Huskers Face Baylor in Top 25 Battle

#22 Nebraska (18-4, 6-2)
vs. #13 Baylor (19-3, 6-2)
Devaney Center (13,595) 
Lincoln, Neb.
Saturday, Feb. 3 ? 2:30 p.m.
Promotion: Dollar Days
($1 admission, $1 hot dogs, $1 Pepsi products)
Special Event: Red Cross Appreciation Day
Live Television: FSN
(Ch. 37 in Lincoln/Ch. 47 in Omaha)
Play-by-Play: Kevin Eschenfelder 
Analyst: Debbie Antonelli
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(Huskers.com/98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln)
Series Record: Baylor leads, 7-4
Last Meeting in Lincoln: Nebraska 103, #2 Baylor 99 3OT - Jan. 12, 2005
(longest game in school history)

No. 22 Huskers Face No. 13 Baylor 
In Top 25 Battle on Dollar Days
The No. 22 Nebraska women’s basketball team (18-4, 6-2) shoots for a three-game sweep of its Big 12 Conference homestand when the Huskers battle No. 13 Baylor (19-3, 6-2) Saturday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The Devaney Center should be rocking with the electricity of a top-25 showdown on the court, Nebraska’s special Dollar Days promotion ($1 admission, $1 hot dogs, $1 Pepsi products) in the stands and a national television audience provided by Fox Sports Net for the special 2:30 p.m. tip-off.

Kevin Eschenfelder and Debbie Antonelli will call the action live on FSN (Ch. 37 in Lincoln/Ch. 47 in Omaha), while Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will provide the call in Nebraska’s live radio broadcast on 98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln, select Husker Sports Network stations and on Huskers.com (free).

The Huskers remained in a tie with Baylor and No. 18 Texas A&M in second place in the Big 12 standings with a 62-49 win over visiting Iowa State on Wednesday in Lincoln. The Huskers, Lady Bears and Aggies sit just one-half game behind No. 9 Oklahoma (7-2), which dropped its second straight game with a loss at Texas on Wednesday.

The win improved NU to 18-4 on the year, matching the 1987-88 Husker squad for the best 22-game mark in school history. It also marked just the third time in school history and the first time since 1979 that NU reached the 18-win mark by the end of January.

A win over Baylor would give Nebraska 19 wins to match last year’s team for the most wins at NU since 1998-99 - the same year the Huskers posted their last 20-win season with a 21-12 mark. If the Huskers can move to 7-2 in the league it would also match their best Big 12 start in history (1996-97).

Along with the significance of Saturday’s game between Nebraska and Baylor to the Big 12 title race, the matchup also holds a special place in Husker basketball history. In the last meeting with the Lady Bears in Lincoln, the Huskers notched arguably the biggest win in school history with a 103-99 triple overtime victory over the eventual 2005 NCAA champions. Kiera Hardy scored a career-high 37 points, while Jelena Spiric added a career-high 19 against then-No. 2 Baylor to carry the Huskers to a win over the highest-ranked opponent in school history.

Huskers Shoot Past Cyclones, 62-49
Kelsey Griffin, Kiera Hardy and Jelena Spiric all scored in double figures to lead the No. 22 Nebraska women’s basketball team to a 62-49 win over visiting Iowa State at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Wednesday.

Griffin led Nebraska with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 night at the free throw line. Hardy added 14 points, including 2-of-3 three-pointers and a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the stripe. Spiric hit 4-of-6 shots from the field, including a three-pointer, while connecting on both of her free throw attempts.

As a team, Nebraska set a school record for the best free throw percentage in a game by hitting all 16 of their attempts, surpassing a 15-for-15 performance against Oklahoma State on Jan. 14, 1989. It is only the third time in school history that NU has been perfect from the line when attempting more than 10 free throws.

As a team, NU hit 45.7 percent (21-46) of its shots, including 4-of-12 three-point attempts (33.3 percent).

