Huskers Play for Postseason in Finale at OSU

Nebraska Cornhuskers
(14-14, 5-10)
at Oklahoma State Cowgirls
(15-13, 4-11)

Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611) ? Stillwater, Okla.
Saturday, March 7 ? 6 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 basketball team (14-14, 5-10) heads to Stillwater, Okla., to end the 2008-09 regular season by taking on Oklahoma State (15-13, 4-11) on Saturday.

Tip-off with the Cowgirls at Gallagher-Iba Arena is set for 6 p.m. with free live audio on Huskers.com, and a live video stream available to HuskersNside subscribers, courtesy of Oklahoma State. Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will call the action for the live radio broadcast on the Husker Sports Network.

The Huskers will be shooting for their fourth win in their final five games with a chance to become postseason eligible for the sixth straight season. Nebraska climbed back to .500 on the season with a 75-64 win over Colorado on Senior Night in Lincoln on Tuesday. Junior guard Yvonne Turner led the Huskers with 17 points, while junior forward Cory Montgomery added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Nebraska also got huge contributions from its bench, as sophomore Jessica Periago produced 11 points and five rebounds, while junior guard Nicole Neals pumped in a career-best 10 points. Overall, Nebraska’s bench outscored Colorado’s reserves, 27-0.

Nebraska, which features the most inexperienced starting five in the Big 12, has been one of the hottest teams in the conference over the past four weeks. NU has won three of its last four games and four of its last six contests, since opening league play with a 1-9 mark.

A win by Nebraska at Oklahoma State would give the Huskers their first conference road win of the year, while securing a 5-3 Big 12 mark during the second half of the league season. NU will be gunning to be one of just five Big 12 teams to finish with a winning record during the second half of the conference season (Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Baylor and Iowa State or Kansas).

A win for the Huskers in Stillwater could have a major impact on the seeding at next week’s Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. Nebraska can still finish as the No. 8, No. 9 or No. 10 seed in the league standings. A win over OSU could secure a No. 8 seed for the Huskers and possibly a tie for seventh place in the final league standings.

Big 12 Standings & Tournament Scenarios
With a win at Oklahoma State on Saturday, Nebraska could finish as high as a tie for seventh place in the final league standings and would guarantee the Huskers either a No. 8 or No. 9 seed at next week’s Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City.

An NU win over the Cowgirls, paired with an Iowa State home win over visiting Kansas on Saturday would move NU into a tie for seventh, which would be considered a major accomplishment for the Huskers. NU was the preseason pick to finish eighth in the Big 12 - a projection that came with the expectation of a healthy Kelsey Griffin playing the entire season. Griffin, a two-time first-team All-Big 12 forward, has missed the entire year with an ankle injury.

The Huskers also suffered a season-ending injury to reserve center Nikki Bober during the non-conference season, and freshman shooting guard Layne Reeves has also undergone season-ending knee surgery.

Oklahoma has secured the No. 1 seed at the Big 12 Tournament, while four teams (Texas A&M, Baylor, Iowa State and Kansas State) are still battling for a first-round bye as top-four seeds. Texas is locked in as the No. 6 seed, while Kansas and Texas Tech are competing for the No. 7 seed.

Nebraska can earn a No. 8 seed at the Big 12 Tournament by beating Oklahoma State, paired with a Missouri win at Texas Tech. The Huskers can also claim the No. 8 seed if they beat OSU, Texas Tech beats Missouri and Kansas defeats Iowa State. NU can also earn a No. 8 seed with a loss to Oklahoma State, if Missouri beats Texas Tech and Nebraska wins a postseason draw with the Tigers.

NU earns the No. 9 seed with a win over Oklahoma State, paired with home wins by Texas Tech and Iowa State. Nebraska can also finish ninth with a loss to OSU, if Missouri wins at Texas Tech, and Nebraska loses the postseason draw with the Tigers.

For the Huskers to finish 10th, they must lose to Oklahoma State and Texas Tech must beat Missouri.

Nebraska could play Kansas, Texas Tech or Missouri in the first round of the league tournament.

Young Huskers Battling More Experienced Big 12 Foes
Nebraska’s projected starting lineup for Saturday’s game at Oklahoma State has combined for just 194 career starts, while OSU’s regular starting five has made 324 career starts. Nebraska is the only team in the league that features a starting five with fewer than 200 career starts combined. Oklahoma State is one of seven league teams with a starting five that has combined for more than 300 starts.

