Huskers Ready for Tussle with Tigers

Nebraska (15-3, 3-1)
at Missouri (13-5, 1-4)
Mizzou Arena (15,061) 
Columbia, Mo.
Saturday, Jan. 20 ? 5 p.m.
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln/Huskers.com)
Television: Fox College Sports Central
Time Warner Cable Channel 302 in Lincoln
DirecTV Channel 647
Dish Network Channel 418
Series Record: Nebraska leads, 33-28

Huskers Return to Road
to Tangle with Missouri Tigers
The Nebraska women’s basketball team (15-3, 3-1) returns to Big 12 Conference road action to meet the Missouri Tigers (13-5, 1-4) on Saturday in Columbia, Mo.

Tip-off between the Huskers and Tigers is set for 5 p.m. with live television coverage provided by Fox College Sports (DirecTV Channel 647, Dish Network Channel 418) as part of the Mizzou Sports Network. A live radio broadcast will also be available on 98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln, select Husker Sports Network stations and on Huskers.com with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action.

Nebraska, which has won a school-record nine straight games away from the Devaney Center, picked up its 15th victory of the season with a 70-63 win over No. 25 Kansas State in Lincoln on Wednesday. The win marked NU’s second win of the year over a top-25 opponent, joining a 66-59 win over No. 18 New Mexico on Nov. 13. The Huskers also beat current No. 22 Texas in Austin on Jan. 3.

Powered by their school-record-tying 9-1 start away from home, Nebraska reached the 15-win mark earlier than any team in school history. NU’s earliest 15th win had been recorded on Jan. 19, 1977 - in the Huskers’ 25th game of a 37-game season. It is the first time that Nebraska has reached the 15-win plateau in January since claiming No. 15 on Jan. 30, 1999.

Two-time first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy leads NU with 19.5 points per game in Big 12 action. On the season, she is averaging 16.1 points and a team-best 2.9 assists, while leading the Huskers with 39 three-pointers. The 5-6 senior from Kansas City, Mo., has led NU to a 3-0 record in three career trips to Columbia by averaging 22.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.3 steals per game. Last year, Hardy had 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field, including 4-of-6 three-pointers, to go along with five assists and three steals in a 75-62 NU victory.

A preseason All-American, a candidate for the Naismith Trophy and a candidate for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, Hardy is coming off a 22-point effort in the Huskers’ win over Kansas State on Wednesday.

Kelsey Griffin, a 6-2 sophomore forward from Eagle River, Alaska, has matched Hardy with 16.1 points while leading NU with 8.6 rebounds per game, including 19.0 points and 8.8 boards per contest in Big 12 action. Griffin has scored 13 or more points in 17 of NU’s 18 games this season, while leading the Huskers on the boards in 14 contests. She owns seven double-doubles on the year, with six of those coming on the road.

Huskers Power Past No. 25 Kansas State, 70-63
Nebraska used a pair of 11-0 runs to race to a 24-point halftime lead, before withstanding No. 25 Kansas State’s second-half rally in the Huskers’ 70-63 win at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Wednesday.

Senior guard Kiera Hardy led the Huskers with a game-high 22 points, while junior forward Danielle Page added the second double-double of her career with 11 points and 10 rebounds, including nine points in the final 7:06.

Sophomore forward Kelsey Griffin added 15 points and seven boards on 5-of-5 shooting from the field, while senior forward Chelsea Aubry pitched in 10 points and six boards to give the Huskers four players in double figures.

Hardy, Griffin and Aubry each produced double figures in the first half, as NU raced to a 45-21 lead by hitting 18-of-29 shots from the field against a Wildcat defense that entered the game allowing just 54.7 points per game.

While the Huskers were on fire in the first half, Kansas State was ice cold, hitting just 9-of-29 shots (31 percent), including a 3-for-13 effort (23.1 percent) from three-point range.

It was a much different story after halftime, as Kansas State opened the second stanza on a 19-2 run to trim NU’s lead to just 47-40 with 13:17 left. NU hit just one of its first eight shots from the field and committed four turnovers, while the Wildcats knocked down seven of their first nine shots and a pair of free throws.

