Huskers Clash with KU in Big 12 First Round

No. 9 Nebraska Cornhuskers
(15-14, 6-10)
vs. No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks
(17-12, 6-10)

Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship
Cox Convention Center (13,297) 
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Thursday, March 12 ? 1:30 p.m.

Radio: Husker Sports Network
(98.1 KFGE Lincoln; 93.3 KTWI Omaha)
Live Internet Video: Huskers.com
(Courtesy Big12Sports.com)
Live Internet Audio: Huskers.com (Free)

The Nebraska women’s basketball basketball team (15-14, 6-10) travels to Oklahoma City this week as the No. 9 seed in the 2009 Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Championship. The Huskers will face eighth-seeded Kansas (17-12, 6-10) at the Cox Convention Center on Thursday, March 12, at 1:30 p.m.

The Huskers and Jayhawks were originally scheduled to open the tournament at 11 a.m., but because of a possible head-to-head conflict with the KU men’s game, potentially against Nebraska or Baylor, in the second round of the men’s tournament at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, the game time was moved to 1:30 p.m.

The game will be televised live by Cox Cable in Oklahoma City and a live video stream will be available on Huskers.com, through a link on Big12Sports.com. Free live audio will also be available on Huskers.com, courtesy of the Husker Sports Network, with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action.

Nebraska heads to Oklahoma City with plenty of momentum after closing the conference season with five victories in its final seven games. The Huskers capped the regular-season with an 82-74 win at Oklahoma State on March 7 to become postseason eligible for the sixth consecutive season.

Honorable-mention All-Big 12 selection Cory Montgomery led the Huskers in the win over the Cowgirls with a career-high 30 points to go along with 11 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season. Montgomery enters the Big 12 Tournament averaging team bests of 14.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Over the final five games of the regular season, Montgomery averaged 20 points and 9.4 boards per contest.

Big 12 All-Defensive Team member Yvonne Turner also enjoyed a career night at OSU. The 5-8 junior guard from Omaha pumped in a career-high 26 points and matched her season high with four three-pointers. Turner also nabbed two steals to finish the regular season in a tie for fourth in the conference in that category with 2.1 steals per game. It was Turner’s second straight selection to the league’s all-defensive squad.

Nebraska posted a 5-3 mark in the second half of league play, joining tournament top-four seeds Oklahoma, Baylor, Iowa State and Texas A&M as the only teams with winning records during the second half of league action.

Huskers Become Postseason Eligible with 15th Win
Nebraska became postseason eligible for the sixth consecutive season by running to an 82-74 win at Oklahoma State on March 7. The Huskers, who opened Big 12 Conference play with a 1-8 league mark, produced victories in five of their final seven league games to finish the regular season strong.

Last season, Nebraska earned its second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid and claimed the school’s third-ever win in the Big Dance with a victory over Xavier in College Park, Md. Two-time first team All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin led the Huskers to their second straight tournament appearance, but the 2008-09 senior was lost for the year with an ankle injury before the start of the year. She will return as a fifth-year senior with the Huskers next season.

Before earning NCAA Tournament trips in 2007 and 2008, the Huskers advanced to the Postseason WNIT in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Prior to NU’s current streak, the Huskers’ longest postseason streak was just three seasons.

Huskers Gaining Ground in RPI, Strength of Schedule
While Nebraska’s 15-14 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. 16 nationally according to the CollegeRPI.com ratings as of March 9.

NU enters the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 56 RPI team in the country, while Kansas heads into the game at No. 54 in the RPI with a No. 38 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. 7 and Baylor is No. 8. Iowa State (14), Texas (15), and Kansas State (23) join the Big 12 ranks in the top 25, while Texas Tech (43), Kansas (54), Nebraska (56) and Oklahoma State (65) give the Big 12 10 teams in the RPI Top 65. Missouri (100) and Colorado (124) round out the Big 12 contingent among the 341 NCAA Division I RPI teams.

