Huskers Open Big 12 Road Action At No. 16 Texas

Nebraska Cornhuskers
(9-5, 0-1)
at #16 Texas Longhorns
(12-3, 0-1)

Frank Erwin Center (13,595) ? Austin, Texas
Wednesday, Jan. 14 ? 7 p.m.

Radio: Husker Sports Network
(98.1 KFGE Lincoln; 93.3 KTWI Omaha)
Television: Fox Sports Southwest
(DirecTV Ch. 676; DISH Network Ch. 416)
Live Internet Audio: Huskers.com (Free)

The Nebraska women’s basketball team (9-5, 0-1) makes its first Big 12 Conference road trip of the season when the Huskers head to Austin to tackle No. 16 Texas (12-3, 0-1) on Wednesday.

Tip-off between the Huskers and Longhorns at the Erwin Center is set for 7:05 p.m. with live television coverage provided by Fox Sports Southwest (DirecTV Ch. 676, DISH Network Ch. 416) with Kevin Eschenfelder and Debbie Antonelli on the call. Live radio on the Husker Sports Network, including a free audio broadcast on Huskers.com, will also be available with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action.

Nebraska’s game at Texas will conclude a five-game stretch in which the Huskers took on five teams that advanced to at least the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns will be third ranked foe during the stretch for the Huskers, including a win over then-No. 24 Arizona State on Dec. 28, and a loss to No. 4 Oklahoma in the Big 12 opener on Saturday.

The Sooners, who defeated the Huskers 77-56 at the Devaney Center, became the first team without a 2008 conference championship to beat Nebraska this season. NU’s previous four losses came to Big Ten champion Ohio State, Mountain West Conference champ New Mexico, Conference USA champion UTEP and defending SEC champion LSU.

Nebraska’s loss to the Sooners marked the first time since the 2003-04 season that the Huskers were defeated in their Big 12 opener. Last season, NU opened Big 12 action with a hard-fought 56-45 victory over then-No. 15 Texas at the Devaney Center on Jan. 9. The Longhorns dropped another Big 12 road opener on Saturday, falling in the final seconds, 65-62, at Texas Tech.

The loss to the Lady Raiders dropped Texas to No. 16 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, after the Longhorns had climbed as high as No. 4 earlier this season in the rankings. UT has lost three of its last four games, with all three of the losses coming on the road. Texas is a perfect 8-0 at home this season, including impressive wins over traditional powers Tennessee, Arizona State and Old Dominion. In Nebraska’s last trip to the Erwin Center, the Huskers came away with their first-ever win at Texas with a 79-75 victory on Jan. 3, 2007.

Montgomery Producing in Big Way in First Season as Starter
In her first season as a starter, Cory Montgomery has been a force inside for the Huskers through 14 games in 2008-09. The 6-2 junior forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., leads Nebraska in scoring and rebounding with 13.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. She ranks among Big 12 leaders in scoring and rebounding, and earned the first Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honor of her career on Dec. 1.

Montgomery, who scored 20 or more points in three straight games against Southern Utah, Denver and Butler, added her fourth 20-point effort of the season with 20 points and a career-high matching 11 rebounds in a win over Oral Roberts on Dec. 2. It was her second double-double of the season. She added her third double-double of the year and fourth of her career with 11 points and 10 rebounds at UTEP on Dec. 20.

She added 17 points and nine rebounds in a head-to-head battle with 2008 Big Ten Player of the Year Jantel Lavender in a 69-65 loss to No. 18 Ohio State on Dec. 6. Montgomery pumped in a career-high 22 points in NU’s win over Butler on Nov. 28. She also tied her career best with 11 rebounds to produce her first double-double of the year. She earned a spot on the all-tournament team in Albuquerque with 17 points and eight rebounds in a loss to New Mexico in the championship game. She finished the tournament averaging 19.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. She also added a block and a steal in both tournament games.

In Nebraska’s win over Southern Utah (Nov. 22), Montgomery tied her then-career high with 21 points while adding seven rebounds. Two days later, Montgomery helped carry Nebraska to a 21-point road win at Denver by scoring 20 points while adding a game-high nine boards. She opened the season with 13 points and five rebounds in just 16 minutes of action in NU’s win over Weber State (Nov. 14), before pitching in 11 points and nine rebounds in the Huskers’ victory at Creighton (Nov. 17).

Although 2008-09 marks her first year as a full-time starter, Montgomery is no stranger to producing solid numbers for the Huskers. Last season, she averaged 9.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as one of the most productive reserves in the Big 12, while also starting four games in place of an injured Kelsey Griffin at the end of the non-conference season.

In 2007-08, Montgomery scored in double figures 15 times. She set a season high with 21 points in a win over USC (Dec. 8, 2007), before matching that effort with 21 points and eight boards in 23 minutes off the bench in a victory at Iowa State (Jan. 19, 2008). She also produced the first double-double of her career with 16 points and a career-best 11 rebounds in Nebraska’s win over Robert Morris (Dec. 2, 2007).

Montgomery averaged 12 points per game as a starter last season, and averaged 10 points and 3.5 rebounds per game during Nebraska’s NCAA Tournament run against Xavier and Maryland in 2008. She also 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.

Turner Providing More Production Across the Board
A member of the Big 12 All-Defensive Team a year ago, Yvonne Turner continues to play spectacular defense while increasing her offensive production as a junior for the Huskers.

Turner ranks second on the team in scoring with 11.0 points per game, while adding 3.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and a team-leading 2.4 steals per contest. She had nine points, two assists, two blocks and three steals in the loss to No. 4 Oklahoma on Saturday, after scoring a team-high 15 points at LSU on Jan. 1. She added a team-best 13 points in NU’s win over No. 24 Arizona State. She scored 10 second-half points to help the Huskers come back from a 16-point deficit against the Sun Devils.

Turner has continued to improve her scoring consistency throughout her career at Nebraska, producing double figures in nine of NU’s 14 games. Over NU’s last nine games, Turner has scored no fewer than eight points in any contest, averaging 12.1 points per game during that stretch. She erupted for a season-high 19 points in the Huskers’ win over Long Beach State on Dec. 12.

The 5-8 guard from Omaha earned a spot on the all-tournament team at the Holiday Inn & Suites Express Midtown Thanksgiving Tournament after producing 11 points, five rebounds, two steals and an assist in the championship game against the Lobos. Turner opened the tournament with a career-high nine rebounds, five assists and three steals in the win over Butler.

