Huskers Open Regular Season with UTEP

Nebraska Cornhuskers
(22-10, 10-6 Big 12)
vs. UTEP Miners
(22-10, 10-6 Conference USA)
Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595) 
Lincoln, Neb.
Friday, Nov. 9 - 7:05 p.m.
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(98.1 FM-KFGE, Lincoln)
Live Internet Audio: Huskers.com (free)
Live Internet Video: HuskersNside (premium service on Huskers.com)
Series History: First meeting

The Nebraska women’s basketball team tips off the 2007-08 regular season when the Huskers clash with a strong UTEP Miners team on Friday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln.

Tip time is set for 7:05 p.m., with radio coverage provided by the Husker Sports Network on 98.1 FM-KFGE in Lincoln, along with free Internet audio provided by Huskers.com. Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will team up to call the action all season long on the Husker Sports Network.

Nebraska’s regular-season opener has all the makings of a great game with two up-tempo teams who thrive on playing pressure defense. The Huskers have shown a much-improved defense from a year ago in their first two exhibition games, holding both of their exhibition foes to 50 points or less. NU also held both opponents below 30 percent shooting from the field, while forcing an average of 30 turnovers per game.

Forcing turnovers is also a big part of the Miners attack. Last season, UTEP held a sparkling plus-five turnover margin on the season while posting an impressive 22-8 overall record. The Miners also forced 28 turnovers by the Houston Jaguars in their lone exhibition contest before coming to Lincoln. Along with matching Nebraska’s 22 victories in 2006-07, UTEP produced an identical 10-6 league mark while tying for fourth place in Conference USA.

While Nebraska and UTEP appear to be nearly carbon copies on paper, the Miners hold one major advantage over NU entering the 2007-08 season -- experience. UTEP returns three starters from last year’s club, along with two of its top players off the bench. The Miners also add a newcomer with an abundance of starting experience in senior transfer Natasha Lacy, who scored nearly 1,000 points, grabbed nearly 600 rebounds, and dished out almost 500 assists in three seasons at TCU.

The Huskers return just one starter, junior All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin, and her availability may be in question after suffering a second-half injury against Nebraska-Omaha on Monday. Griffin, who averaged 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season, suffered a rib injury early in the second half. She was taken by ambulance from the Devaney Center and evaluated at a Lincoln area hospital.

Huskers Expect Big Production Inside, New Faces on Perimeter
While Kelsey Griffin and Danielle Page figure to be the starters inside for the Huskers, sophomore forward Cory Montgomery is expected to see significant playing time. Montgomery, a 6-2 native of Cannon Falls, Minn., averaged 5.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game last season, while appearing in all 32 contests. NU’s trio of forwards leads a talented interior game that also includes sophomore Nikki Bober. The 6-4 center from Murdock, Neb., is one of NU’s most improved players during the offseason and could provide the Huskers with a different look inside as a true post player.

Another one of NU’s most improved players from the offseason is sophomore point guard Nicole Neals, who is expected to earn the start on Friday night against UTEP. Neals, a native of Chandler, Ariz., averaged 2.0 points and 1.0 rebound per game last season, while appearing in 24 contests.

The two remaining starting spots against the Miners could be filled by newcomers, including freshman guard Dominique Kelley. The 2007 Nebraska High School Player of the Year at Lincoln Northeast, Kelley has performed well in practice bringing a heightened level of intensity to the court, especially on the defensive end. The 5-7 guard averaged 24.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.0 assists per game as a high school senior last year.

Junior college transfer Tay Hester could round out Nebraska’s starting five against the Miners at the wing spot. The 5-10 guard from Moreno Valley, Calif., was the MVP of the 2007 California Junior College Tournament. Hester is the only Husker other than Griffin with starting experience at the NCAA Division I level, after Hester started eight games at UTEP in 2005-06. Hester averaged 12 points and six rebounds per game at Mt. San Antonio College last season, after averaging 4.7 points and 4.1 boards per game at UTEP as a true freshman.

Freshman point guard Kaitlyn Burke and sophomore guards Yvonne Turner and Kala Kuhlmann are also expected to contend for major playing time in Nebraska’s backcourt throughout the season.

Nebraska hopes to Reload after Successful 2006-07 Season
Although the Huskers will be one of the Big 12 Conference’s most inexperienced teams in 2007-08, Nebraska Coach Connie Yori is excited by the energy and defensive ability the young Huskers have brought to the court in preseason workouts and exhibition games.

