Huskers Set for Showdown with No. 23 USC Friday

Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0)
vs. #23 USC Trojans (1-0)

Bob Devaney Sports Center • Lincoln, Neb. • Friday, Nov. 18, 7:05 p.m.
Live Video Stream: BTN.com (subscription required)
Radio: Husker Sports Network (B107.3 FM-Lincoln; 93.3 FM-Omaha; 880 AM-Lexington; Huskers.com-Free)
Promotion: U.S. Marines Toys for Tots Donation at Devaney Center
(Fans encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys or cash donation to benefit local children to be collected by U.S. Marines at entrances of Devaney Center)

Huskers Set for Showdown with No. 23 USC
The Nebraska women's basketball team continues its four-game season-opening home stand by taking on its first top-25 foe of the season when the Huskers clash with No. 23 USC at the Devaney Center on Friday night.

Tip-off between the Huskers (2-0) and the Trojans (1-0) is set for 7:05 p.m., with tickets available now at Huskers.com or by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED during regular business hours at the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office. Tickets can also be purchased the night of the game at the door beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will describe all the action on the Husker Sports Network, including new flagship station B107.3 FM in Lincoln. The game can also be heard on 93.3 FM in Omaha and 880 AM KRVN in Lexington. Free internet audio is also available from the Husker Sports Network on Huskers.com. A live video stream will be available on BTN.com as part of the Big Ten Digital Network. For details on how to subscribe, visit BTN.com and click on the "Live Streams" tab.

Nebraska has opened the season with a pair of high-scoring, fast-paced wins. The Huskers rolled to a 95-43 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the opener, before running to a 99-53 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday.

The Huskers have displayed an aggressive end-to-end defense and an explosive offense in the first two contests. Seven Huskers enter Friday night's game averaging nine or more points per game, including four players averaging double figures.

Sophomore star Jordan Hooper leads NU with 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in an average of just 18.5 minutes per game through the first two contests. The 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., poured in 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes for her fourth career double-double on Tuesday.

Junior Lindsey Moore may have been even better, adding 18 points and 11 assists for her third career double-double. The 5-9 point guard from Covington, Wash., not only enjoyed a perfect shooting night, her career-high matching 11 assists came with no turnovers. Her production came in just 22 minutes to improve her season averages to 14.0 points and 9.5 assists per game.

Moore, Hooper and the Huskers expect a much fiercer battle against the talented Women of Troy. USC, which is ranked No. 23 nationally in the Associated Press Poll and No. 22 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25, fought to a 65-57 win over Fresno State team on Nov. 11. The Trojans will come to Lincoln with a full week's rest, before continuing their weekend-long cross country road trip to No. 12 Georgia on Sunday.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
3 - Hailie Sample - 6-1 - Fr. - F - 1.0 ppg - 4.0 rpg
23 - Emily Cady - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 4.0 ppg - 3.5 rpg
35 - Jordan Hooper - 6-2 - So. - F - 19.5 ppg - 8.5 rpg
00 - Lindsey Moore - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 14.0 ppg - 2.0 rpg
5 - Kaitlyn Burke - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 7.0 ppg - 3.0 rpg
Off the Bench
55 - Adrianna Maurer - 6-3 - So. - C - 10.5 ppg - 5.0 rpg
11 - Tear'a Laudermill - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 9.5 ppg - 2.0 rpg
14 - Katie Simon - 6-2 - RFr. - F - 9.0 ppg - 4.0 rpg
33 - Rebecca Woodberry - 5-10 - RFr. - G - 11.5 ppg - 6.5 rpg
13 - Brandi Jeffery - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 9.5 ppg - 4.0 rpg
10 - Meghin Williams - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 1.5 ppg - 2.0 rpg
21 - Harleen Sidhu - 6-1 - Sr. - F - DNP
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
10th Season at NU (168-117); 22nd Season Overall (363-257)

USC Trojans (1-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
11 Cassie Harberts - 6-2 - So. - F - 14.0 ppg - 7.0 rpg
15 Briana Gilbreath - 6-1 - Sr. - G - 16.0 ppg - 5.0 rpg
21 Alexyz Vaioletama - 6-1 - Fr. - F - 7.0 ppg - 8.0 rpg
23 Jacki Gemelos - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 18.0 ppg - 10.0 rpg
24 Ashley Corral - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 8.0 ppg - 4.0 rpg
Off the Bench
00 - Christina Marinacci - 6-1 - Jr. - F - DNP
2 - Deanna Calhoun - 6-3 - Fr. - F - DNP
3 - Desiree' Bradley - 6-1 - So. - G/F - 0.0 ppg - 0.0 rpg
14 - Ariya Crook - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 2.0 ppg - 0.0 rpg
20 - Stefanie Gilbreath - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 0.0 ppg - 0.0 rpg
30 - Michelle Jenkins - 6-2 - Jr. - F - DNP
32 - Kiki Alofaituli - 6-1 - Fr. - G - DNP
43 - Thaddesia Southall - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 0.0 ppg - 1.0 rpg
Head Coach: Michael Cooper (New Mexico, 1978)
Third Season at USC (44-25); Third Season Overall (44-25)

Toys for Tots Collection Set for USC Game Friday
The Nebraska women's basketball program will join the annual U.S. Marines Toys for Tots Drive on Friday, Nov. 18, when the Huskers take on No. 23 USC at the Devaney Center. Tip time is set for 7:05 p.m.

Husker fans are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys to the game, and cash donations for the cause will also be accepted. The Marines will be stationed near entrances throughout the Devaney Center to accept donations that will brighten the holiday season for needy children.

