Huskers Open Four-Game Stand with Denver

Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3)
vs. Denver Pioneers (4-6)

Devaney Center (13,595) - Lincoln, Neb.
Sunday, Dec. 30, 2:05 p.m.

Radio: Husker Sports Network
(98.1 FM-KFGE, Lincoln)
Live Internet Audio: Huskers.com (free)
Live Internet Video: Huskers.com (free)

Huskers Play Pioneers Sunday
The Nebraska women’s basketball team closes the 2007 portion of its schedule by opening a four-game homestand on Sunday, Dec. 30, when the Huskers take on Denver at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln.

Tip-off is set for 2:05 p.m., with live radio coverage on the Husker Sports Network, including 98.1 FM-KFGE in Lincoln. Free Internet audio broadcasts will also be provided on Huskers.com with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action. A special free live video stream will be available on Huskers.com through HuskersNside.

The Huskers open their four-game stand against the Pioneers after ending a three-game road swing with an 86-74 loss at No. 18 Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 22, in Columbus, Ohio. NU’s loss snapped its six-game winning streak. The Huskers are still an impressive 9-3 on the season. Despite falling at the defending Big Ten champion Buckeyes, NU climbed back into the top 20 in the CollegeRPI.com power rankings (as of Dec. 27). The Huskers are ranked No. 20 with the 23rd-best strength of schedule in the nation.

Although the Huskers lost at Ohio State, they led for nearly the entire first half, and trailed by just five points at 71-66 with 4:42 left in the game, despite playing without first-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin for the second straight game because of a rib injury. Griffin, who suffered the injury in NU’s exhibition finale against Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 5, was limited in NU’s first 10 games before sitting out the first two games of her career at Long Beach State and Ohio State. She is expected to miss the rest of NU’s non-conference schedule.

Reserve guard Kala Kuhlmann sat out her third straight contest at Ohio State, after suffering a sprained knee in the second half of a win over USC on Dec. 8. Kuhlmann is also expected to return for the start of Big 12 action.

Cory Montgomery made the first two starts of her career in place of Griffin in NU’s lineup and continued her impressive play. One of the Big 12’s top scorers off the bench through the first 10 games of the season, Montgomery has increased her season averages to 11.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Montgomery provides the Huskers with a strong second option to senior forward Danielle Page, who is averaging team bests with 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Page also leads the Huskers and ranks among Big 12 leaders with 2.5 blocked shots per game. The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., has already blocked 30 shots this season, becoming just the second Nebraska player in history to block 30 or more shots in four consecutive seasons.

Nebraska Seeks 10th Win of Season Against Pioneers
Nebraska shoots for its second straight season of double-figure victory totals in non-conference play when the Huskers take on Denver on Sunday. The Huskers enter the game with a 9-3 record, hoping for win No. 10 against the Pioneers.

Last season, Nebraska rolled to a 12-2 non-conference mark. In her sixth season at NU, Coach Connie Yori has led the Huskers to a 53-17 record (.757 winning percentage) in regular-season non-conference action, including a 10-1 mark in her second season in 2003-04. NU has finished with no fewer than seven non-conference wins in each of Yori’s six seasons in Lincoln.

Huskers Playing Huge at Home to Open Season
Nebraska has enjoyed a great start to its home non-conference season. Not only have the Huskers bolted to a 6-0 start at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, they have done it in dominant fashion. The Huskers are shooting a blistering 51.6 percent on their homecourt this season, leading to a scoring average of 81.7 points per game.

NU has outscored the opposition by an average of 17 points at home, holding opponents to 64.7 points per game. Husker foes are shooting just 37 percent from the field in Lincoln.

The Huskers also own a plus-5.1 rebounding margin and a plus-1.2 team turnover margin at home.

Those numbers are made even more impressive considering the strength of Nebraska’s home schedule early in the season. The only team to play the Huskers within single digits was UTEP (81-74). The Miners, who won 22 games last season, are off to a 8-2 start with their only other loss coming on the road at Kansas State.

Nebraska sprinted to an 80-59 win over 2007 NCAA Elite Eight qualifier Mississippi, before galloping past the Florida Gators, 90-63. NU defeated in-state rival Creighton, 79-65, after leading by 30 points midway through the second half, before rolling to a 73-58 win over 2007 NCAA Tournament participant Robert Morris. Most recently, the Huskers cruised to an 87-69 win over traditional power USC.

