2006-07 Nebraska Season Review2006-07 Nebraska Season Review
Women's Basketball

2006-07 Nebraska Season Review

Lincoln - The Nebraska women’s basketball team ended one of its best seasons in history with a 22-10 record after a 64-61 loss to Temple in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament in Raleigh, N.C., on March 18.

Although Nebraska will lose the services of four senior starters next year, including three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection Kiera Hardy, honorable-mention All-Big 12 pick Chelsea Aubry, Jelena Spiric and Ashley Ford, the Huskers are confident they can continue the program’s growth since Coach Connie Yori’s first season in 2002-03.

Nebraska’s trip to the NCAA Tournament at the RBC Center was its first bid to the Big Dance since 2000, and marked the first time in school history that the Huskers had advanced to the postseason four straight seasons. Nebraska’s 22 victories were just one shy of the school-record win total, and NU’s season included three wins over Associated Press Top 25 teams and four squads that advanced to the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers, who earned their first opening-round bye at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships since 1998, posted a 10-6 league mark to finish in a tie for fourth place with Iowa State. NU claimed the first-round bye on the strength of its 8-2 record against Big 12 North Division foes, the best mark by any North team in 2007.

Nebraska’s 10-6 Big 12 record was its best league finish since 1999-2000, and marked the third straight year that the Huskers finished in the top six in the Big 12 standings with a .500 or better record.

Along with their Big 12 Conference success, the Huskers enjoyed a strong non-conference season with a 12-2 record that included a 20-point win over 2007 NCAA Sweet 16 participant North Carolina State and a win over Mountain West Conference champion and NCAA Tournament qualifier New Mexico. The Huskers won the State Farm Classic Tournament title with wins over NC State and Florida in Gainesville, helping produce the best road winning percentage (.667) in school history with a 12-6 road record. Four of NU’s six losses on the road were by three points or less, and all six road losses came at the hands of 2007 NCAA Tournament teams.

2006-07 Nebraska Cornhuskers
(22-10 Overall, 10-6 Big 12)

Team Season Highlights

  • Seventh NCAA Tournament Appearance in School History
  • First NCAA Tournament Bid Since 2000
  • Fourth Consecutive Postseason Tournament Appearance
  • Second-Highest Win Total in School History (22)
  • Top-Four Finish in Big 12 Regular-Season Standings
  • First-Round Bye in Big 12 Tournament (First Since 1998)
  • Three Wins Over AP Top 25 Opponents
  • Four Wins Over 2007 NCAA Tournament Teams
  • State Farm Classic Tournament Champions
  • Best Road Winning Percentage in School History (.667, 12-6)

Individual Season Highlights

Huskers Earn Seventh NCAA Tournament Trip in 2007
Nebraska made its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and its first since 2000, when the ninth-seeded Huskers were tripped by eighth-seeded Temple, 64-61 on March 18 in Raleigh, N.C.

The Huskers made their first NCAA appearance in 1988 after winning the school’s only Big Eight title. Five years later, NU returned to the postseason for a 1993 appearance. The Huskers added a third bid in 1996, with all three of its first trips to the Big Dance coming under Coach Angela Beck.

In 1998, the Huskers made the first of three straight NCAA appearances under Coach Paul Sanderford, who also took NU dancing in 1999 and 2000.

Overall, NU made its 11th postseason appearance in 33 seasons of women’s basketball at Nebraska. The Huskers produced four straight postseason appearances for the first time in school history under fifth-year head coach Connie Yori. NU earned three consecutive Postseason WNIT berths in 2003, 2004 and 2005 under Yori.

NU also advanced to the NWIT in 1992.

2006-07 Huskers Featured Solid Starting Five
The 2006-07 Nebraska lineup showcased the same starting five for all 32 games, with seniors Kiera Hardy, Cheslea Aubry, Jelena Spiric and Ashley Ford joined by sophomore Kelsey Griffin.

The Huskers were one of just three teams in the 2007 NCAA Tournament field and one of just four among the 335 NCAA Division I teams to start the same five every game in 2006-07.

Nebraska was joined by Duke and Bowling Green as the only teams in the NCAA Tournament with the same starting five. The only other Division I team to start the same five every game was Oregon State (9-19).