The women's basketball Toys for Tots collection will be the first of four co-sponsored by the Nebraska Athletic Department at Husker events. The Nebraska volleyball team will participate in the drive at the NU Coliseum against Wisconsin on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m.

The NU men's basketball team will get into the act of giving when the Huskers play host to Oregon at the Devaney Center on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 8 p.m. The Toys for Tots collection at Husker events will conclude when the Husker football team takes on Iowa in the Heroes Game at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Nov. 25, at 11 a.m.

Huskers Have History of Home-Opening Success
Nebraska owns a strong history of season-opening success on the Huskers' homecourt at the Devaney Center. Nebraska improved to 36-2 all-time in home openers with its 95-43 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 12, 2011.

From 1981-82 through 2004-05, Nebraska reeled off 24 straight home-opening wins before losing to South Dakota State on Nov. 19, 2005. NU's only other home-opening loss came in an 88-56 setback to Kansas on Nov. 21, 1980.

Nebraska has been strong in its first six home games every season. In fact, NU is 191-33 over the past 38 years in its first six home contests (.853 winning percentage), including 32-6 in the second game of the season. The Huskers stretched their Game No. 2 winning streak to 12 games with a 99-53 win over Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday. Game No. 3 has traditionally provided the toughest test among the first six contests for the Huskers, but NU has won four straight in Game No. 3 over the past four seasons.

Scouting The USC Trojans
Coach Michael Cooper brings a talented USC team to the Devaney Center to battle the Huskers on Friday night. The five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers was an eight-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection and the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 1987.

He took over the USC program in 2009 after completing eight seasons as the head coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.

Cooper's Trojan team, which is filled with eight high school All-America players on the roster, claimed a WNIT runner-up finish in 2011 to close the year with a 24-13 record. USC went 10-8 to finish fourth in a competitive Pac-10 Conference. This year, the No. 23 Trojans are planning to make the next step into the NCAA Tournament.

Jacki Gemelos is the most experienced Trojan. The 2006 McDonald's High School All-American has had seasons shortened and her college career extended by injuries. Last season, she regained her health and her impressive playing form to average 12.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. After spending the summer with USA Basketball, Gemelos opened her senior year with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Fresno State at the Galen Center.

Briana Gilbreath, a 6-1 senior guard, is USC's top returning scorer and rebounder with 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game a year ago. The 2008 McDonald's High School All-American scored 16 points and grabbed five boards in the opening-night win over the Bulldogs.

Cassie Harberts, a 6-1 sophomore forward, added 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds in the win over Fresno State. The 2010 WBCA High School All-American added 10.2 points and 4.2 boards per contest as a Pac-10 All-Freshman selection last year.

Senior point guard Ashley Corral rounds out the group of four returning starters. The 5-9 native of Vancouver, Wash., averaged 12.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season. She comes to Lincoln with 372 career assists to rank seventh on the USC charts - right behind the legendary Cheryl Miller.

Those four returning former high school All-Americans were joined in the season-opening starting five by freshman Alexyz Vaioletama. The 2011 McDonald's All-American at national power Mater Dei High School managed seven points, eight rebounds and five assists in her collegiate debut.

The high school All-Americans keep coming off the bench with freshman Ariya Cook (2011 McDonald's), junior Christina Marinacci (2009 McDonald's) and junior Stefanie Gilbreath (2007 McDonald's).

"They are really talented," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "They might have more high school All-Americans on their roster right now than we have had in the history of our program. I've seen how talented some of them are first-hand with USA Basketball. It is going to be a great challenge for our team."

Nebraska trails USC, 3-2, in the all-time series with the Trojans, but the Huskers swept the most recent home-and-home series. The Huskers rolled to an 87-69 victory over USC on Dec. 8, 2007 in the last meeting at the Devaney Center. The previous season, NU battled to a 72-65 win over USC at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. In the 2007 meeting, then-Husker freshman Kaitlyn Burke helped the Huskers to victory with seven points, four rebounds and five assists. In the 2006 contest, three-time first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy pumped in 32 points to carry NU to a win on Nov. 26.

USC won the first meeting between the two teams, 72-70 in overtime in Los Angeles, on Jan. 12, 1977. The two teams met again in the first round of the 1988 NCAA Tournament, when the Trojans spoiled NU's NCAA debut in a 100-82 victory over the Huskers. USC ended a second NCAA Tournament trip for the Huskers with a 78-60 win in the second round on March 21, 1993.

Nebraska-USC Connections
The Nebraska/USC game will provide several interesting connections between the two programs. Nebraska's Kaitlyn Burke and USC's Jacki Gemelos and Stefanie Gilbreath were members of their respective rosters the last time the two schools met early in the 2007-08 season. All three players have battled multiple injuries in their careers. Gilbreath and Gemelos have missed a combined six-and-half seasons in their time at USC.

Nebraska guard Tear'a Laudermill has a much more recent connection with a pair of Trojans. Laudermill's Canyon Springs High School team had its season come to an end to Mater Dei in the CIF playoffs. USC's Alexyz Vaioletama and Kiki Alofaituli were both members of that Mater Dei squad. While Laudermill has played more minutes than any other Husker through the first two games and Vaioletama is starting for USC, Alofaituli is sitting out the 2011-12 season for the Trojans.

Another player sitting out this season is USC's Kate Oliver. The 6-4 center from Beaumont Hills, New South Wales, Australia, transferred to the Trojans at the end of last season from Marist. The Huskers went head-to-head against Oliver and the Red Foxes last season in Las Vegas.