Montgomery, Turner Earn All-Big 12 Honors
Juniors Cory Montgomery and Yvonne Turner were both honored by the Big 12 Conference on Monday for their efforts throughout the season for the Nebraska women’s basketball team.

Montgomery, a 6-2 forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades from the conference coaches with 14.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Montgomery, who is in her first season as a starter for the Huskers, was even better in Big 12 action, averaging 16.2 points and 7.8 boards per game.

Over her final five games of conference play, Montgomery averaged 20 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, including a career-high 30 points to go along with 11 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the year in NU’s victory in the regular-season finale at Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Turner earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, as chosen by the league coaches, for the second straight season. The 5-8 guard from Omaha, Neb., tied for fourth in the Big 12 with 2.1 steals per game. Turner also improved her offensive production during her second season in NU’s starting five, averaging 12.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. She erupted for a career-high 26 points to go along with five rebounds and a pair of steals to help the Huskers knock off Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Young Huskers Battling More Experienced Big 12 Foes
Nebraska’s projected starting lineup for the first round of the Big 12 Tournament has combined for just 198 career starts, while KU’s regular starting five has made 290 career starts. Nebraska is the only team in the league that features a starting five with fewer than 200 career starts combined. The Big 12 features seven teams with starting fives who have combined for 300 or more starts, while Kansas will be gunning to increase that number to eight during the Big 12 Tournament.

Kansas State, which Nebraska defeated 52-47 on Feb. 25, is the Big 12’s most experienced team with a combined 431 starts. All five of KSU’s regulars are at least two-year starters with 50 or more career starts.

Nebraska did not have 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. Hester also started NU’s regular-season finale at Oklahoma State. 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 62 games. Cory Montgomery, Catheryn Redmon and Kaitlyn Burke are all first-year starters in the Nebraska lineup.

Big 12 Starting Fives
1. Kansas State (431) - Lehning (119), Gipson (111), Sweat (81), Zanotti (67), Kincaid (53)
2. Iowa State (396) - Ezell (109), Wieben (99), Lacey (81), Nisleit (60), Bolte (47)
3. Texas A&M (366) - Starks (122), Micheaux (119), Gant (83), Colson (27), Smith (15)
4. Oklahoma (361) - C. Paris (129), A. Paris (76), Thompson (70), Robinson (60), Hand (26)
5. Baylor (360) - Morrow (106), Allison (92), Player (79), Wilson (55), Griffin (28)
6. Texas (A - 353) - Raven (89), Williams (86), Cortijo (83), Lindsey (67), Nash (28)
               (B - 218) - Raven (89), Cortijo (83), Nash (28), Fontenette (11), Gayle (7)
7. Oklahoma State (322) - Smith (111), Riley (92), Hardeman (77), Cunningham (27), Byford (15)
8. Kansas (285) - Catic (80), Morris (74), McCray (63), Boogaard (42), Smith (26)
9. Missouri (253) - Hollins (89), Jones (56), Johnson (48), Richbow (36), Scott (24)
10. Colorado (247) - Richards (85), Spears (65), Smith (56), Fressle (27), Mullaney (14)
11. Texas Tech (243) - Murphree (75), Seals (61), Moore (49), Roberson (36), Mallard (22)
12. Nebraska (198) - Kelley (62), Turner (62), Montgomery (33), Redmon (22), Burke (19)

Short-Handed Huskers Fighting Hard Against Top Teams
Although Nebraska is 7-12 over its last 19 games, 17 of those contests have come against 2008 postseason teams, including 12 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 seven 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 13 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.

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 14.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, including 16.2 points and 7.8 boards in Big 12 action. Over the last five games of the regular season, Montgomery increased her production to 20 points and 9.4 rebounds per game to earn honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades.

Montgomery capped the regular season with a career-high 30 points to go along with 11 rebounds in a win at Oklahoma State for her seventh double-double of the year.

Montgomery has produced double figures in 13 of NU’s last 15 games, including six 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 then-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 22 double-figure scoring efforts this season.

