Griesch's The Word - Dec. 11

Northern Illinois at a Glance
Nebraska continues to roll and is off to a 9-0 start for just the second time in school history. On Sunday, the Huskers shoot for win No. 10 when Northern Illinois comes to town. Although Northern Illinois doesn't bring the best record to Lincoln (3-5), the Huskies are a well-coached team that has been in position to win nearly every game they have played this season.

The Huskies, coached by Carol Owens, have three losses by eight or fewer points among their five setbacks, and an 11-point loss to a top-25 DePaul team. NIU has outrebounded their opponents and is nearly even in the turnover department. They have also made and attempted more free throws than their opponents and have outscored the opposition from beyond the three-point arc.

Those are not the kinds of statistics you expect from a team with a losing record.

The Huskies also have three legitimate scorers in Marke Freeman (17.3 ppg), Mauvolyene Adams (13.9 ppg) and Ebony Ellis (12.3 ppg, 10.9 rpg). Ellis, a 6-3 post, is an offensive rebounding machine, averaging five offensive boards per game.

On the sideline, Owens was the head coach of the U.S. Under-19 World Championship Team that won a gold medal last year, and she was an assistant coach on Notre Dame teams that went to three NCAA Final Fours and won a national title. She also happens to be one of the best players in Northern Illinois history. As a player, she beat the Huskers at the Devaney Center back in 1990.

Griffin the Great
How good was Kelsey Griffin against Creighton on Wednesday night? I was able to watch her highlights at HuskerVision this morning while Coach Yori and I were taping the Bank of the West Nebraska Women's Basketball Show, and Griffin looked even more dominant from the high-angle camera. At one point, it looked like Creighton was guarding her with all five, and she still scored. Putting in 22 points to go along with nine rebounds in the second half is amazing. Her block late in the game on the baseline wasn't bad either. She made that look so easy it wasn't even fair.

I encourage you all to watch the Bank of the West Nebraska Women's Basketball Show this coming week to see those highlights. You can also catch highlights now on Huskers.com, attached to the game story, usually mid-day on the day after our home games.

Let's Congratulate The Graduates
Cory Montgomery, Nicole Neals and Tay Hester will be picking up some parchment on Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Devaney Center. All three will earn their bachelor's degrees during Winter Commencement exercises. Montgomery and Neals received their degrees in just 3 1/2 years. Nebraska women's basketball continues to post a perfect 100 percent score in the Graduation Success Rate.

Pack the House
A day after receiving their degrees at the Devaney Center, Montgomery and Neals will return to lead the Huskers against No. 5 LSU on the Devaney Center hardwood. Tip time for that game is set for 1:05 p.m.

The athletic department has been promoting the game with the Tigers since August, and we will have plenty of special events around the game, including NCAA Pack the House, Girl Scouts Day, Spotlight on Schools Appreciation Day, TeamMates recognition, and the Champions Forever ball-handling exhibition at halftime.

It promises to be great basketball at the highest level, so spread the word and get on out to the Devaney Center.

Welcome the Newest Husker
Nebraska has added a mid-semester addition to the 2009-10 roster. Gracie Kiffin was born to Director of Operations Angela Kiffin and her husband, Chris, on Thursday, Dec. 10. Angela went right to the hospital after the win over her alma mater on Wednesday and Gracie joined the Husker program on Thursday afternoon, just before practice.

That brings back plenty of memories for me. Seven years ago to the day, I was also in the delivery room, a day after a Husker victory. My daughter, Hollan, and Gracie will share a birthday so at least that one will be an easy one to remember.