Finally, both the Huskers and Trojans feature former high school All-America point guards from the state of Washington. Nebraska's Lindsey Moore was a 2009 Parade All-American at Kentwood High School in Covington, while USC's Ashley Corral was a 2008 McDonald's All-American at Prairie High School in Vancouver.

Huskers Power Past Devilettes, 99-53
Jordan Hooper and Lindsey Moore both produced double-doubles as Nebraska ran to an impressive 99-53 victory over Mississippi Valley State at the Devaney Center on Tuesday night.

With the victory, Nebraska improved to 2-0 while scoring 90 or more points for the second straight game. The Devilettes slipped to 0-2, including a 69-61 road loss at Marquette to open the season on Saturday night.

Hooper, a 6-2 sophomore forward from Alliance, Neb., led four Huskers in double figures with 25 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth career double-double. She hit 8-of-15 shots from the field, including 5-of-8 three-pointers.

Hooper's five threes led a Nebraska attack that hit 14-of-26 three-pointers on the night.The 14 threes marked the second-highest total in school history, trailing only the 17 threes the Huskers hit in the 2010-11 season opener against Vermont last season.

Moore, a 5-9 junior point guard from Covington, Wash., added her third career double-double with 18 points and a career-high-matching 11 assists. Moore, who earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 accolades last season, produced a perfect shooting night by going 7-for-7 from the field, including 2-for-2 from three-point range. She also hit both of her free throws and did not commit a turnover.

"Lindsey had a really impressive stat line tonight," Yori said. "Not only did she not miss a shot, but she had 11 assists and no turnovers. As long as I've been coaching, I don't think I've ever had a player get 11 assists and no turnovers."

Redshirt freshman Rebecca Woodberry added a career-high 12 points, including 3-of-5 three-point shooting to go along with six rebounds, after opening the season with 11 points and seven rebounds. True freshman Brandi Jeffery added her first career double-figure scoring performance with 12 points and three rebounds off the bench.

All 11 Huskers scored in the game, including seven points from redshirt freshman Katie Simon and six points apiece from Adrianna Maurer and Kaitlyn Burke. Maurer, who went 3-for-3 from the field, has not missed a shot this season, going 9-for-9 including a three-pointer.

Overall, Nebraska hit 35-of-67 shots from the field (.522), including 14-of-26 threes (.538). The Huskers also connected on 15-of-22 free throws (.682), while outrebounding MVSU, 49-33. NU dished out 24 assists, while committing just 12 turnovers on the night. In fact, through the first 33 minutes, the Huskers had turned the ball over just seven times.

Nebraska held the Devilettes to just 31.7 percent (20-63) shooting from the field, including a 4-for-12 effort from long range. MVSU also hit 9-of-16 free throws. An experienced Devilette squad that featured four returning starters, including three seniors, committed just 17 turnovers against Nebraska's pressure, but managed just 10 assists.

"It's exciting because I don't think there's any doubt that we've gotten better each game from our two exhibitions through our first two regular-season games, we have gotten better really across the board," Yori said. "Obviously, we have a ton of things to work on, but it's exciting to see our players making progress every day in practice."

Back-to-Back 90-Point Efforts Rare in Husker History
Nebraska opened the season with 95 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday, before racing to 99 points against Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday. It marked the second straight season the Huskers have scored 95 points in the opener (Vermont) and 99 points in Game 2 (Miami). While the 90-plus point games have come back-to-back to start the year in back-to-back seasons, the feat is extremely rare in Husker history. In fact, prior to last season, the last time NU had scored 90 or more points in back-to-back games came in February of 1998 (at Oklahoma-101, at Missouri-96).

The last time NU scored 90 points in back-to-back games to open a season came in 1987, when the Huskers opened the year with four straight 90-plus efforts on their way to a Big Eight title and the first NCAA bid in school history.

The only other times NU managed 90 points in back-to-back games to open a season came in both 1981-82 and 1982-83. During the seven-season stretch from 1981-82 through 1987-88, the Huskers scored 90 or more points 42 times.

In the other 31 years of NU women's basketball, the Huskers have produced 90 points only 58 other times, including the first two games of this season.

In 1,120 games of Husker history, NU has scored 90 points on 100 occasions. In the decade that spanned from the 1999-2000 season through the 2008-09 season, the Huskers managed the feat just 12 times.

Nebraska's most recent back-to-back 90-point scoring games were just the 11th back-to-back efforts with 90 or more points in school history, and just the fifth time the feat has been accomplished in the past 21 years.

The 1987-88 Huskers notched a school-record nine 90-point games, matching the nine produced by the 1982-83 Huskers. The 1981-82 squad scored 90 eight times, while the 1983-84 club accomplished the feat on seven occasions. No other Husker team has scored 90 or more points on more than five occasions in any season.

The 2009-10 Huskers hit the 90-point mark three times in 34 games. Before 2009-10, NU had scored 90 points just nine times in Coach Connie Yori's first seven seasons - a span of 218 games. In the last 65 games, Yori's Huskers have hit 90 seven times.

Moore Still Scoring, But Happily Passing More in 2011-12
Through two games, Lindsey Moore has displayed her continued improvement at point guard by averaging 14.0 points and a staggering 9.5 assists in just 22 minutes per game. The 2011 honorable-mention All-Big 12 performer from Covington, Wash., is shooting 83.3 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 83.3 percent from the free throw line through two games. She also averaged 3.0 steals and owns an assist-to-turnover ratio of 9.5-to-1.

