29.

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 produced a solid 11-point effort at Creighton on Dec. 19, her second double-figure scoring effort of the season. Spiric is averaging 6.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 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 14 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.

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 14 games. All 12 players have appeared in at least five games, while 11 players have appeared in 10 or more contests. Ten Huskers are 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 25.5 minutes per game, while senior forward Jelena Spiric has added 24.9 minutes per game. Senior forward Chelsea Aubry (23.9 mpg) and sophomore Kelsey Griffin (22.2 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 more than 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 5.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and a team-leading 1.1 blocks per game. She is coming off one of the best performances of her career by tying her career-best with 15 points while adding seven rebounds, a block and an assist in NU’s 81-73 victory at Florida in the State Farm Classic title game on Dec. 29.

Over the last three games, Page has been at her best, averaging 10.7 points and 6.7 boards per contest, while adding 1.3 assists and 1.0 block per game. She has had at least six rebounds in each of the last three games, while shooting 52.6 percent (10-19) from the field and 75 percent (12-16) at the free throw line.

She had a strong performance in all facets with nine points, five rebounds and a career-high tying five blocked shots against UC Irvine on Nov. 24. She added her first double-figure scoring effort of the year with 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks against Nicholls State, and added a season-high nine rebounds to go along with four points against Northwestern on Dec. 16.

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 84. She has added 59 steals and 196 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 of 2005-06 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.

Over the past six games, LaFleur has again turned up her production, averaging 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, including 11 points and four boards in NU’s win over NC State on Dec. 28, and 10 points and two rebounds in the Huskers’ win over Florida on Dec. 29.

She produced 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.

LaFleur has produced double figures three times as sophomore, including each of her last two games. She has also pitched in at least eight points on four other occasions off the bench this year while grabbing at least two rebounds in 10 consecutive games.

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. Against Nicholls State on Dec. 21, LaFleur had eight points, four rebounds and tied a career high with four assists for the second time this season.

Through 14 games this season, LaFleur is averaging 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game to help the Huskers to a 12-2 record. She has also hit 10-of-28 attempts (35.7 percent) 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).

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

Nebraska’s regular-season schedule will include 18 games against 2006 postseason qualifiers with seven non-conference games against some of the nation’s best teams. Among the Huskers’ eight road non-conference games this season, six came against 2006 NCAA teams with the Huskers posting a 5-1 mark.

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.

NU closed its preparation for Big 12 play by blowing past perennial ACC power and 2006 NCAA qualifier NC State, 94-74, at the State Farm Classic in Gainesville, Fla., on Dec. 28. The Huskers advanced to the championship game to take on the hosts from Florida on Dec. 29 and powered their way to an 81-73 win. The Gators earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2006, giving NU a 5-2 mark against 2006 NCAA clubs in non-conference action.

While the Huskers played seven of their first 14 games against 2006 postseason qualifiers, their 16-game Big 12 Conference schedule will 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 starts a stretch of nine straight 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
Level Benefits
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 are available on KFGE. 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 5-1 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.