Scouting The Denver Pioneers
Coach Pam Tanner brings her Denver Pioneers to Lincoln on Sunday looking for their first road victory of the season. DU is coming off a 72-56 home loss to North Texas on Dec. 22, in its Sun Belt Conference opener at Magness Arena.

Alisha Godette, a 6-0 senior guard, leads a veteran Pioneer lineup to Lincoln. Godette, who had 11 points and eight rebounds in the loss to North Texas, is averaging 9.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Godette is the top returning scorer and rebounder from a Denver squad that finished with a 20-11 overall record last season, which included a second-place finish in the Sun Belt West Division.

Godette is joined in the starting lineup by 6-0 senior forward Sara Benham, who is averaging 11.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, along with senior guard Brooke Meyer, who has pitched in 7.0 points and 3.5 boards per contest. Meyer, a 5-4 point guard, also leads Denver with 14 three-pointers and 35 total assists.

Junior Nnenna Akotaobi, a 5-10 forward, leads DU in the scoring column with 13.5 points while adding 4.7 boards per contest. Andie Mason, a 5-7 junior guard, has added 4.4 points and 2.4 boards per game, while matching Meyer for the team lead with 14 three-pointers.

The Pioneers also possess plenty of experience off the bench. Senior guard Jenna Cole, a graduate of Lincoln East High School, has averaged 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Cole, who has started two games for DU, has missed two games this year while battling shin splints. She is also recovering from a sprained ankle. Cole ranks ninth on Denver’s all-time list with 81 career three-pointers.

Sara Bents, a 6-1 junior forward (1.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg) and 5-7 junior guard Celena Otero (1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg) have played in all 10 contests this season. Britteni Rice, a freshman guard who had 11 points in the loss to North Texas, has pitched in 3.5 points and 0.6 rebounds per game, while fellow freshman Abbey Leichliter has added 1.5 points and 1.1 rebounds while appearing in all 10 contests. Sophomore forward Ashly Robinson rounds out Denver’s regulars by contributing 2.1 points and 2.4 boards per game.

Denver has struggled offensively, averaging just 61.2 points per game, including a season-low 37 points in a season-opening loss to a top-25 Duke squad at home on Nov. 11. The Pioneers also managed just 45 points in a road loss at top-25 Wyoming. The Huskers and Pioneers share one common opponent, with DU dropping a 68-64 decision to Creighton in Denver on Dec. 5, just six days after Nebraska defeated the Jays, 79-65, in Lincoln.

The Pioneers are shooting just 40.8 percent from the field, but are knocking down a solid 35.3 percent of their three-pointers. DU is also hitting 72.7 percent of its free throws. The slightly undersized Pioneers have struggled the most on the glass, as opponents own a rebounding margin of 5.1 boards per game. DU also owns a negative-0.7 team turnover margin.

Nebraska vs. Denver Series History
Sunday’s game marks the first-ever meeting in women’s basketball between Nebraska and Denver. The Pioneers feature Lincoln native Jenna Cole, who was an all-stater in both basketball and soccer at Lincoln East High School. Cole averaged 7.1 points and 3.2 rebounds, while starting 27 contests for the 20-11 Pioneers last season. Cole hit 32-of-85 three-pointers (37.6 percent), while connecting on a school-record 88.4 percent of her free throws.

As a sophomore in 2005-06, Cole started 25 games and averaged 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. In 2004-05, Cole played four games before taking a medical redshirt because of an injury. Cole was chosen as Ms. Nebraska Basketball and the State High School Female Athlete of the Year by the Omaha World-Herald in 2004.

Huskers Fall at No. 18 Ohio State, 86-74
Danielle Page led three Huskers in double figures with 16 points and eight rebounds, but it was not enough to prevent Nebraska from falling to No. 18 Ohio State, 86-74, in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 22.

Marscilla Packer, who was questionable with a left knee injury before the game, scored a game-high 23 points, including five three-pointers. She connected on a trio of three-pointers early in the second half to help the Buckeyes turn a 37-36 halftime lead into a nine-point advantage with 12 minutes left.

Jantel Lavender, who added 21 points and seven boards, scored 15 points in the opening period to carry the Buckeyes in the opening half.

Nebraska, which was playing its second straight game without injured first-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin due to a rib injury, took its biggest lead of the first half after a pair of free throws by Montgomery to make it 25-18 with 7:35 in the opening period.

