Huskers Clash with Cowgirls Saturday

#25 Nebraska (21-7, 9-5)
at Oklahoma State (18-9, 6-8)
Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611) 
Stillwater, Okla.
Saturday, Feb. 24 ? 7 p.m.
Live Video: HuskersNside (premium subscribers)
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln/1110-AM KFAB in Omaha/880-AM KRVN in Lexington/Huskers.com)
Series Record: Nebraska leads, 30-23
Last Meeting: Nebraska 81, Oklahoma State 56 (Feb. 21, 2006, Lincoln)

Huskers Head to Stillwater
for Showdown with Cowgirls
The No. 25 Nebraska women’s basketball team (21-7, 9-5) plays its final Big 12 regular-season road game on Saturday when the Huskers travel to Stillwater to take on Oklahoma State (18-9, 6-8).

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action 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 will be shooting for its 13th road victory of the season against the Cowgirls while trying to snap a three-game Big 12 losing streak. The Huskers suffered a 64-53 loss at Iowa State on Senior Night in Ames on Tuesday, the first of three straight Senior Night appearances, including Saturday’s game in Stillwater and Tuesday’s home finale against Colorado at the Devaney Center in Lincoln.

The loss to Iowa State was just NU’s third road setback of the year, with the Huskers’ only other road setbacks coming at No. 13 Arizona State in the season opener and at No. 21 Texas A&M on Jan. 24. Nebraska’s three road losses this season have all come to teams with at least 20 overall wins and have combined for 44-3 home records.

Nebraska’s success on the road has helped the Huskers run to one of the best seasons in school history. They have produced their 10th 20-win season, and their first 20-win campaign since 1998-99, when they went 21-12. The school-record for victories is 23, achieved on four occasions.

Oklahoma State has also enjoyed a resurgence this season. The Cowgirls have experienced a 12-game improvement in the win column after finishing with a 6-22 overall record in 2005-06. In Coach Kurt Budke’s second season, OSU is a solid 12-4 at home, including 3-4 against Big 12 Conference foes at Gallagher-Iba Arena after going 0-16 in league play overall last season.

Nebraska Coach Connie Yori, who produced a similar turnaround in her second season at NU with a 10-game improvement in the win column from the 2002-03 season to the 2003-04 campaign, owns an unblemished record against Oklahoma State as the Husker head coach. Yori’s Huskers are 5-0 against the Cowgirls, including a 73-59 win in Stillwater on Feb. 1, 2003 - NU’s only conference win in Yori’s first season. The Huskers added a 73-71 win at OSU on Feb. 1, 2005 on a last-second runner from Kiera Hardy.

Huskers Come Up Short Against Cyclones in Ames
Danielle Page and Kiera Hardy each scored 12 points, but it was not enough to prevent Nebraska from suffering a 64-53 loss to Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday night.

Iowa State used a 21-4 run midway through the second half to turn a narrow 32-30 lead into a 53-34 advantage with eight minutes left. During the decisive stretch, the Cyclones got a pair of three-pointers from Megan Ronhovde, another from Alison Lacey and two more from Heather Ezell to shoot to a 19-point lead.

The Huskers, who suffered through one of their worst shooting nights of the season by hitting just 33.8 percent from the field, surged back with a 10-2 run to cut ISU’s edge to 55-44 with five minutes left. NU trimmed the lead to 10 with just over two minutes left, but the Cyclones executed at home on Senior Night down the stretch to post their 10th straight win over the Huskers in Ames.

Ronhovde led Iowa State with 15 points, while fellow senior Lyndsey Medders added 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Toccara Ross pitched in 10 points, nine boards and four assists, while Nicky Wieben contributed nine points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

The Huskers struggled to their lowest output of the season in the first half, managing just 19 points on 24.3 percent shooting from the field, including 1-for-14 from three-point range. Despite NU’s cold shooting, the Huskers went to the locker room down just seven at the half by attempting nine more field goals than ISU. In the opening period, NU pulled down seven offensive boards compared to just three for the Cyclones, and NU was plus-three (9-6) in the turnover department.

Iowa State didn’t fare much better offensively in the opening period, hitting just 35.7 percent (10-28) from the field, including 2-of-9 three-pointers. The Cyclones did hit all four of their free throw attempts in the first half, but shut out the Huskers at the line in the opening half.

