No. 21 Huskers Collide with K-State

#21 Nebraska (19-4, 7-2)
at Kansas State (15-7, 3-6)
Bramlage Coliseum (13,340) 
Manhattan, Kan.
Wednesday, Feb. 7 ? 7 p.m.
Live Television: FSN Midwest
(Ch. 37 in Lincoln/Ch. 47 in Omaha)
Announcers: Greg Sharpe, Brenda Van Lengen
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(98.1-FM KFGE Lincoln/1110-AM KFAB Omaha/
880-AM KRVN in Lexington/Huskers.com)
Series Record: Kansas State leads, 41-28
First Meeting this Season: Nebraska 70, #25 Kansas State 63 (Jan. 17, Lincoln)

Huskers Return to Road Action
to Clash with Kansas State
Fresh off a perfect 3-0 Big 12 Conference homestand, the No. 21 Nebraska women’s basketball team (19-4, 7-2) returns to road action this week to battle Kansas State on Wednesday.

Tip-off at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan., is set for 7 p.m., with live television coverage in Nebraska and Kansas provided by FSN Midwest (Ch. 37 in Lincoln/Ch. 47 in Omaha) with Greg Sharpe and Brenda Van Lengen on the call. The FSN Midwest production will also be free to fans around the world on Huskers.com.

Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will provide the call in Nebraska’s live radio broadcast on 98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln, 1110-AM KFAB in Omaha and 880-AM KRVN in Lexington, along with select Husker Sports Network stations and on Huskers.com (free).

Nebraska is coming off a 76-67 victory over No. 13 Baylor in Lincoln on Saturday. Kelsey Griffin notched her 10th double-double of the year with 23 points and 13 rebounds against BU’s Wade Trophy candidate Bernice Mosby. The 6-2 sophomore forward from Eagle River, Alaska, has been at her best against the Big 12’s best, with 22 points and eight boards against Oklahoma All-American Courtney Paris and 21 points and seven boards against Texas All-American Tiffany Jackson.

Junior Danielle Page had a career day with a school-record nine blocks, while matching her career high with 11 rebounds. Page tied the previous NU mark with seven blocks in 13 first-half minutes. In one of the most dominant defensive efforts in school history, Page had nine defensive boards and forced a travel on a 3-on-1 BU fastbreak.

Naismith Trophy candidate Kiera Hardy added 19 points in a strong effort to help the Huskers match the best 23-game mark in school history at 19-4, which came in 1987-88. That Husker team, which owns Nebraska’s only conference title, started the season with a school-best 20-4 mark. NU’s 7-2 league start this year also matches the 1996-97 squad for its best Big 12 start in history. The 1987-88 team, which finished with an 11-3 Big Eight mark, is the only Husker squad to open conference play with an 8-2 record.

The Huskers will be aiming for the 10th 20-win season in school history against the Wildcats, and Nebraska’s first since 1998-99. Nebraska’s school record for most wins in a season is 23.

Huskers Topple No. 13 Baylor, 76-67
Sophomore forward Kelsey Griffin produced her 10th double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds, while Kiera Hardy added 19 points and five boards to lead No. 22 Nebraska to a 76-67 victory over No. 13 Baylor at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday afternoon.

Playing in front of 6,105 fans and a Fox Sports Net national television audience, the Huskers raced to a 16-2 lead to open the game and outscored BU 15-4 to open the second half. NU led from start to finish in the win.

Along with an impressive performance from Griffin on the offensive end, the Huskers received a school-record performance from forward Danielle Page. The 6-2 junior from Monument, Colo., set a school-record with nine blocked shots while also pulling down 11 rebounds, including nine on the defensive end.

Page moved up to third on the school’s career block list with 108, nearly doubling her previous career high of five blocks in a game. She also became one of only five players in Big 12 history to block nine shots in a game. Griffin added one block to give the Huskers a season-high 10 rejections on the day.

NU out-blocked Baylor, the Big 12 leader in blocks, 10-5, marking the first time this season that the Lady Bears had surrendered more blocks to an opponent. Nebraska’s school-record-tying 10 blocked shots as a team helped the Huskers limit Baylor’s Wade Trophy candidate Bernice Mosby to just 1-of-13 shooting from the field. The 6-1 senior forward finished with a Baylor career low three points, while adding six boards. She entered the game ranked second in the Big 12 in scoring at 19.0 points per game and third in the league with 9.3 boards per contest.

