Huskers Face Third 2007 NCAA Foe in Battle with Colonials

Nebraska (5-2)
vs. Robert Morris (2-3)

Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595) 
Lincoln, Neb.
Sunday, Dec. 2 - 5:05 p.m.

Live Internet Video:
HuskersNside (premium subscribers)

Radio: Husker Sports Network
(98.1 FM-KFGE, Lincoln)

Live Internet Audio:
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Huskers Face Third 2007 NCAA Foe in Battle with Colonials

The Nebraska women’s basketball team shoots for its fifth straight home win to open the 2007-08 season when the Huskers take on 2007 NCAA Tournament qualifier Robert Morris on Sunday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Tip-off time with the Colonials (2-3) is set for a rare 5:05 p.m. start, following the Nebraska men’s basketball team’s 1 p.m. battle with Arizona State at the Devaney Center. Husker men’s basketball ticket holders for the game with the Sun Devils are being invited to stay for the women’s game for free. Men’s ticket holders will be permitted to stay inside the Devaney Center during the break between games and their tickets will gain them general admission seating access.

Live radio coverage of the women’s game will be provided by the Husker Sports Network on 98.1 FM-KFGE in Lincoln. A free Internet audio broadcast will also be provided by Huskers.com, while live video will be available to premium subscribers on HuskersNside. Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will team up to call the action all season long on the Husker Sports Network.

The Huskers improved to 4-0 at the Devaney Center on the season with a 79-65 win over in-state rival Creighton on Friday night. Nebraska, which led CU by 30 points early in the second half, improved to 16-1 all-time against Creighton in Lincoln. NU is averaging 82.5 points per game in its four home wins this season and winning by an average margin of 17.3 points per game in the Devaney Center.

Robert Morris won the 2007 Northeast Conference title and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Colonials, who finished with a 24-8 overall record last season, actually finished 2006-07 on the same night, in the same building as the Huskers, competing in the NCAA Tournament at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C.

The Colonials return three starters from last year’s club, including 6-2 senior forward Chinata Nesbit, who averaged 19.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game last season. Robert Morris has also added one of the most explosive scorers in the nation to this year’s lineup in Sade Logan. The 6-0 junior guard from Knoxville, Tenn., is pumping in a staggering 26.8 points per game and is coming off a season-high 34-point performance in a 74-73 loss to Missouri in Florida last Sunday.

Scouting the Robert Morris Colonials
Coach Sal Buscaglia brings his defending Northeast Conference champion Robert Morris Colonials to Lincoln for their second straight battle with a Big 12 Conference foe. The Colonials, who ran to a 24-8 record and a first-round NCAA Tournament appearance last season, are coming off a last-second, 74-73 loss to Missouri in Florida last Sunday.

The Colonials have also faced one other opponent common to the Huskers this season, opening the year with a 67-63 setback at Florida on Nov. 12. The Huskers ran to a 90-63 victory over the Gators in Lincoln on Nov. 17.

Robert Morris returns three starters from last year’s club, including 6-2 senior forward Chinata (pronounced SHUH-nee-tah) Nesbit, who averaged a double-double with 19.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game last year. The senior from Washington, D.C., has added 12.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game early this season.

While Pysche (pronounced SAW-she) Butler and Kendra Williams also return to RMU’s starting five, the most explosive addition to the lineup is junior transfer Sade (pronounced SHAR-day) Logan. The 6-0 guard from Knoxville, Tenn., by way of Chattanooga State Junior College, is one of the nation’s leading scorers averaging 26.8 points per game through the first five contests. Logan, who spent the 2004-05 season as a freshman at Kentucky, pumped in a career-high 34 points in the loss at Missouri last Sunday. Logan has scored 20 or more points in each of her first five games at RMU, setting a career high in every contest. She has scored 30 or more points in back-to-back games, including a 31-point effort in a win over Florida Atlantic on Nov. 24. She is shooting a sizzling 42.9 percent from three-point range and has already connected on 21 three-pointers on the year.