Nebraska must fill the shoes of three-time first-team All-Big 12 guard and 2007 WNBA Draft pick Kiera Hardy, three-year starter and honorable-mention All-Big 12 pick Chelsea Aubry, 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Jelena Spiric and senior point guard Ashley Ford from last year’s team. Those four seniors started all 32 games along with Kelsey Griffin last year and helped the Huskers to their fourth consecutive postseason tournament berth.

The Huskers finished with a 22-10 overall record and a tie for fourth place in the powerful Big 12 with a 10-6 mark, before earning the school’s seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

While Nebraska lost 80 percent of its starting lineup from a year ago, NU’s senior starters accounted for just 47 percent of the Huskers’ scoring and just 38 percent of their rebounding in 2006-07.

NU finished the 2006-07 season ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring offense at 71.2 points per game and second in team field goal percentage at 44.6 percent. However, the Huskers ranked ninth in the league in scoring defense (62.6 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (38.9 percent), including the worst three-point field goal percentage defense in the league (35.4 percent).

"I think we have a chance to be significantly improved on the defensive end," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "Dominique Kelley, Vonnie Turner, Kaitlyn Burke and Tay Hester all bring strong defensive abilities to our perimeter, which we may have lacked a little bit the past few seasons."

Scouting UTEP
Coach Keitha Adams leads UTEP to Lincoln for the season opener after guiding the Miners to one of the best seasons in school history in 2006-07. UTEP finished with a 22-8 overall record, including a tie for fourth place in Conference USA with a 10-6 mark.

The Miners look to be even better this season, returning three starters from last year’s club while adding a talented and experienced senior newcomer in Natasha Lacy. The senior transfer from TCU earned second-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors in 2005-06 for the Horned Frogs as one of the top players in school history.

Lacy averaged 14.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a junior for TCU, before making the decision to transfer to UTEP before the start of the 2006-07 season. She sat out last year due to NCAA transfer rules, but is expecting a strong finish to an all-around outstanding career. In three seasons at TCU, Lacy scored nearly 1,000 points, grabbed nearly 600 rebounds, dished out almost 500 assists and grabbed more than 200 steals.

Although she is a newcomer to the Miners, Lacy will be one of four seniors in a loaded UTEP lineup. Izabela Piekarska, a 6-5 center from Poland, averaged 10 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season. Another native of Poland, Kasia Krezel, added 8.4 points and 2.0 rebounds as a 6-1 guard. Tasha Marisett, a 6-1 senior forward, pitched in 8.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

The only non-senior in the starting lineup, guard Jareica Hughes, may be UTEP’s most explosive player. The 5-3 sparkplug from Michigan pumped in 12.9 points per game as a true freshman a year ago.

Along with the talent in their starting five, the Miners also have a strong bench that includes sophomore Timika Williams, who averaged 9.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a starter last season. Senior forward Claudia Porras from Brazil and sophomore Christina Ray also saw significant playing time for UTEP last season.

As impressive as UTEP’s numbers are on the offensive end, the Miners won with defense last season, posting a plus-five turnover margin on the season. UTEP forced 11.4 turnovers per game last season, while adding 4.5 blocks per contest.

Nebraska vs. UTEP Series history
Nebraska and UTEP have never met in women’s basketball, but the Huskers do have a pair of noteworthy connections with the Miners.

Husker junior guard Tay Hester, who is expected to make her first start for NU on Friday, appeared in 26 games with eight starts for the Miners as a true freshman in 2005-06. Hester averaged 4.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for a UTEP team that finished with a 14-15 record, before she transferred to Mt. San Antonio College in California for her sophomore season.

Nebraska men’s basketball coach Doc Sadler also joined the Husker athletic department after spending two seasons at UTEP. He led the Miners to a 27-8 record in his first season in 2004-05, before adding 21 victories in 2005-06.

Posts Power Huskers Past UNO
Danielle Page led four Husker post players in double figures with game highs of 20 points, nine rebounds and four blocks to lead the Nebraska women’s basketball team to a 78-50 victory over Nebraska-Omaha in the Huskers’ exhibition finale at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Monday night.

Page, a 6-2 senior forward from Monument, Colo., led a strong inside game for the Huskers that included 11 points and four rebounds from junior All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin, who left the game early in the second half with an injury.

Griffin, who suffered a rib injury while scrambling for a loose ball, was taken to a St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Lincoln for evaluation as a precautionary measure. After sustaining the injury, Griffin played several possessions and actually connected on a layup and was fouled with 17:06 left in the game.

