Huskers Take Aim at 10th Home Win Against No. 20 K-State

Nebraska Cornhuskers
(12-13, 3-9)
vs. #20 Kansas State Wildcats
(21-4, 8-4)

Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595) 
Lincoln, Neb.
Wednesday, Feb. 25 ? 7:05 p.m.
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(98.1 KFGE Lincoln; 93.3 KTWI Omaha)
Live Internet Video: HuskersNside
(Premium Subscribers)
Live Internet Audio: Huskers.com (Free)

The Nebraska women’s basketball team (12-13, 3-9) shoots for its third straight Big 12 home victory when the Huskers clash with No. 20 Kansas State on Wednesday in Lincoln.

Tip-off with the Wildcats at the Bob Devaney Sports Center is set for 7:05 p.m. with a live radio broadcast on the Husker Sports Network, with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action. Free live audio will be available on Huskers.com, along with live premium video for HuskersNside premium subscribers.

The Huskers will be looking to even the season series with Kansas State, after the Wildcats worked their way to a 51-40 win in Manhattan on Jan. 27. The Huskers led 23-21 at the half before an early second-half run put the Wildcats in control. NU will be hoping to improve to 2-1 on the year in Big 12 North Division rematches, while snapping a three-game losing streak to the Wildcats. Last year, KSU produced a season sweep of the Huskers with a pair of last-second wins, including a 77-75 victory in Lincoln on Jan. 30, 2008.

Nebraska heads into the game after producing one of its best efforts of the year in a 65-52 victory over Missouri on Saturday. The Huskers shot a Big 12 season-best 45.7 percent from the field, including 6-of-14 from three-point range. NU also outrebounded a Big 12 foe for the first time this year, while outscoring the Tigers by a season-best 14 points at the free throw line. The Huskers also matched their season bests with nine turnovers and nine fouls.

Cory Montgomery led four Huskers in double figures with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Dominique Kelley (16 points), Yvonne Turner (13 points) and Tay Hester (12 points, eight rebounds, five assists) added big nights.

Kansas State comes to Lincoln hoping to secure one of the top four spots in the final Big 12 Conference standings despite being dealt a blow with a late-season illness to All-Big 12 point guard Shalee Lehning. The senior from Sublette, Kan., has been battling mononucleosis for three weeks and has missed each of the Wildcats’ last three games. Although Lehning has been absent, K-State has still posted a 2-1 record, including home wins over Oklahoma State (79-71) and Colorado (72-60). However, the Wildcats suffered a 52-43 road loss at Missouri last Wednesday to slip to 2-4 on the season in Big 12 road games.

Short-Handed Huskers Taking Lumps Against Top Teams
Although Nebraska has dropped 11 of its last 15 games, 13 of those contests have come against 2008 postseason teams, including 10 games against teams that advanced to last year’s NCAA Tournament. Seven of the losses have come to current Associated Press Top 25 teams.

The young Huskers had a third member of their 14-player roster undergo season-ending surgery five weeks ago. Layne Reeves, a freshman guard from Lubbock, Texas, had surgery to repair a torn meniscus on Friday, Jan. 23. Reeves joins two-time first-team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin and junior center Nikki Bober on NU’s inactive list.

The Huskers have played their last nine games without a senior starter in the lineup. Tay Hester, NU’s lone active senior, has come off the bench over the last nine contests.

Young Huskers Battling More Experienced Big 12 Foes
Nebraska’s projected starting lineup for Wednesday’s game with Kansas State has combined for just 180 career starts. In contrast, Kansas State’s regular starting five are the most experienced in the Big 12, featuring a combined 412 career starts. Even if Shalee Lehning is unable to start against the Huskers, a K-State starting five that features senior guard Kelsey Nelson in her place, would still combine for 299 career starts

Nebraska has not had a senior in the starting lineup in the past nine games. NU’s two most experienced starters are junior guard Yvonne Turner and sophomore guard Dominique Kelley who have joined each other in the Huskers’ starting five for each of the past 58 games.