In 2003-04, Nebraska was one of just eight teams in NCAA Division I to feature the same starting lineup all season.

Although Nebraska will lose 80 percent of its starting lineup in 2007-08, Husker starters accounted for just 47.3 percent of NU’s scoring and just 34.8 percent of its rebounding in 2006-07. Eight Huskers played in all 32 games in 2006-07, and NU had 11 players compete in 24 or more contests.

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 also got its 22nd win against Colorado on Feb. 27.

The 2006-07 Huskers became just the sixth team in Nebraska history to reach 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.

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.

Big 12 Sends Eight to Postseason, Six to NCAA Tourney
The Big 12 Conference continued its decade of excellence in women’s basketball by sending six teams to the 2007 NCAA Tournament and eight teams to postseason play. Regular-season co-champion and Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament champion Oklahoma earned the No. 3 seed in Austin, Texas, and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Regular-season co-champion Texas A&M claimed a No. 4 seed in Los Angeles, where the Aggies defeated No. 13 Texas-Arlington in the first round before falling in the second round. Big 12 Tournament runner-up Iowa State captured a No. 6 seed and defeated No. 11 Washington in Minneapolis, before losing to Georgia in the second round.

Fifth-seeded Baylor added a first-round win over Chattanooga in Raleigh, N.C., before falling in overtime to the fourth-seeded hosts from North Carolina State.

Ninth-seeded Nebraska suffered a three-point loss to No. 8 Temple in Raleigh, N.C., while 10th-seeded Oklahoma State took a four-point loss to No. 7 Bowling Green in East Lansing, Mich.

Kansas State and Missouri both accepted invitations to the 2007 Postseason WNIT, while Texas was postseason eligible but did not participate in the WNIT. KSU advanced to the WNIT semifinals before losing at Wyoming.

Hardy Captures Kodak/WBCA All-Region Honors
Nebraska senior guard Kiera Hardy earned one of seven spots on the Kodak All-Region 5 Team announced on March 8 by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

Hardy became the first Husker since Anna DeForge in 1998 to earn first-team all-region honors from the WBCA and advances as one of 52 finalists for Kodak All-America recognition. The 10-member Kodak/WBCA All-American Team will be announced on March 31 in Cleveland, Ohio, before the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

Hardy, a three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, placed her name among the best in Nebraska history during her four-year career with the Huskers.

The 5-6 guard out of O’Hara High School Kansas City, Mo., ranks fourth all-time at NU in scoring with 1,930 points, while ranking as the top three-point shooter in school history. She connected on 267 three-pointers in her career to rank sixth in Big 12 history, while smashing the previous NU mark of 155 established by WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge. Hardy also ranks among Nebraska’s career top 10 in steals, free throws made and free throw percentage.

Hardy, Griffin Earn First-Team All-Big 12 Honors
Kiera Hardy and Kelsey Griffin became the first Nebraska teammates in school history to share spots on the first-team All-Big 12 Conference squad, while Chelsea Aubry added honorable-mention accolades when the league coaches announced their yearly honors on March 2.

Hardy became just the third Husker in history to earn three consecutive first-team all-conference honors, joining 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings and 1988 Big Eight Player of the Year Maurtice Ivy. Griffin became just the fourth sophomore in school history to earn first-team all-conference honors, joining Hardy, Jennings and Ivy.

Nebraska’s career three-point leader, Hardy ranks fourth all-time in scoring for the Huskers with 1,930 points. Hardy’s 267 career three-pointers rank sixth in Big 12 history.

As a senior, the 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., led the Huskers with 16.1 points per game to rank sixth in the Big 12 in scoring. She also led the league with 2.22 three-pointers made per contest and 11th in the league in three-point shooting at 36.8 percent. She also ranked 14th in the conference with 2.59 assists per game.

Griffin, a 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, provided the Huskers with one of the most dominant presences in the Big 12 by ranking seventh in the league in scoring at 15.0 points per game and sixth in the Big 12 in rebounding with 8.3 boards per contest. Her 54.6 field goal percentage ranked sixth in the conference. She produced 10 double-doubles on the season.