Freshman center Catheryn Redmon provided the Huskers with a third post player in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds, while sophomore forward Cory Montgomery added 10 points and four boards.

Along with the strong production inside, sophomore guard Yvonne Turner led Nebraska’s backcourt with seven points, four steals and four assists, while fellow sophomore Kala Kuhlmann added six points and six rebounds. Both Turner and Kuhlmann connected on three-pointers for the Big Red.

While Nebraska’s offense showed improvement from its exhibition-opening victory over Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 1, the Huskers continued to show a stifling defense.

NU forced 31 turnovers by the Mavericks, while holding their second straight opponent below 30 percent shooting. The Huskers held UNO to just 29.6 percent (16-54) accuracy from the field, while managing to hit 39.1 percent (25-64) of their offensive attempts.

Nebraska also hit 76.5 percent (26-34) of its free throws, but knocked down just 2-of-14 three-pointers. UNO hit 4-of-11 long range attempts while connecting on 14-of-18 free throws.

The Huskers outrebounded the Mavs, 43-41, while adding eight blocked shots and 17 steals on the night.

Cayla Hargrove led the Mavs with 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals in 21 minutes of action off the bench, while Alyssa Green added 10 points and eight boards in just 14 minutes while being strapped with foul trouble throughout the night.

Griffin Questionable for Season Opener
First-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin is listed as questionable for Nebraska’s regular-season opener on Friday after suffering a rib injury Monday night.

"I’ve talked to Kelsey and she is sore, but she is doing OK," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said on Tuesday. "We are certainly glad that it is not a more serious injury, and hopefully she’ll be back soon."

Griffin was taken from the Bob Devaney Sports Center by ambulance to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center early in the second half of Nebraska’s exhibition finale against Nebraska-Omaha. She underwent tests last night but was not hospitalized overnight.

Griffin, who averaged 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for the Huskers as a sophomore last season, was involved in a pair of collisions in a one-minute span against the Mavs.

A UNO player landed on Griffin as the players went for the loose ball on NU’s offensive end with 17:52 left. Griffin was slow to get up but did get involved in Nebraska’s defensive stop on the possession. She missed a jumper with 17:33 left on NU’s next possession, but helped the Huskers to another defensive stop.

She then led NU’s transition by beating everybody down the floor for a layup with 17:06 to play. On her shot, she was fouled by UNO’s Alyssa Green and fell hard to the floor on her back.

Griffin missed the free throw, and came out of the game. She was evaluated by Nebraska team doctors and emergency medical personnel after she reached the bench.

Huskers Have History of Home-Opening Success
Nebraska owns a strong history of season-opening success on the Huskers’ homecourt at the Devaney Center. Last season, Nebraska rolled to a 76-62 win over Cal State Fullerton in its home opener on Nov. 17.

From 1981-82 through 2004-05, Nebraska reeled off a string of 24 consecutive home-opening victores before the streak was snapped by South Dakota State on Nov. 19, 2005.

Overall, Nebraska owns a 31-2 all-time record in home openers, with its only other loss coming in an 88-56 setback to Kansas on Nov. 21, 1980.

Huskers Picked Seventh in Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll
The Nebraska women’s basketball team was chosen by the conference coaches to finish seventh in the 2008 Big 12 Preseason Poll released on Oct. 12.

Nebraska, which advanced to the 2007 NCAA Tournament while earning its fourth consecutive postseason berth, claimed 56 points in a tightly grouped middle of the pack in the preseason poll. Iowa State earned the most votes of any Big 12 North Division team as the preseason No. 6 pick in the league with 64 points, while Kansas State tied Texas Tech as the preseason No. 8 team with 54 points.

Three Big 12 North schools rounded out the bottom of the league preseason standings with No. 10 Kansas (43), No. 11 Colorado (29) and No. 12 Missouri (11).

The Big 12 South schools occupied the top five spots in the poll with defending Big 12 co-champions Texas A&M and Oklahoma sharing all of the first-place votes. A&M earned the preseason top spot with seven first-place votes, while Oklahoma took second with five first-place votes.

Baylor claimed the No. 3 position in the poll, while Texas was tabbed in fourth place. Oklahoma State added a fifth-place preseason standing.

Last season, the Big 12 sent six teams to the NCAA Tournament, including Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Baylor, Nebraska, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Kansas State and Missouri gave the conference eight total postseason teams in 2007, by earning Postseason WNIT berths.