The Huskers, who were also without reserve guard Kala Kuhlmann because of a knee injury, led for nearly the entire first 18 minutes of the game, trailing only once at 10-9 before Lavender scored her 15th point of the first half to give the Buckeyes a 33-31 lead with just under two minutes left.

OSU took its biggest lead of the half on the next possession after a layup by Ashlee Trebilcock, before Kaitlyn Burke answered with her only three-pointer of the first half with 45 seconds left.

Despite trailing 37-34 with 22 seconds left after a pair of free throws by Trebilcock, the Huskers had a chance to take a lead to the locker room after single free throws by Page and Hester and a turnover by Ohio State, but Page was unable to get a a shot off before time expired and the Buckeyes took a 37-36 lead into the locker room.

Nebraska forced a turnover on the opening possession of the second half and Page hit a jumper at the other end to give NU the lead back at 38-37 in the first 20 seconds of the second half. But Packer heated up by hitting a trio of three-pointers to shoot OSU to a 49-44 edge with 15:46 left.

Although NU kept scoring, OSU extended its lead to 11 points at 64-53 with 9:45 left. Nebraska refused to quit, as Montgomery buried a three-pointer and then hit a jumper to knock OSU’s lead to 66-60 with 8:15 remaining.

After OSU pushed the lead back to 11 points at 71-60, NU trimmed the lead to five at 71-66 after a pair of Dominique Kelley free throws with 4:42 left in the game. But NU would not get any closer the rest of the way. Kelley finished the day with nine points and five rebounds in a strong performance.

Lone Senior Page Leading Huskers Across the Board
Nebraska senior Danielle Page sits atop the Husker statistical rankings in several categories in non-conference play. The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., is averaging team-best averages of 13.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game.

Page has scored in double figures eight times this season, including a pair of 20-plus efforts. She erupted for a career-high 27 points in an 80-59 win over Mississippi on Nov. 11, and averaged 23.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in NU’s opening weekend. She earned the first Big 12 Conference Player-of-the-Week award on Nov. 12.

Page added one of the best defensive efforts of her career when she pulled down 13 defensive rebounds, blocked seven shots and notched one steal in Nebraska’s win over Cal State Bakersfield. She added seven points and two assists against the Roadrunners. Her performance against CSUB followed a 21-point, eight-rebound effort in NU’s 87-69 win over USC that included a season-high five blocked shots and three assists.

Page, who has scored in double figures in each of NU’s first six home games this season, 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.

She scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and tied a career high with four assists while blocking three shots in Nebraska’s win over Robert Morris on Dec. 2. She added a 17-point effort in a win over Creighton that included five rebounds and three blocked shots on Nov. 30. Page pumped in 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a loss at No. 18 Ohio State on Dec. 22.

Last year, Page bounced back quickly from ACL surgery on her right knee on June 29, 2006, to appear in NU’s first game. She enjoyed her best season, averaging 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds, 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.

Griffin Misses First Career Game at Long Beach State
First-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin missed the first game of her Nebraska career in the Huskers’ 75-52 victory at Long Beach State on Dec. 15. Griffin, who owned a Big 12-leading 74 consecutive starts before sitting out against the 49ers, has been slowed by a rib injury throughout the non-conference season.

Griffin also sat out Nebraska’s loss at No. 18 Ohio State on Dec. 22, and is not expected to play against Denver or Arkansas-Pine Bluff to close the non-conference season.

Griffin, who scored 12 points and grabbed three rebounds in NU’s win at Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 13, also took three charges against the Roadrunners. She leads the Huskers with 12 charges drawn on the season.

Griffin, a 6-2 native of Eagle River, Alaska, ranks second on the team in scoring and rebounding this season with 11.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

Montgomery Playing Big for Huskers in Place of Griffin
Sophomore Cory Montgomery gives the Huskers a trio of potent weapons inside, spelling both Danielle Page and Kelsey Griffin in NU’s forward rotation. Through 12 games, Montgomery is averaging 11.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 58.4 percent from the field - numbers nearly identical to Griffin’s, a returning All-Big 12 forward.

Montgomery has been even better the last six games, averaging 14.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 61.1 percent (33-54) from the field.