Turner leads the Huskers with 24 made three-pointers this season, and needs just two more to crack NU’s career top 10 in that category.

Turner produced her best all-around game this year with season highs of 15 points, five assists and four steals in NU’s 76-55 win at Denver (Nov. 24). She hit 4-of-9 shots from the field, including 3-of-6 three-pointers, while connecting on all four of her free throw attempts. She added 13 points, four rebounds and two steals against No. 18 Ohio State, after scoring 12 points in a win over 2008 NCAA qualifier Oral Roberts on Dec. 2.

Turner has made impressive gains on the court every semester. As a true freshman, Turner played in just nine of NU’s 13 non-conference games and averaged fewer than two points per game, while committing nearly two turnovers per contest. During her first Big 12 season, Turner increased her role by averaging nearly three points per contest while committing just 14 turnovers in 16 games.

During non-conference play as a sophomore, Turner averaged 6.4 points per game and became a force defensively by averaging better than 2.5 steals per game. She made another big jump during Big 12 play, increasing her scoring average to 9.8 points per game, while leading the Big 12 with 2.6 steals per contest. She also established herself as a dangerous three-point shooter by hitting 24-of-61 long-range attempts (39.3 percent) against Big 12 foes.

Her shooting performance came after going just 7-of-38 from three-point range in non-conference action. Turner’s scoring average rose throughout the season, as she finished at 8.4 points per game, while posting the second-best steals total by a sophomore in school history with 81.

Her defensive prowess earned her a spot on the Big 12’s All-Defensive Team. She had career highs of eight steals against Florida (Nov. 17) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Jan. 2). Those totals rank among the top-10 single-game marks in NU history. She is one of only three Huskers to notch eight or more steals twice in a career.

Turner capped a breakout sophomore season with a career-high 23 points and six assists against No. 5 Maryland in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Going head-to-head with Terrapin All-America guard Kristi Toliver, Turner hit a career-best five three-pointers. Turner also forced Toliver into six turnovers and limited the National Player-of-the-Year Finalist to 6-of-20 shooting from the field.

Turner owns 21 career double-figure scoring efforts, including nine this season. She has produced double figures in 19 of NU’s last 34 games, after having just two in her first 41 contests.

Hometown Husker Kelley Stepping Up as Sophomore
Dominique Kelley has stepped up her game in every area early in her second season with the Huskers. The 5-7 sophomore guard out of Lincoln Northeast High School ranks third on the team in scoring with 10.6 points per game, while adding 3.5 rebounds per contest. Kelley also leads the Huskers with 3.3 assists per game and has added nearly one steal per contest. She is also shooting 80.3 percent at the free throw line.

Kelley produced the best all-around game of her young career with a career-high 21 points to help NU to a 67-54 win over Butler (Nov. 28). She hit 5-of-8 shots from the field and set career bests by going 11-for-12 at the line. She added five rebounds, three assists, two steals and her first career blocked shot against the Bulldogs.

Kelley’s effort in Albuquerque came a week after producing the best week of her career with two solid performances against Creighton and Southern Utah. She tied her then-career high with 16 points, while adding four assists and three rebounds to shoot the Huskers to victory at CU. Kelley hit 7-of-11 shots from the field, including both of her three-point attempts against the Bluejays. Her second three of the night put the Huskers ahead for good with 3:10 left in the game. She also played a career-high 31 minutes against CU.

After celebrating her 20th birthday on Nov. 20, Kelley finished with 14 points and a career-high six assists, while adding four rebounds and two steals in a win over Southern Utah (Nov. 22). She added 12 points against Oral Roberts, before contributing 16 points and 9-of-10 free throw shooting against Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 9.

Kelley owns nine double-figure scoring efforts in 14 games this season, after managing double-digit point totals just seven times in 33 starts a year ago. Last season, Kelley set a school record by starting all 33 games as a true freshman. She finished the year averaging 6.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

Redmon Providing Solid Production as Starter
Sophomore Catheryn Redmon has provided a drastic change of direction for the Huskers inside over the last seven games as a starter. The 6-3 center from Grand Prairie, Texas is averaging 9.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in the starting lineup. She has scored 66 points, pulled down 57 boards and blocked 15 shots in NU’s last seven contests, after getting just 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in NU’s first seven games.

In fact, Redmon’s totals from the last seven games have far surpassed her entire freshman season, when she produced 39 points, 36 boards and nine blocks in 16 games.

Just two days after two-time first-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin underwent season-ending ankle surgery (Dec. 4), Redmon made her first career start against 2008 Big Ten Player of the Year Jantel Lavender and No. 18 Ohio State. In the first half against the Buckeyes, Redmon outscored Lavender, 8-6, to help the Huskers to a 10-point halftime lead. The Buckeyes rallied for a late victory against NU, but Redmon posted the first double-figure scoring effort of her career. Three days later, Redmon earned her second career start and provided a memorable effort in a win over Cal State Bakersfield.

Redmon erupted for her first career double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds against the Roadrunners, while also adding career-bests with three blocked shots, two steals and 28 minutes played. Redmon produced a double-double in the second half alone, going off for 11 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and two steals after halftime, including seven points, seven boards and both blocks in the final seven minutes.

Redmon added her second straight double-digit rebounding effort with 10 boards to go along with six points, two blocks and a steal in NU’s run past Long Beach State. She added her second career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds at UTEP on Dec. 20, her third straight double-figure rebounding effort.

In NU’s win over No. 24 Arizona State on Dec. 28, Redmon scored 10 or her 12 points in the second half to help fuel the Huskers’ comeback from a 16-point first-half deficit. She added six rebounds and matched a career best with three blocks against ASU.

Redmon added solid numbers in her 2009 Big 12 debut against All-American Courtney Paris. Redmon scored eight points, grabbed nine rebounds and had three blocked shots going head-to-head with Paris.

Redmon Rips Down 15 Rebounds in Second Start
Sophomore Catheryn Redmon added her name to the Husker record book with a big rebounding effort in NU’s win over Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 9. The 6-3 center from Grand Prairie, Texas, became the first Husker to record 15 or more rebounds in a game since Keasha Cannon-Johnson pulled down 17 boards against Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 14, 2003. Redmon’s performance came six years to the day after another former Husker center from Texas - Amanda Cleveland - grabbed 15 rebounds in a win over Texas Southern on Dec. 9, 2002.