Senior forward Chelsea Aubry added eight points and five rebounds inside for the Huskers, while freshman Cory Montgomery pitched in four points and two rebounds on the block, as NU’s forwards combined for 38 points, 29 rebounds and 10 blocks against the Lady Bears.

For the game, Nebraska hit 23-of-60 shots (38.3 percent) from the field, the first time this season that the Huskers notched a win when shooting less than 40 percent from the field. NU connected on 31.3 percent (5-16) of its three-point attempts, while hitting 78.1 percent (25-32) of its free throws. NU also outrebounded Baylor, 46-40.

Baylor managed just 32.3 percent (21-65) shooting from the field, but connected on 5-of-11 three-pointers (45.5 percent). BU also hit 20-of-23 free throws, including 11-of-13 in the first half to keep the Huskers within range, despite hitting just 10-of-35 shots (28.6 percent) from the field in the opening half.

After racing to a 16-2 lead, Nebraska saw Baylor pull within one point on two occasions in the final three minutes of the first half. But the Huskers closed the half on a 4-0 run at the free throw line from Griffin and fellow sophomore TK LaFleur, who added nine first-half points, to take a 38-33 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Nebraska bolted out of the gates to start the second half, as Aubry buried a three from the corner before Jelena Spiric hit a jumper to push NU’s lead back to 10 points at 43-33 less than one minute into the second half. BU scored four straight points to slow the NU tide, but the Huskers answered with a 10-0 run over a 2:08 stretch, capped by a three-point play from Aubry to give NU its biggest lead of the game at 53-37 left with 15:40 to play in the game.

Griffin led the Huskers with 15 first-half points in just 11 minutes because of foul trouble. Page stepped in for Griffin and had a huge first half, Page tied the school record with seven blocks in just 13 minutes off the bench in the opening period, while adding six rebounds.

Scouting the Kansas State Wildcats
Nebraska heads to Manhattan, Kan., riding a three-game overall winning streak in search of its first season series sweep of Kansas State since the 2000-01 season. Kansas State has won six consecutive games against the Huskers at Bramlage Coliseum, including two wins last year in Manhattan.

The Huskers won the first meeting in Lincoln this season, 70-63 on Jan. 17, in Kansas State’s first game playing without injured forward Marlies Gipson. The Wildcats came to Lincoln with a 2-1 Big 12 mark and a No. 25 national ranking, but have fallen on hard times without their sophomore forward.

KSU has lost five of its last six games beginning with the setback to the Huskers, including its first home loss of the season, 61-34, to Texas on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats’ other league losses since the first meeting with NU include a 79-70 setback at Baylor, a 73-68 loss at Iowa State and a 66-55 loss at Colorado.

Gipson, who was averaging 12.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game through KSU’s first 16 games, also led the Wildcats with 39 blocks. Her absence has led to increased playing time for junior forward Shana Wheeler (5.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg in Big 12 play) and freshman forward Ashley Sweat (9.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg in Big 12 play).

Senior guard Claire Coggins has also stepped up her offensive production in Gipson’s absence, averaging 15.1 points per game, but she has added just 2.9 rebounds per game compared to the 3.7 boards she is averaging on the season. Coggins is averaging a team-high 13.4 points per game on the year. Kimberly Dietz, a 5-9 junior guard, ranks second on the team with 13.3 points per game, along with a team-leading 51 three-pointers.

Sophomore point guard Shalee Lehning has also increased her scoring, averaging 8.0 points per game in Big 12 play, but Lehning’s rebounding (6.3 rpg) and assists (3.7 apg) have dropped without Gipson in the lineup.

Overall, KSU has suffered on the boards without Gipson. Big 12 foes have outrebounded KSU by 10.3 boards per game over the past six contests, including NU’s plus-18 rebound margin on Jan. 17, and a plus-23 edge by Kansas. With Gipson, KSU produced a plus-4.4 rebound margin.

Defensively, Kansas State was surrendering just 54.7 points per game, while holding opponents to just 32.4 percent shooting from the field with a Big 12-best 25 percent accuracy from three-point range, entering the first meeting with Nebraska. In six games without Gipson, Kansas State is allowing 67.3 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting from the field, including 34.6 percent success from long range. Offensively, the Wildcats were averaging 69.5 points per game with Gipson in the lineup. Without her they have managed just 58.2 points per game.

Nebraska vs. Kansas State Series History
Kansas State enjoys a 41-28 edge in the all-time series with Nebraska, including six victories in the last eight games, but the Huskers have won two of the past four meetings, and eight of the past 17 overall since the 1999-2000 season.