The 6-2 forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., made her first career start in Nebraska’s 75-52 win at Long Beach State on Dec. 15. Filling in for an injured Griffin, Montgomery scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, including her fourth three-pointer of the season against the 49ers. She added 14 points and six rebounds in a career-high 32 minutes in her second career start at No. 18 Ohio State on Dec. 22. Montgomery also knocked down a career-best two three-pointers against the Buckeyes. It was her fifth straight game in double figures and marked the ninth time this season she had scored 10 or more points.

Montgomery came up big in Nebraska’s 87-69 victory over USC on Dec. 8, by scoring a career-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field. She also grabbed six rebounds. She scored seven points in the final 3:14 to help NU turn a seven-point lead into an 18-point win. She scored 14 of her game-high 21 points in the second half against the Women of Troy.

In NU’s win over Cal State Bakersfield, Montgomery scored nine points in the final eight minutes to help the Huskers surge to victory down the stretch. She hit 5-of-7 shots from the field for the game, missing only a pair of three-point attempts, to finish with 12 points.

Montgomery produced the first double-double of her career with 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in Nebraska’s win over Robert Morris on Dec. 2.

She earned a spot on the five-player all-tournament team at the Oahu Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, 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.

Montgomery has scored in double figures nine times this season and has scored no fewer than five points in any game.

Griffin Reaches Milestone in Win over USC
Junior forward Kelsey Griffin became the 23rd player in Nebraska women’s basketball history to reach the 1,000-point mark in her career when she scored the game’s first points in NU’s 87-69 win over USC on Dec. 8.

Griffin finished the USC game with 13 points and added 12 points in NU’s win at Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 13 to climb to No. 22 on the Husker career scoring list with 1,023 points. She also has 513 career rebounds, making her one of just 15 players in school history to amass 1,000 points and 500 boards in their careers. She achieved the marks in just 73 games, just a quarter of the way into her junior season at Nebraska.

The 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, is poised to make a major jump up Nebraska’s scoring and rebounding charts. She needs just 12 points to catch Alexa Johnson (2001-04) at No. 21 with 1,035, and 13 points to reach Stacy Imming at No. 20 (1,036). With 25 points she will match Cathy Owen (19th, 1,048).

To join Nebraska’s top-10 list as a scorer by the end of her junior season, Griffin will need to catch Diane DelVigna at 1,433 points. To become one of NU’s top-10 career rebounders, Griffin (513) needs 128 more boards to catch Tina McClain at 641. Griffin also needs just nine more blocked shots to crack NU’s career top 10 in that category. She owns 54 blocks in her career and has 11 blocks through the Huskers’ first 10 games this season. Pyra Aarden and Karen Jennings are tied for ninth on NU’s career chart with 63 blocks.

Hester Gives Huskers All-Around Threat on Wing
Junior guard Tay Hester has given Nebraska an all-around offensive and defensive threat on the wing early in 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 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.

The California native has produced double figures five times, including a career-high 14 points and four assists in a loss at No. 14 Ohio State on Dec. 22.

She also pitched in 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in Nebraska’s 87-69 win over USC on Dec. 8. Hester scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half to help the Huskers turn a two-point halftime lead into an 18-point victory over the Women of Troy.

Hester had 11 points and six rebounds in a win over Robert Morris on Dec. 2, after producing eight points, eight rebounds and three assists in a win over Creighton on Nov. 30.

Through 12 games, Hester is averaging 8.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while ranking second among the Huskers with 29 assists. She has added 12 steals and three blocked shots on the year.

Burke Earns Nomination for Best Supporting Role
No stranger to the spotlight, Kaitlyn Burke has certainly earned a nomination for best supporting role by a Husker non-starter in her young Nebraska career. The former childhood actress played starring roles in Nebraska’s wins in California two weeks ago.

The 5-7 guard from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, erupted for career highs of 15 points, five three-pointers and seven assists in a career-best 34 minutes off the bench in NU’s win at Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 13. She provided an impressive encore by leading the Huskers in scoring, rebounding and assists with 14 points, a career-high seven boards and five assists in a 75-52 run past Long Beach State on Dec. 15.

Nebraska’s leader in both assists (39) and three-pointers made (18), Burke is averaging 7.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while knocking down 36.0 percent of her three-point attempts.

Burke brought her talents to the Devaney Center stage in her career-opening performance against UTEP on Nov. 9. She poured in 13 points, including a trio of three-pointers, to help the Huskers to an 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 to conclude a strong opening weekend.