As a team, Robert Morris is averaging 71.8 points per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the field. Although the Colonials field goal percentage is a bit low, their three-point percentage is a spectacular 39.4 percent (28-71). RMU is also hitting 67.1 percent of its free throws.

Robert Morris has nearly matched the opposition in rebounding margin (-0.2) and turnover margin (-1.2), while opponents have hit just 24.7 percent (21-85) of their three-point attempts. Opponents are also hitting just 63.2 percent from the free throw line against the Colonials.

With 566 career victories as a head coach, Sal Buscaglia has enjoyed success at every stop during his 30-year career. The 1976 Canisius graduate has led Robert Morris to three consecutive 20-win seasons after the Colonials struggled to a 3-24 record in his first season in 2003-04. Buscaglia took the helm at the Moon Township, Pa., school after leading Manhattan College to the NCAA Tournament as the Metro Atlantic Conference champion in 2002-03. He began his NCAA Division I coaching career at the University of Buffalo in 1990-91. He led his hometown school to five 20-win seasons. He spent his first 12 seasons as a head coach at Hilbert College, leading his team to seven 20-win seasons, including an NJCAA national top six finish with a 28-3 record in his final year in 1989-90.

Nebraska vs. Robert Morris Series History
Sunday’s game marks the first-ever meeting between Nebraska and Robert Morris in women’s basketball, but the Huskers are familiar with the Colonials. Last season, Robert Morris ended its season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with an 84-52 loss to the hosts from N.C. State at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C.

Nebraska saw its 2007 season come to an end on the same day with a 64-61 loss to Temple on March 18 at the RBC Center in Raleigh.

Huskers Blow Past Bluejays, 79-65
Kelsey Griffin scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field to help Nebraska run to a 30-point second-half lead and hold on for 79-65 victory over Creighton at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday night.

Senior forward Danielle Page added 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field to help the Huskers improve to 5-2 on the season, including a 4-0 home mark. Creighton slipped to 4-3 on the season.

The Huskers, who led by 16 points at 41-25 at the half, put the game out of reach early in the second half, outscoring the Jays 16-2 coming out of the locker room to take a 57-27 lead on a Cory Montgomery jumper with 15:01 left in the game.

Montgomery, who was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field on the night, was part of Husker forward foursome with Griffin, Page and Catheryn Redmon, who went a combined 21-of-27 from the floor against the Bluejays. Those four NU forwards also combined for 18 rebounds and four blocked shots.

At that point, Sam Schuett was the only Jay who had hit a field goal for more than 10 minutes in the game, but Schuett made sure she kept hitting field goals the rest of the way.

Schuett poured in a career-high 30 points and 10 rebounds, while burying 4-of-5 three-pointers to help Creighton pull within 74-62 before NU held on for a 14-point win. Schuett finished the night 11-of-14 from the field, while the rest of the Bluejays hit just 12-of-48 field goals.

Schuett helped Creighton to a quick 11-6 lead early in the game by scoring four points off the bench, but NU answered by shutting out CU for the next four minutes to take an 18-11 lead with 10:19 left in the half.

After Kelsey Crites stopped the run with her jumper at the 9:56 mark, Schuett scored four straight field goals for the Jays to keep CU within striking distance at 24-19 with five minutes left in the half.

But the Huskers held the Jays without a field goal for the final five minutes of the first half, closing on a 17-6 surge to take a 16-point lead into the locker room at intermission.

Nebraska held the Jays without a field goal for the first 3:23 of the second half before Crites knocked down her second and final jumper of the night. By that time, Nebraska’s lead had grown to 27 points.

Montgomery, who finished the night with nine points and four rebounds, pushed NU’s lead to 30 points for the first time at 57-27 with 15:01 left, before Schuett hit a three. Redmon, who added five points, two rebounds and a block off the bench, notched a traditional three-point play to push NU’s lead back to 30 points with 13:58 left.

Schuett answered with a three-point play of her own at the 13:32 mark, and after a Nicole Neals layup at the 12:48 mark, somebody else for Creighton finally got involved.

Sara Cain’s three-pointer at the 12:32 mark stopped a span of nearly 22 minutes for the Bluejays where Schuett and Crites were the only players to hit field goals.