Griffin hit NU’s first two baskets of the second half nearly seven minutes apart, before Hardy knocked down a jumper to push the Husker lead back to 51-40 with 11:49 remaining. NU stayed cold from the field though, going another six minutes without a field goal, as the Wildcats trimmed the lead 52-47, before Page converted a three-point play to change NU’s fortunes with 7:06 left.

After starting the second half just 3-of-16 from the field, NU hit five of its final eight shots, including four field goals by Page off the bench.

Kansas State crept as close as 55-52, but a three-point play by Hardy, two free throws from TK LaFleur, who finished with nine points, and a pair of Page jumpers gave NU a 66-55 cushion with 2:59 left.

Hardy hit four straight free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. For the game, NU hit 49.1 percent (26-53) of its shots, including 28.6 percent (4-14) from long range, while connecting on 14-of-20) free throws.

Kimberly Dietz and Claire Coggins led five Wildcats in double figures with 14 points, while Shalee Lehning pitched in 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Shana Wheeler and Ashley Sweat each finished with 10 points.

As a team, Kansas State hit 41.4 percent (24-58) of its field goal attempts, including 51.7 percent (15-29) in the second half. KSU connected on 8-of-12 three-pointers in the second half, as the Wildcats finished with an NU opponent season-high 11 three-pointers. KSU was also 4-of-5 at the free throw line.

Nebraska held a 41-23 edge on the boards, but committed 17 turnovers compared to just 12 by the Wildcats.

Scouting the Missouri Tigers
Missouri heads into Saturday’s game on a three-game losing streak after suffering a 63-55 loss at Texas Tech on Wednesday night, in a game similar to Nebraska’s win over No. 25 Kansas State.

The Tigers fell behind the Lady Raiders 25-7 in the first 11 minutes, before storming back with a 15-0 run over the next six minutes to close the gap to 25-22 with 3:19 left in the half. MU cut the Tech lead to two points on two occasions and trailed by just three points with 1:38 left, before the Lady Raiders prevailed.

Tiffany Brooks, Missouri’s second-leading scorer with 14.0 points per game and defensive leader with 39 steals on the season, played the first 10 minutes on a sore ankle she injured in the closing minutes against Kansas State on Saturday. Brooks went out after Tech built a 23-7 lead, although Brooks had a hand in each of MU’s first three baskets. Brooks did not return against the Lady Raiders.

Sophomore guard Alyssa Hollins picked up the slack in Brooks’ absence, leading the Tigers with 20 points, including 6-of-8 shooting from three-point range. Hollins is averaging 12.6 points per game and leads the Big 12 with 43 three-pointers on the year. She also ranks fourth in the league in three-point percentage (46.7).

Senior forward EeTisha Riddle also had a strong game for the Tigers with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals, despite hitting just 5-of-21 shots from the field. Riddle leads MU with 15.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. She also leads the Tigers with 21 blocks on the year.

Senior forward Carlynn Savant gives Missouri four players averaging in double figures with 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, while leading MU with 2.6 assists per game. A dangerous three-point shooter, Savant has knocked down 45.9 percent (28-61) of her attempts from long range.

Senior guard Blair Hardiek (5.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg) rounds out a Missouri starting lineup that features four seniors and a sophomore, just like the Huskers. Jessra Johnson (3.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg), Kassie Drew (2.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg), Tamika Jackson (2.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg) and Toy Richbow (1.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg) give the Tigers solid depth off the bench.

Missouri has outscored its opponents by an average of 10.2 points per game (73.9-63.7), while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and a blistering 37.4 percent from three-point range. The Tigers have been excellent at the free throw line, leading the Big 12 at 79.3 percent. MU owns a plus-4.2 team turnover margin and a plus-0.6 rebounding edge.

Nebraska vs. Missouri Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Missouri, 33-28, including three consecutive wins over the Tigers in Columbia. Last year, Nebraska worked its way to a 75-62 win thanks to a tremendous effort from Kiera Hardy, who scored 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field, including a 4-for-6 performance from three-point range. Hardy, a Kansas City native, added five assists and three steals in one of the best all-around games of her career.