Big 12 Starting Fives
1. Kansas State (412) - Lehning (116), Gipson (107), Sweat (77), Zanotti (63), Kincaid (49)
2. Iowa State (378) - Ezell (105), Wieben (95), Lacey (78), Nisleit (56), Bolte (44)
3. Texas A&M (357) - Starks (120), Micheaux (117), Gant (81), Colson (25), Elonu (14)
4. Oklahoma (350) - C. Paris (126), A. Paris (73), Thompson (68), Robinson (57), Hand (26)
5. Baylor (342) - Morrow (102), Allison (88), Player (75), Wilson (53), Griffin (24)
6. Texas (A - 337) - Raven (86), Williams (82), Cortijo (79), Lindsey (63), Nash (27)
                (B - 206) - Raven (86), Cortijo (79), Nash (27), Fontenette (7), Gayle (7)
7. Oklahoma State (309) - Smith (108), Riley (90), Hardeman (74), Cunningham (24), Byford (13)
8. Kansas (270) - Catic (77), Morris (71), McCray (60), Boogaard (39), Smith (23)
9. Missouri (241) - Hollins (85), Jones (52), Johnson (44), Richbow (36), Scott (24)
10. Colorado (228) - Richards (81), Spears (61), Smith (52), Fressle (24), Mullaney (10)
11. Texas Tech (225) - Murphree (72), Seals (57), Moore (45), Roberson (32), Mallard (19)
12. Nebraska (180) - Kelley (58), Turner (58), Montgomery (29), Redmon (18), Burke (17)

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. The 6-2 junior forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., leads Nebraska in scoring and rebounding with 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, including 14.7 points and 7.3 boards in Big 12 action. During a five-game stretch from Jan. 27 (Kansas State) to Feb. 14 (Texas Tech) Montgomery increased her production to 19.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest.

Montgomery has produced double figures in nine of NU’s last 11 games, including three straight 20-plus point performances from Jan. 27 to Feb. 4. She produced her fifth double-double of the year with 17 points and 11 rebounds in NU’s win over Texas Tech on Feb. 14. She added a double-double with 22 points and a career-best 14 rebounds against No. 8 Baylor on Feb. 4. She played a career-high 38 minutes and also tied a career-best with three assists going head-to-head with BU’s Danielle Wilson. She matched those minute and assist totals while scoring 17 points and grabbing nine boards in NU’s win over Missouri on Saturday night.

Montgomery’posted arguably her top performance of her career with 24 points to go along with nine rebounds at Colorado on Jan. 31.

Her performance at CU, which included 9-of-16 shooting from the field and a 2-for-3 showing from three-point range, capped the most productive week of her career. She averaged 22.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, following a 21-point, six-rebound effort at No. 14 Kansas State on Jan. 27.

In her three-year career, Montgomery owns nine 20-plus scoring performances, including seven this season.

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 with 11 points and 10 rebounds at UTEP on Dec. 20.

Montgomery pumped in 22 points in NU’s win over Butler on Nov. 28. She also contributed 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.

She had 18 points and six rebounds in NU’s win over Kansas on Jan. 21, and contributed 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.

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).

Before producing 18 points against Kansas (Jan. 21), she had 15 points and eight boards at No. 16 Texas (Jan. 14). She added 10 points, seven rebounds and a career-high five steals at Missouri (Jan. 17). Montgomery has produced 18 double-figure scoring efforts so far this season.

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).

Turning it Up A Notch in Big 12 Play
Yvonne Turner has continued to increase her production as a junior, and is taking her game to another level during Big 12 action. The 5-8 guard is averaging 11.8 points per game through 12 league games. She opened Big 12 play by hitting 13-of-28 (46.4 percent) of her three-point attempts, but missed 19 straight attempts after suffering a minor shoulder injury in the second half against Iowa State. She bounced back in the second half against No. 8 Baylor, knocking down three straight three-pointers to lead a furious second-half comeback against the Lady Bears.

She still leads the Huskers with 23 three-pointers through 12 league contests and 46 overall on the year. Turner ranks second on the team in scoring overall and in league games. She has also increased her assist numbers in conference action, averaging 2.4 assists in Big 12 play. At Colorado, she dished out a season-high seven assists, while matching her season best with four steals.

Turner is averaging 2.2 steals per contest on the season to rank among the top players in the Big 12. She has two or more steals in eight of NU’s first 12 league games, including four steals at Texas and Colorado.