Griffin Earns Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 Honors
Nebraska junior Kelsey Griffin claimed one of five spots on the 2007-08 Preseason All-Big 12 team announced by the conference office in Irving, Texas on Oct. 10.

Griffin, a 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, is Nebraska’s top returning scorer and rebounder and lone returning starter in 2007-08. As a sophomore, Griffin earned first-team All-Big 12 honors by averaging 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and helped the Huskers to one of the most successful seasons in school history. NU posted a 22-10 overall record, a 10-6 league mark and earned a bid to last year’s NCAA Tournament.

Griffin is the third-leading returning scorer and rebounder in the Big 12 this season, trailing only fellow preseason first-team All-Big 12 selections Courtney Paris from Oklahoma and Jackie McFarland from Colorado.

Paris, the 2007 National Player of the Year, was the choice of the conference coaches to repeat as Big 12 Player of the Year. Texas Tech’s Dominic Seals was picked as the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year, while Texas A&M’s Tyra White was chosen the Preseason Freshman of the Year.

Joining Griffin, Paris and McFarland on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team were Texas A&M guards A’Quonesia Franklin and Takia Starks. All five of the preseason All-Big 12 selections earned first-team All-Big 12 awards in 2006-07.

Griffin Ranked among Big 12 Leaders in 2006-07
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 in 2006-07.

The 6-2 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 and Feb. 6. 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.

Griffin Creates 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 ranked seventh in the Big 12 last 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.

Page Swats Way Up Nebraska Blocked Shot Lists
Senior Danielle Page has established herself as one of the Big 12’s best shot blockers during her career. She continued to attack the Husker record book as a junior in 2006-07, smashing 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 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.

Page Bounced Back from Injury for Big Junior Season
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 the 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 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 also became one of NU’s most sure-handed players, dishing out a career-high 26 assists with just 37 turnovers. Page distributed just 17 total assists while turning the ball over 66 times in her first two years.

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 percent of NU’s scoring and just 38 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.

Nebraska Ranked High in Final 2006-07 Big 12 Statistics
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 were 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 ranked fourth in the league in field goal percentage defense at 39.3 percent.

Huskers to Battle Big Names at Devaney Center in 2007-08
Nebraska will face some of the nation’s top teams on the Huskers’ homecourt at the Bob Devaney Sports Center during an impressive 2007-08 schedule.

NU’s schedule will feature non-conference home battles against traditional Southeastern Conference powers Mississippi and Florida, along with Pac 10 power USC in an eight-game non-conference home schedule.

Nebraska’s home Big 12 schedule will include contests with defending conference co-champion Texas A&M, 2007 NCAA Tournament qualifiers Iowa State and Oklahoma State and traditionally strong Texas.

Overall, NU’s schedule will feature 15 games against 2007 postseason qualifiers, including 10 games against 2007 NCAA Tournament squads. The Huskers could play six games against teams that finished among the top 25 RPI clubs in the nation a year ago.

"From start to finish, our schedule should rank among the best in the Big 12 and the nation again this year," Yori said. "During the non-conference season, we could play seven games against teams that had 20-win seasons a year ago. Obviously, playing Mississippi at home in the second game of the season after they were in the NCAA Elite Eight last year jumps out at you."

However, the Huskers expect a stiff test at home even before taking on the Lady Rebels. After playing a pair of home exhibition games against Nebraska-Kearney and Nebraska-Omaha, the Huskers open the regular season at home on Friday, Nov. 9, against the University of Texas-El Paso, which finished the 2006-07 season with a 22-8 record in a tie for fourth place in Conference USA. After taking on a pair of 20-win teams in UTEP and Ole Miss (Nov. 11), the Huskers will battle a second straight SEC foe when they face Florida at the Devaney Center on Nov. 17. NU defeated the Gators in Florida’s home tournament last season.

After opening the season with a three-game homestand, Nebraska will make a long road trip to the Oahu Classic in Honolulu during Thanksgiving break. The tournament field features the Marist Red Foxes, who finished with a 29-6 overall record as the Mid-American Conference champions last year. Marist knocked off Ohio State in the opening round and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 before falling to eventual national champion Tennessee.

The Huskers will face another 2007 postseason club in Hawaii, when NU runs into Utah. The Utes advanced to the second round of the Postseason WNIT last year.