Nebraska has not posted a victory at Bramlage Coliseum since a 77-69 win on Feb. 17, 2001. The 2000-01 season marked the last time the Huskers were able to complete a season series sweep of the Wildcats. That win in Manhattan actually capped a five-game series winning streak against KSU that included a 68-61 victory at Bramlage Coliseum on Jan. 31, 2000.

In the first meeting this season in Lincoln, Kiera Hardy led four Huskers in double figures with 22 points and six rebounds, while Kelsey Griffin added 15 points and seven boards. Danielle Page contributed her only double-double of the season off the bench with 11 points and 10 rebounds, to go along with three assists a block and a steal, while Chelsea Aubry pitched in 10 points and six boards.

Kimberley Dietz and Claire Coggins each scored 14 points to lead five Wildcats in double figures, but the Huskers outrebounded KSU, 41-23, while shooting 49.1 percent from the field. Nebraska’s strong inside play allowed the Huskers to overcome 11-for-25 shooting from three-point range by the Wildcats. NU led from nearly start to finish in the first meeting, owning the lead on the scoreboard for 36:50, while trailing for just 1:33.

Last season, Griffin led the Huskers in Manhattan with 28 points and 12 rebounds, while Hardy added 14 points. The Huskers also suffered a season-ending loss to the Wildcats in Manhattan in the quarterfinals of the Postseason WNIT. Griffin led NU again with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Hardy and Elena Diaz pitched in 14 points. Coggins led all scorers with 22, including six three-pointers, while Dietz added 19 points and a trio of threes. JoAnn Hamlin, who left KSU’s team at the end of the season, added 20 points and seven boards inside, while Shalee Lehning had seven points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

19-4 Mark Matches Best 23-Game Start in NU History
With Nebraska’s 76-67 win over No. 13 Baylor on Saturday, the Huskers matched the 1987-88 club for the best record (19-4) 23 games into a season in school history.

The 1987-88 Huskers improved to 19-4 with a 76-72 win over Kansas on Feb. 17, before moving to 20-4 with an 85-73 overtime victory over Colorado on Feb. 20, 1988. The Big Eight championship club established NU’s standard for the best 23 and 24-game starts in history. An NU win at Kansas State would give the Huskers their 10th 20-win season in program history.

Huskers Shoot for 11th Road Win at Kansas State

Nebraska’s school-record road winning streak ended at 10 games with a 66-65 loss at No. 21 Texas A&M on Jan. 24. The Huskers had a five-footer to win bounce off the rim as time expired, as the Aggies improved their home record to 11-0 this season. After escaping with their narrowest home win of the season against the Huskers, the Aggies went on the road and ended No. 6 Oklahoma’s Big 12-record 26-game league winning streak with a 54-52 victory in Norman on Jan. 27.

Nebraska’s previous longest winning streak away from home (away and neutral) came with seven straight road wins in 1976-77 and 1996-97. The Huskers’ 10-1 road start this season also gave NU its best road start in school history, surpassing the 1991-92 team that began the season with a 9-1 road record.

With a 10-2 record away from the Devaney Center, Nebraska’s .833 road winning percentage is on track to shatter the school mark, which came with a 15-8 mark (.652) in 1975-76.

The Huskers have four regular-season road games and at least one game at the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City left, along with potential postseason road contests. NU had 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). Last season, NU posted an 8-9 record away from the Devaney Center, including four wins in the last seven road games. NU has won 14 of its last 18 games away from home. Nebraska is 3-1 in Big 12 road games this season, including its first-ever win at Texas to open league play on Jan. 3. The Huskers won at Kansas (Jan. 13) and at Missouri (Jan. 20).

The Big 12 North is 4-24 in league road games with Iowa State managing the only other road win by a North division team at Kansas on Jan. 20.

Huskers Displaying Dominance in Big 12 Play
Nebraska enters the week with a 7-2 Big 12 mark to sit in a tie with Texas A&M for second place in the league standings, just one-half game behind Oklahoma. The Huskers’ success early in the conference season has not been the result of last-second heroics or monumental comebacks. In fact, the Huskers have been dominating nearly every game from start to finish.

The Huskers did not trail in wins over No. 13 Baylor or Iowa State in their last two games, and fell behind Kansas (Jan. 27) for just 6:08 in the first half during their recent three-game homestand. Over the last seven games, Nebraska has trailed for just 18:54 out of a possible 280 minutes, with 11:13 of that time coming in a 66-65 loss at then-No. 21 Texas A&M on Jan. 24. The Huskers have led for nearly 210 minutes on the scoreboard over the last seven games. In addition to KU and A&M, the only other team to have a lead on Nebraska over the past seven games was Kansas State, which led for 1:33 early in the first half in Lincoln.