Last season, the junior out of Omaha claimed a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive team by leading the conference in league games with 2.6 steals per contest. She also made a splash on the offensive end, averaging 9.8 points per game while ranking second in the league with her 39.3 three-point percentage during Big 12 action.

For the season, Turner ranks second on the team in scoring with 11.5 points per game, while adding 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and a team-leading 2.2 steals per contest. She had a season-high 21-point performance at No. 16 Texas, when she also matched her season-high with four steals. She hit 5-of-9 shots from the field, including 3-of-6 three-pointers to crack NU’s top-10 list in career threes. She was also a perfect 8-for-8 at the line against UT.

She produced a 17-point effort against No. 8 Baylor (Feb. 4), when she hit three three-pointers and went 6-for-6 at the free throw line. Turner added 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including a 3-for-6 effort from long range in NU’s win over Kansas (Jan. 21). She contributed 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting from long range in a win over Missouri (Feb. 21), after scoring 12 points in a win over Texas Tech (Feb. 14). She also had a dozen in losses at Missouri (Jan. 17) and to Iowa State (Jan. 24), combining to go 8-for-18 from three-point range in those two contests.

Earlier this season, Turner earned a spot on the all-tournament team at the Holiday Inn & Suites Express Midtown Thanksgiving Tournament. 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 Ranking High Among Big 12 Leaders in League Play
Through the first 11 games of Big 12 Conference action, Yvonne Turner is making a strong case for all-conference recognition as a junior. The 5-8 guard from Omaha ranks 17th in Big 12 games with 11.8 points per game, while ranking sixth in the Big 12 with 2.2 steals per contest.

Turner is tied for third in the league with 1.9 three-pointers made per game in Big 12 action.

VT for Three
Yvonne Turner (nickname VT) leads the Huskers with 46 three-pointers through 25 games this year. Turner has hit 31-of-85 three-point attempts (36.5 percent) over the last 16 games, despite missing 19 consecutive long-range attempts from the second half of the Iowa State game to the second half of the Baylor game. Before the three-game slump, Turner had connected on 47.7 percent (21-44) of her attempts dating back to the Long Beach State game on Dec. 12. After missing her first three attempts against No. 8 Baylor, she knocked down three straight three-pointers in the second half against the Lady Bears. The past three games, Turner has hit 7-of-14 three-point attempts.

With a trio of three-pointers against Missouri, Turner moved into third on the Huskers’ junior single-season three-point made list. Turner cracked NU’s career top 10 in three-pointers at Texas and currently sits in seventh with 90 career triples. She needs six threes to catch Amanda Went (1998-01) for sixth on the Husker career chart.

No Denying Turner Can "D" It Up
While Yvonne Turner has been making waves with her increased offensive production over the past year, she is undeniably one of the best defensive players in the Big 12 Conference.

Last season, Turner earned one of five spots on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team by registering a league-leading 2.6 steals per game in conference action. Her 81 steals on the year ranked as the second-best total by a Husker sophomore in history, while ranking eighth overall on NU’s single-season steals list.

With 154 career steals, Turner is approaching Nebraska’s all-time top 10 on that list, needing 34 steals to catch three-time first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy (2004-07) in 10th at 188.

This season, Turner produced a steal in each of the first 23 games before going without a theft at Iowa State and against Missouri. She has had two or more steals in 18 contests. She has produced two or more steals in eight of NU’s first 12 Big 12 games, ranking sixth in the league with 25 steals (2.1 spg). She also ranks fourth overall with 55 steals through 25 games (2.2 spg). Turner owns career highs of eight steals against Florida (Nov. 17) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Jan. 2) during the 2007-08 season. 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. She owns season bests of four steals against Colorado, Texas, Denver and Weber State this season.

Striving for Consistency
Yvonne Turner has provided a consistent presence defensively in the Nebraska backcourt for the past two seasons, starting 58 consecutive games and averaging 2.4 steals per game during that span. She has recorded at least one steal in 51 of those 58 games as a starter.

Offensively, Coach Connie Yori has been pushing Turner to provide a more consistent offensive presence for the Huskers with the absence of two-time All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin due to a season-ending ankle injury.

Turner is answering the call. Over NU’s last 20 games, Turner has scored no fewer than six points in any contest, averaging 12.1 points per game during that stretch.