Moore has produced double figures in scoring in each of the first two games, stretching her personal streak to 15 straight games in double digits. She also produced her third career double-double with 18 points and 11 assists in the win over Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday night. The performance marked the fourth double-figure assist game of her career.

Last season, Moore averaged 14.1 points and 5.9 assists per game for the season in 37.5 minutes per game, including 17.0 points and 5.9 assists in Big 12 action. Over the final 13 games of her sophomore season, she had a hand in 61 percent (172-282) of NU's made baskets - including 72.5 percent (66-91) in the final four games.

Moore's scoring binge included a career-high 33 points at Kansas on Feb. 26, 27 points and five assists against No. 23 Iowa State on Jan. 26, a 23-point, nine-assist effort against Colorado March 2, a 23-point, eight-assist performance against Missouri on Feb. 22 and seven total games with 17 or more points.

Over the final seven games of 2010-11, Moore took her game to another level by averaging to 20.0 points per game, while shooting a blistering 55.1 percent (54-98) from the field, including 42.9 percent (15-35) from three-point range. She also dished out 7.3 assists per game, including five games with eight or more assists. She also increased her rebounding to 4.6 boards per game during the stretch, while hitting 89.5 percent (17-19) of her free throws.

As a true freshman, Moore was a pass-first point guard that orchestrated one of the best runs in Big 12 history, as the 2010 Huskers rolled to a 30-0 record to start Moore's career and claim NU's lone Big 12 title.

Moore Flying Up Nebraska Career Assist List
In just two seasons and two games, Lindsey Moore has climbed into Nebraska's career top 10 in assists with 356. The 5-9 point guard from Covington, Wash., moved up to No. 7 on the NU career chart after notching eight assists in a season-opening-win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 12. She added 11 more assists in the win over Mississippi Valley State to increase her season total to 19 to pull within 36 assists of Anna DeForge (392) in sixth.

In 2010-11, Moore finished with 183 assists, which ranked second on NU's sophomore single-season list, trailing only Meggan Yedsena's 195 in 1991-92. It was the fifth-highest single-season total by a Husker in history.

Moore opened her career with the third-best total by a freshman in school history with 154 in 2009-10. If Moore can average 180 assists over her final two seasons at Nebraska, she can set the NU career record of 696 set by four-year starting point guard Meggan Yedsena from 1990-91 to 1993-94.

Improved Hooper Could Be Hard to Handle for Husker Foes
By all accounts Nebraska's Jordan Hooper produced an impressive offseason for the Huskers. The 6-2 sophomore forward from Alliance, Neb., focused on adding more dimensions to her offensive game, while improving at the defensive end. Hooper's inside game at both ends has shown impressive gains, and she has added the ability to penetrate to the basket. All of that could cause opposing teams headaches in 2011-12.

Through two games, Hooper is Nebraska's leading scorer and rebounder with 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in just 18.5 minutes per game. NU's top returning scorer (14.6 ppg) and rebounder (6.6 rpg) from a year ago, Hooper's freshman season production came in 29.3 minutes per contest.

The last time out, Hooper produced her fourth career double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes in a win over Mississippi Valley State. She also buried five three-pointers and tied a career high with three blocked shots.

Through two seasons and two games, Hooper has scored in double figures in 27 of 33 career games, including seven 20-point scoring performances. She produced one of the best performances by a freshman in school history with her 31-point, eight-rebound effort in just 26 minutes at Missouri on Feb. 2, 2011, when she tied the Husker record with seven three-pointers. She had 28 points and six threes in the second half alone.

In her first season with the Huskers in 2010-11, Hooper made an instant impact by starting every game and leading the Huskers and ranking third among Big 12 freshmen in scoring with 14.6 points per game. She also led all Big 12 freshman in rebounding with 6.6 boards per contest to claim one of five spots on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. She led NU with 67 three-pointers, which were the most ever by a Nebraska freshman, and ranked second among Big 12 freshmen. Among all Big 12 players, Hooper ranked 12th in scoring, 15th in rebounding and sixth in three-pointers with 2.2 per game.

Hooper, a two-time Nebraska High School Player of the Year (2008, 2010), owns four career double-doubles, including 25 points, 10 rebounds vs. Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 15, 2011. She had 25 points and a career-high 13 rebounds against Houston on Dec. 18, 2010 and 18 points and 10 boards against Louisville on Dec. 20, 2010. She produced her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds at Creighton on Dec. 8, 2010.

Hooper Hitting Threes at Record Rate
In addition to her impressive scoring and rebounding numbers, Jordan Hooper has hit three-pointers at a record-breaking rate since her arrival at Nebraska.

The 6-2 forward shattered the NU single-season freshman record with 67 threes (67-184, 36.4 percent) a year ago, and has already drained six more threes through two games of 2011-12.

In 33 career games, Hooper has hit 73 career three-pointers and trails fifth-year senior Kaitlyn Burke (91) and junior Lindsey Moore (76) among active Huskers on the career list. Burke ranks eighth in school history on the NU career list. Hooper needs just seven more threes to crack the Nebraska career top 10 (80, Cory Montgomery) and just eight more to catch Brooke Schwartz (81) in ninth place.

With Hooper's ability to get hot from long range, a top 10 spot could be in jeopardy sooner rather than later. Last season, Hooper tied the Nebraska single-game record with seven three-pointers at Missouri on Feb. 2, 2011. She scored a career-high 31 points against the Tigers, including 28 on six threes in the second half alone.

Freshmen Enjoy Strong Starts Early in Season
Nebraska's six freshmen have all seen substantial playing time in the first two games this season. Overall, the six newcomers have combined for 89 points, 48 rebounds, 20 assists and 16 steals in 227 minutes through two games.