Cain’s three-pointer seemed to spark the Jays, igniting an 11-0 run that included baskets from Ally Thrall and Megan Neuvirth, before another three-point play by Schuett trimmed NU’s lead to 62-44 with 10:20 left.

Creighton cut NU’s lead to 12 points at 74-62 with 2:41 left in the game, before Page and Griffin hit back-to-back layups to push the lead back to 16 points. Unfortunately for the Huskers, Griffin was fouled on her final shot of the night and fell hard to the floor, aggravating a rib injury suffered in NU’s exhibition finale against UNO.

Lone Senior Page Leading Huskers in Multiple Ways
Nebraska senior Danielle Page sits atop the Husker statistical rankings in several categories through the first three weeks of the regular season. The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., is averaging a team-leading 13.4 points per game, while also leading the Huskers with 7.7 rebounds per contest. Page also leads the Huskers with 11 blocked shots on the year, while shooting a team-best 59.4 percent (41-69) from the field. She is also averaging a team-high 24.9 minutes per game.

Page has produced double figures five times this season, including a career-high 27 points in a win over Mississippi. After averaging 23.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in NU’s opening weekend, Page earned the first Big 12 Conference Player-of-the-Week award on Nov. 12.

She added her first double-double of the season and third of her career with 11 points and 10 rebounds in NU’s win over Florida on Nov. 17. She nearly added her second straight double-double with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and nine rebounds in NU’s loss to Marist on Nov. 23. Page struggled in NU’s loss to Utah, managing a season-low two points to go along with seven rebounds, before bouncing back with eight points and six rebounds in just 15 minutes in a 75-47 win over Akron, Nov. 25. She is coming off an 17-point effort in Friday’s win over Creighton that included five rebounds and three blocked shots.

Last year, Page bounced back quickly from ACL surgery on her right knee on June 29, 2006, to appear in NU’s first regular-season game. She enjoyed her best season, averaging 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, including a season-high 17 points against Kansas on Jan. 27. It was one of seven double-figure scoring performances for Page as a junior, including her second career double-double with 11 points and 10 boards in NU’s win over No. 25 Kansas State on Jan. 17.

Page showed her defensive dominance throughout the season by setting NU’s junior single-season record with 60 blocked shots, including a record-setting nine blocks, 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 an NU NCAA Tournament record five blocks in a loss to Temple on March 18.

She added 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 ISU.

Montgomery Earns Spot on Oahu Classic All-Tournament Team
Sophomore Cory Montgomery earned a spot on the five-player all-tournament team last week at the Oahu Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. Montgomery, who ranks third among the Huskers in scoring on the season with 9.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, led NU by averaging 10.3 points off the bench in three tournament games.

Montgomery hit 14-of-25 shots from the field, including 1-of-4 three-pointers, while knocking down 2-of-3 free throws in the tournament. Her 31 total points came in just 50 total minutes of action in three games. She also added 12 rebounds and two assists in the tournament.

For the season, the 6-2 forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., is shooting 58.8 percent from the field, including 33.3 percent from three-point range.

Huskers Have History of Home-Opening Success
Nebraska owns a strong history of season-opening success on the Huskers’ homecourt at the Devaney Center. Nebraska improved to 32-2 all-time in home openers with its 81-74 victory over UTEP on Nov. 9.

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. NU’s only other home-opening loss came in an 88-56 setback to Kansas on Nov. 21, 1980.

Nebraska has also been traditionally strong in the second game of its home season, posting a 28-6 all-time record in its second home contest of the year. NU owns a 25-9 all-time record in its third home game of each season, and Friday against Creighton, the Huskers stretched their winning streak to 16 games in their fourth home game of the year. Overall, Nebraska is 29-5 in game No. 4 at home since the 1975-76, and the Huskers have not lost a game four since losing to Wisconsin-Green Bay 71-68, on Dec. 8, 1991.

Nebraska has not lost their fifth home game of any season since dropping an 81-57 decision to BYU on Dec. 9, 1999, a string of seven straight wins heading into Sunday’s game with Robert Morris. Overall, NU is 29-4 in its fifth home game of the season dating back to 1974-75.