Turner owns 28 career double-figure scoring efforts, including 16 in 25 games this season. She has produced double figures in 26 of NU’s last 45 games, after having just two in her first 41 contests.

She has scored 15 or more points six times this year, including four times in the last 12 games. Prior to this season, she had scored 15 or more points just three times in 61 career games.

Turner produced a season-high 21 points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range with four steals at No. 16 Texas on Jan. 14. She scored 19 points with two three-pointers and a pair of steals in just 19 minutes in a win over Long Beach State on Dec. 12. She added 17 points on 3-of-6 shooting from long range with three steals in NU’s win over Kansas on Jan. 21. She also produced 17 points and a pair of steals against No. 8 Baylor on Feb. 4.

Turner produced one of her best all-around games this year with 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.

Five of Turner’s career 15-plus-point games have come against top-25 opponents, and in eight games this season against AP Top-25 teams at game time, Turner has averaged 11.6 points per game.

She closed non-conference play with 15 points at LSU, after producing a team-best 13 points in NU’s win over No. 24 Arizona State. She scored 10 second-half points to help NU come back from a 16-point deficit against ASU.

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 10.0 points per game, while adding 3.3 rebounds per contest. Kelley also leads the Huskers with 2.6 assists per game and has added nearly one steal per contest. She is also shooting 80.9 percent at the free throw line.

Kelley produced a strong 16-point, six-rebound effort in NU’s win over Missouri on Feb. 21, just a week after going for 15 points and five rebounds in a win over Texas Tech (Feb. 14). She also added three assists and a career-high three steals in a career-high 35 minutes against the Lady Raiders.

She was honored as a "Hometown Husker" during NU’s win over Kansas on Jan. 21. As part of the festivities, Kelley’s younger sister, Taneah, a freshman at the University of Nebraska, sang the national anthem during pregame ceremonies. Kelley, who has made 58 consecutive starts to open her career, had a 16-point, four-assist effort at Colorado on Jan. 31. It was Kelley’s highest scoring performance of her career in a Big 12 game, which she matched in Saturday’s win over Mizzou. Kelley also matched Yvonne Turner for team-high scoring honors with 12 points against Iowa State in Lincoln on Jan. 24. Kelley owns 13 double-figure scoring efforts this season.

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.

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 13 double-figure scoring efforts in 25 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 18 games as a starter. The 6-3 center from Grand Prairie, Texas is averaging 7.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in the starting lineup. She has scored 129 points, pulled down 122 boards and blocked 41 shots in NU’s last 18 contests, after getting just 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in NU’s first seven games. Fourteen of those games have come against 2008 posteason teams, including 11 NCAA Tournament squads from a year ago.

In fact, Redmon’s totals from the last 18 games have far surpassed her totals from her first 23 career games, when she produced 57 points, 47 boards and 12 blocks.

Redmon is also making a name for herself as one of the best shot-blockers in NU history. With 44 blocks already this season, Redmon owns the second-best total by a sophomore in school history. With two blocks against Texas Tech, Redmon moved ahead of current WNBA player Danielle Page (38) on the sophomore single-season list. Redmon needs 25 blocks to catch NU all-time block leader Janet Smith on the sophomore list.

Redmon produced arguably the best game of her career with 12 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high five blocked shots at Missouri (Jan. 17). It was her third double-double in the last 17 games. She just missed her fourth double-double, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds at Colorado on Jan. 31.

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 1,045 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.

She owns five double-digit rebound totals in her 18 games as a starter.

Scouting The No. 20 Kansas State Wildcats
No. 20 Kansas State comes into Wednesday night’s game with the Huskers with a 21-4 overall record, including an 8-4 Big 12 mark. However, the Wildcats are 3-3 in their last six games and have not won consecutive games since beating Kansas (Jan. 24) and Nebraska (Jan. 27) back-to-back in January.

K-State has been dealt a late-season blow with senior All-Big 12 point guard Shalee Lehning suffering from mononucleosis over the past three weeks. Lehning, who is set to have her jersey retired by Kansas State in a ceremony following the Wildcats’ home game with Texas A&M on March 1, has averaged 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game this season. She has missed KSU’s last three games with the illness.