Kansas State, which Nebraska defeated 52-47 on Feb. 25, is the Big 12’s most experienced team with a combined 426 starts. All five of KSU’s regulars are at least two-year starters with 50 or more career starts.

Nebraska had not had a senior in the starting lineup for 11 consecutive games before Tay Hester drew a start in a Senior Night win over Colorado on March 3. 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 61 games. Cory Montgomery, Catheryn Redmon and Kaitlyn Burke are all first-year starters in the Nebraska lineup.

Big 12 Starting Fives
1. Kansas State (426) - Lehning (118), Gipson (110), Sweat (80), Zanotti (66), Kincaid (52)
2. Iowa State (393) - Ezell (108), Wieben (98), Lacey (81), Nisleit (59), Bolte (47)
3. Texas A&M (361) - Starks (121), Micheaux (118), Gant (82), Colson (26), Elonu (14)
4. Oklahoma (357) - C. Paris (128), A. Paris (75), Thompson (69), Robinson (59), Hand (26)
5. Baylor (356) - Morrow (105), Allison (91), Player (78), Wilson (55), Griffin (27)
6. Texas (A - 349) - Raven (89), Williams (85), Cortijo (82), Lindsey (66), Nash (27)
                (B - 215) - Raven (89), Cortijo (82), Nash (27), Fontenette (10), Gayle (7)
7. Oklahoma State (319) - Smith (110), Riley (92), Hardeman (76), Cunningham (26), Byford (15)
8. Kansas (285) - Catic (80), Morris (74), McCray (63), Boogaard (42), Smith (26)
9. Missouri (250) - Hollins (88), Jones (55), Johnson (47), Richbow (36), Scott (24)
10. Colorado (242) - Richards (84), Spears (64), Smith (55), Fressle (26), Mullaney (13)
11. Texas Tech (240) - Murphree (75), Seals (60), Moore (48), Roberson (35), Mallard (22)
12. Nebraska (194) - Kelley (61), Turner (61), Montgomery (32), Redmon (21), Burke (19)

Short-Handed Huskers Fighting Hard Against Top Teams
Although Nebraska is 6-12 over its last 18 games, 16 of those contests have come against 2008 postseason teams, including 11 games against teams that advanced to last year’s NCAA Tournament. Seven of the losses have come to current Associated Press Top 25 teams, while the Huskers also own a pair of wins over top-25 opponents during the stretch with victories over No. 20 Kansas State and No. 24 Arizona State.

The young Huskers had a third member of their 14-player roster undergo season-ending surgery six 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 11 of their last 12 games without a senior starter in the lineup. Tay Hester, NU’s lone active senior, came off the bench in 11 straight contests before drawing a Senior Night start in a win over Colorado.

Huskers Gaining Ground in RPI, Strength of Schedule
While Nebraska’s 14-14 overall record may not appear glossy, the Huskers’ road during the 2008-09 season has been more than a little bumpy. The Huskers’ Strength of Schedule ranked No. 15 nationally according to the CollegeRPI.com ratings as of March 6.

NU enters the Oklahoma State game as the No. 59 RPI team in the country, while Oklahoma State heads into the game at No. 55 in the RPI with a No. 22 Strength of Schedule.

The Big 12 Conference is far and away the best league in the nation according to the RPI. Despite three losses, Oklahoma still owns the nation’s No. 1 RPI, ahead of unbeaten UConn. Texas A&M is No. 6 and Baylor is No. 11. Texas (15), Iowa State (16) and Kansas State (25) join the Big 12 ranks in the top 25, while Texas Tech (45), Kansas (53), Oklahoma State (55) and Nebraska (59) give the Big 12 10 teams in the RPI Top 60. Missouri (91) and Colorado (127) round out the Big 12 contingent among the 341 NCAA Division I RPI teams.

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 14.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, including 15.3 points and 7.6 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 12 of NU’s last 14 games, including five 20-plus point performances. She had a 20-point, nine-rebound night at Kansas, which followed a 21-point, eight-rebound effort in the win over No. 20 Kansas State on Feb. 25. She also scored 21 points in the first meeting with the Wildcats on Jan. 27. She notched a career high with 24 points, while adding nine boards at Colorado on Jan. 31. She added 22 points and a career-best 14 rebounds against No. 8 Baylor (Feb. 4), while playing a career-high 38 minutes. She owns 21 double-figure scoring efforts this season.

Overall, Montgomery owns 11 career 20-point efforts, including nine this season (Butler, 22; Southern Utah, 21; Denver, 21; Oral Roberts, 20, in non-conference action).