Redmon’s performance marked just the 69th time in 1,034 games that a Husker player has recorded 15 rebounds. Her mark is tied for the 41st-highest rebounding total in school history. It also marked just the ninth time this decade that a Husker has grabbed 15 or more boards in a game.

Redmon’s previous single-game high came with six boards, most recently against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Jan. 2, 2008. Her 15 rebounds also surpassed her season rebounding total of 13 for NU’s first eight games of 2008-09.

Balanced Big Red Helps Huskers to Winning Ways
Nebraska has displayed impressive balance through 14 games with nine players averaging 3.5 or more points per game, while nine Huskers have played in every game and averaged at least 9.1 minutes per contest. Overall, the Huskers had at least seven players score in 13 their first 14 games this season, putting just six players in the scoring column in the loss at UTEP on Dec. 20.

Junior forward Cory Montgomery leads the Huskers in scoring and rebounding with 13.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while junior Yvonne Turner has contributed 11.0 points and a team-best 2.4 steals per game. Sophomore Dominique Kelley has added 10.6 points and a team-best 3.3 assists per game.

Scouting The No. 16 Texas Longhorns
No. 16 Texas heads into Wednesday’s game against the Huskers with a 12-3 overall record and an 0-1 Big 12 mark after suffering a 65-62 loss to Texas Tech in Lubbock on Saturday. The game was tied at 62 before the Lady Raiders prevailed in the closing seconds.

The loss was UT’s third in its last four games, after the Longhorns had ascended to No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25. Before the three-point loss in Lubbock, UT suffered a 66-55 setback at Purdue to close non-conference play on Jan. 5. Texas also dropped a 60-55 decision at San Diego State in the Surf & Slam Hoops Classic on Dec. 30.

Although the Longhorns have suffered road losses in three straight games, UT is a perfect 8-0 at the Erwin Center this season, including impressive wins over defending national champion Tennessee (73-59), Arizona State (81-71) and Old Dominion (78-44). The Longhorns also own solid road wins over Ole Miss, Georgia Tech and UTEP.

Junior guard Brittainey Raven leads the Longhorn attack with 15.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Raven scored a team-high 21 in the loss at Texas Tech Saturday. Kathleen Nash has contributed 13.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, including 20 against the Lady Raiders in Lubbock.

Junior Erika Arriaran gives the Longhorns a third dangerous threat from outside, averaging 9.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Arriaran, who missed all of last season with an injury, leads the Longhorns with 27 three-pointers while hitting 39.1 percent of her long range attempts. Nash has added 24 triples (37.5 percent), while Raven is shooting a sizzling 45.5 percent (20-44) from beyond the arc.

As a team, Texas is shooting 39.5 percent (90-228) from three-point range, while averaging six made threes per game. Senior point guard Carla Cortijo adds to a dangerous and deep UT backcourt by averaging 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and a team-leading 5.7 assists per game. Cortijo has joined Raven and senior forward Ashley Lindsey in the starting lineup for all 15 games this season.

Lindsey leads the Longhorn front line with 7.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game. She is also tied for the team lead with 21 steals. Fellow senior forward Earnesia Williams had joined Lindsey to start each of the first 14 games this season, before sitting out the loss at Tech with swelling in her knee. Williams, who is averaging 7.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, is expected to play against Nebraska.

Yvonne Anderson (5.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg), Ashleigh Fontenette (4.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg) Ashley Gayle (4.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and Kristen Nash (3.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg) have also provided Texas with major lifts on the bench.

For the season, Texas is averaging 78 points per game, while holding opponents to just 53.9 points per contest. UT owns an impressive plus-10.6 team rebounding margin, while the Longhorns also own a strong plus-2.7 team turnover margin. UT is averaging 16.6 assists per game, while holding its opponents to just 9.5 assists per contest.

In addition to its blistering success rate from long range, UT is hitting 46.4 percent of its shots from the field, while hitting a strong 75.2 percent of its free throw attempts.

Nebraska vs. Texas Series History
Texas leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 12-5, but the Huskers have been victorious in their last two meetings with the Longhorns. Last season, NU opened Big 12 action with a hard-fought 56-45 win over Texas in Lincoln on Jan. 9.

The Huskers held the then-No. 15 Longhorns to the lowest point total ever scored by a top-25 opponent in school history. Texas led the game 19-17 at the half, which marks the lowest scoring first half in Nebraska history.

UT led 30-29 before Yvonne Turner ignited a 13-0 NU run midway through the second half. Turner eventually helped the Huskers build the lead to 50-34, while holding the Longhorns to just one field goal in a 12-minute stretch in the second half. Turner finished the game with nine points, while her six steals stymied the Longhorns throughout the night. Kelsey Griffin led the Huskers with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Cory Montgomery pitched in 10 points off the bench.

The Huskers also won their 2007 Big 12 opener against Texas with their first-ever win in Austin. Nebraska again produced a second-half comeback to escape with a 79-75 win. Kiera Hardy scored 22 of her team-high 27 points in the second half to bring NU back from an 11-point second-half deficit for the win. The Huskers trailed 58-47 with 11:09 left, before an 11-0 NU run gave the Huskers their first lead at 63-62 with 4:35 left.

Texas owns a 6-1 all-time advantage against the Huskers at the Erwin Center.

Huskers Fall to No. 4 Oklahoma in Big 12 Opener
No. 4 Oklahoma opened the game on a 15-0 run and never looked back on its way to a 77-56 women’s basketball victory over Nebraska at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Saturday night.

Nebraska, which slipped to 9-5 overall while losing its Big 12 opener, missed its first seven shots from the field and committed eight turnovers before freshman Harleen Sidhu knocked down a jumper with 13:08 to play in the first half to stop the Sooner run. Oklahoma improved to 12-2 on the season and 1-0 in the Big 12.

All-American Courtney Paris led the Sooners with her 106th consecutive double-double, finishing with 18 points and 20 rebounds, including 10 points and 15 boards in the first half.

Ashley Paris just missed a double-double of her own with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Nyeshia Stevenson provided a lift off the bench by scoring nine of her 14 points in the first half.

The Sooners forced 14 first-half turnovers by the Huskers and outrebounded NU, 30-17, in the opening half on their way to a 44-23 halftime lead.

Sophomore Dominique Kelley led the Huskers with 12 points - all in the second half - while juniors Yvonne Turner and Cory Montgomery added nine points apiece. Sophomore Catheryn Redmon contributed eight points and nine boards while tying a career high with three blocked shots for the Huskers.