Overall, Montgomery owns 12 career 20-point efforts, including 10 this season (Butler, 22; Southern Utah, 21; Denver, 21; Oral Roberts, 20, in non-conference action).

Montgomery also owns eight career double-doubles with seven of those coming this season. She produced back-to-back double-doubles to end the regular season, including 30 points and 11 rebounds in a win at Oklahoma State on March 7, after notching 12 points and 10 boards in a 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. She finished the Big 12 regular season in second place in the league at 88.2 percent, trailing only 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 took her game to another level during Big 12 action. The 5-8 guard averaged 12.7 points per game in league play after ending the regular season with a career-high 26 points in a win at Oklahoma State on March 7. 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 leads the Huskers with 57 three-pointers on the year to rank as the second-highest total by a junior in NU 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 had two or more steals in nine of NU’s 16 league games, including four steals at Texas and Colorado. She has earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team each of the past two seasons.

In 2007-08, Turner led 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.

This season, Turner ranks second on the team in scoring with 12.0 points per game, while adding 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and a team-leading 2.1 steals per contest. She owns a pair of 20-point scoring efforts, including the 26 points at OSU and a 21-point effort at No. 16 Texas. She also matched her season-high with four steals at UT.

She produced a 17-point effort against No. 8 Baylor (Feb. 4), and added 17 points in NU’s win over Kansas (Jan. 21). She pumped in 17 points in NU’s win over Colorado on March 3. She scored 13 points in a win over No. 20 Kansas State (Feb. 25), after contributing 13 points 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).

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 59 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 59 blocks are tied for fourth on NU’s season block chart. She needs just one more block 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 finished third with 2.8 blocks per game, trailing only All-American Courtney Paris from Oklahoma and Baylor’s Danielle Wilson.

Over the last seven games, Redmon owns 22 blocks (3.1 bpg). With 68 career blocked shots, Redmon has vaulted into a tie for eighth on the NU career list with two-time All-Big 12 forward Kelsey Griffin.

VT for Three
Yvonne Turner (nickname VT) leads the Huskers with 57 three-pointers through 29 games this year. Turner has hit 44-of-110 three-point attempts (40 percent) over the last 20 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 seven games, Turner has hit 18-of-45 three-point attempts (40 percent).

In Big 12 Conference action, Turner finished in a tie for second with KU’s Danielle McCray with 2.1 made three-pointers per game, trailing only Iowa State senior Heather Ezell’s 2.4 per contest.

Turner ranks second on the Husker 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 101 career triples. She needs 28 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 made waves with her increased offensive production over the past year, she is undeniably one of the best defensive players in the Big 12 Conference.

The two-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team pick ranks fourth in the league with 2.1 steals per game this year, after leading the Big 12 in league contests with 2.6 steals per game in 2007-08.

Her 81 steals a year ago ranked as the second-best total by a Husker sophomore in history, while ranking eighth overall on NU’s single-season steals list.

With 159 career steals, Turner is approaching Nebraska’s all-time top 10 on that list, needing 29 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 19 contests. She produced two or more steals in nine of NU’s 16 Big 12 games. 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 62 consecutive games and averaging 2.3 steals per game during that span. She has recorded at least one steal in 55 of those 62 games as a starter. Offensively, Coach Connie Yori has pushed 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 31 career double-figure scoring efforts, including 19 in 29 games this season. She has produced double figures in 29 of NU’s last 49 games, after having just two in her first 41 contests.

She has scored 15 or more points eight times this year, including six times in the last 16 games. Prior to this season, she had scored 15 or more points just three times in 61 career games.

Turner erupted for a career-high 26 points in NU’s win at Oklahoma State on March 7, after producing 21 points 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 with 15 points, five assists and four steals in NU’s 76-55 win at Denver (Nov. 24). 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 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 2.6 assists per game while adding 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. Kelley has produced double figures in four of NU’s last five games, including 10 points in NU’s win over Oklahoma State on March 7, when she added a game-high five assists and tied her career best with three steals. She had 13 points in NU’s win over Colorado on March 3, and is averaging 11.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists over the past three games.