Senior forward Marlies Gipson has added 12.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while ranking among Big 12 leaders with 3.0 blocked shots per game. Gipson is shooting 49.6 percent from the field. Junior forward Ashley Sweat, a three-year starter, is averaging a team-best 17.1 points per game, while adding 5.0 rebounds. She has increased her averages to 18.3 points and 5.2 boards per game in league action.

Junior guard Kari Kincaid has started all 25 games this season and is averaging 7.7 points and 2.5 boards per game. Kincaid is KSU’s top threat from long range, connecting on 41-of-115 (35.7 percent) of her three-point attempts, but has hit just 5-of-22 (22.7 percent) of her attempts dating back to the first meeting with NU.

Senior forward Danielle Zanotti rounds out KSU’s probable starting five, averaging 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Zanotti is also a threat from outside, knocking down 18-of-58 three-point tries on the season. Zanotti is just 3-of-19 (15.8 percent) from long range since Jan. 27.

Kelsey Neslon (4.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg) could start in place of Lehning on Wednesday, as could Jalana Childs (3.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg). Both Nelson (14 points, 13 rebounds vs. Colorado) and Childs (14 points, 16 rebounds vs. Oklahoma State) have produced double-doubles as starters in place of Lehning over the past three contests.

Shalin Spani (4.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg) could also play an increased role against the Huskers if Lehning is absent. Spani knocked down a trio of three-pointers in the first meeting against Nebraska to help shoot the Wildcats to victory in the second half. Spani has hit 21-of-68 three-pointers on the season.

As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 63.7 points per game, but have shown a stifling defense that has held opponents to just 51.7 points per game. KSU is shooting 44.7 percent from the field, including 31.5 percent from three-point range. The Wildcats are holding foes to just 36 percent shooting overall and just 26.8 percent success from long range.

Nebraska vs. Kansas State Series History
Kansas State leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 44-29. The Wildcats won last year’s showdown in Lincoln, 77-75, on Jan. 30. Ashley Sweat hit a baseline jumper with seven seconds left, and just 0.4 seconds on the shot clock. Nebraska had two chances to tie on shots from Yvonne Turner and Kelsey Griffin in the final seconds.

Over the last seven games, Kansas State owns a 4-3 edge including a 51-40 win on Jan. 27 in Manhattan. The Huskers own a 3-2 advantage over the Wildcats in the last five contests at the Devaney Center.

In the last six games in Manhattan, KSU owns a 5-1 edge. Last season, Kansas State escaped from Bramlage Coliseum with a 69-65 win to complete a season sweep of NU. Griffin hit a game-tying jumper with 45 seconds left for the Huskers, but Shalee Lehning answered with a runner with 23 seconds left to give the Wildcats the lead. KSU stopped NU on its final possession and Kimberly Dietz hit two free throws with five seconds left to seal the win.

Huskers Take Down Tigers, 65-52
Cory Montgomery led four Huskers in double figures with 17 points and nine rebounds as Nebraska rolled to its second straight Big 12 home win with a 65-52 victory over Missouri at the Devaney Center on Saturday night.

Dominique Kelley added 16 points and six boards, while Yvonne Turner contributed 13 points and four rebounds. Senior guard Tay Hester gave the Huskers a huge lift off the bench with one of the best games of her career with 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

The Huskers shot a Big 12 season-best 45.7 percent (21-46) from the field, while outrebounding a Big 12 opponent for the first time this year, producing a 36-33 edge on the glass. NU also produced its largest margin of the season at the free throw line (17-3), while matching season bests with just nine fouls and nine turnovers.

Nebraska trailed much of the first half before surging down the stretch to take a 28-25 halftime lead. After the break, the Tigers regained a three-point lead on two occasions before Hester sparked a 9-0 NU run over the next 3:04 to give the Huskers a 41-35 lead with 13:29 to play. Kaitlyn Burke started the run with her only basket of the game , before Hester grabbed a steal and raced for a layup to give NU a 36-35 lead.

Montgomery then got a defensive rebound and hit a jumper off an assist from Burke to push the NU lead to 38-35 with 14:50 left. After a pair of defensive rebounds by Hester, Kelley drained a three-pointer off an assist from Hester to cap the Husker run. Although MU stopped the run, Nebraska continued to score with another Montgomery jumper off an assist from Hester. After another defensive rebound by Hester, she hit 1-of-2 free throws to push the NU margin to 44-37. Hester hit two more free throws before Turner nailed a three-pointer to give the Huskers their first double-digit lead at 49-39 with 10:33 left.