With 265 rebounds on the season, Griffin finished ninth on NU’s single-season list ahead WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge. Griffin’s rebound total was also the fourth-highest by a sophomore in school history.

Aubry, a 6-2 senior forward from Kitchener, Ontario, ranked third in the Big 12 with her 43.4 three-point field goal percentage. A three-year captain, Aubry averaged 8.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 2006-07.

Huskers Produce Best-Ever Road Winning Percentage
With a 12-6 record away from the Devaney Center, Nebraska’s .667 road winning percentage was the best in school history in 2006-07. The Huskers surpassed the previous school mark, which came with a 15-8 road record (.652) in 1975-76.

Nebraska 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). In 2005-06, 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 24 games away from home.

In 2006-07, four of Nebraska’s six road losses were by three points or less and the Huskers had the ball with a chance to win or tie the game on the final possession of the contest. All six of NU’s road losses came at the hands of 2007 NCAA Tournament teams.

Nebraska finished 5-3 in Big 12 road games in 2006-07, 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).

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 went unbeaten at home in 2006-07. NU’s most recent road loss came with a 64-61 loss to Temple in the NCAA Tournament in Raleigh, N.C. The Huskers also suffered a 79-76 overtime setback to Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals in Oklahoma City. The Huskers led by three before ISU’s Lydsey Medders hit a three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left to send the game to overtime tied at 70. The Huskers had a Kiera Hardy three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime miss the mark. At Oklahoma State, the Huskers also had a potentially tying three-point attempt at the buzzer miss the mark.

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.

Four Huskers Capture Academic All-Big 12 Awards
Four Nebraska women’s basketball players earned spots on the 2007 academic All-Big 12 teams announced by the conference office in Irving, Texas, on Feb. 28. NU’s four honorees marked its most since the 2002-03 campaign.

Senior forward Jelena Spiric, junior forward Danielle Page and sophomore forward Kelsey Griffin all captured first-team academic All-Big 12 honors by posting cumulative grade-point averages above 3.2. Senior forward Chelsea Aubry added second-team honors with a GPA between 3.0 and 3.19.

Spiric, who started all 32 games for the Huskers in 2006-07, earned her bachelor’s degree as a biochemistry major from the University of Nebraska in May. The native of Belgrade, Serbia, finished her undergraduate career with a 3.522 cumulative GPA.

Page, one of Nebraska’s top players off the bench, earned first-team academic All-Big 12 honors for the first time in her career after capturing second-team honors in 2006. The native of Monument, Colo., is majoring in communication studies at Nebraska and ranks No. 2 on the Huskers’ career block chart.

Griffin, who has started all 64 games of her NU career, also claimed first-team academic All-Big 12 honors for the first time. The 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, carries a 3.5 GPA as an undeclared major while ranking among the top 10 players in the Big 12 in scoring and rebounding with 15.0 points and 8.3 boards per game.

Aubry, a three-year captain for the Huskers, earned second-team All-Big 12 honors for the second time in her career.

Hardy Named to Preseason Naismith Trophy List
Nebraska senior Kiera Hardy was one of 50 candidates for the 2007 Naismith Trophy. A three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, Hardy is Nebraska’s career three-point leader and ranks sixth in Big 12 history with 267 three-pointers. The 5-6 guard out of O’Hara High School in Kansas City, Mo., finished her career ranked fourth in NU history with 1,930 career points.

Hardy helped NU to four consecutive postseason tournament appearances for the first time in school history. In 2006-07, she led the Huskers to their first 20-win season since 1998-99. The Huskers, who suffered through three consecutive losing seasons before her arrival, made their first NCAA Tournament trip since 2000.

In 2006-07, Hardy averaged 16.1 points per game and led the Huskers with 71 three-pointers. Her 2.22 three-pointers per game also led the Big 12. She started 95 games in her career, including 92 straight starts to close her career 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 36 times in her 123-game Husker career, including 23 points against Temple in the NCAA Tournament in the final contest of her career.

Hardy, who was also a nominee for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award honoring the nation’s top senior player 5-8 or under, was one of five players from the Big 12 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.

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, the Husker star 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 chose 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.

