Coatney's Call: Kansas State Preview

Nebraska vs. Kansas State
Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011 (7:05 p.m.)
Bob Devaney Sports Center (Lincoln, Neb.)
Radio: 25-Station Husker Sports Network (105.3 FM in Lincoln, 93.3 FM in Omaha)
Internet: Free live audio on Huskers.com

Huskers Return Home to Clash with Wildcats
The iron woman of Big 12 Women's Basketball is Husker point guard Lindsey Moore.  She leads the league in minutes played, averaging 39.5 mpg.  In the last nine games, she has played all but four minutes, including playing the full 45 minutes in an overtime victory over Kansas.  Moore  had a game-high 18 points in Nebraska's 67-55 loss at Texas Tuesday night.  She and the Huskers return home to face the Kansas State Wildcats Saturday night.  K-State defeated NU earlier this season 64-37 in Manhattan.
 
KSU is 17-7 overall and 7-4 in the Big 12, alone in fourth place in the conference standings.  They are second in the league in scoring defense, allowing their opponents to score on 54.0 ppg.  The Wildcats have won four of their five games since facing Nebraska on January 22, with their only loss coming at Iowa State on February 13.  KSU defeated Colorado 78-51 in Manhattan last Wednesday night.

5-8 sophomore guard Brittany Chambers  had a then career-high typing 26 points against Nebraska in the first meeting between the teams.  She leads Kansas State in scoring (15.3 ppg), three-pointers (62) and is tied for the team lead in rebounds (5.8 rpg).  6-2 junior forward Jalana Childs  is having her best season of her career.  She is second on the team in scoring (13.1 ppg) and had nine points and five rebounds against the Huskers in January.  5-8 sophmore guard Taelor Karr  was KSU's leading scorer in Wednesday night's win over Colorado.  She had 19 points and a career-high typing five three pointers.  She averages 10.3 ppg.  5-7 sophomore guard Mariah White  leads the team in assists and steals and adds 4.8 ppg.  6-2 junior forward Branshea Brown  rounds out KSU's probable starting lineup.  She is tied with Chambers for the team lead in rebounds and adds 5.8 ppg.

Deb Patterson  is the winningest coach in KSU Women's Basketball history.  She has won 296 games in her 15 seasons in Manhattan, including two Big 12 regular season titles.  KSU is also going for their 800th all-time program win, which would make them the 13th Division I school to win at least 800 games.
 
Nebraska has won four of the last five games against Kansas State, although the Wildcats lead the all-time series 45-33.  NU defeated KSU three times last season, including playing K-State in back-to-back games.  The Huskers clinched a perfect regular season with a win in Manhattan on March 6, 2010 and then eliminated the Wildcats from the Big 12 Tournament one week later in Kansas City. NU defeated the KSU 71-56 in January 2010, the last time the two teams met in Lincoln.
 
I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska Women's Basketball on the Husker Sports Network.  Our radio broadcast Saturday evening begins with the Husker Courtside pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on KLNC 105.3 FM (WOW-FM) in Lincoln, KTWI 93.3 FM (Twister 93.3) in Omaha, KLIQ 94.5 in Hastings, and available to our entire twenty-five network stations.  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