Kelley owns 16 double-figure scoring efforts in 29 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.

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 62 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 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 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.

Redmon Providing Solid Production as Starter
Sophomore center Catheryn Redmon has started 22 straight games and averaged 6.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in the lineup. She has scored 151 points, pulled down 146 boards and blocked 56 shots in her 22 starts, after getting just 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in NU’s first seven games. Eighteen of Redmon’s starts have come against 2008 posteason teams, including 13 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 59 blocks this season, Redmon owns the second-best total by a sophomore in school history. She needs 10 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 one more block 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 1,049 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 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 22 games as a starter.

Scouting The Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas (17-12, 6-10) joins Nebraska as one of the hottest teams in the league heading into the Big 12 Tournament. The Jayhawks had won four straight games before suffering a 59-49 season-ending loss at Iowa State on March 7. One of those wins came with a 70-57 victory over Nebraska in Lawrence, Kan., on Feb. 28.

The KU victory created a split in the season series after NU notched a 67-58 win over the Jayhawks in Lincoln on Jan. 21. Kansas’ four-game winning streak that included wins over Iowa State and Baylor at Allen Fieldhouse and a road win at Oklahoma State, followed on the heels of a four-game losing streak that included setbacks at 11th-seeded Missouri and 12th-seeded Colorado.

The Jayhawks and Huskers played identical Big 12 home and road schedules with only a couple of differences in their results to reach matching 6-10 league marks. KU dropped a 57-49 decision to Texas Tech in Lawrence, while Nebraska defeated the Lady Raiders, 62-56, in Lincoln. The Huskers dropped a 76-71 decision to Baylor in Lincoln, while KU rolled to a 69-45 win over the Lady Bears after BU’s Danielle Wilson was lost with a knee injury.

Kansas was swept by in-state rival Kansas State early in the year, before splitting its North Division series with Iowa State. Nebraska was swept by Iowa State, but split its series with Kansas State. KU’s win over ISU earned the Jayhawks the higher seed in the tiebreaking format at the league tournament.

First-team All-Big 12 guard Danielle McCray was KU’s top gun throughout the season, averaging 20.2 points and 7.8 boards per game. During KU’s surge down the stretch, the 5-11 junior averaged 26.8 points per game in the last five contests, including a pair of 30-plus scoring efforts against Baylor (35) and Oklahoma State (30). During Big 12 play, she shot a blistering 44.7 percent (34-76) from three-point range. McCray also leads KU with 42 steals and 25 blocked shots on the year, while ranking fourth on the team with 56 assists.

In the first meeting with the Huskers, McCray poured in 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting with a perfect 3-for-3 effort from beyond the arc. She also grabbed eight rebounds. In KU’s win at Lawrence, she led KU with 18 points, while Sade Morris, Aishah Sutherland and Ivana Catic played major roles in the Jayhawk victory.

Morris has averaged 11.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, including 15 points and five boards in KU’s victory over NU on Feb. 28. She did not play in the first game with NU after suffering a concussion against Texas Tech.

Catic (2.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 3.2 apg) is the lone senior in the KU starting five and played arguably her best game of the year in KU’s win over Nebraska two weeks ago. Catic scored 10 points, grabbed four rebounds, nabbed two steals and dished out two assists while helping to hold NU’s Yvonne Turner to just five points on 1-of-10 shooting.

Krysten Boogaard and Nicollette Smith provide the Jayhawks with starting production inside. Boogaard, a teammate of Husker guard Kaitlyn Burke with the Canadian National Elite Development Academy two years ago, is averaging 9.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Smith has pitched in 7.3 points and 4.7 boards per game, while connecting on 38.2 percent of her three-point attempts (39-102).

Sutherland, a 6-2 freshman out of Perris High School in California (the same high school as NU senior Tay Hester), played an increased role in KU’s fortunes in league play. She averaged 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 13 Big 12 games, including 12 points, eight boards and three blocks in 18 second-half minutes in the win over NU.