Griffin Causes Double Trouble for Opponents
First-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin continued to expand her game as a sophomore. The 6-2 native of Eagle River, Alaska, produced 10 double-doubles in NU’s 32 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 rank seventh in the Big 12 this season. Four of her double-doubles came in Big 12 play, and seven came on the road.

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.

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).

In 2005-06, 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 Huskers finished second in the Big 12 with their 44.6 field goal percentage, which helped NU rank third in the league in scoring offense (71.2 ppg).

Nebraska ranked third in the conference with its 71.4 free throw percentage, while ranking fifth in the league with 5.4 made three-pointers per game. NU also ranked fifth in the Big 12 in scoring margin (+8.7 ppg) and rebounding margin (+2.6 rpg).

In league games only, Nebraska ranked second in the Big 12 with its 43.2 field goal percentage, scoring margin (+4.6) and rebound margin (+1.8), while ranking third in the conference in scoring offense (67.4 ppg). The Huskers are also third in the league in free throw percentage (74.9 percent). NU allowed Big 12 foes just 35.9 total rebounds per game, the second-best total in the league. Nebraska also ranks fourth in the league in field goal percentage defense at 39.3 percent.

Griffin Among Leaders in Big 12 Statistics
Kelsey Griffin ranked seventh in the Big 12 Conference in scoring with 15.0 points per game, while ranking sixth in rebounding at 8.3 boards per contest. Griffin’s 54.6 field goal percentage ranked sixth in the Big 12.

The 6-2 sophomore forward also ranked eighth in the conference with 3.00 offensive rebounds per game and seventh in the league with 5.28 defensive boards per contest.

Griffin led Nebraska in rebounding, free throws made (125) and free throws attempted (173). She 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 904 points and grabbed 457 rebounds while starting 64 consecutive games.

In 2005-06, 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.

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 continued to attack the Husker record book in 2006-07. 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.

In the season finale against Temple on March 18, Page smashed NU’s NCAA Tournament record with five blocks against the Owls to push her season total to 60. Page’s season total set Nebraska’s junior single-season record and ranked as the second-highest single-season block mark in NU history, trailing only 69 by Janet Smith (1979-80).

Over the last 11 games of 2006-07, Page notched 34 blocks (3.1 bpg).

With 60 blocks on the year, she 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).

NU’s career leader with 238 blocks, Smith owned the top three single-season block marks in school history with 56 in 1981-82, 59 in 1980-81 and 69 in 1979-80, before Page’s performance in 2006-07.

Page enters her senior season with 129 career blocked shots to rank second on NU’s all-time list.

In 2005-06, 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 enjoyed the most prolific long-range shooting success of her career in 2006-07. The senior from Kitchener, Ontario. Aubry led the Huskers and tied for second in the Big 12 with her 43.4 percent (33-76) shooting from three-point range.

Aubry’s 43.4 percentage ranked as the second-best mark in school history, trailing only Kate Galligan single-season record of 45.6 percent (52-114) in 1995-96.

She finished her career at 36.4 percent from three-pointer range, the fifth-best percentage in NU history among players who hit at least 50 threes in their career. Aubry finished just ahead of senior teammate Kiera Hardy (35.5 percent) on the career list.

In 2005-06, Aubry connected on 27-of-77 (35.1 percent) of her three-point attempts. She hit 78 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.

Aubry scored in double figures 11 times as a senior, including a career-high 26-point outburst at Missouri on Jan. 20. Aubry is averaged 8.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 2006-07.

Page Puts Up Big Numbers in Return from Knee Injury
Junior Danielle Page made a major impact off the bench for Nebraska in 2006-07. 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 a strong effort in the NCAA Tournament with eight points, a game-high eight rebounds and a Nebraska NCAA Tournament record five blocked shots in a loss to Temple on March 18.

Page’s performance in the NCAA Tournament followed one of the best efforts of her career with 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in NU’s 79-76 overtime loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals (March 7). Page scored eight straight points at the end of regulation and start of overtime, including a pair of free throws with 9.7 seconds left in regulation to give NU a 70-67 lead over the Cyclones.