Nebraska shot just 36.7 percent (22-60) from the field, including 22.2 percent (4-18) from three-point range. NU did hit 8-of-10 free throws. The Huskers committed 21 turnovers, while forcing 17 by the Sooners. OU shot a solid 43.6 percent (34-78) from the field, including 33.3 percent (6-18) from long range. The Sooners were just 3-of-4 at the line. OU finished with an impressive 50-35 advantage on the glass.

Courtney Paris scored 10 points and pulled down 15 rebounds in the opening half to get the Sooners off to a solid start. Paris grabbed nine offensive rebounds in 15 minutes of action in the first half, on her way to a career-best 12 offensive rebounds. Whitney Hand, who finished with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists, added eight first-half points with a pair of three-pointers. Seven Sooners scored in the opening half, including Danielle Robinson who pitched in six points and four assists.

Turner led the Huskers with six first-half points, including 4-of-4 shooting at the free throw line, while Sidhu added five points off the bench for NU.

OU built its biggest lead of the first half at 37-12 with 4:28 remaining, and extended the lead to 30 points on two occasions midway through the second half.

The Huskers continued to fight to the final buzzer, matching the Sooners with 33 second-half points. Kelley led NU’s second-half performance with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals after halftime.

Don’t Call It A Comeback
Nebraska has embraced a never-say-die attitude during Coach Connie Yori’s seven seasons in Lincoln. The Huskers’ comeback from a 16-point first-half deficit against Arizona State was NU’s second-biggest comeback under Yori, trailing only a 19-point second-half deficit at San Diego on Dec. 28, 2002.

NU’s win over the No. 24 Sun Devils marked the eighth time the Huskers have battled back from a double-digit deficit under Yori, including the sixth time Nebraska was able to overcome a double-digit second-half deficit.

Huskers Have Success Against Top 25 Foes
Nebraska has made a habit of knocking off top-25 opponents during Coach Connie Yori’s seven seasons at the helm. In fact, the Huskers’ most recent win over No. 24 Arizona State marked the 11th victory over a ranked foe during Yori’s tenure.

Included in those victories is a 103-99 triple overtime win over No. 2 and eventual national champion Baylor on Jan. 12, 2005, which marks the highest ranked team Nebraska has ever defeated.

The Huskers also posted an 18-point win over No. 9 Kansas State in 2004, and a 29-point win over No. 14 Iowa State in 2005 - NU’s largest victory margin in history over a top-25 foe. Nebraska’s 56-45 win over No. 15 Texas last season at the Devaney Center also marked the lowest point total ever allowed by the Huskers against a ranked opponent.

Before Yori’s arrival at Nebraska in 2002-03, the Huskers had not defeated a top-10 team since a 73-67 win over No. 9 Iowa on Dec. 8, 1996, and had never beaten a top-five opponent.

Griffin to Redshirt in 2008-09 After Dec. 4 Ankle Surgery
Two-time first-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin underwent surgery on her injured left ankle on Dec. 4 and will miss the entire 2008-09 season. The 6-2 senior from Eagle River, Alaska, injured the ankle on Aug. 28, and did not practice or play for NU this season. She was one of five preseason first-team All-Big 12 players chosen by the league coaches this season, and will enter her final season with 1,348 points and 665 rebounds. She has not previously redshirted at Nebraska, opening her career with 74 consecutive starts from 2005-06 to 2007-08.

A three-year starter in Nebraska’s lineup, Griffin led the Huskers to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2007 and 2008, including a first-round NCAA Tournament victory over Xavier last year in College Park, Md. Griffin is also a two-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection and earned a spot on the 2007 Big 12 Good Works Team. She ranks 11th on NU’s career scoring list, seventh in rebounding and eighth in blocked shots.

"Kelsey is one of the toughest players I have ever coached, but this injury has not allowed her to recover. It is time for surgery," Yori said. "I think Kelsey is one of the top 15 or 20 players in the nation, so obviously losing her is going to affect us this season, especially against a Big 12 Conference schedule that has six top-25 teams, including four in the top 10 right now."

Griffin said the ankle injury has been frustrating personally for her, but she is proud of the way her teammates have performed without her.

Griffin is expected to return for the Huskers next season to lead a team that will feature a six-player senior class, including 2008 All-Big 12 Defensive Team member Yvonne Turner, and current Husker scoring and rebounding leader Cory Montgomery. The 2009-10 Huskers are also expected to return current sophomore starters Dominique Kelley and Catheryn Redmon, along with top reserve sophomore Kaitlyn Burke.

Bober Lost for Season After Dec. 30 ACL Tear
Nebraska’s inside game suffered a second major hit in December when junior Nikki Bober tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during practice on Dec. 30. Bober missed Nebraska’s game against LSU on Jan. 1, and underwent season-ending surgery on her knee on Jan. 2. Bober is expected to rejoin the Huskers’ inside game as a senior along with Kelsey Griffin and Cory Montgomery next season.

Bober, a 6-4 center from Murdock, Neb., appeared in NU’s first 12 games this season, making her first career start against Southern Utah. She averaged 1.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game in 11.2 minutes per contest. Although Bober’s numbers don’t jump off the page, she was expected to make greater contributions against the larger post players in the Big 12 Conference.

In the last game before her injury, Bober played a career-high 25 minutes and was a major player in Nebraska’s dramatic come-from-behind win over No. 24 Arizona State on Dec. 28. Bober blocked a career-high four shots and pulled down five rebounds to go along with two points and an assist against the Sun Devils.

Last season, Bober appeared in all 16 Big 12 Conference contests, averaging 1.6 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Bober’s loss leaves the Huskers with only four active players taller than 6-0 on their roster, including junior forward Cory Montgomery (6-2), sophomores Catheryn Redmon (6-3) and Jessica Periago (6-4) and freshman Harleen Sidhu (6-1).

Burke Finding Shooting Touch After Suffering Broken Finger
Kaitlyn Burke is coming off three solid games heading into Wednesday’s matchup at Texas. The 5-7 guard from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada enters the Texas game averaging 5.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. She also ranks second on the team with 14 made three-pointers.

Burke matched her season high with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field in NU’s win over No. 24 Arizona State on Dec. 28. Burke hit 2-of-3 three-pointers and hit her first two free throws of the season, while matching her career high with three steals. She added seven points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field to go along with two rebounds, two assists and a steal at LSU, before contributing eight points and two assists against No. 4 Oklahoma.