Nebraska has actually won 12 of the past 16 games on the road at Missouri, including an eight-game winning streak from 1991 through 1998. Before NU’s current three-game streak, the Tigers had held serve on their homecourt for three consecutive games from 2001 through 2003.

Nearly every game between the Huskers and Tigers has featured major runs and lead changes by both teams, and several contests have gone down to the wire. NU won a 73-68 overtime thriller in 1996 and prevailed in a 65-64 win in 1993. Nebraska’s 2004 and 2005 wins were both by single digits. In 2005, the Huskers trailed by as many as 13 and were down by 11 points with 7:30 left before posting a seven-point win.

Hardy Among 30 Candidates for Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award
Nebraska senior Kiera Hardy is one of 30 candidates for the 2007 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, presented to the nation’s top senior basketball player on and off the court.

The candidates for the Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School) Award were announced on Tuesday, Jan. 16. Hardy, a 5-6 senior guard from Kansas City, Mo., is one of just three Big 12 Conference seniors, joining Iowa State’s Lyndsey Medders and Tiffany Jackson from Texas, who made the list of candidates.

The award, which was conceived by legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg, was launched in 2001-02 to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university. Finalists will be selected on personal qualities that define a complete student-athlete, including classroom, character and community, as well as the candidate’s performance on the court.

A national media committee will choose the 10 finalists for the award in February. A nationwide vote of coaches, media members and fans will take place during the NCAA Tournament in March. The winners will be announced during the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Cleveland.

LSU’s Seimone Augustus won the award in 2006. Kansas State’s Kendra Wecker (2005), Alana Beard (Duke, 2004), LaToya Thomas (Mississippi State, 2003) and Sue Bird (Connecticut, 2002) are also previous winners.

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 235 three-pointers. The 5-6 guard out of O’Hara High School in Kansas City, Mo., also ranks eighth in NU history with 1,706 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 16.1 points per game and leads the Huskers with 39 three-pointers, while shooting 37.5 percent from long range.

She has started a team-leading 81 games in her career, including 78 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 34 times in her 109-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 seven double-doubles in NU’s first 18 contests, more than doubling her season total of three from her freshman campaign when she started all 32 games for the Huskers.

Griffin, who captured Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors on Jan. 8, posted her seventh double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds at Kansas on Jan. 13. Six of her seven double-doubles this season have come on the road. She opened league play with 21 points and seven rebounds against All-American Tiffany Jackson in NU’s win at Texas on Jan. 3, and added 22 points and eight rebounds against All-American Courtney Paris and No. 8 Oklahoma on Jan. 6. She added 15 points and seven boards on 5-of-5 shooting from the field in NU’s win over No. 25 Kansas State on Jan. 17. Griffin is averaging 19.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in league action.

She notched 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 seven double-doubles this season rank among the top five players in the Big 12.

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.

Huskers Stretch Road Mark with Win at Kansas
After beating No. 25 Kansas State at home on Wednesday, Nebraska returns to road action to take on Missouri in the midst of the Huskers’ most successful road stretch in school history. NU, which has posted three straight victories against Missouri in Columbia, has won a school-record nine straight games away from home (away and neutral), surpassing the previous NU mark of seven straight road wins in 1976-77 and 1996-97.

The Huskers’ 9-1 road record this season is tied for the best start in school history, matching the 1991-92 team that began the season with a 9-1 road record.

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 13 of its last 16 games outside of Lincoln. The Huskers’ nine road wins this year marks their highest total 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).

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, hit a three-pointer in 10 straight games, including five games with two or more triples, before going 0-for-3 in the loss to No. 8 Oklahoma on Jan. 6.

She has hit 20 of her last 33 three-point attempts (60.6 percent), after missing her first six shots from beyond the arc to open the year. Aubry ranks second in the Big 12 in three-point shooting at 51.3 percent (20-39), trailing only Oklahoma’s Chelsi Welch (52.0 percent).

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 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 65 three-pointers in her career and needs just two more to become the first forward to crack Nebraska’s all-time top-10 list in that category.