Four of the six freshmen have already produced double figures in a game, including a pair of double-figure scoring efforts from redshirt freshman Rebecca Woodberry. The 5-10 guard from Phoenix, Ariz., ranks third on the team in scoring and third in rebounding with 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds through two games.

True freshmen guards Tear'a Laudermill and Brandi Jeffery are also among NU's top five scorers. Laudermill, who scored 14 points in the opener, has averaged 9.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals through two games, while Jeffery has averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.5 steals.

Redshirt freshman forward Katie Simon has contributed 9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, including 11 points and five boards in the win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Those four freshmen have given the Huskers huge contributions off the bench early, while starting freshman forwards Emily Cady (4.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.5 spg) and Hailie Sample (1.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg) have complimented experienced starters Kaitlyn Burke, Lindsey Moore and Jordan Hooper well in starting lineup.

Maurer Off to Accurate Start as Sophomore
Adrianna Maurer has her sophomore season off to a productive start after getting a taste of early action as a freshman in 2010-11. The 6-3 center from Shawnee Mission, Kan., led the Huskers with 15 points in the season opener, while hitting every shot she attempted against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

She continued her perfect shooting with a 3-for-3 night from the field to finish with six points and four rebounds in the win over Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 15.

Through two games, Maurer is 9-for-9 from the field, including a three-pointer, and 2-for-2 at the free throw line. She ranks fourth on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg) and third in rebounding (5.0 rpg) in just 18.5 minutes per contest.

Last season, Maurer managed 51 total points, 32 rebounds and 20 field goals made over 24 games (190 minutes). In two games this year, Maurer has totaled 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine field goals made.

Burke Named Candidate for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Nebraska's Kaitlyn Burke was named one of 30 candidates nationally for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, honoring the nation's top all-around women's basketball student-athlete, on Friday, Nov. 4.

Burke, a 5-7 shooting guard for Coach Connie Yori's Huskers, is the most experienced member of the women's basketball team and one of the top all-around leaders on the Nebraska campus.

The fifth-year senior from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has played in 102 games for the Huskers since starting her career at NU in 2007-08. She has made 50 starts, including 29 starts a year ago when she averaged 6.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. She has averaged 7.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists through two games in 2011-12.

Burke ranks No. 8 on Nebraska's career three-point list (91) and ranks near the Huskers' career top 20 in assists (212). She has climbed the NU career charts despite battling numerous injuries, including foot and knee injuries, multiple broken fingers on her shooting hand, and even a broken nose last season.

Burke has taken on an even greater leadership role off the court, serving as the 2011-12 President of Nebraska's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In addition to her significant duties as SAAC President, Burke also finds time to coach a Special Olympics basketball team among numerous outreach activities.

The two-time first-team academic All-Big 12 selection is also a seven-time selection to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. She carries a 3.541 grade-point average as an advertising and business administration major.

Burke's many talents preceded her to the University of Nebraska. Prior to becoming a Husker, Burke was a multi-sport standout at Argyle Secondary School in North Vancouver. Her final year before coming to Nebraska, she was one of the first Canadians to attend the National Elite Development Academy in Ontario. She was a member of the 2005 Canadian Cadet National Team and the Canadian Junior National Team in both 2006 and 2007.

Burke was a childhood actress in several feature films. She starred in Questar's Bear with Me (2000) and Ms. Bear (1997). She also appeared in Disney's Life-Size with Tyra Banks and Lindsay Lohan (2000). She also appeared in A Song from the Heart (1999) and National Lampoon's Dad's Week Off starring Henry Winkler (1997).

From the list of 30 candidates, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the 2011-12 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in late January. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the women's award winner during the 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four, which will be held April 1 and 3 in Denver.

Kelsey Griffin, a 2010 women's basketball All-American, is the only Husker student-athlete across all sports to be named a Lowe's Senior CLASS Award winner. Griffin claimed the honor following her All-America senior season, when she was also named Nebraska's Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

Huskers Sign Ohio High School Star in Early Period
Coach Connie Yori announced the signing of Ohio prep star Rachel Theriot to a National Letter of Intent during the early signing period on Wednesday, Nov. 9.

Theriot, a 6-0 point guard out of Midpark High School in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, is a two-time All-Ohio performer entering her senior season in 2011-12. Last season, Theriot helped Midpark to a 22-3 overall record and a Southwestern Conference title under Coach Stephanie Mentz. Theriot averaged 12.7 points, 9.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game for the Meteors.

In addition to earning third-team All-Ohio Division I honors, she was named one of five players to the Cleveland Plain Dealer All-Star team in 2011. She was also a first-team All-SWC selection and a first-team Northeast Lakes All-District pick. Theriot was ranked as the No. 70 player overall by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and No. 96 by the All-Star Girls Report. She was ranked as the No. 18 point guard in the nation by ESPN/HoopGurlz and has also ranked among ESPN's top 100 high school seniors in the nation.

Theriot played her first two high school seasons for the Walsh Jesuit Warriors for Coach Pete Zaccari. As a sophomore, she led Walsh Jesuit to the Ohio Division II state semifinals after averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. She led the Warriors to a 23-2 record. She hit 38 three-pointers on the year and was an 89 percent free throw shooter. As a freshman, Theriot averaged 11.8 points, 3.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game to help Walsh Jesuit to a 19-7 record.

Theriot played AAU ball for Sports City U and Coach Tom Jenkins. She earned a spot on the Pool A All-Star Team at the Windy City Classic (U.S. Junior National Championships).