While the Huskers enjoyed a perfect shooting night at the line, it was their pressure defense that turned the balance in their favor over the game’s final 25 minutes. With the score tied at 26 with 4:52 left in the first half, Nebraska turned up its defensive pressure and held ISU to just seven points over the next 14 minutes, building an eight-point lead with 11 minutes left in the game.

Iowa State stayed within 10 points at 52-42 with 5:36 left, but the Huskers closed the door on the Cyclones with an 8-0 run over the next 2:14, highlighted by four straight points from TK LaFleur. Hardy capped the run with her first two free throws of the night to make it 60-42 with 3:22 left in the game.

Nebraska’s swarming defense held the Cyclones without a three-pointer for nearly 33 minutes until Alison Lacey knocked down ISU’s only triple of the second half with 16 seconds left in the game. ISU was just 3-for-18 from long range on the night. The Huskers held Iowa State to just 36.5 percent (19-52) shooting. ISU also was just 8-of-12 at the free throw line. The Cyclones matched NU on the boards and committed just 12 turnovers despite the heavy pressure, but were unable to get into any kind of offensive rhythm.

Medders, an All-Big 12 guard was unable to play because of a concussion. Without Medders on the court, fellow senior Megan Ronhovde stepped up and scored 11 points in the first 15 minutes before being whistled for her second foul on a drive by NU’s Kala Kuhlmann with 5:14 left in the first half. Kuhlmann, a native of Charter Oak, Iowa, hit both free throws and ISU managed just two points the rest of the half.

Nebraska carried a 33-26 lead into the locker room as eight Huskers found the scoring column. Griffin led the Huskers with nine first-half points, while Hardy added seven in the opening period.

NU ended the half on a 7-0 run, including a Hardy layup, a three-point play from freshman guard Yvonne Turner and a layup from Griffin to end the half.

For the game, Toccara Ross led Iowa State with 14 points and six rebounds, while Ronhovde added 13 points and five boards.

Scouting the No. 13 Baylor Lady Bears
No. 13 Baylor comes to Lincoln riding a four-game winning streak after escaping from Waco with a 71-70 win over visiting Missouri on Wednesday.

Baylor owns one of the most dominant scoring margins in the conference, outscoring its opponents by 17.7 point per game on the year. But Big 12 foes have narrowed the gap, with BU winning by an average of just 2.3 points per game. BU opened league play with a seven-point home win over Texas Tech, before working its way to a seven-point win at Kansas. The Lady Bears suffered back-to-back losses to Oklahoma (76-63 in Waco) and 60-52 (at Texas A&M) - the same two teams that beat the Huskers.

Baylor rebounded with a nine-point win over Kansas State in Waco, before posting back-to-back road wins at Texas and Oklahoma State. BU’s largest margin in the league came with the 11-point win over the Cowgirls.

Senior Bernice Mosby leads an explosive Baylor offense. Mosby, a 6-1 transfer from Florida, is averaging 19.0 points and 9.3 rebounds per game to lead a BU attack that has produced 76.0 points per game.

Junior point guard Angela Tisdale has added 10.4 points and a team-leading 4.0 assists per game, while hitting 27-of-81 (33.3 percent) three-pointers.

Sophomore forward Rachel Allison has joined Mosby and Tisdale in the starting lineup for all 22 games to average 7.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Another sophomore, Jessica Morrow has contributed 9.5 points and 3.0 boards while making 20 starts.

Freshman guard Latara Darrett has joined the Lady Bears’ starting lineup in recent games and is averaging 8.0 points and 3.2 rebounds while leading the team with 29 three-pointers.

Freshman Danielle Wilson, a 6-3 post player, has also made a major impact for BU, averaging 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds while blocking nearly three shots per game.

Sophomore Jhasmin Player, who is coming off a career-high 21-point effort against Missouri, has been a frequent starter for the Lady Bears. She is averaging 7.0 points and 3.5 boards per game while making 17 starts.

