Coatney's Call: Northern Iowa Preview

#1 seed Nebraska vs #16 Northern Iowa
Date: Sunday, March 21, 2010
Time: 6:00 p.m.(CST)
Site: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Arena: Williams Arena
Television: ESPN2 (Clay Matvick-Play-by-Play; Leslie Hill-Color Analyst);
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), 1110 KFAB-Omaha, 880 KRVN-Lexington, KNEB 960-Scottsbluff/Gering, KLIQ 94.5-Hastings and available to our entire 25-station radio network.
Internet: Live Radio on Huskers.com

Here's how to vote for Kelsey Griffin for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
http://www.seniorCLASSaward.com or Text W6 to 74567

When this season began back in November, I doubt even the most ardent Husker fan would have predicted that the Nebraska Women's Basketball team would win the regular-season Big 12 championship, tie the conference record for consecutive wins with 30 and get a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Yet, all that has happened and now the Big Dance awaits NU. The Huskers are the top seed in the Kansas City Region and they'll begin their quest for a national championship Sunday night when they face #16-seed Northern Iowa in Minneapolis.

It will be a homecoming for two Huskers. 6-1 freshman Katya Leick has played in ten games this season, but has been slowed of late due to an ankle sprain. She is a native of Grey Cloud Township, Minnesota. Another native of Minnesota is 6-2 senior Cory Montgomery. The first team all-Big 12 selection was a five-time team MVP at Cannon Falls High School.

The Northern Iowa Panthers played their way into the NCAA Tournament by gaining an automatic bid after winning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. UNI had a sub-.500 record entering the MVC Tournament, but reeled off three wins in a row to take the title. The Panthers won nine of their final 12 games after starting the season 4-9. UNI finished in fifth place during conference play, but knocked off regular season MVC champion Illinois State in the semifinals and Creighton 54-53 in the conference tournament title game to secure the school's first ever trip to the Big Dance.

5-8 sophomore guard Jacqui Kalin is a first-team all MVC selection and leads UNI in scoring (14.5 ppg) and assists and three-pointers (75). She also ranks sixth in the nation in free-throw percentage (.897). Heading into the league tournament, Kalin has a string of 22 straight double-digit scoring games. However, she finished the three-game tourney with only 13 points on 3-of-25 shooting.

6-2 junior center Lizzie Boeck (pronounced BECK) is second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 ppg). She had a game-high 19 points and the two clinching free throws with seven seconds left in the conference tournament championship win over Creighton. Boeck was named honorable mention-all MVC for the season and conference tournament Most Outstanding Player.

5-9 senior wing Nicole Clausen gives UNI a second viable three-point shooter. She is second on the team behind Kalin with 55 triples and adds 7.7 ppg. Clausen surpassed 1,000 career points during the MVC tournament and set the school record for career three-pointers. Kalin and Clausen are the only two Panthers to start every game this season. 5-11 forward Erin Brocka (pronounced bro-KAY) leads the team in steals, is the teams' leading rebounder (7.8 rpg) and adds 6.5 ppg. 5-8 senior guard Danielle Wubbens (pronounced WOO-bins) rounds out UNI's probable starting lineup. She averages only 18.0 minutes per game and 2.3 ppg. Look for 6-1 senior forward Kim Wypiszynski (pronounced Wip-iz-in-ski) to see significant playing time off the Panther bench. She is third on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg). Another player who adds significant bench strength is 5-7 sophomore guard K.K. Armstrong. She adds 8.4 ppg.

Northern Iowa is deadly from the free-throw line. In addition to Kalin ranking sixth nationally in free throw makes, the entire team is fifth in team free throw percentage (79.7%). However, UNI has struggled defensively, allowing five opponents this season to score over 80 points. They rank 304th out of 332 Division I teams in field goal percentage defense (42.6%).

One of the great storylines of this game is the coaching matchup. Husker head coach Connie Yori and Panther mentor Tanya Warren were teammates at Creighton in the 1980's. They share the distinction of being the only two women's basketball players to have their numbers retired and jerseys hanging from the rafters in Creighton's arena. The longtime friends have never faced each other as head coaches. Warren is in her third season as UNI head coach.

The Huskers lead the all-time series with UNI 5-0, with the last meeting coming in 2001 at a tournament in Puerto Rico.

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska Women's Basketball on the Husker Sports Network. Our radio broadcast Friday begins with the Husker Courtside pre-game show at 10:45 a.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on KFGE 98.1 FM (Froggy 98) in Lincoln, KTWI 93.3 FM (Twister 93.3) in Omaha, KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha, KRVN 880 AM in Lexington, KNEB 960 AM in Scottsbluff/Gering, KLIQ 94.5 FM in Hastings, and available to our entire 25-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