Big 12 Champion Huskers Close Out Regular Season at K-State

#3 Nebraska at Kansas State

Date: Saturday, March 6, 2010
Time: 12:00 p.m.(CST)
Site: Manhattan, Kansas
Arena: Bramlage Coliseum
Nebraska Radio:
Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney-Play-by-Play; Jeff Griesch-Color Analyst) -98.1 KFGE-Lincoln (Froggy 98.1), 93.3 KTWI-Omaha (Twister 93.3), 880 KRVN-Lexington, KNEB 960-Scottsbluff/Gering, KGMT 1340-Fairbury/Beatrice, KLIQ 94.5-Hastings available to our entire 21-station radio network.
Internet: Live Radio on Huskers.com

Here's how to vote and show your support of Kelsey Griffin right now:
http://www.seniorCLASSaward.com OR Text W6 to 74567

A few weeks ago, my oldest daughter Jill pointed out to me that it was really cool to look up and down at the Schedule/Results page on Huskers.com for women's basketball. Just scan your eyes up and down on the results column and you'll see nothing but 'W's". As the Huskers approach their final regular season home game of this magical season, I decided to look back at Connie Yori's first Nebraska team and scan the results table from 2002-2003. The Big 12 portion of that schedule is filled with mostly "L's". The only league win that season was on February 1, 2003 at Oklahoma State. I still think Connie Yori remembers that victory fondly. She started saying not long after afterwards that "winning a single game in the Big 12 Conference is one of the hardest things you can do."

Fast forward to 2010 and the 28-0 Huskers are on the cusp of doing something unfathomable back during that 2003 season. If NU can defeat Kansas State Saturday afternoon in Manhattan, Nebraska will become the first team in Big 12 Conference history to go undefeated during the entire regular season. The Huskers put themselves in position for this historical game by defeating Kansas 77-52 on Senior Night Wednesday. Playing in front of the seventh consecutive crowd of over 10,000, the Huskers increased their home winning streak to 20 games. National Player of the Year candidate Kelsey Griffin played just 22 minutes but posted 18 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Dominique Kelley also played 22 minutes and added 16 points.

The injury bug has hit Kansas State yet again. 6-0 junior guard Shalin Spani fell victim to a torn ACL earlier this week. The Wildcats are down to just seven active players on their roster. KSU snapped a five-game losing streak and gained their first road victory since January 13 when they defeated Colorado in Boulder 72-70 Wednesday night. Kansas State is 13-16 overall and tied for eighth place with a 5-10 league mark.

Two Wildcat seniors will be honored in their home finale Saturday. 6-2 senior forward Ashley Sweat is third in school history in career scoring with 1,768 points. She leads this season's team in scoring (16.4 ppg). 5-10 senior guard Kari Kincaid is eighth in KSU history in three-pointers (147). She has career highs this season in scoring (8.7 ppg) and assists (81).

Two freshman guards have stepped up this season in starting roles for Kansas State. 5-8 guard Brittany Chambers posted her first career double-double at Colorado Wednesday with 13 points and a career high 14 rebounds. She leads the team in rebounding (7.6 rpg) is second on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg) and leads the team in three-pointers (22). 5-8 guard Taelor Karr averages 8.7 ppg. 6-2 sophomore forward Jalana Childs rounds out K-State's probable starting lineup. She has started all but one game this season and adds 7.2 ppg.

14th-year KSU Head Coach Deb Patterson has captured two Big 12 titles and has led teams to seven NCAA tournaments during her tenure. She is 14-15 all-time against NU.

The Wildcats lead the all-time series with Nebraska 44-31, including a 26-9 record in Manhattan. Nebraska has won two straight in the series, including a 71-56 decision in Lincoln on January 23 earlier this season.

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska Women's Basketball on the Husker Sports Network. Our radio broadcast Saturday begins with the Husker Courtside pre-game show at 11:45 a.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 12 noon on KFGE 98.1 FM (Froggy 98) in Lincoln, KTWI 93.3 FM (Twister 93.3) in Omaha, KRVN 880 AM in Lexington, KNEB 960 AM in Scottsbluff/Gering, KGMT 1340 AM in Fairbury/Beatrice, KLIQ 94.5 FM in Hastings, 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