Texas A&M is the only team to own a lead after halftime against the Huskers in the past seven contests.

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 is one of 50 candidates for the 2007 Naismith Trophy.

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 243 three-pointers. The 5-6 guard out of O’Hara High School in Kansas City, Mo., also ranks seventh in NU history with 1,782 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 15.9 points per game and leads the Huskers with 47 three-pointers.

She has started a team-leading 86 games in her career, including 83 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 114-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 February, 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 10 double-doubles in NU’s first 23 contests, more than tripling her total of three from her freshman campaign when she started all 32 games for the Huskers.

Griffin, who captured her first Big 12 Player-of-the-Week award on Jan. 8, posted her 10th double-double of the season with game highs of 23 points and 13 rebounds in NU’s win over No. 13 Baylor on Feb. 3 to earn her second Big 12 honor of the season.

She notched her ninth double-double with a season-high 24 points and 10 rebounds in NU’s win over Kansas on Jan. 27. She added a double with 16 points and 10 rebounds at No. 21 Texas A&M on Jan. 24. Her 10 double-doubles are tied for the third-most in the Big 12 this season. Four of her double-doubles have come in Big 12 play, and seven have come on the road this season.

She posted a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds in NU’s first meeting at Kansas on Jan. 13. Griffin 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 18.2 points and 8.9 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 straight 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).

Last season, Griffin produced her first 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.

Nebraska Ranks High in Big 12
The No. 21 Huskers enter Wednesday’s game in a tie with No. 16 Texas A&M for second place in the Big 12 standings at 7-2. As a team, the Huskers rank second in the Big 12 and 16th nationally with their 45.8 field goal percentage, which has helped the Huskers rank third in scoring offense at 74.0 points per game (23rd nationally).

Nebraska has risen to third in the conference with its 71.4 free throw percentage, while also ranking fifth in the league with 5.09 made three-pointers per game. NU is also fifth in the Big 12 in rebounding margin (+3.7 rpg).

In league games only, Nebraska leads the Big 12 with its 45.0 field goal percentage, while ranking second in the conference in scoring offense (70.9 ppg), scoring margin (+7.0 ppg) and rebound margin (+3.1 rpg). The Huskers are also second in the league in free throw percentage (77.7 percent). NU is allowing Big 12 opponents just 34.6 total rebounds per game, the best total in the league.

Griffin Among Leaders in Big 12 Statistics
Kelsey Griffin ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference in scoring with 16.4 points per game, while ranking sixth in rebounding at 8.7 boards per contest. Griffin’s 59.9 field goal percentage ranks second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally through games Jan. 28, with Nebraska school-record pace of 60.6 percent set by Charlie Rogers in 1997-98.

The 6-2 sophomore forward also ranks sixth in the conference with 3.13 offensive rebounds per game and fifth in the league with 5.52 defensive boards per contest. She has led Nebraska in rebounding 18 times this season.

Griffin leads Nebraska in scoring, rebounding, free throws made (99) and free throws attempted (135). She has earned spots on the Veterans Day Classic and State Farm Classic all-tournament teams and was the Big 12 Player of the Week on Jan. 8. Griffin has scored 802 points and grabbed 391 rebounds while starting 56 consecutive games.

Last season Griffin became the first NU freshman since Meggan Yedsena in 1990-91 to start every game of her rookie campaign. Griffin was just the fourth Husker freshman in history to start every game in her first year.

Aubry Leading Big 12 in Three-Point Percentage
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 24 of her last 43 three-point attempts (55.8 percent), after missing her first six shots from beyond the arc to open the year. Aubry leads the Big 12 in three-point shooting at 49.0 percent (24-49).

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 more than 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 69 three-pointers in her career to become the first forward to crack Nebraska’s all-time top-10 list in that category. She needs just one more three to move into a tie for ninth on NU’s all-time three-point list with Lis Brenden.

She has scored in double figures seven times this season, including a career-high 26-point outburst at Missouri on Jan. 20. Aubry is averaging 8.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game on the season.

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.

The Huskers added 6,105 for "Dollar Days" at the Devaney Center for their 76-67 win over No. 13 Baylor on Feb. 3, boosting Nebraska’s average home attendance to 3,642 fans per game through 11 home games.