Medders, who scored the final five points of the first half, led ISU with seven points and eight rebounds, while Ronhovde added seven points and five boards. Hardy led the Huskers with seven points on 3-of-10 shooting in the first half, including 1-of-4 three-pointers.

Hardy’s three came with 4:44 left in the first half to cut ISU’s lead to 21-19, giving her the 251st three-pointer in her career to move into a tie for seventh on the all-time Big 12 list. It also moved her ahead of Debra Powell into sixth place on Nebraska’s career scoring list. She finished the night with 252 threes in her career to sit all alone in seventh on the Big 12 list.

Iowa State then bolted out to an 11-point lead in the first two minutes of the second half after a three-pointer by Medders and a three-point play by Nicky Wieben, but the Huskers responded with a 9-0 run that was capped by seven straight points from Jelena Spiric to trim ISU’s edge to just 32-30 with 15:09 left. Spiric finished with nine points and nine rebounds in a strong effort for the Huskers.

For the game, ISU hit 37.5 percent (24-64) of its shots from the field but knocked down 9-of-21 three-pointers, including 7-of-12 in the second half. Nebraska hit just 5-of-24 three-pointers, including just two of its first 20. Both teams committed 13 turnovers, while Iowa State outrebounded NU 46-40.

Scouting the Oklahoma State Cowgirls
The most improved team in the Big 12 Conference, Oklahoma State has secured a postseason bid this season and is in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Cowgirls are coming off a 64-52 win at Texas on Wednesday to post their third win in the last five games.

Oklahoma State is a perfect 4-0 against the Big 12 North this season, including the only win by any visiting team this season to Hilton Coliseum when the Cowgirls knocked off Iowa State, 45-44, on Jan. 13. OSU faces Nebraska on Senior Night on Saturday before closing the regular season at Kansas State.

OSU’s other two league wins this season came with a sweep of Texas, but they have taken several teams from the Big 12 South down to the wire, losing two games to Texas A&M by a total of three points and falling to Texas Tech, 63-61, on a last-second shot by the Lady Raiders in Stillwater.

Rashidat Sadiq, a 6-2 senior from Lagos, Nigeria by way of the University of Connecticut and Central Arizona Community College, leads the Cowgirls with 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while starting every game this season. Sadiq, who is tied for the team lead with 24 three-pointers, has been joined in the starting lineup for every game by former Central Arizona teammate Danielle Green. The 5-8 junior guard from Philadelphia is averaging 11.0 points and a team-leading 6.2 boards per game while tying for the team lead with 22 blocks.

Freshman Andrea Riley has provided spectacular play in the backcourt by averaging 12.2 points and 3.1 rebounds while making 26 starts. The 5-5 point guard from Dallas, Texas, also leads OSU with 5.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game to rank among the Big 12 leaders in both categories.

Sophomore forward Shaunte’ Smith (6.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and junior forward Dominique Chism (5.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg) round out OSU’s probable starting lineup.

Maria Cordero, a 6-3 junior center, has also been a major contributor off the bench for OSU, averaging 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Taylor Hardeman, a 5-10 sophomore from Norman, Okla., has added 4.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while knocking down 24 three-pointers.

Seniors Christian Hood, Brisa Silva and Destanie Sykes also see regular playing time for the Cowgirls.

During Big 12 Conference play, OSU is averaging 62.5 points per game and shooting 38.5 percent from the field. They are shooting 30.3 percent from three-point range in league play but have four players who have connected on double-digit three-pointers. They own a plus-0.4 team rebounding margin and a plus-0.6 team turnover margin against league foes, while shooting 67 percent from the free throw line.

Nebraska vs. Oklahoma State Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Oklahoma State, 30-23, including five straight series victories. The Huskers posted an 81-56 win over the Cowgirls in Lincoln last season in OSU Coach Kurt Budke’s first meeting against the Huskers.

NU Coach Connie Yori’s teams are undefeated against the Cowgirls, owning a 5-0 record in Yori’s first four seasons in Lincoln. The Huskers knocked off OSU, 73-59 in Stillwater, for their only league win in Yori’s first season at Nebraska on Feb. 1, 2003. NU cruised to a 64-41 win over the Cowgirls in Lincoln on Feb. 11, 2004, before escaping from Gallagher-Iba Arena with a 73-71 victory on Kiera Hardy’s last-second shot on Feb. 1, 2005.