The Tigers could get no closer than seven points the rest of the way, as Hester and Kelley hit free throws down the stretch to seal the Huskers’ ninth home victory of the season.

Jones finished with 11 points to help the Tigers, while senior Alyssa Hollins added 10 points, but connected on just 4-of-18 shots from the field, primarily with Hester applying pressure on her throughout the night. The rest of the Tigers managed just eight points combined. MU hit just 35.5 percent (22-62) of its shots from the field, including just 5-of-20 three-pointers.

The Huskers got off to a slow start, trailing 10-2 and by as many as nine points at 20-11 with 11:38 left in the half. But NU rallied to close the half with a 7-0 run to take a 28-25 lead into the locker room.

After opening the game just 1-for-8 from the field, the Huskers hit 9-of-17 shots to close the half to finish at 40 percent (10-25) in the opening 20 minutes. Missouri hit 8-of-13 shots to open the game, but then hit just 2-of-17 shots to close the first period at 33.3 percent (10-30). Both teams went 4-for-10 from three-point range in the first half, while NU outscored the Tigers 4-1 at the free throw line. Nebraska outrebounded Missouri, 20-18, in the first half but committed seven turnovers compared to just four miscues by MU.

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 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 Cory Montgomery (6-2), 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 has provided the Huskers with regular contributions at both ends of the court as a sophomore. The 5-7 guard from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada enters the Kansas State game averaging 4.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. She is also tied for second on the team with 19 made three-pointers.

Burke erupted for a season-high 13 points on 6-for-11 shooting at Missouri on Jan. 17. It was her third double-figure scoring effort of the year, and her second in the last seven games. She poured in 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 best assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.9-to-1 (39-to-21).

Burke opened the year with 12 points on 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 still started Nebraska’s first eight games, but came off the bench in each of the next eight contests before drawing seven straight starts beginning with a win over Kansas on Jan. 21.

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.

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.

The Huskers have continued to fair well from long range throughout the season, moving into the top 10 on Nebraska’s single-season three-point field goals made chart (6th, 134) and three-point field goals attempted list (8th, 406). NU’s 33 percent success rate from long range also ranks eighth in single-season school history heading into the Kansas State game.

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 25 games of 2008-09, Nebraska is forcing an average of 17.5 turnovers per game and has forced four opponents (Colorado, Oral Roberts, Denver and Southern Utah) into 25 or more turnovers, including a season-high 26 by Colorado on Jan. 31. Turner is again leading the way for NU with 55 steals, giving her 136 steals in her 58 career games as a starter (2.3 spg). She had at least one steal in each of NU’s first 23 games this season, before going without a steal at Iowa State and against Missouri. She owns 10 games of three or more steals.

Turner has 154 career steals and needs 34 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 this season. The 5-8 junior guard from Charter Oak, Iowa, is averaging 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

Kuhlmann has scored in double figures three times this season, 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.

She also provided a solid effort at No. 16 Texas on Jan. 14 with five points while tying her career high with five assists. Kuhlmann has hit 7-of-21 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.

Husker Schedule Filled with Top 25 Foes
The most recent Associated Press Top 25 bears a striking resemblance to Nebraska’s 2008-09 schedule. In fact, the Huskers could play as many as 10 regular-season games against current top-25 teams. Big 12 foe Oklahoma is the highest ranked Husker foe, coming in at No. 2 in the Feb. 23 AP Poll. No. 6 Baylor came to Lincoln on Feb. 4, after the Huskers traveled to current No. 16 Texas on Jan. 14. The Huskers also journeyed to No. 12 Texas A&M on Feb. 8. NU faced No. 20 Kansas State on Jan. 27, and will see the Wildcats in Lincoln on Feb. 25. The Huskers also clashed with No. 25 Iowa State on Jan. 24, before the rematch with ISU in Ames on Feb. 18.