Montgomery also owns seven career double-doubles with six of those coming this season. Her most recent double-double came with 12 points and 10 rebounds in NU’s win over Colorado on March 3. She added a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds in NU’s win over Texas Tech on Feb. 14. She also posted double-doubles against Baylor (22-14), UTEP (11-10), Oral Roberts (20-11) and Butler (22-11) this season.

One of the best free throw shooters in the Big 12, Montgomery ranks fourth in the league with her 84.8 percent accuracy at the stripe. She has moved into fifth place on NU’s single-season free throw percentage list and has knocked down 19 consecutive free throws heading into the Oklahoma State game. She has not missed a shot at the line since missing her first attempt of the second half against Texas Tech on Feb. 14. In Big 12 action, she has hit 88.9 percent of her attempts to rank second in the league behind OU’s Danielle Robinson.

Montgomery earned a spot on the all-tournament team at the New Mexico Thanksgiving Classic after notching her first double-double of the year with 22 points and 11 boards in a win over Butler. She added 17 points and eight rebounds in a loss to New Mexico in the championship game.

In Nebraska’s win over Kansas on Jan. 21, Montgomery had 18 points and six rebounds. She contributed 17 points and nine boards 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 had 15 points and eight boards at No. 16 Texas (Jan. 14).

Although 2008-09 marks her first year as a full-time starter, Montgomery is one of the most experienced 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 her first career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds in a 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 15 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 comeback.

She still leads the Huskers with 30 three-pointers through 15 league contests and 53 overall on the year. Her 53 threes are the second-highest total by a junior in Husker history, trailing only three-time All-Big 12 pick Kiera Hardy’s 81 in 2005-06.

Turner is averaging 2.1 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 15 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 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and a team-leading 2.1 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 pumped in 17 points with a trio of three-pointers in NU’s win over Colorado on March 3. She scored 13 points on 3-of-9 three-point shooting in a win over No. 20 Kansas State (Feb. 25), after contributing 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting from long range in a win over Missouri (Feb. 21). She had 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.

Take Cover When the Big Cat Roars
Sophomore center Catheryn Redmon produced one of the top single-game block efforts in school history with a career-high seven rejections in the win over No. 20 Kansas State on Feb. 25. Redmon’s total tied for the second-best mark in school history, trailing only Danielle Page’s nine blocks against Baylor on Feb. 3, 2007.

Redmon has increased her season total to 58 blocked shots, which ranks second on Nebraska’s sophomore single-season list. She trails only school career record holder Janet Smith on the sophomore list. Smith notched 69 blocks in 1979-80, which stood as NU’s overall single-season record until Page notched 78 blocks last season.

Redmon is just the fifth player in Nebraska history to record 50 or more blocks in a season, and her 58 blocks rank fifth on NU’s season block chart. She needs just two more blocks to become the third player in NU history to notch 60 or more blocks in a season. A vast majority of Redmon’s blocks have come against premier Big 12 competition. In fact, in NU’s first seven games this season, Redmon played a total of just 56 minutes against non-conference competition, recording just three blocks.

In Big 12 play, Redmon ranks third with 2.9 blocks per game, trailing only All-American Courtney Paris from Oklahoma and Baylor’s Danielle Wilson. Redmon is just one total block behind Paris for the Big 12 lead through 15 conference games.

Over the last six games, Redmon owns 21 blocks (3.5 bpg). With 67 career blocked shots, Redmon has vaulted into ninth on the NU career list and needs just one more to catch two-time All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin in eighth on the NU career chart.

VT for Three
Yvonne Turner (nickname VT) leads the Huskers with 53 three-pointers through 28 games this year. Turner has hit 38-of-102 three-point attempts (37.3 percent) over the last 19 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 six games, Turner has hit 14-of-37 three-point attempts (37.8 percent).

With a trio of three-pointers in the win over No. 20 Kansas State, Turner moved into second on the Huskers’ junior single-season three-point made list, trailing only three-time All-Big 12 selection Kiera Hardy’s 81 in 2005-06. Turner cracked NU’s career top 10 in three-pointers at Texas and currently sits in sixth with 97 career triples. She needs 32 more three-pointers to catch Husker greats Nicole Kubik (1997-2000) and Amy Stephens (1986-89) 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 157 career steals, Turner is approaching Nebraska’s all-time top 10 on that list, needing 31 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 15 Big 12 games. She ranks sixth in the league with 2.1 steals per game. 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 61 consecutive games and averaging 2.3 steals per game during that span. She has recorded at least one steal in 54 of those 61 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 owns 30 career double-figure scoring efforts, including 18 in 28 games this season. She has produced double figures in 28 of NU’s last 48 games, after having just two in her first 41 contests.