The Huskers also defeated Oklahoma State, 60-45, in Kansas City, Mo., on March 8, 2005.

Despite Nebraska’s recent success, the home teams have controlled the series during its history, with OSU posting a 14-7 record in Stillwater, while the Huskers own a 15-6 advantage at the Devaney Center.

Huskers Post 10th 20-Win Campaign, First Under Yori
Nebraska secured its 10th 20-win season in school history with its 62-55 victory at Kansas State on Feb. 7, before posting win No. 21 at Colorado on Feb. 10.

NU’s 20-win campaign is its first since 1998-99, when the Huskers finished with a 21-12 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles. It is Nebraska’s first 20-win campaign under fifth-year coach Connie Yori, who led the Huskers to 19 wins in 2005-06 and a pair of 18-win seasons in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

The 2006-07 Huskers achieved 21 wins faster than any team in school history. The 1978-79 NU club earned its 21st win with a 68-61 victory over Missouri on Feb. 19. That win came in the 31st game of the season.

Only five teams in Nebraska history have reached the 22-victory mark in a season, with the earliest coming from the 1978-79 squad against South Dakota in a 78-56 win on Feb. 26, 1979. The 1997-98 team added its 22nd win of the year against Iowa State (68-60) on Feb. 28, 1998, the only other time in school history a team has won 22 games before March.

Huskers Shoot for 13th Road Win at Oklahoma State
With a 12-3 record away from the Devaney Center, Nebraska’s .800 road winning percentage is on track to shatter the school mark, which came with a 15-8 road record (.652) in 1975-76.

The Huskers will play their last regular-season road game on Saturday, but have 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 16 of its last 21 games away from home.

Nebraska is 5-2 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), at Missouri (Jan. 20) and earned their first road win at Kansas State (Feb. 7) since 2001. NU notched just its fourth-ever road win at Colorado (Feb. 10). The Big 12 North is 11-30 in league road games, with the Huskers owning nearly have the victories.

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 year against the Huskers, the Aggies went on the road and ended then-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.

Hardy Among 30 Candidates for Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award
Although Kiera Hardy did not make the list of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award announced on Feb. 21, Nebraska senior Kiera Hardy was one of just 30 candidates for the award honoring 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., was 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. None advanced to the final ballot.

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 seventh in Big 12 history with 252 three-pointers. The 5-6 guard out of O’Hara High School in Kansas City, Mo., also ranks sixth in NU history with 1,851 career points. Hardy has helped NU to three consecutive postseason tournament appearances and their first 20-win season since 1998-99 this year. The Huskers had suffered through three consecutive losing seasons before her arrival.

In 2006-07, Hardy is averaging 15.5 points per game and leads the Huskers with 56 three-pointers. She has started a team-leading 91 games in her career, including 88 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 119-game Husker career.

Hardy, who is also a nominee for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award honoring the nation’s top senior player 5-8 or under, 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 28 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 fifth 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 15.8 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 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. 25 Huskers enter Saturday’s game in sole possession of fourth place in the Big 12 standings at 9-5. As a team, the Huskers rank second in the Big 12 with their 44.7 field goal percentage, which has helped NU rank fourth in the league in scoring offense (71.2 ppg).

Nebraska has risen to third in the conference with its 70.7 free throw percentage, while also ranking fifth in the league with 5.07 made three-pointers per game. NU is also fifth in the Big 12 in rebounding margin (+3.5 rpg).

In league games only, Nebraska ranks second in the Big 12 with its 43.0 field goal percentage and rebound margin (+2.9), while ranking third in the conference in scoring offense (66.4 ppg) and scoring margin (+4.0 ppg). The Huskers are also third in the league in free throw percentage (75.0 percent). NU is allowing Big 12 foes just 35.3 total rebounds per game, the second-best total in the league. Nebraska also ranks fifth in the league in field goal percentage defense at 39.1 percent.

Griffin Among Leaders in Big 12 Statistics
Kelsey Griffin ranks seventh in the Big 12 Conference in scoring with 15.1 points per game, while ranking fifth in rebounding at 8.5 boards per contest. Griffin’s 55.6 field goal percentage ranks third in the Big 12.