All-Big 12 Forward Griffin Showing Her Toughness
First-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin was listed as questionable for NU’s season-opening win over UTEP, but the only question in her mind may have been when she was going to decide that she would start.

She answered that question at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 9, when she made the decision to start Nebraska’s season opener despite sitting out all week with sore ribs.

Griffin suffered the injury after a pair of collisions early in the second half of a Nov. 5 exhibition win over Nebraska-Omaha. In fact, she was not around to see NU’s win over the Mavs because she was taken by ambulance to Saint Elizabeth’s Regional Medical Center in Lincoln for evaluation and testing. She did not spend the night in the hospital, but she did not practice on Nov. 7 or Nov. 8 and shot around for only a few minutes on Nov. 9.

Griffin showed no ill effects of the injury, grabbing the opening tip-off and helping the Huskers roll to a 31-16 lead in the first 14 minutes by scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds. She finished the night with 15 points and eight boards, almost exactly her averages from her first-team All-Big 12 season in 2006-07.

The injury did seem to affect Griffin in NU’s second game against Ole Miss. She played just 19 minutes and attempted just three shots from the field, settling for a career-low two points. Her interior presence continued to be the focus of the Ole Miss defense, and her teammates benefitted in a big way, as Danielle Page scored a career-high 27 points, while sophomore forward Cory Montgomery added 10 points.

Griffin ranks second on the team in scoring with 11.3 points per game, while ranking third on the team with 5.4 rebounds per game. She also leads the Huskers by taking eight charges this season. She scored a season-high 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds in NU’s win over Creighton on Friday, but aggravated her rib injury when she fell hard to the floor while being fouled on her final basket of the night with less than three minutes left.

Hester Gives Huskers Dual Threat on Wing
Junior guard Tay Hester put up big numbers in the opening weekend of her Husker career. The 5-10 guard from Moreno Valley, Calif., produced her first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds in the season opener against her former teammates from UTEP.

Hester’s double-double was the first by a Husker wing player since Keasha Cannon-Johnson had 11 points and 10 rebounds in NU’s Postseason WNIT victory over Drake on March 18, 2004. Hester also became one of three active Huskers to post double-doubles in their career at NU, joining Kelsey Griffin (13) and Danielle Page (3).

Hester closed her strong weekend by adding 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the win over Ole Miss on Nov. 11. Hester added a team-high four assists, to go along with four rebounds and a steal against the Rebels.

Hester added a solid effort with eight points, eight rebounds and three assists in Nebraska’s win over Creighton on Friday. Through seven games, Hester is averaging 7.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while leading the Huskers with 21 assists. She has added six steals and two blocked shots on the year.

Freshman Kelley Produces Solid Early Numbers
Lincoln native Dominique Kelley has her Husker career off to a strong start. The Lincoln Northeast High School graduate ranks fifth on the team in scoring with 7.0 points per game, while adding 3.1 rebounds per contest. The 5-7 guard has hit 45.7 percent (16-35) of her shots from the field.

Kelley led NU with 13 points and seven boards in a 75-47 win over Akron on Nov. 25. It marked the second time this season that Kelley led NU in scoring, joining a career-high 16 points in a 90-63 win over Florida on Nov. 17.

The 2007 Nebraska High School Player of the Year and a WBCA Honorable-Mention High School All-American, Kelley produced one of the best prep careers in Nebraska history at Lincoln Northeast.

Kelley led the Rockets to a 70-3 record in her final three seasons, scoring 595 points as a senior, just 19 points shy of the Class A single-season scoring record set by former Husker and 1988 Big Eight Player-of-the-Year Maurtice Ivy. Kelley averaged 24.7 points per game last year.

Burke Earns Nomination For Best Supporting Role
No stranger to the spotlight, Kaitlyn Burke certainly earned a nomination for best supporting role by a Husker non-starter in her Nebraska premiere against UTEP on Nov. 9. The former childhood actress brought her talents to the Devaney Center stage against the Miners by scoring 13 points, including a trio of three-pointers off the bench, to help the Huskers to the 81-74 win over the Miners.