As a team, Baylor ranks among the Big 12 leaders by hitting 44.7 percent of its shots from the field, but the Lady Bears are shooting just 31.9 percent from three-point range and 65 percent at the free throw line.

Along with their strong offensive production, BU is one of the most explosive and athletic defensive teams in the Big 12, averaging 7.7 blocked shots and 11.5 steals per game. The Lady Bears own a plus-6.8 team rebounding margin and a plus-4.9 team turnover margin.

Nebraska vs. Baylor Series History
Baylor leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 7-4, including wins in five of the last six games. However, the Huskers’ win over the Lady Bears was one for the history books - coming in a 103-99 triple overtime victory on Jan. 12, 2005, in the last meeting at the Devaney Center.

Not only was it the longest game in Big 12 history, the win over then-No. 2 Baylor gave the Huskers a win over their highest-ranked opponent in school history. The Lady Bears went on to win the 2005 NCAA championship.

Kiera Hardy scored a career-high 37 points and connected on 6-of-10 three-pointers in the game, while Jelena Spiric added a career-high 19 points. Hardy played a career-high 52 minutes, while Spiric added a career-high 44 minutes. Jina Johansen, a senior point guard at the time, set the Big 12 mark by playing all 55 minutes.

Danielle Page, then a freshman for the Huskers, came off the bench to score six points and grab four rebounds in 39 minutes. Chelsea Aubry was also on the roster for NU, but did not play in the game because of an injury.

The only current Baylor player on the roster the last time the two teams met in Lincoln is Angela Tisdale, who started at point guard. Tisdale had five points and four assists in 18 minutes. All-American Sophia Young led BU with 29 points and 14 rebounds - one of three Lady Bears to post a double-double in the game. Steffanie Blackmon added 26 points and 11 boards, while Chanelle Fox contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Nebraska’s series with Baylor is the shortest among current Big 12 schools. The two teams never met before the conference began play in 1996-97. The Huskers won the inaugural meeting, 91-73, in Lincoln on Feb. 19, 1997. NU added a pair of wins during the 1999-2000 season, including its lone win in Waco.

18-4 Mark Matches Best 22-Game Start in NU History
With Nebraska’s 62-49 win over Iowa State on Wednesday, the Huskers matched the 1987-88 club for the best record (18-4) 22 games into a season in school history. Nebraska’s 18 wins also tied the 1978-79 squad for the second-highest win total at the end of January in school history, trailing only 19 wins from the 1976-77 club.

The 2006-07 Huskers reached win No. 18 against the same opponent on the same day as the 1978-79 team, as Coach Lorrie Gallagher’s team worked its way to a 59-54 win over Iowa State (59-54) on Jan. 31, 1979. The 1978-79 squad finished January with an 18-8 record during a 23-13 season.

The 1976-77 team posted a school-record 19 wins by the end of January, but those victories came alongside 11 losses during a 21-16 overall campaign.

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 owns NU’s records for the best 23 and 24-game starts in history.

Dollar Days Return to Devaney for No. 13 Baylor Saturday Dollar Days, which features $1 admission, $1 hot dogs and $1 Pepsi products, return to the Bob Devaney Sports in Lincoln when the No. 22 Huskers battle No. 13 Baylor on Saturday in an important Big 12 showdown. The Huskers and Lady Bears enter the game in a tie for second place in the conference standings at 6-2.

The last time the two teams met in Lincoln, the Huskers produced one of the biggest wins in school history in a 103-99 triple overtime thriller. Kiera Hardy scored a career-high 37 points to help Nebraska knock off the eventual 2005 national champions.

Saturday’s game with Baylor will also be Red Cross Appreciation Day at the Devaney Center. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. with live national television coverage provided by FSN.

Nebraska’s first Dollar Days event came against then-No. 14 Iowa State on Feb. 12, 2005, when the Huskers knocked off the Cyclones, 88-59, in front of 12,429 fans. Less than two weeks later, 13,023 fans watched NU battle then-No. 17 Kansas State on Feb. 23.