The 6-2 sophomore forward also ranks sixth in the conference with 3.04 offensive rebounds per game and fifth in the league with 5.50 defensive boards per contest. She has led Nebraska in rebounding 19 times this season.

Griffin leads Nebraska in rebounding, free throws made (106) and free throws attempted (150). 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 847 points and grabbed 431 rebounds while starting 60 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.

Huskers Feature Solid Starting Five
The Nebraska lineup has showcased the same starting five through each of the first 28 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 Swats Way Up Nebraska Blocked Shot Lists
Junior Danielle Page has established herself as one of the Big 12’s best shot blockers in her three seasons in Lincoln and is attacking the Husker record book this season. Page smashed the NU single-game record with nine blocks in Nebraska’s 76-67 win over No. 13 Baylor on Feb. 3, breaking the previous mark of seven set by Katie Morse with seven against Texas A&M on Jan. 17, 2004.

Over the last seven games, Page has notched 24 blocks (3.4 bpg), including three at Iowa State on Tuesday to reach the 50-block mark on the year. Page became just the fourth player in Nebraska history to block 50 shots in a season, joining Janet Smith (four times), Katie Morse (54, 2003-04) and Casey Leonhardt (51, 2000-01).

With her next block, Page will move into a tie for sixth on NU’s single-season block list and with four more blocks she will jump into a tie for fourth. Janet Smith, NU’s career leader with 238 blocks, owns the top three single-season block marks in school history with 56 in 1981-82, 59 in 1980-81 and 69 in 1979-80.

Page enters the Oklahoma State game with 119 career blocked shots and needs seven more to catch Charlie Rogers (1997-2000) in second place on NU’s all-time list with 126.

Page also needs nine more blocks to catch Smith for the most blocked shots ever by a Nebraska junior at 59.

Last season, Page’s 38 blocks ranked as the second-most in history by an NU sophomore, trailing only Smith’s 69. Page’s 31 blocks ranked fourth in history among NU freshmen. Page has joined Smith as the only Huskers in history to record 30 or more blocks in three consecutive seasons.

Aubry Among Big 12 Leaders 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. Aubry leads the Huskers and ranks second in the Big 12 with her 43.1 percent (28-65) shooting from three-point range this season.

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 surpassed her previous single-season best with 28 made three-pointers through 27 games this season.

Last season, Aubry connected on 27-of-77 (35.1 percent) of her three-point attempts. She has hit 73 three-pointers in her career to become the first forward to crack Nebraska’s all-time top-10 list in that category. She ranks ninth on NU’s all-time three-point list and needs six more to catch Margaret Richards in eighth place with 79.

Aubry has scored in double figures 10 times this season, including a career-high 26-point outburst at Missouri on Jan. 20. Aubry is averaging 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on the year.

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.

She added another strong performance with 14 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a block against Texas Tech (Feb. 14), before adding seven points, seven rebounds and two blocks against Missouri (Feb. 17). She pumped in 12 points with six rebounds and three blocks at Iowa State (Feb. 20). She is averaging 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in Big 12 games this season. Her block average ranks second in the Big 12 behind only 3.93 per game from Oklahoma All-American Courtney Paris.

On the season, Page ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 6.9 points per game, while ranking second with 5.4 rebounds per contest. She has scored in double figures six times.

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 23 assists with just 30 turnovers. Page had distributed just 17 total assists while turning the ball over 66 times in her first two years.

Griffin Gets it Done at the Free Throw Line
Kelsey Griffin leads the Huskers with 106 made free throws on the season and is approaching several marks in the Nebraska record book. The 6-2 forward, who is shooting 74.4 percent from the line in Big 12 play, has tied NU’s sophomore single-season free throw record. She needs just one 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 five 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 Oklahoma State game with 227 career free throws, needing 27 more to crack the NU career list.

Hardy Provides Explosiveness, Consistency, Efficiency
Kiera Hardy is averaging 15.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 41.0 percent from the field and 35.0 percent (56-160) from three-point range.

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 24 times, including 16 straight games, and has scored 20 or more points five times 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 effort 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 NU’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 NU to an 18-4 lead 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 minutes.