She added a solid encore in Nebraska’s win over Ole Miss on Nov. 11, when she scored nine points, grabbed two steals and dished out an assist in 21 minutes off the bench.

Through seven games, Burke is averaging 6.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. She also leads the Huskers with six three-pointers and is 8-for-10 on the year at the free throw line.

The 5-7 guard from North Vancouver, British Columbia, turned her focus from feature films such as Questar’s Ms. Bear (1997) and Bear with Me (2000), to athletics seven years ago, after appearing with such Hollywood stars as Lindsay Lohan, Tyra Banks and Henry Winkler. Last year, Burke played on the international stage as a member of the Canadian Junior National Team and was one of the first members of the Canadian National Development Academy in 2006-07.

Turner Off to Solid Start as Sophomore
Sophomore Yvonne Turner has her second season in Lincoln off to a solid start. The 5-8 guard out of Bellevue East High School in Omaha set a career high with 11 points and matched her career best with five rebounds in Nebraska’s 80-59 win over Ole Miss on Nov. 11. She also added three assists and two steals against the Rebels, completing her first weekend as a starter in strong fashion.

She added another career high to fuel Nebraska’s 90-63 win over Florida, this time doing it with defense. Turner grabbed a career-high eight steals, including five in the first 1:31 of the second half. Her eight steals were tied for the eighth-highest total in school history, just two shy of Kathy Hawkins’ school record. Amazingly, Turner recorded her eight steals in her first 12 minutes of game action on the court in the game’s first 22 minutes.

Last season, Turner produced 18 steals in 336 minutes of action, which ranked second among all returning Huskers behind only first-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin (36).

Through seven games, Turner is averaging 5.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a team-leading 2.0 steals per game.

Last season, Turner appeared in 28 games and averaged 2.3 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, and was one of NU’s top reserves down the stretch. She averaged 2.8 points per game while appearing in all 16 Big 12 games.

The 2006 WBCA High School All-American and Nebraska Player of the Year averaged 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.7 steals per game as a senior at Bellevue East.

Kuhlmann Showing Dramatic Increase in Production
Kala Kuhlmann is enjoying her most successful stretch as a Husker early in her sophomore season. The 5-8 guard from Charter Oak, Iowa, is averaging 4.1 points and 2.0 rebounds per game off the bench, while ranking second among the Huskers with 2.7 assists per game.

Kuhlmann scored nine points against Akron on Nov. 25, when she added a career-high four rebounds in just 15 minutes of work. Before heading to Hawaii, Kuhlmann shattered her previous career scoring high with 11 points to go along with a career-best five assists in 15 minutes of action in a win over Florida on Nov. 17.

Through seven games and 100 minutes this season, Kuhlmann has scored 29 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 19 assists and grabbed four steals. As a freshman last season, Kuhlmann appeared in 27 games with 164 total minutes. She scored 20 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, dished out nine assists and snagged just one steal on the year.

Nebraska Reloading after Successful 2006-07 Season
Although the Huskers are 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.

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."

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).

Page, who owns at least one blocked shot in 16 of the last 17 games, totaled 34 blocks (3.1 bpg) in NU’s final 11 games of 2006-07. In Big 12 games only, she ranked second in the league (2.38 bpg) behind only Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (3.75 bpg).

Page ranks second on NU’s career blocked shot list with 137 in her career. With 60 blocks as a junior, 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.

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.

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 features 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."

The Huskers got a stiff test at home even before taking on the Lady Rebels, opening the regular season with a thrilling 81-74 win over UTEP on Nov. 9. The Miners finished with a 22-8 record in 2006-07. After taking on a pair of 20-win teams in UTEP and Ole Miss (Nov. 11), the Huskers rolled to a 90-63 win over SEC foe Florida at the Devaney Center on Nov. 17. The Gators have advanced to the postseason in 13 of the last 15 years, including 11 NCAA tournaments.