A season-high crowd of 7,114 watched Nebraska run to a 73-61 victory over Kansas on Jan. 7, 2006, in NU’s only Dollar Days event. The attendance was NU’s largest ever in January until the Huskers surpassed that mark with 7,727 fans at this season’s Big 12 home opener against then-No. 8 Oklahoma on Jan. 6.

NU’s game with Baylor will be the women’s basketball team’s only Dollar Days promotion of the season.

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 241 three-pointers. The 5-6 guard out of O’Hara High School in Kansas City, Mo., also ranks eighth in NU history with 1,763 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 15.8 points per game and leads the Huskers with 45 three-pointers.

She has started a team-leading 85 games in her career, including 82 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 113-game Husker career.

Hardy is one of five players from the Big 12 Conference on the preseason Naismith Trophy list, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris, Texas A&M’s Morenike Atunrase, Iowa State’s Lyndsey Medders, and Tiffany Jackson from Texas.

The list of the top 50 players was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its preseason criteria on player performances from last season and expectations for 2006-07.

In January, the Board of Selectors will narrow its preseason list to the top 30 players in the nation. Those players, and others who distinguish themselves throughout the season, will be eligible for the final ballot in March.

Griffin Causing Double Trouble for Opponents
Kelsey Griffin, the Dallas Morning News 2006 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, has continued to expand her game as a sophomore. The 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, has produced nine double-doubles in NU’s first 22 contests, tripling her total of three from her freshman campaign when she started all 32 games for the Huskers.

Griffin, who captured Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors on Jan. 8, posted her ninth double-double with a season-high 24 points and 10 rebounds in NU’s win over Kansas on Jan. 27. She also notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds at No. 21 Texas A&M on Jan. 24. Her nine double-doubles are tied for the fourth most in the Big 12 this season. Three of her double-doubles have come in Big 12 play, and seven of her double-doubles 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 18.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in league action.

She notched double-doubles with 15 points and 13 rebounds at Florida (Dec. 29) and 18 points and 10 boards against NC State (Dec. 28) to earn a spot on the all-tournament team while leading the Huskers to the State Farm Classic title in Gainesville, Fla. She scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds in just 20 minutes in the Huskers’ 38-point win over Nicholls State (Dec. 21), after adding her fourth double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Creighton on Dec. 19, when she played a season-high 31 minutes.

She posted three 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. 22 Huskers enter Saturday’s game in a three-way tie with No. 13 Baylor and No. 18 Texas A&M for second place in the Big 12 standings at 6-2. As a team, the Huskers rank second in the Big 12 and 15th nationally with their 46.1 field goal percentage, which has helped the Huskers rank third in scoring offense at 73.9 points per game.

Nebraska has risen to third in the conference with its 71.0 free throw percentage, while also ranking fifth in the league with 5.09 made three-pointers per game. NU is also tied for fifth in the Big 12 in rebounding margin (+3.6 rpg).

In league games only, Nebraska leads the Big 12 with its 46.0 field goal percentage, while ranking second in the conference in scoring offense (70.2 ppg), scoring margin (+6.8 ppg) and rebound margin (+2.8 rpg). The Huskers are also second in the league in free throw percentage (77.7 percent). Nebraska’s 0.76 assist-to-turnover ratio also ranks fourth in conference games only.

The Huskers are allowing their Big 12 opponents just 33.9 total rebounds per game, the best total in the league.

Griffin Among Leaders in Big 12 Statistics
Kelsey Griffin ranks sixth in the Big 12 Conference in scoring and rebounding with 16.1 points and 8.5 boards per contest. Griffin’s 60.6 field goal percentage ranks second in the Big 12 and ninth nationally through games Jan. 28, while matching the Nebraska school-record pace set by Charlie Rogers in 1997-98.