Huskers Reach Highest Ranking in Eight Years in 2006-07
Nebraska earned its highest national raning in eight years with a No. 19 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 poll on Feb. 12. NU’s highest point total of the season came with 394 votes. The Huskers’ No. 19 ranking was their highest since being ranked 19th on Monday, Dec. 28, 1998.

The Huskers have been ranked in the AP Top 25 for five straight weeks and six times this season after managing a No. 25 ranking on Feb. 19. NU was No. 24 in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 on Feb. 20.

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.

Nebraska was ranked No. 16 on Monday, Jan. 5, 1998. NU achieved its highest ranking in school history at No. 12 on Monday, Dec. 1, 1997.

Nebraska’s Attendance on the Rise
Nebraska drew its largest crowd of the season with 7,821 fans watching the Huskers take on Missouri at the Devaney Center on Feb. 17. It was NU’s second crowd of the season of more than 7,500, including the Huskers’ largest January crowd in history with 7,727 fans for the Big 12 home opener against No. 8 Oklahoma on Jan. 6.

The Huskers added 6,105 fans for "Dollar Days" in a 76-67 win over No. 13 Baylor on Feb. 3.

Nebraska’s average home attendance through 13 regular-season home games is 3,983. 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 seven Big 12 home games this year, the Huskers are averaging 5,183 fans per game, an increase of more than 23 percent.

Hardy Shoots Toward Top of Big 12 Three-Point Charts
Nebraska’s all-time three-point leader, Kiera Hardy has hit 56 of her 160 three-point attempts this season to climb into seventh place on the Big 12’s all-time three-point list with 252.

Hardy trails the Big 12’s active three-point leader Erin Higgins, who has hit 258 trifectas in her four-year career. Higgins, who entered the season with 222 threes, has knocked down 36-of-115 threes through Oklahoma’s first 25 games.

Former Kansas State Wildcat Kristin Rethman sits in fifth place on the all-time Big 12 list with 266 threes, 14 more than Hardy’s total entering the Oklahoma State game on Saturday.

Hardy ranks third in the Big 12 with 2.00 made three-pointers per game, trailing only Missouri’s Alyssa Hollins (2.15) and Kansas State’s Kimberly Dietz (2.11). Hardy also ranks 11th in the Big 12 in three-point accuracy at 35.0 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. 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 118-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 a team-leading 15.5 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 1,800-point scoring mark with her game-high 16 points in NU’s win at Colorado on Feb. 10. She ranks sixth on the Husker all-time scoring list with 1,851. Hardy needs just nine points to surpass WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge (1995-98) in the No. 5 position with 1,859 points, and just 17 to pass Nicole Kubik (1997-2000) in No. 4 with 1,867 points.

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 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Aubry has started 86 games in her NU career, including an active streak of 74 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 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), before grabbing a career-best 12 boards in NU’s win at Kansas State on Feb. 7.

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. She has posted back-to-back double-figure scoring efforts 11 points in a win at Colorado (Feb. 10) and 12 against Texas Tech (Feb. 14).

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 added nine points and nine rebounds at Iowa State on Feb. 20. Spiric produced a solid 11-point effort at Creighton on Dec. 19.

Spiric is averaging 6.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 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 28 games this season, LaFleur is averaging 5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game . She has hit 16-of-49 attempts (32.7 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 went 7-2 during the demanding 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 sweeps of 2006 WNIT champion Kansas State and WNIT qualifier Kansas, a road win at 2006 NCAA qualifier Missouri (Jan. 20) and a win over WNIT qualifier Iowa State (62-49, Jan. 31). NU’s only other loss during the stretch was a 66-65 setback at No. 21 Texas A&M (Jan. 24), a 2006 NCAA qualifier.

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 has the Huskers in the middle of an impressive growth stage after 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 Huskers have already produced a two-game improvement in the win column this year with a 21-7 record and the first 20-win campaign at Nebraska since 1998-99. NU has also secured its first winning conference season since 1999-2000 and are within reach of setting school records for overall wins (23) and conference wins (11).

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)

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.

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 309-112 (.734) in games played in the arena, including 113-72 (.611) in conference games. NU is 9-4 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. NU added a season-high crowd of 7,821 against Missouri on Feb. 17.

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.