After their trip to Hawaii, the Huskers return home for a three-game homestand that opens with an improving Creighton club, before battling Northeast Conference champion and NCAA Tournament qualifier Robert Morris. The Colonials finished with a 24-8 record a year ago before losing to NC State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers close the stand by battling USC on Saturday, Dec. 8. NU knocked off the Women of Troy on their homecourt in Los Angeles last season.

After clashing with USC in Lincoln, Nebraska heads to California the following weekend to face Cal State Bakersfield and Long Beach State, before facing one of the toughest tests of the non-conference season at Ohio State on Dec. 22 in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes captured the Big Ten title in 2007 and finished the year with a 28-4 record as the No. 12 RPI club in the country.

After closing the non-conference season with a pair of home games against Denver (Dec. 30), which won 20 games last year, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Jan. 2), the Huskers open Big 12 play with a pair of home games against Texas (Jan. 9) and Kansas (Jan. 12). The game against the Jayhawks in an FSN national telecast at 11:30 a.m. will open a thrilling day of border battles at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, as Coach Doc Sadler’s Husker men’s team will joust with KU men that same night at the Devaney Center in an ESPN national telecast.

Nebraska then dives into the thick of conference road action by traveling to defending Big 12 champion and 2007 Sweet 16 qualifier Oklahoma (Jan. 16), before facing Iowa State in Ames. The Cyclones tied for fourth in the league standings with the Huskers last year and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers then return home to face defending Big 12 regular-season co-champion Texas A&M at the Devaney Center (Jan. 23), before traveling to Waco, Texas to take on Baylor (Jan. 26). That four-game stretch will pit the Huskers against the top four teams in the 2007 Big 12 final standings.

NU will then turn its attention to the Big 12 North Division, playing three straight games against intradivision foes, starting with a home game against Kansas State (Jan. 30) and ending with a nationally televised road contest at Missouri (Feb. 3) and Colorado (Feb. 6).

A Sunday afternoon home battle with 2007 NCAA qualifier Oklahoma State (Feb. 10) precedes the Huskers’ lone bye week of the 2007-08 season, before NU heads down the stretch in conference play at Kansas (Feb. 17). Three of the Huskers’ final five regular-season games will be played at the Devaney Center, including a Thursday night tussle with the Missouri Tigers (Feb. 21), a Sunday afternoon battle with the Colorado Buffaloes (March 2) and a Senior Night struggle against Iowa State to close the season (March 5).

Nebraska heads to Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., for the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship March 11-15, and NCAA Tournament play will begin the following weekend. The 2008 NCAA Women’s Final Four will be held at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., April 6-8.

Yori Leading impressive Growth in Nebraska Program
Entering her sixth season at Nebraska, Coach Connie Yori has the Huskers in the middle of an impressive growth stage after a major rebuilding project in 2002.

Yori arrived in Lincoln on June 24, 2002, and was left with only a handful of healthy scholarship players and three consecutive losing seasons behind the existing players. After a challenging first season, Yori guided the Huskers to one of the nation’s top turnarounds in 2003-04.

Nebraska finished the season with an 18-12 record and the Huskers’ 10-game improvement tied for the ninth-best swing in NCAA Division I women’s basketball in 2003-04. More impressively, NU’s final record came against a powerful schedule that included 19 games against teams that advanced to postseason play.

The Huskers raced to a 10-1 non-conference record that included victories over No. 13 Ohio State and eventual WNIT champion Creighton, before notching one of the biggest wins in school history with an 81-63 victory over No. 9 Kansas State in league play. The Huskers finished with a 7-9 record in the Big 12 to finish in a tie for seventh place. NU may have been a two-point loss to Missouri or three-point loss to No. 13 Colorado away from earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000.

The Huskers made their first postseason appearance since 2000 and played host to a postseason tournament game for the first time since 1993. Nebraska notched just the second home postseason victory in school history with a first-round WNIT win over Drake, before hosting just the third postseason game in school history in the second round against Oregon State.

Nebraska continued the momentum in 2004-05 by replacing four senior starters from 2003-04 and finishing with an 18-14 overall mark and its second straight postseason bid. The Huskers’ 8-8 Big 12 mark was their best finish since 2000, and included the biggest victory in school history, a 103-99 triple overtime win over eventual national champion and then-No. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, 2005. The Huskers also won their first Big 12 Tournament game since the 2000 campaign and continued their climb in the classroom as well. NU posted a team GPA of better than 3.0 during the spring 2005 semester, as 10 Huskers earned spots on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Academic Honor.