Burke, who had seven points, four rebounds and five assists in NU’s win over USC on Dec. 8, has averaged 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists over the last four games, while hitting 11-of-21 three-point attempts. Burke 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.

Four Huskers Own Double-Doubles
Nebraska is displaying impressive athleticism across the board early in the 2007-08 season. Through the first 12 games, four different Huskers have put up double-doubles in points and rebounds.

Newcomer Tay Hester was the first Husker to notch a double-double on the year with 13 points and 12 rebounds in NU’s opening-night win over UTEP on Nov. 9. Hester became the first NU wing player since Keasha Cannon-Johnson on March 18, 2004, to claim a double-double. Senior forward Danielle Page joined Hester with a double-double by producing 11 points and 10 boards in Nebraska’s win over Florida on Nov. 17. It was Page’s third career double-double.

Against Robert Morris on Dec. 2, both Kelsey Griffin and Cory Montgomery produced their first double-doubles of the season, as Griffin rolled to 15 points and 12 rebounds in just 17 minutes, while Montgomery notched her first career double-double with 16 points and 11 boards in 22 minutes. For Griffin, it was the 14th double-double of her career.

Last season, Griffin claimed 10 double-doubles on the season, but Page was the only other Husker to manage a double-double on the year with 11 points and 10 rebounds against Kansas State on Jan. 17.

All-Big 12 Forward Griffin Shows 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 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 and rebounding with 11.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She also leads the Huskers by taking 12 charges this season, including three in a win at Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 13. She scored a season-high 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds in NU’s win over Creighton on Nov. 30, 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.

She bounced back quickly, despite being slowed by a head cold, to post her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Robert Morris just two days later.

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 sixth on the team in scoring with 6.5 points per game, while adding 3.0 rebounds per contest.

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. She added a strong effort with nine points, five rebounds and two assists at No. 18 Ohio State on Dec. 22.

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.

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. Turner contributed her second double-figure scoring effort of the season with 10 points, four steals and three assists in NU’s win at Long Beach State on Dec. 15. She added eight points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals at No. 18 Ohio State on Dec. 22, to increase her season averages to 5.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Turner contributed one of the best all-around games of her career with eight points, four rebounds and three steals in Nebraska’s 87-69 win over USC on Dec. 8.

She added her most impressive defensive performance of the season with a career-high eight steals in Nebraska’s 90-63 win over Florida on Nov. 17. Turner nabbed five steals in the first 1:31 of the second half, while her eight steals 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 action on the court in the game’s first 22 minutes.

Through 12 games, Turner already has 28 steals in 282 minutes to lead the Huskers. Last season, Turner produced 18 steals in 336 minutes, which ranked second among all returning Huskers behind only first-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin (36). She 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 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game off the bench, while matching Yvonne Turner for second among the Huskers with 2.3 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 nine games and 134 minutes this season, Kuhlmann has scored 32 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, dished out 21 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.

She did not play in NU’s games in California or at No. 18 Ohio State after suffering a sprained knee in the Huskers’ victory over USC on Dec. 8. She is expected to miss two to four weeks with the injury.

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, and is continuing to attack the Husker record book as a senior.

Page, who has produced top-10 single-game block marks in each of the last two games, set a season high with seven rejections in Nebraska’s win at Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 13. Her seven blocks tied for second on NU’s single-game chart, trailing only her nine blocks in a 76-67 win over No. 13 Baylor on Feb. 3, 2007.

In the 2006-07 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 has blocked 22 shots in the last six games, has blocked at least one attempt in 22 of the last 23 games. With 30 blocks on the year, Page is on pace to break Smith’s single-season block mark. She needs just eight more blocks to produce her third top-10 block season in her career.

Page totaled 34 blocks (3.1 bpg) in NU’s final 11 games of 2006-07, and 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 159 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 four consecutive seasons. In fact, Page and Smith are the only Huskers to produce 30 or more blocks in three straight years.

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 Battling 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 defeating Northeast Conference champion and NCAA Tournament qualifier Robert Morris, 73-58 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 closed the stand by running to an 87-69 win over traditional Pac-10 power USC.

Nebraska enjoyed a successful trip to California with wins over 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 No. 18 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.

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

• 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 316-112 (.738) in games played in the arena, including 114-72 (.613) in conference games. NU is off to an impressive 6-0 start at home this season, after posting a 10-4 home mark in 2006-07.

Over the last five seasons, NU is 52-16 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.