Theriot chose Nebraska over Xavier, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State, Dayton and Washington among others.

Yori Making Progress After Knee Surgery Complications
Nebraska women's basketball coach Connie Yori experienced a painful end to the offseason and start to the 2011-12 campaign. Complications to a seemingly routine arthroscopic knee surgery on Aug. 19, which included a staph infection and blood clot in her knee, sidelined Yori for several weeks.

The 2010 National Coach of the Year, who enters her 10th season at Nebraska in 2011-12, is gaining overall strength and mobility in her knee and has returned to the Husker program on a nearly full-time basis. She has spent the past two weeks in a nearly full-time role on the practice court with the Huskers, splitting time between a scooter and crutches.

"It is really unbelievable to think that I was in the hospital for the better part of September. It kind of feels like I lost a month of my life with the team," Yori said. "My family, friends and the people in our program have been so supportive."

Four days after the team's return from a successful 11-day summer tour to Scandinavia Aug. 5-15, Yori underwent arthroscopic surgery on her left knee on Aug. 19. She first injured the knee as a player in the early 1980's, but had not had a surgery on the knee since 1985.

Yori's recovery from her most recent surgery appeared to be going well, and she made a day-long appearance at the Fastbreakers Booster Club Husker Golf Scramble fund-raising event on Monday, Aug. 29. Her rehabilitation appeared to continue on track until mid-day on Wednesday, Aug. 31, when she began having intense knee pain. The pain continued to intensify until Monday, Sept. 5 (Labor Day) when she had a surgical wash to treat Staph infection in her knee.

Yori spent the following week in St. Elizabeth's Regional Medical Center in Lincoln before being released to her home on Sept. 12. Although she returned home, the pain continued to plague her and became so severe on Sept. 16 that she was rushed to the hospital by ambulance back to St. Elizabeth's.

Doctors discovered a blood clot in Yori's left knee and began treatment as soon as possible. Yori remained at St. Elizabeth's until Thursday, Sept. 22, when she moved to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital.

She has spent the past seven weeks on the road to recovery. The pain is gradually subsiding in her knee, and she is gaining strength in her leg and the rest of her body from being nearly immobile for approximately three weeks. After a week of intense rehab at Madonna, Yori checked out and returned home in the afternoon on Friday, Sept. 30.

Yori made her way into the Devaney Center for the Huskers' first practice on Oct. 3, just for a few moments. She was in a wheelchair and on heavy pain medication, but she let the Huskers know she was working hard to join them at practice.

"I know a lot of people out there might hear this story and feel sorry for me, but I know there are many more people who are worse off than me," Yori said. "I'm lucky both the infection and the blood clot were focused in my knee area and didn't spread to other parts of my leg or body, or my condition would be a lot more serious."

Because of her nearly complete restriction of movement and heavy pain medications, Yori was unable to work or spend time recruiting for several weeks. Associate Head Coach Sunny Smallwood coordinated Nebraska's workout schedule and led the team in practice in Yori's absence. Graduate assistant manager Bryce Currie was activated to assume an on-court coaching role and the ability to recruit off-campus in place of Yori. Currie is in his second year with the Huskers after spending time at both Washington and Arizona State before coming to Nebraska.

"I am fortunate to have an experienced and talented staff," Yori said. "I have been in constant contact with our staff throughout this time, and our program is in good hands with Sunny Smallwood at the helm."

Huskers Officially Open Hendricks Training Complex Oct. 13
After 17 months of construction, the Hendricks Training Complex was officially dedicated Oct. 13, with more 200 invited guests and dignitaries attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The 80,000-square foot facility adjacent to the Bob Devaney Sports Center is the new home for the men's and women's basketball programs, as well as the wrestling program. The two-level facility includes separate practice courts for the men's and women's basketball programs, as well as expanded locker rooms, player lounges, team rooms and offices.

"The completion of the Hendricks Training Complex is a compliment to those donors, season-ticket holders and fans who have supported our basketball programs for many years," NU Executive Associate Athletic Director Marc Boehm said. "The facility will help us attract top-tier talent and at the same time provide our student-athletes an experience that will help them reach their full potential.

"The Hendricks Training Complex, along with the new Haymarket Arena (scheduled to open in the fall of 2013), will give us one of the best combinations of facilities in the country and show our commitment to our basketball programs."

While the $18.7 million facility will house the basketball and wrestling programs, many of Nebraska's sports will benefit from the new facility, which includes a 5,000-square foot weight room, a completely renovated athletic training area that tripled the size of the previous area at the Devaney Center and a nutrition station similar to the one in the Osborne Complex.

The building is named for Tom and Mary Hendricks of Pipe Creek, Texas, and their children, Jennifer and Brandon, as they provided the lead gift in this project to benefit Husker student-athletes for years to come.

Throughout the facility, efforts have been made to give student-athletes the best training environment to succeed. Both the men's and women's basketball practice gyms are a court-and-half with six baskets, allowing additional work while the main floor is being used. The courts themselves are made with premium maple flooring with sleeper cushions that absorb shock to minimize injury. Both gyms have advanced acoustics as well as 103-inch plasma screens for breaking down film during practices.

The amenities inside the facility are top-of-the-line, as the main entrance features a two-story abstract net sculpture, as well as a granite fountain imported from China. The facility also features two video walls and 63 TVs.

The men's players lounge, named in honor of Neal and Jamie Hawks, features a 5x8-foot video wall, 400 inches of televisions, custom seating, a pool table and a kitchenette, while the women's lounge features three 65-inch televisions and a unique LED bubble wall. Both the men's and women's basketball programs have custom locker rooms with iPads built into the lockers, as well as custom back-lit displays. The wrestling locker room features 40 custom-built wooden lockers with back-lit displays and a lounge with a pair of 65-inch TVs and a kitchen.