She has scored 15 or more points seven times this year, including five times in the last 15 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, before pumping in 17 points with three assists in a win over Colorado on March 3.

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 nine games this season against AP Top-25 teams at game time, Turner has averaged 11.8 points per game.

She closed non-conference play with 15 points at LSU, after producing a team-best 13 points in a win over No. 24 Arizona State. She scored 10 second-half points to help NU rally from 16 points down. In NU’s wins over No. 20 Kansas State and Missouri, she contributed 13 points, while adding 12 points in a Husker win over Texas Tech.

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 9.9 points per game, while adding 3.4 rebounds per contest. Kelley also leads the Huskers with 2.5 assists per game and has added nearly one steal per contest.

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 is coming off a 13-point performance in NU’s win over Colorado on March 3. Kelley owns 15 double-figure scoring efforts this season.

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 61 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 a win over Mizzou (Feb. 21). Kelley also matched Yvonne Turner for team-high scoring honors with 12 points against Iowa State in Lincoln on Jan. 24.

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 15 double-figure scoring efforts in 28 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 center Catheryn Redmon has started 21 straight games and averaged 7.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in the lineup. She has scored 149 points, pulled down 141 boards and blocked 55 shots in her 21 starts, after getting just 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in NU’s first seven games. Seventeen of Redmon’s starts have come against 2008 posteason teams, including 12 NCAA Tournament squads from a year ago.

Redmon is also making a name for herself as one of the best shot-blockers in NU history. With 58 blocks already this season, Redmon owns the second-best total by a sophomore in school history. She needs 11 blocks to catch NU all-time block leader Janet Smith on the sophomore list.

Redmon, who has a vast majority of her blocks in Big 12 play, needs two more blocks to become just the third player in NU history with 60 or more blocks in a season, joining Smith and NU single-season block leader Danielle Page.

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), for her third career double-double. 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 three blocked shots and two steals. She 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 1,048 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 21 games as a starter.

Scouting The Oklahoma State Cowgirls
Oklahoma State heads into Saturday’s regular-season finale hoping to snap a four-game losing streak. The Cowgirls, who have lost eighth of their last nine games, have struggled to a 4-11 Big 12 record and a 15-13 overall mark after earning a trip to the 2008 NCAA Sweet 16. OSU was the preseason pick to finish sixth in the Big 12 and was one of five teams to earn at least one preseason first-place vote from a conference coach.

Junior guard Andrea Riley, a first-team All-Big 12 performer last year, has put up big offensive numbers with 23.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Riley has averaged 20.3 field goal attempts per game on the season, including 7.3 three-point tries per contest. She is shooting just 36.4 percent from the field overall and just 27.5 percent from long range. She is also attempting 9.1 free throws per game, while hitting 75.2 percent of those attempts.

In Big 12 play, Riley’s shot attempts are even more astounding. She is averaging 23.1 field goal attempts, including 7.5 tries from long range per game. In league play, she has accounted for 38.3 percent of OSU’s attempts from the field, including 39.5 percent of its three-point tries, and 47.5 percent of the Cowgirls’ free throws. She has averaged 25.4 points per game in league play.

A three-year starter, Riley is joined in the Cowgirl starting five by seniors Shaunte’ Smith (11.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and Taylor Hardeman (6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg), who will be honored on Senior Night at OSU, along with reserve forward Shyvon Spears (3.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg).

Juniors Tegan Cunningham (10.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Megan Byford (4.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg) round out OSU’s probable lineup, while sophomore guard Kristin Hernandez adds pop off the bench with 8.2 points and 3.0 boards per game. Junior Ally Clardy (1.3 ppg, 0.1 rpg) and freshmen Kelsey Hatcher (3.4 ppg, 0.6 rpg) and Melinda Mercado (0.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg) are regular contributors off the bench for the Cowgirls.

In Big 12 play, OSU has averaged 63.2 points per game, but is surrendering 68.9 points per contest. The Cowgirls have hit 37.6 percent of their shots from the field, including a dismal 26.9 percent of their three-point attempts in league play. OSU has also struggled with a negative-5.3 team rebounding margin, but owns a plus-0.9 team turnover margin against conference foes.