On the season, Page ranked fourth on the team in scoring with 7.0 points per game, while ranking second with 5.5 rebounds per contest. She averaged 7.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in Big 12 action as a junior. Her block average of 2.38 trailed only Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (3.75 bpg) in league action.

Page produced seven double-figure scoring efforts as a junior and finished the season with 17 straight games with three or more rebounds off the bench. She also blocked at least one shot in 11 straight games to close 2006-07, finishing with a Nebraska junior season record of 60 blocks on the year.

She added a strong effort 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).

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 underwent surgery on her right knee on June 29, and 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 26 assists with just 37 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 led the Huskers with 125 made free throws in 2006-07. The 6-2 forward, who shot 72.3 percent at the line, eclipsed NU’s sophomore single-season free throw record previously 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, cracked the school’s single-season top 10 list in the category for the second straight year by hitting five free throws in the regular-season finale against Colorado. Maurtice Ivy owns the Nebraska season free throw record with 153 makes in 1984-85.

Griffin should crack Nebraska’s career top 10 in free throws made early next season. Ann Halsne owns the No. 10 spot with 254 makes from 1988 to 1991. Griffin enters her junior season with 246 career free throws, needing just eight more to crack the NU career list. The school record for free throws made is held by Nicole Kubik with 440 from 1997 to 2000.

Hardy Provided Explosiveness, Consistency, Efficiency
Kiera Hardy averaged 16.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game, while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 36.8 percent (71-193) from three-point range as a senior.

She finished her stellar career with 23 points in the NCAA Tournament against Temple, the third-highest scoring total by a Husker in NCAA Tournament history. It was her 20th straight game in double figures and the seventh time in 2006-07 that she scored 20 or more points.

Hardy produced 22 points on Senior Night against Colorado. She added a 22-point, six-rebound effort in Nebraska’s 70-63 win over No. 25 Kansas State (Jan. 17). She had 19 points and five rebounds in NU’s win over No. 13 Baylor (Feb. 3). She scored in double figures 28 times in 32 games as senior and hit a season-high six three-pointers at Oklahoma State on Feb. 24.

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.

Nebraska’s Attendance on the Rise
Nebraska drew its largest crowd of the 2006-07 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 more than 7,500 in 2006-07, 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, and 5,763 fans for Senior Night in Nebraska’s regular-season home finale on Feb. 27.

Nebraska’s final home attendance average of 4,110 represented an average increase of 909 fans per game from the 2005-06 season for an increase of more than 28 percent.

In eight Big 12 Conference home games, the Huskers averaged 5,256 fans per game.

Hardy Finishes Near Top of Big 12 Three-Point Charts
Nebraska’s all-time three-point leader, Kiera Hardy hit 71 of her 193 three-point attempts as a senior to climb into sixth place on the Big 12’s all-time three-point list with 267.

In 2006-07, Hardy ranked second in the Big 12 with 2.22 made three-pointers per game. Hardy, who hit a school-record 85 three-pointers as a sophomore in 2004-05, added 81 threes in 2005-06, 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.

Aubry Gave NU Strong Presence, Inside and Out
A true power forward, Chelsea Aubry gave Nebraska a dangerous threat on the block, on the boards and beyond the arc. The 6-2 senior from Kitchener, Ontario, averaged 8.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Aubry started 90 games in her NU career, including the final 78 games, 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 posted back-to-back double-figure scoring efforts with 11 points in a win at Colorado (Feb. 10) and 12 against Texas Tech (Feb. 14). She closed the regular season with 12 points in a victory over Colorado (Feb. 27).

Aubry returned to her natural power forward position in 2006-07 after unselfishly moving to the three spot in 2005-06 to compensate for the loss of Jelena Spiric to a knee injury. Aubry’s numbers suffered as a junior while she adjusted to the wing, but her role as a leader on the team became even more recognizable.

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 Returned from Injury for Senior Season
Jelena Spiric 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 of 2006-07 with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field in Nebraska’a 62-49 win over Iowa State on Jan. 31. She added 10 points and seven rebounds in NU’s Senior Night win over Colorado on Feb. 27, and 10 more in the Huskers’ 79-76 overtime loss to Iowa State at the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City on March 7.

It was Spiric’s fifth 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 averaged 6.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game as a senior. 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.