The Hendricks Training Complex is the first project completed in the Expand Their Experience Campaign. For more information on the other facility projects, visit www.ExpandTheirExperience.com.

Young Huskers Grow On Scandinavian Summer Tour
The Huskers enjoyed an early start to the 2011-12 campaign by going 3-1 on an 11-day tour of Scandinavia, Aug. 5-15. The tour, which included stops in Stockholm, Sweden, Oslo, Norway and Copenhagen, Denmark, began with a loss to a talented Swedish National Team, before substantial winning margins over one Norwegian and one Danish club team. Nebraska concluded the trip with an impressive win over the Danish National Team on Aug. 14.

"We definitely got better, and that was exciting and encouraging to see," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "Our freshmen are going to help us this year. I've been saying that since our first set of practices in June, but they have continued to get better and learn our system and work hard. All four of our true freshmen could play roles for us throughout the year. We also have a little bit better idea of the things they need to focus on now, so we can start working on them right away. It is definitely going to speed up their development process as players."

Emily Cady, a 6-2 freshman forward from Seward, Neb., drew praise from Yori throughout the team's 10 days of NCAA-allowable practices leading up to the trip. Cady showed that praise was deserved by averaging 13.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, a block and a steal during the four games in Europe.

Brandi Jeffery, a 5-7 guard from Vacherie, La., provided consistent production for the Huskers throughout the tour, averaging 9.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. The 2011 Louisiana High School Player of the Year and Parade All-American scored between eight and 10 points in all four games and grabbed at least one rebound in every contest.

Tear'a Laudermill, a 5-9 guard from Riverside, Calif., expanded her contributions during the trip. In the first two games on the tour, Laudermill had seven points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals combined. In the last two games in Denmark, Laudermill averaged 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals.

Hailie Sample, a 6-1 guard from Flower Mound, Texas, added 4.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists while providing a strong defensive presence on the wing for the Huskers.

In addition to the improvements of the true freshmen, Yori was also pleased with the increased production of sophomore Jordan Hooper. The 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., averaged 22.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block per game. She capped the tour with 33 points and eight rebounds in the win over the Danish National Team.

"Jordan has gotten better, there is no question about it," Yori said. "She has done a really good job of listening to the coaches after her freshman season and working hard on the weaknesses in her game. She is stronger, a better defender, more aggressive on both offense and defense, and she now has a couple more weapons in her offensive game."

In addition to watching her players grow on the court, Yori said she was impressed by the chemistry, unity and leadership that has developed among the Huskers.

"What a great trip for the players and staff for every reason," Yori said. "From a team standpoint, our players definitely grew closer and continued to develop some great team chemistry. The way they interacted with each other throughout the trip was exciting to see. They naturally bonded with everybody. There were no cliques or people moving in the same groups all the time. They just naturally and genuinely wanted to spend time with everybody. As a coach, that is really rewarding to see."

Huskers Setting Early Pace for Another Big 3FG Season
Nebraska's outside shooting was a strength for the Huskers in 2010-11. The Huskers hit 218-of-658 three-point attempts (33.1 percent) to average a school-record 7.0 threes per game.

In 2009-10, Nebraska hit a school-record 225 threes for a then-school-record average of 6.6 threes per game. Prior to 2009-10, the school-record for three-pointers made in a season was 173. Coach Connie Yori's Husker teams own the top eight three-point shooting seasons in school history.

Through two games, it looks like the 2011-12 Huskers have a chance to threaten the record-setting numbers from the past two seasons. Nebraska averaged 11.5 threes per game in its first two contests of 2011-12, including 14-of-26 from beyond the arc against Mississippi Valley State. The 14 threes against the Devilettes marked the second-highest total in school history, trailing only NU's 17 threes against Vermont (17-33) in the 2010-11 season opener.

Nebraska opened 2011-12 with nine threes in a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Last season, the Huskers hit seven or more threes in a game 17 times.

Moore Took on Iron Woman Role for Huskers
In addition to more than doubling her scoring numbers and increasing her rebounding, assists and three-point totals from 2009-10, Lindsey Moore also took on the role of an iron woman in the Husker lineup.

With injuries to nearly all of NU's guards, Moore hardly came off the floor as a sophomore. In fact, she played a Big 12-leading 37.5 minutes per game. In conference play, Moore averaged a Big 12-high 39.3 minutes per contest on her way to a school-record 1,164 total minutes. She went the distance in 16 games in 2010-11, including 12 regular-season Big 12 games and NU's lone contest in the Big 12 Tournament. Included in that list is a career-high 45 minutes in an overtime win over Kansas on Jan. 16. Over the last 25 games, Moore was on the floor for all but 29 minutes.

As a freshman, Moore led the Huskers in total minutes with 952 (34 games), an average of just 28.0 minutes per game, as Nebraska featured one of the deepest and most balanced lineups in Big 12 Conference history.

Moore's 1,164 total minutes eclipsed Jina Johansen's previous school record of 1,156 minutes played in 32 games (36.1 mpg) in 2004-05. Moore is just the third Husker in Coach Yori's nine years at Nebraska to play 1,000 minutes in a season (also Kiera Hardy in 2004-05).

Big Ten Network to Provide More Exposure for Huskers
Over the past two seasons, Nebraska has enjoyed its best media exposure in school history with national and regional television appearances and frequent live video streams of its games on Huskers.com. In fact, last season the Huskers had 26 games appear on either television or live video streams.