Nebraska vs. Oklahoma State Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Oklahoma State, 30-25, but the Cowgirls have won the last two meetings. Last year, OSU notched a 92-81 win at the Devaney Center on Feb. 10, as part of ESPN’s February Frenzy.

Andrea Riley led Oklahoma State with 24 points and seven assists while playing all 40 minutes. Riley led six Cowgirls in double figures, including Shaunte’ Smith, who added 17 points, seven boards and three steals. Taylor Hardeman pitched in 14 points, six assists and four steals, while Maria Cordero added 12 and Danielle Green and Kristin Hernandez each added 10 points.

Danielle Page, Yvonne Turner and Cory Montgomery each scored 18 points to lead the Huskers, while Kelsey Griffin contributed 16 points and nine rebounds. The Huskers trailed by seven at the half, before OSU erupted on a 17-0 run over a four-minute stretch to take a 31-point lead with 10:30 left. However, the Huskers battled back to cut the lead to just 10 points with 4:47 left, before trimming the edge to nine with 1:10 remaining.

Two years ago in Stillwater, Oklahoma State snapped a five-game Husker winning streak in the series with a 63-60 victory over NU. In the Huskers’ last regular-season road game, Kiera Hardy hit six three-pointers, but her long three from the left wing at the buzzer was off the mark. NU trailed by seven with 37.5 seconds left, before Hardy and Jelena Spiric scored back-to-back baskets to trim the OSU edge to 62-60 with 24 seconds left. Riley hit a free throw to push the lead to three points to set up the final play.

Hardy and Griffin led NU with 18 points, while Riley led OSU with 17 and Rashidat Sadiq added 16. Danielle Green contributed 13 points, while Dominique Chism added seven points and 14 rebounds.

Nebraska led the game 24-18 in a low-scoring first half, before OSU erupted for 45 points after intermission.

Huskers Bombard Buffaloes, 75-64
Junior guard Yvonne Turner sparked a 21-2 run midway through the second half to help Nebraska run away with a 75-64 victory over visiting Colorado at the Devaney Center on Tuesday night.

Turner, who scored seven of NU’s first 10 points during the surge that took just over four minutes, finished with a team-high 17 points including a trio of three-pointers.

The Huskers, who have won four of their last seven games, knocked down five three-pointers during the surge, including one from Turner, one from Nicole Neals, one from Dominique Kelley, one from Jessica Periago and one from Kaitlyn Burke. For the night, Nebraska connected one 9-of-21 three-pointers, including two from Neals who pumped in a career-high 10 points off the bench while notching three assists and a career-high three steals.

Periago also gave NU a big lift off the bench, matching her career high with 11 points, on 4-of-4 shooting from the field, while adding five rebounds. Cory Montgomery added her sixth double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Kelley gave the Huskers five players in double figures with 14 points, three rebounds and two assists. Catheryn Redmon also gave the Huskers strong play inside with six points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots.

With Periago and Neals leading the way, Nebraska’s bench outscored Colorado’s reserves, 27-0.

In a game that featured 11 ties in the first 25 minutes, Nebraska trailed 34-32 before Turner buried a three-pointer to give Nebraska the lead. After a Husker stop, Neals added a three just 20 seconds later to give NU the biggest lead of the game to that point at 38-34 with 14:12 left.

Turner then hit back-to-back shots to push the lead to 42-34 with 12:55 left, before Kelley gave the Huskers their first double-digit lead of the night with a three-pointer to make it 45-34. Spears stopped NU’s 13-0 run during a stretch of just 2:29, but Periago kept Nebraska rolling with another three-pointer, before adding a jumper to push the NU margin to 50-36 with 11:05 left. Kaitlyn Burke then connected on her second three of the night to extend the Husker lead to 53-36 with 10:32 left and cap the 21-2 spurt.

For the game, Nebraska shot a Big 12 season-best 49 percent (25-51) from the field, including a blistering 57.7 percent (15-26) in the second half. The Huskers knocked down 42.9 percent (9-21) of their three-pointers, while connecting on 80 percent (16-20) of their free throws. NU also outrebounded the Buffs, 34-28, while forcing 17 turnovers by the Buffs, including 10 in the second half.

Kara Richards led the Buffaloes with a game-high 24 points to go along with seven rebounds, while Brittany Spears added 17 points and seven boards for the Buffs. Colorado hit 50 percent (28-56) of its shots, but just 4-of-12 three-pointers. Bianca Smith, who hit 7-of-10 three-pointers in the first meeting between the two teams in Boulder, went 0-for-1 from long range on the night. CU was also just 4-of-11 from the free throw line.