After opening the season with a three-game homestand, Nebraska made a long road trip to the Oahu Classic in Honolulu during Thanksgiving break. The tournament field featured Marist, which 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. After losing to Marist, the Huskers fell to 2006 NCAA Elite Eight qualifier Utah, which advanced to the 2007 Postseason WNIT.

After their trip to Hawaii, the Huskers returned home for a three-game home stand that began with a 79-65 win over in-state rival Creighton (Nov. 30), 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 314-112 (.737) in games played in the arena, including 114-72 (.613) in conference games. NU is off to an impressive 4-0 start at home this season, after posting a 10-4 home mark in 2006-07.

Over the last five years, NU is 50-16 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.

Huskers Sign Talented Pair During Early Period
Nebraska has announced the signing of two impressive recruits to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period for the 2008-09 season.

The Huskers will be joined next season by Layne Reeves (Lubbock, Texas) and Harleen Sidhu (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada). Coach Connie Yori said both of Nebraska's incoming freshmen will add size and shooting ability on the perimeter, while keeping NU's emphasis on excellence in the classroom and in the community.

"Both Harleen and Layne are going to add depth and size for us on the perimeter next season," Yori said. "Harleen is a really versatile and consistent player, and Layne is a great shooter from the outside. I think they both have the ability to help us next year and into the future of our program. Along with their abilities on the court, both of them are outstanding students and are going to be great representatives for our program because of their strong characters."

One of the top young players in Canada, Harleen Sidhu will join fellow British Columbia Provincial Team member Kaitlyn Burke on Nebraska's roster next season. Sidhu will become the third Canadian in the past five years to join the Husker program, following in the footsteps of Canadian Senior National Team member Chelsea Aubry.

Sidhu was invited to attend the National Elite Development Academy in Ontario and was also invited to tryout for the Canadian National Team. She averaged 31 points, six rebounds and three assists per game as a junior, but missed much of the season with an injury.

As a sophomore at Fleetwood Secondary School in 2005-06, the 6-1 forward averaged 23 points and eight rebounds per game for Coach Rose Bindra. Sidhu spent five years on the British Columbia provincial team, leading her team to a gold medal in the 2006 Canadian Under 17 National Championships in Quebec, where she produced a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds for Coach Shaun McGuinness. She earned first-team all-tournament honors for her performances. She was also a first-team all-tournament selection while leading British Columbia to the Under-15 national title in 2004.

The 16-year-old Sidhu is also an outstanding performer in the classroom and in the community. She has been an honor roll member throughout high school, carrying a 4.0 grade-point average. She also received the Youth Recognition Award for Personal Achievement from the City of Surrey in 2004 for her commitment to volunteering her time in the community. Sidhu chose Nebraska over Gonzaga, Utah, San Diego, Colorado, Colorado State, Montana and Oregon State among many other schools.

Layne Reeves will join the Huskers in 2008-09 after an outstanding career at Trinity Christian High School in Lubbock, Texas. The 5-11 guard earned first-team all-state recognition for the private large school division from the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. She also earned all-state honors from the Texas Girls Coaches Association. She helped lead Trinity Christian to its fifth straight TAPPS state title game, and its first as a member of Class 5A in 2007. In 2005 and 2006, Reeves helped the Lady Lions to Class 4A state championships under Coach Tory Bryant. Last year, Trinity Christian finished as the state runner-up with a 31-8 overall record in Class 5A.

In three seasons of high school competition, Reeves has helped the Lady Lions to a 96-19 overall record. She also earned TAPPS District 1-4A co-MVP honors as a sophomore from the Dallas Morning News in 2005-06.

Reeves showed her commitment to the game by playing for both the Lubbock Lady Hawks club team and the Texas Express 89 club team. In order to play for the Express, Reeves had to regularly make the five-hour drive to Dallas from Lubbock to play for Coach Dianna Sager's elite team.

Reeves' father, Ron was a four-year starter at quarterback for Texas Tech and was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1982. He played briefly in the NFL, while also playing for Montreal in the CFL and the Denver Gold in the USFL. He closed his career for the Red Raiders as the school's all-time passing leader and was inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Honor in 2007.