The 6-2 sophomore forward also ranks seventh in the conference with 3.05 offensive rebounds per game and seventh in the league with 5.41 defensive boards per contest. She has led Nebraska in rebounding 17 times this season.

Griffin leads Nebraska in rebounding, free throws made (91) and free throws attempted (126). 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 779 points and grabbed 378 rebounds while starting 55 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 23 of her last 41 three-point attempts (56.1 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 48.9 percent (23-47).

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 68 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 two more threes 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, including 8.9 points and 5.0 rebounds during Big 12 Conference action.

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

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

Through 10 home games this season the Huskers are averaging 3,396 fans per game, a number that is expected to climb dramatically during Big 12 play. In six non-conference dates, NU averaged 2,583 fans per game, an increase of more than 20 percent over its 2005-06 non-conference average of 2,126 fans per game.

In eight Big 12 Conference home games last season, the Huskers averaged 4,209 fans per contest. In four Big 12 home games this season, the Huskers are averaging 4,616 fans per game heading into Saturday’s "Dollar Days" game with No. 13 Baylor.

Huskers Feature Solid Starting Five
The Nebraska lineup has showcased the same starting five through each of the first 22 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, Page has climbed to fourth on the team in scoring with 6.7 points per game, while ranking second on the team with 4.8 rebounds per contest. She also leads the Huskers with 30 total blocks, joining school-record holder Janet Smith as the only Huskers to post 30 or more blocks in three straight seasons.

Page also ranks third on the team in assist-to-turnover ratio with 19 assists and just 19 turnovers on the year.

Over the last 11 games, she has been even better, averaging 8.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. 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.

In Big 12 Conference play, Page is averaging 8.3 points and 5.3 boards per contest, while hitting 56.9 percent of her shots from the field. She also has 15 blocked shots while playing just under 20 minutes per game.

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 a career-high tying five blocked shots against UC Irvine on Nov. 24. She added her first double-figure scoring effort of the year with 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks against Nicholls State.

A dominant defender in the post, Page is one of the leading shot-blockers in Nebraska history. She ranks sixth on the Husker career block chart with 99 and needs just six blocks to move up to third. She has added 63 steals and 224 defensive rebounds in her career, making her one of NU’s top all-around defensive players.

Griffin Gets it Done at the Free Throw Line
Kelsey Griffin leads the Huskers with 91 made free throws on the season and is approaching several marks in the Nebraska record book. The 6-2 forward who is shooting nearly 80 percent from the line in Big 12 play, needs just three more free throws to crack Nebraska’s sophomore single-season top five. She needs just 16 more made free throws to break the current 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 20 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 Baylor game with 212 career free throws, needing 42 more to crack the NU career list.

Hardy Provides Explosiveness, Consistency, Efficiency
Kiera Hardy is averaging 15.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 37.5 percent (45-120) from three-point range in 2006-07.

Hardy’s production has come while averaging 27.0 minutes and 12.4 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 has scored in double figures 18 times this season, including 10 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 three spots to No. 22 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll on Monday, the second straight week and third time this season the Huskers have appeared in the weekly writers’ poll. The Huskers picked up 26 points in the poll, increasing their total to 154 points.

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.

Last week’s No. 24 Texas, which NU defeated 79-75 in Austin, Texas, on Jan. 3, previous No. 23 Michigan State and No. 22 Mississippi all lost two games last week to fall out of the poll. Rutgers, Wisconsin-Green Bay and James Madison moved into the top 25 behind the Huskers.

The Huskers’ No. 22 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.

Huskers' School-Record Road Winning Streak Ends at 10
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.

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 has not won 10 road games since earning 11 victories in 1992-93. The 1975-76 Huskers won a school-record 15 games (15-8), while the 1976-77 squad added 14 wins (14-14). 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 4-22 in league road games with Iowa State managing the only other road win by a North division team at Kansas on Jan. 20.