The 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Spiric chose to return for her final season at Nebraska. 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 Continued Contributions in Second Season
Sophomore TK LaFleur saw significant minutes against in 2006-07, 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.

In 2006-07, LaFleur provided the Huskers with an athletic presence on the wing, along with solid defensive skills, while continuing to expand her offensive game. LaFleur 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 as a sophomore.

LaFleur averaged 5.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game . She hit 16-of-53 attempts (30.2 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 Tackled Challenging 2006-07 Schedule
Nebraska faced one of the most challenging schedules in school history, playing 20 of its 32 games against teams that qualified for postseason play in 2006. The Huskers played 16 games against teams that advanced to postseason play in 2007, including 11 contests against 2007 NCAA Tournament qualifiers.

The Huskers went 7-9 against 2007 postseason qualifiers, including a 4-7 mark against the 2007 NCAA Tournament field. Among the Huskers’ eight regular-season road non-conference games, six came against 2006 NCAA teams with the Huskers posting a 5-1 mark. NU posted non-conference road wins on neutral courts against 2007 NCAA qualifiers New Mexico (66-59) and NC State (94-74).

The Huskers opened the season with an 87-60 road loss 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 in Tempe on Nov. 13. The victory marked Nebraska’s first non-conference road win over a ranked team since defeating No. 16 Western Kentucky on Nov. 20, 1997.

On Nov. 26, the Huskers defeated 2006 NCAA qualifier USC, 72-65. The Women of Troy, who were postseason eligible in 2007 but did not play in the NCAA or WNIT tournaments, joined Arizona State and New Mexico in advancing to the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers battled 2006 NCAA qualifier Minnesota at the Devaney Center on Dec. 5. The Golden Gophers are the only 2006 NCAA team that ventured to Lincoln during the non-conference season. Minnesota defeated NU, but struggled down the stretch in 2007 and settled for a WNIT bid.

NU closed its preparation for Big 12 play by knocking off perennial ACC power and 2007 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, Big 12 Conference play offered more challenges with 11 games against 2007 postseason qualifiers.

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 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 Big 12 co-champion Texas A&M (Jan. 24), a 2006 and 2007 NCAA qualifier.

Nebraska closed the season with a 64-61 loss to Temple in the NCAA Tournament first round in Raleigh, N.C.

Yori Leading New Growth in Nebraska Program
In five seasons 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 produced a three-game improvement in the win column in 2006-07 with a 22-10 record and the first 20-win campaign at Nebraska since 1998-99. NU also secured a first-round bye in the Big 12 Tournament for just the second time in school history by finishing with a 10-6 league mark. NU went on to claim the schools’ first NCAA Tournament since 2000.

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.

Nebraska Women’s Basketball Show Schedule
The Nebraska Women’s Basketball Show with Coach Connie Yori completed its fifth year of bringing you all the behind the scenes action with the Huskers. Each week, Coach Yori and host Jeff Griesch 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 aired 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, carried the show on Wednesday at 10 p.m. KNOP/KIIT in North Platte aired each show on Saturday at noon. All days and airtimes were subject to change on a weekly basis, so fans were encouraged to check their local listings for times in your area. The show was also available each week on HuskersNside, the premium website of Nebraska Athletics.

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)

Huskers Leap to Froggy
All of Nebraska’s women’s basketball games in 2006-07 were available for the first time on the same Husker Sports Network station in Lincoln, Froggy 98.1 FM-KFGE.

All of Nebraska’s regular-season games were 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.

In 2006-07, the women’s basketball games will be heard exclusively on KFGE and continue to be available for free worldwide on Huskers.com.

Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch teamed up for their sixth full season on the call of the game, with Coatney providing the play-by-play.

The pregame show hit 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 310-112 (.735) in games played in the arena, including 114-72 (.613) in conference games. NU was 10-4 at home in 2006-07.

Over the last four years, NU is 46-16 at the Devaney Center, with no more than four losses in any season.

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.

Nebraska attendance increased nearly 30 percent in 2006-07, with an average home attendance of 4,110 per game. The Huskers averaged more than 5,000 fans per game during Big 12 play.

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.