She produced a career-high eight assists without a turnover coming off the bench in Nebraska’s win over Long Beach State on Dec. 12. She owns NU’s top assist-to-turnover ratio on the season at 2.5-to-1 (28-to-11).

Burke opened the year with 4-of-7 shooting from three-point range in a win over Weber State on Nov. 14, and added six points on 2-of-4 shooting from three-point range in a win at Creighton. She suffered a broken finger on her shooting hand in the opening minutes of NU’s win over Southern Utah on Nov. 22. She has come off the bench in the Huskers’ last five games, after starting each of the Huskers’ first eight contests this season.

Last season, Burke starred in a supporting role for the Huskers as a true freshman. The former childhood actress played starring roles in Nebraska’s wins in California in December, erupting 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. She added 12 points on 4-of-7 three-point shooting, to go along with six assists in NU’s win at Iowa State on Jan. 19.

Burke averaged 5.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 2007-08, and led NU with 78 assists, including five in a win over Xavier in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Her 78 assists ranked second among all Big 12 freshmen, trailing only Oklahoma’s Danielle Robinson (130). Burke also ranked second on the team with 33 three-pointers, which ranked fifth among Big 12 freshmen. Her 5.4 points tied for 11th among league freshmen.

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 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.

Neals Showing That Big Things Can Come in Tiny Package
Nicole Neals has been making a big impact by doing the little things for the Huskers this season. The 5-6 junior guard nicknamed "Tiny" by her teammates, is averaging 3.5 points and 1.6 assists per game off the bench. She also carries Nebraska’s second-best assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.4-to-1. Neals owns 22 assists to rank third on the team in that category, while committing just nine turnovers.

Neals went five games without a turnover before committing two against Long Beach State on Dec. 12. She had been turnover-free for more than 90 minutes of court time for the Huskers. Along with taking excellent care of the basketball, Neals has been NU’s most consistent three-point threat, connecting on 12-of-30 threes (40 percent), while knocking down at least one three in eight of the Huskers’ 13 games. She tied her career high with nine points on a career-best 3-for-4 shooting from long range to help Nebraska to a road win at Denver on Nov. 24.

She opened the season with a pair of threes against Weber State, and added two more threes in NU’s four-point setback to No. 18 Ohio State. In the Huskers’ victory over Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 9, Neals scored all seven of her points in the final four minutes to shoot NU to victory. She hit her only three of the game with four minutes left to push NU’s lead to five points, after CSUB missed a shot to tie the game on the previous possession. She then knocked down her first two free throws of the year to give NU a nine-point edge. She added a runner in the lane with less than five ticks on the shot clock to provide the Huskers with their first double-digit edge.

Huskers Set Three-point Record in Season-Opening Win
Nebraska connected on a school-record 12 three-pointers to open the season in a 96-47 win over Weber State at the Devaney Center on Nov. 14. NU’s 12 triples surpassed the previous school mark of 11 threes set Jan. 19, 2008, in a win over Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.

The game with Weber State marked the ninth time in school history that a Nebraska team hit 10 or more three-pointers in a game, but just the second time the Huskers had ever hit double-figure threes in a non-conference game (Ohio State, Dec. 12, 2003).

Nebraska made it 10 games with 10 or more threes in history by connecting on 10-of-22 three-point attempts in a loss at LSU on Jan. 1.

Turner Sparks Husker Turnover Turnaround
With Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection leading the way with 81 steals, Nebraska’s defense ranked fifth in the Big 12 with a plus-1.22 turnover margin in 2007-08. The Huskers forced 627 total turnovers for an average of 19.0 turnovers forced per contest, which ranked third in the league.

Those 627 turnovers forced come in striking contrast to Coach Connie Yori’s first two seasons at Nebraska. In Yori’s first season in 2002-03, NU forced opponents into just 451 turnovers on the year, before forcing just 444 turnovers in 2003-04, an average of just 14.8 turnovers per game.

The last time a Nebraska team forced more than 600 turnovers in a season came in 1999-00, when the Huskers forced opponents into 688 turnovers.

Through the first 14 games of 2008-09, Nebraska is forcing an average of 18.4 turnovers per game and has forced three opponents (Oral Roberts, Denver and Southern Utah) into 25 turnovers each. Turner is again leading the way for NU with 33 steals, giving her 114 steals over her last 47 games (2.4 spg). She has at least one steal in every game for NU this season with six games of three or more steals.

Turner has 132 career steals and needs 56 more to crack Nebraska’s all-time top 10 in that category.

Kuhlmann Providing the Huskers with Pop Off the Bench
Kala Kuhlmann has been one of Nebraska’s top guards off the bench through the first 14 games this season. The 5-8 junior guard from Charter Oak, Iowa, is averaging 4.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Kuhlmann has scored in double figures in three of NU’s 14 games, including a career-high 13 points in the season-opening win over Weber State. She added 12 points, including 10 in the first half, in the Huskers’ run past Long Beach State on Dec. 12. She pitched in 11 points in a win at Denver on Nov. 24. Entering the season, Kuhlmann had produced double figures just once in her first 57 career games.

Kuhlmann has hit 6-of-16 three-point attempts this season, after connecting on just 6-of-23 long-range tries through her first two seasons in Lincoln.

Although she did not play the part of a scorer through her first two seasons in Lincoln, Kuhlmann has a history of success in the scoring column. The No. 4 scorer in Iowa High School history, Kuhlmann poured in 2,337 points in four seasons at Charter Oak-Ute High School.

At Whitt’s End: Whittaker Helps Huskers in Big Way Early
Sophomore guard Monique Whittaker erupted onto to the scene early in the season for the Huskers. The 5-10 native of Onalaska, Texas, is averaging 4.7 points while adding 1.9 rebounds per contest. She has also knocked down 5-of-13 three-pointers.

Whittaker, who scored a total of just seven points in a total of 25 minutes during her freshman season in 2007-08, has already produced 33 points in 67 minutes through 14 games this season.

In NU’s season-opening win over Weber State, Whittaker came off the bench for a team-high 13 points against the Wildcats. She continued her hot hand in the first half of Nebraska’s road win at Creighton on Nov. 17.

With senior Tay Hester sitting out much of the first half with foul trouble, Whittaker stepped in to carry the Huskers down the stretch in the opening period. NU trailed 23-19 before Whittaker exploded for 10 straight points to give the Huskers a 31-30 lead with two minutes left in the half. Whittaker helped the Huskers build a five-point halftime edge, before holding on for a five-point win.