Hardy Shoots Toward Top of Big 12 Three-Point Charts
Nebraska’s all-time three-point leader, Kiera Hardy has hit 45 of her 120 three-point attempts to open the season to climb into eighth place on the Big 12’s all-time three-point list with 241.

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 28-of-87 threes through Oklahoma’s first 20 games.

Hardy ranks third in the Big 12 with 2.05 made three-pointers per game, trailing only Kansas State’s Kimberly Dietz (2.43) and Missouri’s Alyssa Hollins (2.29). Hardy also ranks 10th in the Big 12 in three-point accuracy at 37.5 percent.

After hitting a school-record 85 three-pointers as a sophomore in 2004-05, Hardy added 81 threes a year ago while leading the Big 12 with 2.53 made per game. She could realistically climb to No. 2 on the Big 12 all-time chart. Megan Taylor of Iowa State ranks second in league history with 287 career three-pointers as a four-year starter at Iowa State from 1998 to 2001. Laurie Koehn from Kansas State owns the Big 12 record with 392 three-pointers in her career from 2001 to 2005.

Hardy smashed Nebraska’s three-point record with six three-pointers against Texas on Jan. 18, 2006. She finished the night with 158 threes in 75 games, shooting past current WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge’s previous Nebraska mark of 155 three-pointers in 117 career games.

With seven three-pointers against Iowa on March 21, 2005, Hardy shares Nebraska’s single-game record and has hit six or more three-pointers in a game on five occasions.

Hardy 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 113-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 15.8 points per game, including a season-high 32 points in Nebraska’s 72-65 win at USC on Nov. 26. Hardy’s total against the Women of Troy tied for the second-highest scoring mark of her career, trailing only her 37-point performance against eventual national champion Baylor in 2005.

Hardy’s fourth 30-point scoring effort of her career pushed her career total beyond 1,500 points with her first basket of the second half. She crossed the 1,600-point scoring mark with 29 points at Florida on Dec. 29, before adding 27 points at Texas on Jan. 3. She crossed the 1,700-point plateau with 22 points in NU’s win over No. 25 Kansas State on Jan. 17. She ranks eighth on the Husker all-time scoring list with 1,763 points and needs 15 points to catch Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-83) in the No. 7 spot with 1,778. Hardy ranks seventh in the Big 12 in scoring this season, while also ranking 12th in assists (2.82 apg). Hardy is shooting a career-best 42.3 percent from the field and a career-high 37.5 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 48.9 percent (23-47) accuracy from three-point range.

Aubry has started 80 games in her NU career, including an active streak of 68 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 is coming off 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 Wednesday. 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 6.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a team-leading 1.3 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 at least eight points on five other occasions off the bench this year.

Through 22 games this season, LaFleur is averaging 6.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game to help NU to an 18-4 record. She has also hit 13-of-37 attempts (35.1 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 five wins over 2006 postseason clubs in the past seven games, Nebraska is 9-2 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 5-2 so far during that nine-game stretch, which includes a game with 2005 NCAA and Big 12 champion Baylor at the Devaney Center on Feb. 3, along with road contests at 2006 NCAA qualifiers Missouri (Jan. 20) and No. 21 Texas A&M (Jan. 24). Big 12 North series with 2006 WNIT champion Kansas State and WNIT qualifier Kansas will be completed during the run, while the Huskers also defeated WNIT qualifier Iowa State 62-49 at home on Jan. 31.

If Nebraska can capitalize on its opportunities during the first 10 games of the Big 12 schedule, the Huskers could have a chance to build momentum heading into the postseason with four of their last six league games coming against teams that did not advance to postseason play a year ago.

The Huskers honor their four-player senior class on Feb. 27 in the regular-season finale against Colorado, before going to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at the COX Convention Center in Oklahoma City, March 6-10.

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 308-110 (.737) in games played in the arena, including 112-70 (.615) in conference games. NU is 8-2 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.