<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Columbia, Mo. - Chelsea Aubry scored a career-high 26 points, including 17 in the first half, to lead the Nebraska women's basketball team to its school-record 10th consecutive road victory with a 76-66 win over Missouri at Mizzou Arena on Saturday night. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
With the victory, Nebraska improved to 16-3 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12, while Missouri slipped to 13-6 and 1-5 in the league. The Huskers, who posted their 16th victory earlier than any season in school history, are off to their best overall and Big 12 starts since opening the year 16-1 overall and 7-1 in the conference in the league’s first season in 1996-97. Three of NU’s first four Big 12 wins this season have come away from home, and its lone loss is at the hands of No. 7 Oklahoma in Lincoln. Nebraska has posted 10 road victories for the first time since 1992-93.
Aubry, a 6-2 senior forward from Kitchener, Ontario, enjoyed a career night by hitting 11-of-13 shots from the field, including both of her three-point attempts. Aubry’s performance surpassed her previous career scoring high of 20 points that came on Feb. 19, 2005, against Texas A&M at College Station, Texas.
Kiera Hardy added 14 points, while Kelsey Griffin gave the Huskers three players in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds despite being hampered by foul trouble throughout the contest. Griffin played just 15 minutes, while her 10 points marked her second-lowest scoring total of the season.
Junior forward Danielle Page also gave NU a lift off the bench with six points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots, while senior forward Jelena Spiric contributed six points, five rebounds and six assists.
“I thought we moved the ball really well all night, especially in the first half,” Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. “Chelsea had a great game and we needed her. I think she sensed that and stepped up.”
Nebraska used a 12-0 run in the last two minutes of the first half to turn a seven-point lead into a 46-27 halftime edge. Hardy scored the final seven points of the half in 1:10, including a three-pointer with 30 seconds left and a jumper from the left baseline as time expired.
The Huskers never trailed in the game, but held just a 24-20 edge until freshman forward Cory Montgomery scored to spark a 22-7 surge by NU in the final 6:16 of the half.
Seven different Huskers scored in the first half, led by Aubry's 17 and Hardy’s points. Hardy scored all of her points in the final 4:21 of the half. Griffin added eight first-half points on 4-of-4 shooting despite playing just eight minutes because of foul trouble. In a true team effort, 11 different Huskers saw action in the opening period, including Nikki Bober who played her first career Big 12 game.
Nebraska, which led No. 25 Kansas State by 24 points at halftime in Lincoln on Wednesday night, extended its lead to 23 points early in the second half on Page’s four-point play. Page scored on a transition layup off an assist from Hardy and was fouled to put NU up 21. Page missed the free throw, but Spiric grabbed the offensive rebound and threw it back inside to Page who scored again to give NU a 55-32 lead with 17:26 left.
But the Tigers refused to quit, chipping away at the Husker lead until knocking it down to single digits for the first time on EeTisha Riddle’s layup to make it 70-62 with 3:15 left. Riddle, who led Missouri with 22 points and 12 rebounds, helped the Tigers trim the NU lead to six points with 2:31 left, but Hardy, Spiric and Page made big plays down the stretch to preserve the Huskers’ fourth consecutive road win over Missouri in Columbia.
For the game, Nebraska hit 55 percent (33-60) of its shots from the field, including 64.5 percent (20-31). The Huskers were 5-of-12 from three-point range (41.7 percent) and 5-of-7 at the free throw line (71.4 percent). Missouri outrebounded Nebraska, 37-32, and committed just 11 turnovers while forcing 14 by the Huskers.
But the Huskers held Missouri to just 39.7 percent (27-68) shooting from the field, including just 5-of-19 (26.3 percent) from three-point range. Missouri went 7-of-10 at the free throw line.
Nebraska will try to continue its success on the road on Wednesday when the Huskers travel to College Station to take on the No. 17 Texas A&M Aggies. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Reed Arena with live video provided to premium subscribers on HuskersNside.
Official Basketball Box Score Nebraska vs Missouri 01-20-07 6:06 p.m. at Columbia, Mo. (Mizzou Arena)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISITORS: Nebraska 16-3, 4-1 Big 12 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 04 SPIRIC, Jelena...... f 3-5 0-0 0-0 2 3 5 1 6 6 4 0 1 24 23 GRIFFIN, Kelsey..... f 5-7 0-0 0-0 3 3 6 4 10 1 1 0 1 15 45 AUBRY, Chelsea...... f 11-13 2-2 2-3 1 3 4 3 26 1 2 0 1 29 02 FORD, Ashley........ g 1-5 0-3 0-0 0 2 2 1 2 5 1 0 2 25 21 HARDY, Kiera........ g 5-14 2-5 2-2 0 0 0 1 14 1 1 0 0 30 12 LaFLEUR, TK......... 1-3 0-1 1-1 0 2 2 0 3 2 1 0 0 23 13 KUHLMANN, Kala...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 8 22 TURNER, Yvonne...... 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 3 1 1 0 0 12 40 MONTGOMERY, Cory.... 3-5 0-0 0-0 0 4 4 1 6 0 1 0 0 10 42 BOBER, Nikki........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+ 52 PAGE, Danielle...... 3-7 0-0 0-1 0 9 9 4 6 1 0 3 2 24 TEAM................ 1 Totals.............. 33-60 5-12 5-7 6 26 32 16 76 18 14 3 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 20-31 64.5% 2nd Half: 13-29 44.8% Game: 55.0% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 4-5 80.0% 2nd Half: 1-7 14.3% Game: 41.7% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 2-3 66.7% 2nd Half: 3-4 75.0% Game: 71.4% 1,1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOME TEAM: Missouri 13-6, 1-5 Big 12 TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS ## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 35 Jackson, Tamika..... f 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 43 Savant, Carlynn..... f 4-13 1-7 2-2 4 1 5 2 11 2 3 0 0 36 54 Riddle, EeTisha..... c 9-18 0-1 4-4 5 7 12 2 22 3 4 1 0 33 12 Hollins, Alyssa..... g 2-7 2-6 0-0 1 4 5 1 6 1 2 0 2 33 23 Hardiek, Blair...... g 3-7 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 1 7 1 1 0 2 30 04 Johnson, Jessra..... 4-5 1-1 1-2 1 3 4 0 10 1 0 0 0 11 11 Richbow, Toy........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 11 22 Drew, Kassie........ 0-3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 32 Scott, Marissa...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 34 Brooks, Tiffany..... 5-14 0-0 0-2 2 2 4 2 10 4 1 0 1 33 Team................ 2 2 4 Totals.............. 27-68 5-19 7-10 15 22 37 11 66 15 11 1 5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-35 31.4% 2nd Half: 16-33 48.5% Game: 39.7% DEADB 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-10 30.0% 2nd Half: 2-9 22.2% Game: 26.3% REBS F Throw % 1st Half: 2-4 50.0% 2nd Half: 5-6 83.3% Game: 70.0% 2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Officials: Jeff Caudle, Gator Parrish, Peter Contreras Technical fouls: Nebraska-None. Missouri-None. Attendance: 2130 Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total Nebraska...................... 46 30 - 76 Missouri...................... 27 39 - 66