Juniors LaChelda Jacobs (6.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.3 apg), Porscha Weddington (3.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and Kelly Kohn (3.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg) provide KU with additional depth.

Nebraska vs. Kansas Series History
Nebraska has controlled the series in recent years with Kansas, posting an 18-7 record against the Jayhawks in the last 25 games. The Huskers also own a major advantage in the last 12 meetings in Lincoln, with NU winning 11 of the last 12 games, including a 67-58 victory on Jan. 21.

Cory Montgomery led the Huskers with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Yvonne Turner added 17 points, four assists and three steals. Tay Hester also had a solid effort off the bench with 10 points and four boards to help the Huskers overcome 30 points and eight rebounds from Danielle McCray in the first meeting. KU outrebounded NU, 35-27, but the Huskers owned a plus-12 advantage in the turnover department (22-10). Nebraska trailed 33-32 at halftime, but used a 15-3 surge to open the second half to take control. The Huskers led by as many as 15 points in the second half, the last time coming with 2:40 left in the game.

A meeting in Lawrence two weeks ago allowed Kansas to even the season series with a 70-57 victory. McCray led four Jayhawks in double figures with 18 points and six rebounds, while Sade Morris added 15 points after missing the first game against the Huskers with a concussion. Aishah Sutherland contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks - all in the second half - to help KU overcome a 31-28 halftime deficit. Ivana Catic may have played the biggest role in the KU win, scoring 10 points after producing 14 total points in KU’s first 13 league contests.

Kansas and Nebraska also met three times in 2007-08, splitting the season series before the 11th-seeded Jayhawks upset the sixth-seed Huskers, 73-67, in the first round of the 2008 Big 12 Tournament at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, on March 11.

Thursday’s game will mark just the third time that Nebraska and Kansas have faced each other in the Big 12 Tournament. Nebraska notched an 80-67 second-round win over Kansas in Kansas City on March 8, 2000. The Huskers faced the Jayhawks seven times in the Big Eight Tournament (postseason) from 1983 to 1995, with KU going a perfect 7-0, including a 65-61 win in Nebraska’s final Big Eight Tournament game in 1995.

Six of those Big Eight Tournament games were played in Kansas, including five in Salina and one in Lawrence. Thursday’s game will mark the second time Nebraska has faced Kansas in Oklahoma, joining a 94-82 loss to the Jayhawks on March 10, 1983 in NU’s first-ever Big Eight Postseason Tournament game played at Norman.

Kansas owns a 47-28 edge in the all-time series with NU, including 40 wins in the first 50 meetings.

Huskers Run Past Cowgirls, 82-74
Cory Montgomery erupted for a career-high 30 points, while Yvonne Turner added a career-best 26 points, as Nebraska held off a furious second-half rally by Oklahoma State for an 82-74 win in Stillwater on March 7.

Montgomery, who notched her seventh double-double of the season by adding 11 rebounds, scored 16 points in the final 12 minutes to become the first Husker since Kiera Hardy against Northern Arizona on Dec. 31, 2005 to score 30 points in a game. Montgomery hit 12-of-16 shots from the field and 5-of-6 free throws to surpass her previous career best of 24 points at Colorado on Jan. 31.

Turner added 15 of her career-best 26 in the second half, as she eclipsed her previous career high of 23 points, which she scored at Maryland on March 25, 2008. Turner hit 9-of-14 shots from the field, including 4-of-8 three -pointers and all four of her free throw attempts. She added five rebounds and two steals. Dominique Kelley pitched in 10 points and a game-high five assists, while matching her career best with three steals.

Oklahoma State, which advanced to the 2008 NCAA Sweet 16, played without Big 12 scoring leader Andrea Riley, who was suspended on March 6 for a violation of team rules. Tegan Cunningham led OSU with 21 points, while senior Shaunte’ Smith added 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. OSU shot 42.9 percent from the field, including 6-of-13 from three-point range without Riley. The Cowgirls also tied their Big 12 season-best with 14 assists, as nine players found the scoring column.