Nebraska kept building in 2005-06 by winning two postseason games for the first time in school history. NU’s 19-13 record also marked the Huskers’ most victories since the 1998-99 campaign. The Huskers finished with an 8-8 league mark and won a game in the Big 12 Championship for the second consecutive season.

Perhaps most impressively, the Huskers went 5-0 in regular-season rematches with Big 12 North Division opponents and completed the first three-game sweep of Colorado in school history. Overall, Nebraska posted a 7-3 regular-season mark against Big 12 North foes.

The Huskers 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.

Jump to Froggy 98 in lincoln to listen to the Huskers
For the second straight year, all of Nebraska’s women’s basketball regular-season games will be available for the flagship station of the Husker Sports Network in Lincoln - Froggy 98.1 FM KFGE.

In 2007-08, all of NU’s regular-season women’s basketball games will be heard exclusively on KFGE in Lincoln and will continue to be available for free worldwide on Huskers.com.

Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will team up for their seventh 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 scheduled tip-off.

In addition to Froggy 98, KHUS 93.3 FM in Omaha will carry every Big 12 game during the season and select non-conference games.

Additionally, 880 AM KRVN in Lexington will also carry most of NU’s conference games, along with select non-conference matchups. Overall, NU’s radio network for women’s basketball consists of 24 stations across the state.

Along with the radio coverage over the airwaves, all of Nebraska’s games can be heard for free on Huskers.com. Nebraska is one of only three Big 12 schools to offer free live audio coverage of its women’s basketball games on its official athletic website.

Nebraska Women’s Basketball TV Show Schedule
The Nebraska Women’s Basketball Show with Coach Connie Yori will enter its sixth year of featuring all the behind the scenes action with the Huskers. Each week, Coach Yori and host Jeff Griesch bring Husker fans all the highlights of NU’s previous games, along with one-on-one interviews, special features and previews of upcoming games. The show is available seven days a week on various cable stations across Nebraska and Iowa.

The show is scheduled to tip-off on Sunday, Dec. 9, on WOWT (DT-620) at 7 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 10:30 p.m., while Time Warner Cable in Lincoln will air the show weekly on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. The show will also be availabe in Lincoln on Time Warner Cable’s Nebraska On-Demand Channel 101.

Spencer Municipal Utilities in Spencer, Iowa, will air the Nebraska Women’s Basketball Show on Monday at 10 p.m. and Tuesday at 6 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 Friday 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 fans are encouraged to check their local listings for times in their area. The show is 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. The Fastbreakers was organized to generate enthusiasm for the game of women’s basketball by increasing attendance and providing support for the program.

All members receive priority access to travel, meals and invitations to membership-only events.

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 dbrooks@fastbreakersonline.com or call (402) 430-1343.

2008 Fastbreakers Membership Levels

• Tip-In ($50) (Membership Card, e-mail news flashes, game day program, game notes, year-end banquet invite, backboard banquets, Fastbreakers Appreciation Picnic/Dinner)
• 3-Pointer ($100) (Same as Tip-In, membership pin, media guide and a free Lil’ Breakers membership)
• Slam Dunk ($250) (Same as 3-Pointer, plus season highlights DVD)
• All-Star ($500) (Same as Slam Dunk, turn in pin for ruby accent stone, autographed leather mini-basketball)
• MVP ($1,000+) (Same as All-Star, plus free admission for two at all Backboard Banquets, turn in pin for diamond accent stone, autographed team photo, preferred seating at year-end awards banquet)

The Fastbreakers announced their Backboard Banquet Schedule for the 2007-08 season in October. 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.

Fastbreakers Backboard Banquet Schedule
Game Day Meals for Fastbreakers Booster Club Members

• Saturday, Dec. 8 - USC - 5:30 p.m. (meal) -  7:05 p.m. (tip)
• Wednesday, Jan. 9 - Texas - 5:30 p.m. (meal) - 7:05 p.m. (tip)
• Sunday, Feb. 10 - Oklahoma State - Postgame (meal) - 1 p.m. (tip)
• Wednesday, March 5 - Iowa State - 5:30 p.m. (meal) - 7:05 p.m. (tip)

For more information on the Fastbreakers Backboard Banquets, visit Fastbreakersonline.com or call Kathy Branchaud at 432-8990 or Connie Renken at 476-0306. To make your reservations, call Rose Sousek at the Nebraska women’s basketball office at (402) 472-6462.

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.

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.