Coatney's Call: Florida A&M Preview

Nebraska vs. Florida A&M
Sunday, Jan. 2, 6:05 p.m. (Central)
Bob Devaney Sports Center (Lincoln, Neb.)

Radio: Husker Sports Network
(Matt Coatney-Play-by-Play; Jeff Griesch-Color Analyst) -105.3 KLNC-Lincoln (WOW-FM); 93.3 KTWI (Twister 93.3 FM)-Omaha; 1450 KWBE-Beatrice and available to our entire 25-station network.

Free Live Video & Audio: Huskers.com

I couldn't have been prouder of the effort the Nebraska Women's Basketball team gave Thursday evening in defeating South Florida 78-59 at the Devaney Center in Lincoln.  Playing without senior Dominique Kelley for the second straight game, the Huskers got a game and career-high 17 points from sophomore Katya Leick  and a tremendous effort from the entire team. 

Sophomore point guard Lindsey Moore controlled the game and added 16 points and nine assists and playing all but the last 10 seconds.  Junior guard Kaitlyn Burke turned in a superb defensive effort against last season's National JUCO Player of the Year Andrea Smith and added 11 points.  Catheryn Redmon's 14 points gave NU four players in double figures and extended the Huskers' home winning streak to 27 games.  They'll shoot to make it 28 games this Sunday evening when they host the Florida A&M Rattlers at 6:05 p.m. in the final non-conference game of the season.
 
Florida A&M sports a 5-6 record heading into Sunday evening's game against Nebraska.  The Rattlers went 1-1 in the Cyclone Challenge Tournament Wednesday and Thursday, losing to host Iowa State 85-60 and defeating East Carolina 89-85.  Florida A&M is paced by two preseason all-MEAC Conference honorees.  

Tameka McKelton, a 5-8 junior, leads the conference in scoring (18.8 ppg) and scored 22 points against both ISU And East Carolina in the Cyclone Challenge.  She was a pre-season first team all-conference selectee.  Second-team pre-season all-MEAC honoree Antonia Bennett  had 44 points in the two tournament games, including 24 against East Carolina Thursday night.  The 6-1 junior hit six-of-nine three pointers in the game and leads the Rattlers on the season in three-pointers (25), steals, blocked shots and is second on the team in scoring (14.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg). 

Qiana Donald, a 6-0 junior, was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week last week and leads the league in rebounding (7.5 rpg) and field goal percentage (55%).  She also led the conference in rebounding in 2009-10 with 12 rpg.  Donald had a game-high 12 rebounds against East Carolina and averages 7.2 ppg.  Myeshia Sims, a 5-1 point guard, leads the team in assists and averages 3.1 ppg.  She has not attempted a three-point basket this season and has only made nine of her 48 two-point field goal attempts (.188).  5-11 junior Nicole Collins rounds out Florida A&M's probable starting lineup.  She adds 8.2 ppg.

Third-year Rattler head coach LeDawn Gibson led A&M to an 18-11 record last season, the most wins in a single season for the program since 1999.  She coached on the high school level for 12 seasons at Winter Haven (FL) High School where she won two state titles.
 
Sunday evening's meeting will be the first ever between the Rattlers and the Huskres. 

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska Women's Basketball on the Husker Sports Network.  Our radio broadcast Sunday evening begins with the Husker Courtside pre-game show at 5:45 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 6:05 p.m. on KLNC 105.3 FM (WOW-FM) in Lincoln, KTWI 93.3 FM (Twister 93.3) in Omaha, KWBE 1450 AM in Beatrice and available to 25 stations on our 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