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. In five Big 12 home games this season, the Huskers are averaging 4,914 fans per game, an increase of nearly 17 percent.

Huskers Feature Solid Starting Five
The Nebraska lineup has showcased the same starting five through each of the first 23 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.

Page Putting Up Big Numbers in Return from Knee Injury
Junior Danielle Page has made a major impact off the bench for Nebraska this season. After pouring in a career-high 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field against Kansas on Jan. 27, Page showed her defensive dominance by setting a school record with nine blocked shots, while tying a career high with 11 rebounds in Nebraska’s 76-67 win over No. 13 Baylor on Feb. 3.

Page’s effort against the Lady Bears was one of the best individual defensive performances in school history. She tied the previous school record with seven blocks in just 13 first-half minutes, before adding a pair after halftime. She also grabbed nine defensive rebounds. Her best defensive play though may have come when she forced a travel on a Baylor 3-on-1 fastbreak.

Page vaulted from No. 6 to No. 3 on Nebraska’s career block list with 108 in less than three seasons. She also moved up to No. 2 on NU’s junior single-season block list. She needs 20 blocks to catch Janet Smith’s junior single-season record. Smith owns every individual class block record in school history. With her next block, Page has a chance to become just the sixth NU player (seven performances) to reach 40 blocks in a season.

Offensively, Page has climbed to fourth on the team in scoring with 6.6 points per game, while ranking second on the team with 5.1 rebounds per contest. She also leads the Huskers with 39 total blocks, joining school-record holder Janet Smith as the only Huskers to post 30 or more blocks in three straight seasons. Page has registered 23 blocks over the last seven games, an average of 3.3 blocks per contest. In Big 12 games, Page ranks second with 2.67 blocks per game, trailing only Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris with four blocks per contest.

Page also ranks third on the team in assist-to-turnover ratio with 20 assists and 20 turnovers on the year. She has scored in double figures four times, including a then-career-high tying 15 points in the State Farm Classic title game win at Florida on Dec. 29.

The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., 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. She was given the green light for full participation before NU’s final exhibition game against UNO (Nov. 4). She was not expected to be ready for a full return until the start of Big 12 play in January, but Page saw game action in NU’s exhibition finale against Nebraska-Omaha.

Page showed no ill-effects of her injury, producing 10 points, seven rebounds, one block, one steal and one assist in just 15 minutes off the bench. She 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 (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. She added six points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals in NU’s win at Missouri (Jan. 20).

She has also become one of NU’s most sure-handed players, dishing out a career-high 19 assists with just 19 turnovers. Page had distributed just 17 total assists while turning the ball over 66 times in her first two years.

She had a strong performance in all facets with nine points, five rebounds and 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.

Griffin Gets it Done at the Free Throw Line
Kelsey Griffin leads the Huskers with 99 made free throws on the season and is approaching several marks in the Nebraska record book. The 6-2 forward, who is shooting 81 percent from the line in Big 12 play, has moved up to fourth on Nebraska’s sophomore single-season free throw list. She needs just seven more made free throws to break the sophomore record held by Nicole Kubik with 106 in 1997-98.

Griffin, who established a freshman free throw record with 121 hits at the line in 2005-06, needs just 12 more to crack the school’s single-season top 10 list in the category for the second straight year. Maurtice Ivy owns the Nebraska season free throw record with 153 makes in 1984-85.

Griffin is also well within reach of Nebraska’s career top 10 this season in free throws made. Ann Halsne owns the No. 10 spot with 254 makes from 1988 to 1991. Griffin enters the Kansas State game with 220 career free throws, needing 34 more to crack the NU career list.

Hardy Provides Explosiveness, Consistency, Efficiency
Kiera Hardy is averaging 15.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 42.1 percent from the field and 37.0 percent (47-127) from three-point range.

Hardy’s production has come while averaging 27.0 minutes and 12.6 field goal attempts per game. In her three-year career at Nebraska entering this season, Hardy averaged 15.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from three-point range. "Key" has produced those numbers while attempting 14.2 field goals per game in 28.2 minutes per contest.

She produced a 22-point, six-rebound effort in Nebraska’s 70-63 win over No. 25 Kansas State (Jan. 17). She added 19 points and five rebounds in NU’s win over No. 13 Baylor (Feb. 3). She has scored in double figures 19 times this season, including 11 straight games. She has scored 20 or more points on five occasions this season.

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.

