Coatney's Call: K-State Game Preview

 

#7 Huskers Hope To ?Pack The House’ for Saturday Clash With ?Cats

Nebraska Women’s Basketball continues to captivate the city of Lincoln, the state of Nebraska and the world of women’s college basketball. After knocking off then-#9 Baylor Sunday afternoon in Waco, Texas in front of a nationally televised audience, the Huskers climbed to their highest rankings ever in both major polls. NU is ranked 7th in the writers’ poll and 6th in the coaches’ poll and has extended their school record-winning streak to an amazing 16 games. Still the only undefeated team in the Big 12 Conference and one of just three teams nationally who are without a loss (UConn, Wisconsin-Green Bay), the Huskers now sit atop the league with a 3-0 record. Sunday’s win was the first in school history over a Top 10 team on the opponents’ home floor and gave 8th-year coach Connie Yori her first road win over any ranked team on their home floor as coach of the Huskers.

5-8 senior guard Yvonne Turner was named Big 12 Player of the Week Monday. Turner led Nebraska with a career-high six three pointers and a game high 22 points in NU’s 65-56 win over the Lady Bears. Vonnie’s six triples were part of a school-record tying 12 threes by NU. 6-2 senior All-American candidate Kelsey Griffin recorded her 28th double-double or her career and 8th of the season with 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Most impressively, Griffin drew four charging fouls on Baylor players, all in the second half. 6-2 senior forward Cory Montgomery added a season-high 18 points, including a career-best three three-pointers.

Next up, the Huskers return home for an 11 a.m. Saturday matchup against Kansas State in a "Pepsi Pack the House" promotion. General Admission tickets for the game are only $1 and 24 oz. Pepsi fountain drinks will also cost just $1.

Kansas State finished last season 25-8 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats were hit severely with losses due to graduation, including WNBA point guard Shalee Lehning and forward Marlies Gipson, who finished her career ranked third in Big 12 history in blocked shots. KSU is 10-8 overall and opened conference play with consecutive wins against Kansas and Missouri. However, after winning six straight games, the Wildcats have lost their last two games, including a 63-57 decision to Colorado in Manhattan Wednesday night.

6-2 senior forward Ashley Sweat leads KSU in scoring (17.6 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 ppg). She was named 1st team All-Big 12 in 2009 and is on the Wooden Award Watch List. Sweat became the 7th player in school history to score at least 1600 points and has started all 18 games this season.

5-10 senior wing Kari Kincaid is the only other KSU player to start all 18 games. She adds 9.3 ppg. 6-2 sophomore forward Jalana Childs has started all big one game and adds 6.7 ppg and 4.5 rpg. Two freshmen start in the backcourt for Kansas State. 5-8 freshman Brittany Chambers has started 13 straight games and has emerged as a solid point guard. She leads the team in three-pointers (39) and assists and is second on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg). 5-8 freshman guard Taelor Karr rounds out KSU’s probable starting lineup. She leads the team in steals and adds 8.9 ppg. Kansas State will bring a roster of only eight players to Lincoln, as Kelsey Hill and Alina Voronenko are out for the season due to injuries.

14th year head coach Deb Patterson is the longest-tenured coach in KSU history and also is the program’s all-time winningest coach. She captured Big 12 regular season titles in 2004 and 2008.

KSU is one of the nation’s top three-point shooting teams. They rank eighth nationally in three-point field goals per game (8.1). The Wildcats have five players with at least 20 three-pointers.

Kansas State leads the all-time series with Nebraska 44-30, but the Huskers prevailed in the last meeting 52-47 in Lincoln on February 25, 2009. The teams have split the last six games.

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and I for Nebraska Women’s Basketball on the Husker Sports Network. Our radio broadcast Saturday vs. Kansas State begins with the Husker Courtside pre-game show at 10:45 a.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 11:05 a.m. on KFGE 98.1 FM (Froggy 98) in Lincoln, KTWI 93.3 FM (Twister 93.3) in Omaha, and available to our entire 21-station radio network. All Husker Women’s Basketball broadcasts are also available for free worldwide on the internet at www.huskers.com. I hope you can join us.

Go Big Red! Matt