Nebraska produced its second-best scoring total of the year, trailing only 96 points in a season-opening win over Weber State. The Huskers also hit 51.7 percent (31-60) of their shots from the field marking just the second time this season they managed to hit more than 50 percent from the field, also joining the win over Weber State. NU, which hit 7-of-21 three-pointers and 13-of-16 free throws (81.3 percent), outrebounded the Cowgirls, 34-31.

Oklahoma State opened the second half by scoring on its first six possessions to trim an 11-point Husker lead to just one with 16:19 left, before Turner knocked down a three-pointer to slow the Cowgirl flurry.

The Cowgirls continued to challenge the NU lead, as Smith scored and was fouled to tie the game. Her chance at the line to give OSU its first lead was off the mark with 14:22 left. Kelley got a steal and was fouled on a layup attempt. She hit both free throws to stop the OSU surge before Jessica Periago knocked down a huge three-pointer from the top of the key to push NU’s lead to three at 55-52.

Montgomery then hit a shot to cap a 7-0 run and extend NU’s lead to five points. Turner then took over, scoring eight straight points, including back-to-back three-pointers, to push the Husker lead back to double digits at 65-55 with 7:48 to play. Montgomery followed up Turner’s flurry with six straight points to help NU extend its advantage to 12 points with 3:58 left.

The Huskers led by as many as 12 in the first half and carried an 11-point halftime lead at 43-32 by scoring the final four points of the half on a jumper from Tay Hester and a steal and layup for Nicole Neals.

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 Redshirts 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.

Griffin is expected to return for the Huskers next season to lead a team that will feature a six-player senior class, including 2009 honorable-mention All-Big 12 forward Cory Montgomery and two-time All-Big 12 Defensive Team member Yvonne Turner, along with Nikki Bober, Nicole Neals and Kala Kuhlmann. The 2009-10 Huskers also expect to return current sophomore starters Dominique Kelley, Catheryn Redmon and 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 left the Huskers with only four active players taller than 6-0 on their roster, including Cory Montgomery (6-2), Catheryn Redmon (6-3), 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 Big 12 Tournament averaging 4.0 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.5 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 11 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 five on Nebraska’s single-season three-point field goals made chart (Tied-2nd, 161) and three-point field goals attempted list (3rd, 483).

Turner Sparks Husker Turnover Turnaround
With two-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection Yvonne Turner 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 29 games of 2008-09, Nebraska is forcing an average of 17.1 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 60 steals, giving her 141 steals in her 62 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 159 career steals and needs 29 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 played 10 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 9 AP Poll. No. 7 Baylor came to Lincoln on Feb. 4, before the Huskers traveled to No. 10 Texas A&M on Feb. 8. The Huskers also played Big 12 North rivals No. 18 Iowa State and No. 22 Kansas State on two occasions, with the Huskers notching a win over KSU on Feb. 25. The Huskers also traveled to current No. 23 Texas on Jan. 14.

Outside of conference action, the Huskers dropped a narrow 69-65 decision to current No. 9 Ohio State (Dec. 6), which went on to win the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles. Nebraska also notched a 62-58 win over current No. 16 Arizona State at the Devaney Center on Dec. 28. The Sun Devils dropped out of the poll after losing to NU, but rolled to a 23-7 overall record including the longest winning streak in school history this season.

In addition to the eight Husker opponents currently ranked in the AP Top 25, LSU, which finished in a tie for second in the SEC, received the third-highest votes of any team outside the poll. 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 Claimed 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.

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, 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 faced the toughest regular-season schedule 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 came against teams that competed in postseason tournaments in 2008, including 15 games against 2008 NCAA Tournament teams.

Nebraska’s home schedule featured big names nearly every night in 2008-09. NU’s home schedule featured a date with 2009 Big Ten champion Ohio State, which advanced to its sevneth straight NCAA Tournament by winning the Big Ten Tournament over the weekend. 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 featured 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 featured nine contests against 2008 postseason clubs, the road offered even more challenges. Nebraska played 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 included 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 was 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.