Griffin Ranks High in Big 12 Statistics
Kelsey Griffin is tied for fifth in the Big 12 Conference in scoring with teammate Kiera Hardy at 16.1 points per game while ranking sixth in the league in rebounding with 8.6 boards per contest. Griffin’s 59.8 field goal percentage ranks third in the Big 12 and 17th nationally through games Jan. 14.

The 6-2 sophomore forward also ranks sixth in the conference with 3.06 offensive rebounds per game, while ranking sixth in the league with 5.50 defensive boards per contest. She has led Nebraska in rebounding in 14 of 18 games this season.

Griffin leads Nebraska in rebounding, free throws made (70) and free throws attempted (102). She has earned spots on the Veterans Day Classic and State Farm Classic all-tournament teams this season and was the Big 12 Player of the Week on Jan. 8.

Griffin has scored 714 points and grabbed 346 rebounds while starting 50 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 16.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 37.5 percent (39-104) from three-point range in 2006-07.

Hardy’s production has come while averaging 26.8 minutes and 12.2 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.

She is coming off a 22-point, six-rebound performance in Nebraska’s 70-63 win over No. 25 Kansas State in Lincoln on Jan. 17.

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. She 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. She erupted for 27 points, including 22 in the second half, to lead the Huskers to their first-ever win at Texas on Jan. 3. Hardy hit 9-of-18 shots from the field and scored 10 of NU’s final 14 points.

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.

Nebraska’s Attendance on the Rise
Just days after producing one of the biggest road wins in school history with a 79-75 victory at Texas on Jan. 3, the Huskers attracted 7,727 fans to the Devaney Center for their Big 12 home opener against No. 8 Oklahoma.

The crowd was the largest January crowd in school history, surpassing the 7,114 fans the Huskers drew against Kansas during their special "Dollar Days" promotion on Jan. 7, 2006, which was NU’s largest crowd last season.

Through eight home games this season the Huskers are averaging 3,284 fans per game, a number that is expected to climb dramatically during Big 12 play. In six non-conference dates, NU averaged 2,583 fans per game, an increase of more than 20 percent over its 2005-06 non-conference average of 2,126 fans per game.

In eight Big 12 Conference home games last season, the Huskers averaged 4,209 fans per contest.

Hardy Shoots Toward Top of Big 12 Three-Point Charts
Nebraska’s all-time three-point leader, Kiera Hardy has hit 39 of her 104 three-point attempts to open the season to climb into eighth place on the Big 12’s all-time three-point list with 235.

The active Big 12 three-point leader is Erin Higgins, who has hit 241 trifectas in her four-year career. Higgins, who entered the season with 222 threes, has knocked down just 19-of-61 threes through Oklahoma’s first 15 games.

Hardy ranks third in the Big 12 with 2.17 made three-pointers per game, trailing only Missouri’s Alyssa Hollins and Kansas State’s Kimberly Dietz. Hardy is also tied for 11th in the Big 12 in three-point accuracy at 37.5 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 16.1 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, before adding 27 points at Texas on Jan. 3. She crossed the 1,700-point plateau with 22 points in NU’s win over No. 25 Kansas State on Jan. 17. She ranks eighth on the Husker all-time scoring list with 1,706 points and needs 72 points to catch Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-83) in the No. 7 spot with 1,778.

Hardy is tied for fifth with teammate Kelsey Griffin in the Big 12 in scoring this season, while also ranking 13th in assists (2.89 apg). Hardy is shooting a career-best 45.0 percent from the field and a career-high 37.5 percent from three-point range, which is tied for 11th in the Big 12.

Aubry Gives NU Strong Presence, Inside and Out
A true power forward, Chelsea Aubry has given Nebraska a dangerous threat on the block, on the boards and beyond the arc. The 6-2 senior from Kitchener, Ontario, is averaging 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while ranking second in the Big 12 with her 51.3 percent (20-39) accuracy from three-point range.

Aubry has started 76 games in her NU career, including an active streak of 64 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.

Aubry 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.

She is coming off a 10-point, six-rebound performance in Nebraska’s win over No. 25 Kansas State on Jan. 17. She scored all 10 points in the first half to help the Huskers to a 24-point halftime lead.

