Nebraska Back in AP Top 25

Lincoln - The Nebraska women's basketball team rejoined the Associated Press Top 25 rankings on Monday, jumping back into the poll at No. 25 after making its initial appearance of the year in the poll on Dec. 4.

 

The Huskers, 16-3 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12, have won 10 of their last 11 games since being knocked out of the poll with a loss to Minnesota on Dec. 5. Nebraska's only loss during that stretch came to current No. 6 Oklahoma, and its only other setback this season was at current No. 10 Arizona State in the first game of the season.

 

Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said the Huskers had earned a top-25 ranking with hard work and experience this season.

 

"We have played with good composure and we have found ways to win games," Yori said. "The bottom line is we have good experience. We have a few players who have been in tight games over the years."

 

Yori also said she wasn't concerned where the Huskers were ranked in January, as long as they keep finding ways to win games in the Big 12.

 

"You can't get too caught up with where you're ranked," Yori said. You've got to prepare for every opponent and every game and you've got to play well. If we are ranked in February, then we're going to feel good about it, because that means we're winning."

 

Nebraska is off to its best start since opening the 1996-97 season with a 16-1 overall record and a 7-1 league mark. The Huskers' success has come against a formidable schedule that has included playing 11 of their first 19 games away from the Devaney Center.

The Huskers have taken the road by storm, running to a school-record 10 straight road wins after a 76-66 win at Missouri in Columbia on Saturday night. With a 10-1 record away from Lincoln this year, the Huskers have won 10 road games for the first time since notching 11 wins in 1992-93.

Nebraska will get a chance to stretch its road success on Wednesday night when the Huskers take on No. 21 Texas A&M at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas. The Aggies slipped four spots in this week's poll after losing to No. 24 Texas in Austin on Sunday afternoon.

The Huskers sit all alone in second place in the Big 12 standings with a 4-1 record, while the 13-4 Aggies own a 3-2 mark in a four-way tie for third place. Texas A&M's other league loss came at Kansas State, a team the Huskers knocked off 70-63 last Wednesday in Lincoln.

NU's game with Texas A&M will mark the first time since Jan. 31, 2004, that a ranked Husker team has played a ranked opponent. In that game, No. 16 Baylor defeated No. 25 Nebraska, 67-57 in Waco.

Tip-off between the Huskers and Aggies is set for 7 p.m. with a free live radio broadcast provided by the Husker Sports Network on Huskers.com and 98.1 FM-KFGE in Lincoln. Live video is also available to premium subscribers on HuskersNside.

Nebraska returns home to open a three-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 7:05 p.m., when the Huskers play host to Kansas. For ticket information, visit Huskers.com.