Outside of conference action, the Huskers dropped a narrow 69-65 decision to current No. 14 Ohio State (Dec. 6), before notching a 62-58 win over current No. 24 Arizona State at the Devaney Center on Dec. 28. The Sun Devils dropped out of the poll after losing to NU, but they are currently on the second-longest winning streak in school history to improve to 20-6.

In addition to the eight Husker opponents currently ranked in the AP Top 25, Oklahoma State, New Mexico and LSU have been ranked in at least poll during the season. Texas Tech and UTEP have also received votes in the poll during the course of the season.

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.

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 Showed North Division Dominance over Last Three Years
Nebraska completed 2007-08 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 (Does not included 2008-09 Big 12 action).

Nebraska moved to 2-5 against the North in 2008-09 after a 65-52 win over Missouri at the Devaney Center on Feb. 21. NU also owns a nine-point home win over Kansas (67-58) at the Devaney Center on Jan. 21. The Huskers suffered a one-point road loss at Missouri (67-66) on Jan. 17, and a two-point road loss at Colorado (75-73) on Jan. 31. NU dropped a pair of decisions to top-25 Iowa State, and suffered a 51-40 loss at No. 14 Kansas State on Jan. 27.

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.

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 were featured four times on Fox Sports Net national television games in 2008-09. The Huskers battled 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 came on Saturday, Jan. 24, when the Huskers took on Iowa State at the Devaney Center. FSN also followed the Huskers to Boulder when they clashed with Colorado at the Coors Events Center on Saturday, Jan. 31.

Nebraska wrapped up its regular-season FSN national television appearances on Saturday, Feb. 14 at noon, when the Huskers defeated Texas Tech, 62-56, 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 debuted on Fox Sports Midwest on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they traveled to Columbia to take on the Missouri Tigers.

The Huskers appeared on Fox Sports Midwest on Tuesday, Jan. 27, when they took on No. 14 Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan. On Wednesday, Feb. 18, the Huskers’ clashed with Iowa State in Ames in a game 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 also played on Fox Sports Southwest during its road game at Texas on Jan. 14.

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
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 Trip to Kansas
The Fastbreakers have planned two bus trips to Nebraska women’s basketball road games during the 2008-09 season. The Fastbreakers traveled to Colorado (Jan. 31), and will also follow the Huskers to Kansas (Feb. 28). The cost of the 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 Trip to Kansas 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 333-118 (.738) in games played in the arena, including 123-77 (.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 69-22 (.758) at the Devaney Center, with no more than four losses in any season. Nebraska is 9-4 at the Devaney Center in 2008-09 with its only losses to top-25 foes Oklahoma, Ohio State, Iowa State and Baylor.

Six Huskers Earn Big 12 Honor Roll Spots
Kala Kuhlmann posted a perfect 4.0 grade-point average during the fall semester to lead a contingent of six Nebraska women’s basketball players on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll.

Kuhlmann, a junior from Charter Oak, Iowa, posted a perfect GPA as a psychology and Spanish double major. It was her fifth straight appearance on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. A first-team academic All-Big 12 selection in 2008, Kuhlmann will be a leading contender to repeat those honors again this season.

Kuhlmann was joined on the honor roll by senior forward Kelsey Griffin, junior center Nikki Bober, sophomore guard Kaitlyn Burke, sophomore center Jessica Periago and freshman forward Harleen Sidhu.

Griffin, who is redshirting with an injury this season, earned her seventh consecutive appearance on the honor roll. A two-time first-team All-Big 12 performer on the court and in the classroom, the native of Eagle River, Alaska, is a biological sciences major with a chemistry minor.

Bober, a native of Murdock, Neb., claimed her third spot on the Big 12 Commissioner’s honor roll. The management major suffered a knee injury in late-December and is out for the season.

Burke and Periago joined Bober as three-time honor roll selections. Both Burke and Periago are excelling at Nebraska as international students. Burke, a starter on the court, is a native of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, while Periago came to NU from Toulon, France.

A third international student, Harleen Sidhu, claimed her first appearance on the honor roll. A native of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Sidhu has played in all 22 games in her first season at Nebraska.

A total of 324 Nebraska student-athletes earned spots on the 2008 Fall Big 12 Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, including 38 Huskers who posted perfect 4.0 grade-point averages. In order to earn a spot on the honor roll, a student-athlete must post a GPA of 3.0 or higher during the semester.