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, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a team-leading 1.4 steals per game. She had nine points, five rebounds, four assists and a career-high-tying five steals against No. 8 Oklahoma on Jan. 6.

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 18 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.

Huskers’ Non-Conference Season a Success in All Areas
Not only did Nebraska post its highest non-conference victory total (12) in 25 years, 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.

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 18 games. All 12 players have appeared in at least five games, while 11 players have appeared in 12 or more contests. Nine 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 26.8 minutes per game, while senior forward Jelena Spiric has added 26.3 minutes per game. Senior forward Chelsea Aubry (24.6 mpg), sophomore Kelsey Griffin (23.7 mpg), and senior guard Ashley Ford (20.2 mpg) are the only Huskers averaging more than 20 minutes per game.

Off the bench, TK LaFleur, Danielle Page, Cory Montgomery and Nichole Neals have all averaged more than 13 minutes per game, while 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 had 10 points, seven rebounds, one block, one steal and one assist in just 15 minutes of action off the bench and has continued to produce for NU.

She put together one of the best efforts of her career with 11 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in Nebraska’s win over No. 25 Kansas State on Jan. 17. Page, who registered her second career double-double, scored nine points in the final 7:06 to help the Huskers seal the win over the Wildcats.

Page has made major contributions by averaging 6.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and a team-leading 1.1 blocks in 15.6 minutes per game off the bench. She enjoyed one of her best all-time performances by tying her career-high 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 seven games, she has increased her production to 8.9 points and 5.7 boards per contest.

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, tied for No. 6 on the Husker career block chart with 88. She has added 61 steals and 205 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 last seven games, LaFleur is averaging 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals while playing 23 minutes per game. She scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field in NU’s first-ever win at Texas on Jan. 3. She added 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 four times as sophomore, including three straight games (vs. NC State, at Florida, at Texas). She has also pitched in at least eight points on five other occasions off the bench this year.

Through 18 games this season, LaFleur is averaging 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game to help NU to a 15-3 record. She has also hit 12-of-33 attempts (36.4 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 opened the Big 12 slate with its first-ever win at perennial national power Texas (79-75).

The Huskers played their Big 12 home opener against defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma on Jan. 6. The home game with the Sooners started 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

• 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
Saturday, Feb. 17 - Missouri - 5:30 p.m.

Fastbreakers Offer Bus Trip to Colorado Game
The Fastbreakers are planning one more bus trip to Nebraska’s road game at Colorado (Feb. 10).

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 Women’s Basketball Show Schedule
The Nebraska Women’s Basketball Show with Coach Connie Yori is in its fifth year of bringing you all the behind the scenes action with the Huskers.

Each week, Coach Yori and host Jeff Griesch will bring you all the highlights of the Huskers’ previous games, along with one-on-one interviews, special features and previews of upcoming games. The show is available seven days a week across various cable stations across Nebraska and Iowa.

The show tipped off on Sunday, Dec. 10, on WOWT (HD-620) at 7:30 p.m., followed by an airing on WOWT in Omaha (channel 6 in Lincoln) at 11:35 p.m. central time each Sunday. KOLN/KGIN (My TV) will air the show on Monday at 10 p.m. Spencer Municipal Utilities in Spencer, Iowa, will air the Nebraska Women’s Basketball Show on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. and Thursday at 10:30 p.m. each week.

Time Warner Cable in Lincoln will also air the show weekly on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. Great Plains Communications in Bloomfield, Grant, Elgin, North Bend, Broken Bow and Chadron will carry the show each week on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Friday at 5:30 p.m., while Lakes TV in Spirit Lake, Iowa, will carry the show on Wednesday at 10 p.m. KNOP/KIIT in North Platte will air each show on Saturday at noon.

All days and airtimes are subject to change on a weekly basis, so please check your local listings for times in your area. The show is also available each week on HuskersNside, the premium website of Nebraska Athletics.

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home
Since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 306-110 (.736) in games played in the arena, including 110-70 (.611) in conference games. NU is 6-2 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 January crowd in school history with 7,727 fans for NU’s Big 12 home opener against No. 8 Oklahoma on Jan. 6, 2007. That number surpassed the 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.