In Nebraska’s win over Southern Utah on Nov. 22, Whittaker finished with six points on a pair of three-pointers in just six minutes of action. In six games, Whittaker has hit 5-of-13 three-point attempts (38.5 percent) while ranking third on the team by hitting 12-of-14 free throws (85.7 percent). She did not see action against Butler, and she missed NU’s games with No. 18 Ohio State and Cal State Bakersfield after having a wisdom tooth pulled.

Husker Schedule Filled with Top 25 Foes
The most recent Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25 polls bear a striking resemblance to Nebraska’s 2008-09 schedule. In fact, the Huskers could play as many as 11 regular-season games against current top-25 teams. Big 12 foe Oklahoma is the highest ranked Husker foe, coming in at No. 3 in the Jan. 12 AP Poll. No. 5 Baylor comes to Lincoln on Feb. 4, before the Huskers travel to No. 8 Texas A&M on Feb. 8. The Huskers head to No. 16 Texas on Wednesday, before gearing up for a pair of Big 12 North Division battles with No. 17 Kansas State (Jan. 27, Feb. 25). The Huskers will also face No. 20 Iowa State (Jan. 24, Feb. 18) in a pair of contests, while taking on No. 22 Oklahoma State to wrap up the regular season in Stillwater, Okla., on March 7.

Outside of conference action, the Huskers dropped a narrow 69-65 decision to current No. 15 Ohio State (Dec. 6), before notching a 62-58 win over then-No. 24 Arizona State at the Devaney Center on Dec. 28. The Huskers also suffered a 62-51 loss at The Pit to current No. 25 New Mexico on Nov. 29.

In addition to the nine Husker opponents currently ranked in the AP Top 25, Arizona State and LSU have both been ranked in the poll at least one week during the season, while UTEP and Texas Tech have received votes.

NU Earned Votes in USA Today/ESPN Poll For Five Straight Weeks
Nebraska received votes in five regular-season USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25 polls this season, most recently earning four votes on Dec. 16. The Huskers are one of eight Big 12 Conference schools that have received votes in the coaches poll this season, joining Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Baylor, Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Texas Tech.

Huskers Enter 2008-09 After Six Seasons of Growth
The Huskers entered the 2008-09 season with high hopes after returning 12 letterwinners and four starters from a team that advanced to the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Nebraska finished with a 21-12 overall record and a 9-7 Big 12 mark in 2007-08, despite a lineup that featured four first-time starters and a roster filled with 10 freshmen and sophomores.

The Huskers, who were the only Big 12 team that had 10 players compete in every league game last season, were hoping a year of experience and a strong offseason would help them take another step forward in 2008-09.

However, Nebraska’s expectations were tempered with a season-ending ankle injury to two-time first-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin on Aug. 28. Griffin had surgery on Dec. 4 and will redshirt in 2008-09.

Griffin was expected to lead the Huskers in 2008-09, after amassing 1,348 points and 665 rebounds in her career. She will contend for All-America honors in 2009-10.

Junior Yvonne Turner has stepped up her game in Griffin’s absence. Turner earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team in 2007-08 after leading the conference in steals during league action. She also ranked fourth in the league in three-point field goal percentage.

Husker backcourt starters Tay Hester and Dominique Kelley also return after joining each other in the starting lineup for all 33 games a year ago. Cory Montgomery fills the void left by honorable-mention All-Big 12 pick Danielle Page inside for the Huskers.

2008 Huskers Claim Third NCAA Tournament Victory
The Huskers notched their third NCAA Tournament win in school history with a 61-58 victory over ninth-seeded Xavier at College Park, Md., on March 23. Nebraska made its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance, joining trips in 1988, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2007.

Nebraska, which earned the No. 8 seed in the Spokane Regional, led the Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament champion Musketeers from start to finish. The Huskers’ last win had come against New Mexico (76-59) on March 13, 1998 in Norfolk, Va. Nebraska earned its first NCAA Tournament victory against San Diego (81-58) on March 17, 1993, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln.

Huskers Post 11th 20-Win Campaign, Second Straight Under Yori
Nebraska secured its 11th 20-win season in school history with its 55-45 win over Iowa State in the regular-season finale at the Devaney Center on March 5. The Huskers added win No. 21 with their third-ever NCAA Tournament win by beating Xavier in the first round on March 23.

NU’s 21 wins tied for the seventh-best total in school history, while the Huskers posted their first back-to-back 20-win campaigns since 1998 and 1999. This season, the Huskers will take aim at becoming the first team in NU history to post three straight 20-win seasons.

Over the last five seasons under Coach Connie Yori, the Huskers have averaged 19.6 wins per season. In the previous five years, the Huskers averaged just 14.6 wins per season.

NU Showing North Division Dominance over Last Three Years
Nebraska completed season sweeps of Missouri, Colorado and Iowa State, with a 55-45 win over the Cyclones in Lincoln to close the 2008 regular season on March 5. The Huskers finished with a 7-3 regular-season mark against the North to push its record against divisional foes to 22-8 over the last three years - the best mark by any school.

NU was just seven points shy of going a perfect 10-0 against the North in 2008, losing on the road to Kansas, 62-61, at home to Kansas State, 77-75, and at KSU, 69-65. In the loss at KU, Danielle McCray hit a free throw with 1.4 seconds left to claim the win. In the home loss to K-State, Nebraska had two shots inside six feet to tie the game in the final five seconds, and at Manhattan the Huskers had a shot on the left block with 10 seconds left that would have tied the game.

Kansas State, which posted a 9-1 mark against North Division foes in 2007-08, is 17-13 over the past three seasons against divisional foes. Iowa State is also 17-13 over the last three campaigns, including a 5-5 mark in 2007-08.

Huskers Picked Preseason No. 8 in Loaded Big 12
Coming off a pair of NCAA Tournament trips and back-to-back 20-win seasons, the Nebraska women’s basketball team was picked to finish eighth in a vote by league coaches in the Big 12 preseason poll on Oct. 8.

The Huskers, who return four starters and 12 letterwinners from a team that finished 21-12 and advanced to the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, earned 56 points, as 11 points were awarded for each first-place vote, and one point was awarded for each 11th-place vote. Coaches could not vote for their own teams.