Huskers Climb to Highest Ranking in Eight Years
Nebraska moved up one spot to No. 21 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll on Monday, the third straight week and fourth time this season the Huskers have appeared in the weekly writers’ poll. Although NU only moved up one spot, the Huskers gained 157 points in the poll, more than doubling their total from a week ago.

NU re-entered the AP Top 25 on Jan. 22 at the No. 25 spot with 128 total points. The Huskers made their first appearance in the national polls this season with a No. 25 ranking on Dec. 4.

The Huskers’ No. 21 ranking is their highest since being ranked 20th on Monday, Jan. 4, 1999. The Huskers followed that ranking with a 90-49 win over Colorado on Jan. 6, before losing 80-75 at Texas on Jan. 9. Nebraska was ranked as high as 19th in the AP Poll earlier in the 1998-99 season.

Hardy Shoots Toward Top of Big 12 Three-Point Charts
Nebraska’s all-time three-point leader, Kiera Hardy has hit 47 of her 127 three-point attempts to open the season to climb into eighth place on the Big 12’s all-time three-point list with 243.

The active Big 12 three-point leader is Erin Higgins, who has hit 250 trifectas in her four-year career. Higgins, who entered the season with 222 threes, has knocked down 31-of-97 threes through Oklahoma’s first 21 games.

Hardy ranks third in the Big 12 with 2.04 made three-pointers per game, trailing only Kansas State’s Kimberly Dietz (2.32) and Missouri’s Alyssa Hollins (2.32). Hardy also ranks ninth in the Big 12 in three-point accuracy at 37.0 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 did not attempt a three-pointer in Nebraska’s win over Kansas on Jan. 27. It was the first time in 100 games and only the second time in her 114-game career that she did not attempt a three. The only other game she did not take a three-pointer came at Texas Tech on Jan. 21, 2004.

Hardy Among Nebraska’s Scoring Stars
Preseason All-American Kiera Hardy is averaging 15.9 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 seventh on the Husker all-time scoring list with 1,782 points and needs 61 points to catch Debra Powell (1982-85) in the No. 6 spot with 1,843. Hardy ranks seventh in the Big 12 in scoring this season, while also tying for 12th in assists (2.78 apg). Hardy is shooting a career-best 42.1 percent from the field and a career-high 37.0 percent from three-point range.

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 8.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, while leading the Big 12 with her 49.0 percent (24-49) accuracy from three-point range.

Aubry has started 81 games in her NU career, including an active streak of 69 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 career-high 26 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field in the Huskers’ 76-66 win at Missouri on Jan. 20. She hit both of her three-point attempts and 2-of-3 free throws against the Tigers. She produced double figures for the third straight game and eighth time this season with 12 points at No. 21 Texas A&M (Jan. 24).

She had 18 points against Michigan (Dec. 9), and had 14 points and a team-leading eight rebounds against Minnesota (Dec. 5). 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 (Nov. 17). She tied a career high with 11 boards at Florida (Dec. 29).

She added a 10-point, six-rebound performance in Nebraska’s win over No. 25 Kansas State (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 also shows 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.

Spiric had her best Big 12 effort this season with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field in Nebraska’a 62-49 win over Iowa State on Jan. 31. It was Spiric’s third double-figure scoring effort of the season. She produced a solid 11-point effort at Creighton on Dec. 19.

Spiric is averaging 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a team-leading 1.2 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. She had six points, five rebounds and a career-high-tying six assists at Missouri on Jan. 20.

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.

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.

LaFleur has produced double figures four times as a sophomore, including three straight games (vs. NC State, at Florida, at Texas). She has also pitched in nine first-half points in NU’s win over No. 13 Baylor on Feb. 3, and at least eight points on five other occasions off the bench this year.

Through 23 games this season, LaFleur is averaging 6.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game to help NU to an 19-4 record. She has also hit 14-of-41 attempts (34.1 percent) from three-point range.

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.

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. With six wins over 2006 postseason clubs in the past eight games, Nebraska is 10-2 on the year against postseason qualifiers.

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 offers 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.

NU is 6-2 so far during that nine-game stretch, which included a 76-67 win over 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 No. 21 Texas A&M (Jan. 24). Big 12 North series with 2006 WNIT champion Kansas State and WNIT qualifier Kansas will be completed in the run, while the Huskers also defeated WNIT qualifier Iowa State 62-49 at home on Jan. 31.

Nebraska has capitalized on its opportunities during the first 10 games of the Big 12 schedule, and 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.

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 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.

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.

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 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 309-110 (.737) in games played in the arena, including 113-70 (.617) in conference games. NU is 9-2 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.