In a tightly contested first half that featured eight ties with neither team leading by more than three points, Nebraska carried a 27-25 halftime lead. Montgomery and Redmon led NU with six first-half points. Redmon added six rebounds and a pair of blocks to help the Huskers inside, as NU outrebounded CU, 21-14, in the first 20 minutes.

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. 20 Kansas State marked the 12th victory over a ranked foe during Yori’s tenure. The Huskers own two wins over top-25 foes this season, including a victory over No. 24 Arizona State on Dec. 28.

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 Oklahoma State game averaging 4.2 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. She ranks third on the team with 21 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 is tied with Nicole Neals for NU’s best assist-to-turnover ratio at 2-to-1 (44-to-22).

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, 140) and three-point field goals attempted list (8th, 426).

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 28 games of 2008-09, Nebraska is forcing an average of 17.2 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 58 steals, giving her 139 steals in her 61 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 157 career steals and needs 31 more to crack Nebraska’s all-time top 10 in that category.

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 eight 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 March 2 AP Poll. No. 5 Baylor came to Lincoln on Feb. 4, before the Huskers traveled to current No. 10 Texas A&M on Feb. 8. The Huskers also journeyed to current No. 15 Texas on Jan. 14. Inside the Big 12, the Huskers also battled No. 23 Iowa State both home and away.

Outside of conference action, the Huskers dropped a narrow 69-65 decision to current No. 12 Ohio State (Dec. 6), before notching a 62-58 win over current No. 18 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 longest winning streak in school history to improve to 22-6 on the year.

In addition to the eight Husker opponents currently ranked in the AP Top 25, Kansas State was ranked in the top 25 in both meetings at game time with NU and the Wildcats are the top team receiving votes outside of the poll. LSU, which finished in a tie for second in the SEC, is right behind Kansas State at No. 27. The Tigers joined NU opponents Oklahoma State and New Mexico in being ranked in at least one top 25 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 Shows North Division Dominance over Last Four Years
Despite suffering multiple season-ending injuries to key contributors in 2008-09, Nebraska still battled Big 12 North Division foes with success. During the second half of the league season, the Huskers posted a 3-2 record in Big 12 North rematches to finish the season with a 4-6 regular-season mark against North opponents.

Over the last four years, Nebraska leads the North Division with a 26-14 regular-season record against the other five Big 12 North Division opponents. Entering 2008-09, Iowa State and Kansas State had produced matching 17-13 North Division records over the previous three seasons. Iowa State is 7-2 this season against the North heading into a home finale with Kansas, while Kansas State is 6-3 before Saturday’s road finale at Colorado.

Nebraska closed 2008-09 North Division play with a 75-64 win over Colorado on March 3. The Huskers managed season splits with Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri and Colorado, while surrendering a sweep to Iowa State. The Huskers suffered a 67-66 loss at Missouri on Jan. 17, and a 75-73 loss at Colorado on Jan. 31. In the rematches in Lincoln, NU posted double-figure wins over both the Tigers (65-52) and Buffaloes (75-64). NU also posted a nine-point home win over Kansas (67-58) on Jan. 21, before notching a 52-47 win over No. 20 Kansas State in Lincoln on Feb. 25.

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 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 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 appeared frequently on Fox Sports Midwest. The Huskers debuted on Fox Sports Midwest on Saturday, Jan. 17, when they traveled to Columbia to take on the Missouri Tigers. NU 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, before wrapping up their scheduled Fox Sports Midwest appearances on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Kansas. Nebraska also played on Fox Sports Southwest during its road game at Texas on Jan. 14.

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home
Since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 335-118 (.740) in games played in the arena, including 125-77 (.619) in conference games. NU finished 2007-08 with a 14-2 home record, tying for the second-highest home victory total in school history. Nebraska has added an 11-4 record at the Devaney Center in 2008-09, marking NU’s sixth consecutive season with 10 or more home wins, the longest stretch in school history.

Nebraska’s success at home is even more remarkable considering the strength of the Huskers’ home schedule the past two years. Nebraska’s only losses at the Devaney Center in 2008-09 came to top-25 foes Oklahoma, Ohio State, Iowa State and Baylor. NU also owns top-25 victories over No. 20 Kansas State and No. 24 Arizona State this season.

In 2007-08, 11 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 71-22 (.763) at the Devaney Center, with no more than four losses in any season.

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.