In 2007-08, the Big 12 was ranked as the best conference in the nation in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), and sent eight teams to the NCAA Tournament. The Big 12 also became the first conference in NCAA history to post a perfect 8-0 record in the NCAA first round, while 11 of the 12 league teams earned postseason bids. All 11 teams produced postseason victories.

Oklahoma was a majority choice to win the conference title, as the Sooners earned seven first-place votes to finish with 124 points. The Sooners were a clear favorite, but the four other league teams received at least one first-place vote, including preseason No. 2 Texas, which finished with 95 points and earned one No. 1 vote.

Iowa State was the only Big 12 North Division team to earn a spot among the top six teams in the preseason conference poll, as the Cyclones were picked third with 93 points. ISU, which returns seven starters from last year’s team that went to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, claimed a pair of first-place votes.

Baylor was picked fourth with 89 points and earned one first-place vote, while defending conference tournament champion and NCAA Elite Eight qualifier Texas A&M was picked fifth with 85 points. Oklahoma State, which advanced to the 2008 NCAA Sweet 16, earned the final first-place vote but was picked to finish sixth in the league.

Defending Big 12 regular-season champion Kansas State, which returns four starters from a team that moved on to the NCAA second round in 2008, was the preseason choice to finish seventh with 71 points.

Kansas (41), Texas Tech (36) and Colorado (18) filled in the No. 9 through No. 11 spots, after all three teams earned wins in the 2008 Postseason WNIT a year ago. Missouri, which returns five starters from last year’s team that did not earn a postseason bid, was picked 12th with 15 points.

Griffin Earns Preseason First-Team All-Big 12 Honors
Nebraska senior Kelsey Griffin claimed one of five spots on the Preseason All-Big 12 team named by the league’s women’s basketball coaches and announced on Oct. 15. Griffin, a 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, joined Preseason Big 12 Player-of-the-Year Courtney Paris from Oklahoma, Kansas State’s Shalee Lehning, Oklahoma State’s Andrea Riley and Texas A&M’s Takia Starks on the Preseason All-Big 12 team.

A two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection (top 10 players in the league), Griffin averaged 15.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season, while leading the Huskers to a 21-12 overall record, a 9-7 league mark, and the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. She ranked among the top 10 players in the Big 12 in both scoring and rebounding and was at her best in Big 12 play, when she averaged 16.8 points and 8.2 rebounds despite playing the entire season with a cracked rib.

Griffin carried the Huskers to their third NCAA Tournament victory in a decade by scoring 26 points in Nebraska’s win over Xavier in the first round at College Park, Md.

In her three-year career as a starter at Nebraska, Griffin has amassed 1,348 points and 665 rebounds. She also ranks in the top 10 on the NU career chart with 68 blocked shots.

Griffin, who was also a preseason first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2007-08, has extended Nebraska’s streak to four straight seasons with at least one first-team All-Big 12 selection. Kiera Hardy was also a two-time preseason first-team all-league choice in 2005-06 and 2006-07.

The Huskers join Oklahoma as the only other school to have at least one preseason first-team all-conference pick each of the past four years. Eight of the league schools have had one or fewer selections during that span.

Big 12 Conference Sends 11 to Postseason, All 11 Get Wins
The Big 12 Conference ranked as the nation’s strongest league throughout the 2007-08 season and the postseason tournament fields verified that ranking.

Eleven of the Big 12 schools advanced to postseason play, including eight teams in the NCAA Tournament. League schools went a perfect 8-0 in the first round, including wins by Nebraska, Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State and Texas, marking the first time in history a league went 8-0.

All eight of the Big 12 teams earned No. 8 seeds or higher in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field, including Big 12 Tournament champion Texas A&M, which advanced to the Elite Eight. Oklahoma State also moved on to the Sweet 16, as the league finished the NCAA Tournament with an 11-8 record.

In addition to those eight Big 12 schools, which all posted 20 or more wins on the season, three more Big 12 teams (Colorado, Kansas, Texas Tech) earned bids to the 2008 Women’s National Invitation Tournament. All three of those schools earned opening-round byes in the 48-team tournament.

Texas Tech advanced to the round of 16 in the WNIT with a 33-point over Texas State. Kansas also went 1-1 in the WNIT, while Colorado advanced to the WNIT semifinals before ending its season. Overall, the Big 12 went 16-11 in the 2008 postseason.

Huskers Join Baylor, Oklahoma Among Big 12’s Best
Along with back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths and 20-win seasons, the Huskers notched their second consecutive winning record in Big 12 Conference regular-season action by finishing with a 9-7 league mark.

In Coach Connie Yori’s sixth season at Nebraska, a 13-player Husker roster filled with 10 freshmen and sophomores helped NU to its fourth consecutive .500 or better Big 12 season. Nebraska joins Baylor and Oklahoma as the only Big 12 programs to accomplish that feat in the last four years.

NU’s 2007-08 success came against a league that was rated the best in the nation and sent eight teams to the NCAA Tournament. Along with sending No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 3 Baylor, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 5 Kansas State, No. 7 Iowa State, No. 8 Nebraska and No. 8 Texas to the NCAA Tournament, the Big 12 also had three conference teams (Colorado, Kansas, Texas Tech) earn opening-round byes in the 48-team Postseason WNIT field.

Nebraska has earned five consecutive postseason tournament appearances - the longest stretch in school history. NU earned a trip to the 2007 NCAA Tournament and finished with a 22-10 overall record along with a 10-6 conference mark in 2006-07.

Huskers Face Nation’s Best in 2008-09
Nebraska will face one of the toughest regular-season schedules in school history in 2008-09 with nine games against teams that finished 2007-08 among the top-25 RPI teams in the nation.

A total of 21 games will come against teams that competed in postseason tournaments in 2008, including 15 games against 2008 NCAA Tournament teams.

Nebraska’s home schedule features big names and big games nearly every night in 2008-09. NU’s home schedule featured a date with 2008 Big Ten co-champion Ohio State, which has advanced to six straight NCAA tournaments. After battling the Buckeyes on Dec. 6, the Huskers knocked off perennial Pac-10 power No. 24 Arizona State, 62-58, on Dec. 28. The Sun Devils have advanced to at least the second round of four straight NCAA tournaments.

The Big 12 promises to feature a postseason atmosphere every night at the Devaney Center. Oklahoma, Baylor, Iowa State and Kansas State all joined NU in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, while Colorado, Texas Tech and Kansas all advanced to at least the third round of the Postseason WNIT.

While the Huskers’ 15-game home schedule features nine contests against 2008 postseason clubs, the road will offer even more challenges. Nebraska will play 12 road games against 2008 postseason qualifiers, including a New Year’s date with LSU in Baton Rouge, La. The Tigers have advanced to five consecutive NCAA Final Fours. NU also traveled to UTEP, which advanced to the 2008 NCAA second round, and 2008 NCAA qualifier New Mexico.

In Big 12 action, NU’s road schedule includes trips to NCAA Elite Eight qualifier Texas A&M, NCAA Sweet 16 participant Oklahoma State, and journeys to Texas, Iowa State and Kansas State, which all advanced to the 2008 NCAA second round.

Huskers to Be a Fixture on FSN in 2008-09
Nebraska will be featured four times on Fox Sports Net national television games in 2008-09. The Huskers will battle Arizona State, Iowa State, Colorado and Texas Tech in national television matchups this season.

Nebraska’s marquee non-conference matchup with perennial Pac-10 power Arizona State at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Dec. 28 was one of only two out-of-conference games in the Big 12’s 26-game national package for women’s basketball this season. The other was defending national champion Tennessee’s showdown at Texas on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Nebraska’s second appearance on FSN will come on Saturday, Jan. 24, when the Huskers take on Iowa State at the Devaney Center. The special Saturday tip time with the Cyclones will be at 8 p.m. The NU-ISU women’s game will be the second of two televised basketball games at the Devaney Center on Jan. 24, as the Husker men will battle Oklahoma State at 3 p.m.

One week later, FSN will follow the Nebraska women’s basketball team to Boulder when the Huskers clash with Colorado at the Coors Events Center on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 2 p.m. central time.

Nebraska will wrap up its regular-season FSN national television appearances on Saturday, Feb. 14 at noon, when the Huskers play host to Texas Tech at the Devaney Center.

In addition to Nebraska’s national telecasts on Fox Sports Net, the Huskers will also appear frequently on Fox Sports Midwest in the state of Nebraska. The Huskers will debut on Fox Sports Midwest on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they travel to Columbia to take on the Missouri Tigers. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.

The Huskers will appear on Fox Sports Midwest again on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m., when they travel to Manhattan, Kan., to challenge Kansas State. On Wednesday, Feb. 18, the Huskers’ clash with Iowa State in Ames will be televised on Fox Sports Midwest at 7 p.m. NU will wrap up its scheduled Fox Sports Midwest appearances on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m., when the Huskers collide with Kansas in Lawrence.

Nebraska has also been added to the Fox Sports Southwest schedule with its road game at Texas on Jan. 14.

Big 12 Hits 1 Million in Home Attendance Again in 2007-08
For the second straight season and third time overall Big 12 Conference women’s basketball teams attracted more than one million fans to their home arenas in 2007-08.

The Big 12 has led the nation in attendance in each of the past nine years and is the only league to hit the one million fan milestone in NCAA history. In addition to 2006-07 and 2007-08, the conference also recorded one million fans in 2001-02. The 2006-07 cumulative attendance of 1,023,576 is the NCAA record. In 2007-08, the Big 12 recorded 1,014,309 patrons.

2008-09 Fastbreakers Backboard Banquet Schedule
The Fastbreakers have announced their Backboard Banquet Schedule for the 2008-09 season. Each Backboard Banquet will be held 90 minutes before tip-off each game. Each meal will be served by Premier Catering and reservations can be made by calling Rose Sousek in the Nebraska women’s basketball office at (402) 472-6462.

Backboard Banquet Schedule - Dinner
Sunday, Dec. 28 (Arizona State) - 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 21 (Kansas) - 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 4 (Baylor) - 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 3 (Colorado - Senior Night) - 5:30 p.m.

For more information on the Fastbreakers Backboard Banquets, visit Fastbreakersonline.com or call Connie Renken at 450-1785.

Join Fastbreaker Bus Trips to Colorado, Kansas
The Fastbreakers are planning two more bus trips to Nebraska women’s basketball games during the 2008-09 season. Make plans now to join the Fastbreakers’ trips to Colorado (Jan. 31) and Kansas (Feb. 28). The cost of the trip to Colorado is $90 per person, plus the cost of a hotel room, and requires a $50 non-refundable deposit. The cost of the bus trip to Kansas is $50 per person (pre-paid).

The Fastbreakers also organized a highly successful trip to Nebraska’s exhibition game at the Hearland Events Center in Grand Island on Nov. 5.

Sign up for the Fastbreaker Bus Trips at the Fastbreaker tables on the upper concourse during home basketball games or contact Connie Renken (450-1785), Kathy Branchaud (432-8990), Larry Meyer (525-1176) or Louis Kirkbride (432-5943).

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home
Since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 330-116 (.740) in games played in the arena, including 120-75 (.615) in conference games. NU finished 2007-08 with a 14-2 home record, tying for the second-highest home victory total in school history. It marked the fifth straight year under Coach Connie Yori that Nebraska has notched 10 or more home wins in a season, the longest stretch in school history.

Nebraska’s success at home in 2007-08 was even more remarkable considering the strength of the Huskers’ home schedule. Eleven of NU’s 16 home games came against teams that advanced to the postseason in 2008, with the Huskers rolling to an impressive 9-2 record. Not only did Husker foes advance to postseason play, 10 of the 11 opponents won at least one game in a postseason tournament, including 2008 NCAA Elite Eight qualifier Texas A&M. Included among the five Husker home foes that did not advance to postseason play in 2008, were traditional powers USC and Ole Miss, which was coming off a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2007.

Since 2003-04, NU is 66-20 (.767) at the Devaney Center, with no more than four losses in any season. Nebraska is 6-2 at the Devaney Center in 2008-09 with its only losses to current No. 3 Oklahona and No. 15 Ohio State.

Huskers Average More Than 5,000 Per Game in Big 12 Play
Nebraska drew its largest crowd of 2007-08 with 6,756 fan watching the Huskers take on Oklahoma State during ESPN2’s "February Frenzy" on Feb. 10. During Big 12 Conference play, the Huskers attracted four crowds of more than 5,000 in eight home games, averaging 5,059 fans per game during the league season.

Overall, the Huskers averaged 3,705 fans per game in 16 home contests, drawing nearly 60,000 fans to the Devaney Center in its 16 home games in 2007-08.

In 2006-07, Nebraska averaged 4,110 fans per game, after averaging 3,201 fans in 2005-06.