In 2011-12, Nebraska's exposure increases to another level with coverage provided by the Big Ten Network (BTN), BTN2Go.com and BTN.com.

Nebraska heads into the 2011-12 season with the possibility of all 29 of its regular-season games appearing either on TV or live video stream. The only games in question are NU's road games at Florida A&M (Nov. 25) and Georgia Tech (Nov. 30).

Every Nebraska home game will be available on either BTN or BTN.com, while every Big Ten Conference regular-season contest also will be available on BTN or BTN.com.

Nebraska will appear a minimum of five times (Creighton, Dec. 8; at Iowa, Jan. 8; at Ohio State, Jan. 19; Minnesota, Jan. 22 and Feb. 13) on the Big Ten Network, which reaches nearly 80 million homes nationwide. The Huskers will also battle South Dakota State (Dec. 21) in a game televised by Nebraska Educational Television (NET) that also will be available on a subscription-basis on BTN.com.

For a complete television and live-stream listing, visit Huskers.com. Fans can subscribe to BTN.com by visiting http://video.btn.com/allaccess. A yearly subscription for all Nebraska events on BTN.com is just $79.95. Fans can gain access to every Big Ten event stream for just $119.95 per year. Monthly subscriptions are also available.

Due to changes in the television rights policies brought about by Nebraska's shift to the Big Ten Conference, none of Nebraska's regular-season games will be available on HuskersNside. Both of Nebraska's exhibition games will be available to HuskersNside subscribers on Huskers.com.

Husker Sports Network Features New Lincoln Flagship
Nebraska women's basketball games will be heard on the new flagship station in Lincoln - B107.3 FM-KBBK. The strong FM station is the same station that has carried Husker volleyball for the past several seasons and provides fans of Nebraska women's sports with a consistent home for the Huskers.

Women's basketball fans can continue to listen to the Huskers in the Omaha area on Twister 93.3 FM-KTWI. The Husker Sports Network is in its 17th season of producing and marketing the live broadcasts of University of Nebraska women's basketball. Women's basketball play-by-play announcer Matt Coatney and color commentator Jeff Griesch enter their 11th year together as the Huskers' broadcast team.

In addition to the more than 20 stations that carry Nebraska women's basketball games during the season, every game can be heard for free worldwide on Huskers.com.

Fastbreakers Set Dates for Pregame Backboard Events
The Fastbreakers Nebraska Women's Basketball Booster Club has set the dates for three Backboard Events during the 2011-12 season. Fastbreakers can make their plans now to attend this season's Backboard Events with the Huskers at the Coaches Club in the southeast corner of the upper concourse at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Nebraska's Backboard Events tip off on Friday, Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m., before the Huskers' 7:05 p.m. battle with Pac-12 Conference power USC. The Women of Troy return the nucleus of last year's team that finished as the WNIT runner-up.

The Fastbreakers and the Huskers Athletic Fund host the second Backboard Event of the year prior to Nebraska's Big Ten Conference clash with Penn State on Sunday, Jan. 15. The Lady Lions were one of the top teams in the Big Ten last season and advanced to the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The luncheon is set to begin at 12:30 p.m., with tip-off set for 2:05 p.m.

The Backboard Events conclude in 2011-12 when Nebraska tangles with Wisconsin on Sunday, Feb. 19. The luncheon is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., with tip-off set for 1 p.m. The date with the Badgers is also scheduled to be Nebraska's "Play4Kay" game (previously Think Pink / Pink Zone) as the WBCA's cancer awareness game.

Each luncheon is scheduled to begin 90 minutes prior to tip-off of each game and will feature a speaker from the women's basketball staff. The cost of each luncheon is $15 per person, and spots at each luncheon must be reserved in advance, either on-line at www.Huskers.com/donate, by calling the Huskers Athletic Fund at (402) 472-2367 or by mail to the Huskers Athletic Fund at One Memorial Stadium, P.O. Box 880154, Lincoln, NE 68588-0154. The mail-in form is available on the Huskers.com women's basketball home page by clicking on "Backboard Events" in the right side menu. Full menu details and payment information for each event is included on the form. Please make checks payable to the Huskers Athletic Fund.

Nebraska's History of Success at Home
Since the Bob Devaney Sports Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 364-123 (.747) in games played in the arena, including 136-82 (.624) in conference games. Since 2003-04, NU is 100-27 (.787) at the Devaney Center.

NU has posted double-figure home victory totals in seven consecutive seasons, including a perfect 16-0 mark in 2009-10. The Huskers stretched their home winning streak to 28 games with a win over Florida A&M on Jan. 2. Amazingly, 24 of NU's final 25 wins in the streak were by double digits. No. 19 Oklahoma ended NU's second-longest home streak in school history at 28 games, just one game shy of the NU record. NU was 11-4 at home in 2010-11.

Big Red Fans Come Out in Droves at Devaney
After setting a school single-season attendance record in 2009-10, Nebraska continued to rank among the nation's top teams in average home attendance with 4,333 fans per game over 16 home contests in 2010-11. NU ranked 22nd nationally in average home attendance at the close of the regular season.

Nebraska has regularly ranked among the top 30 teams nationally in average home attendance over the past 15 years. Husker fans flocked to the Bob Devaney Sports Center in record numbers in 2009-10, averaging a school-record 7,390 fans per game to rank seventh nationally.

NU's Big 12 attendance was spectacular, averaging a Big 12-best 11,383 fans per game. Nebraska drew seven consecutive crowds of more than 10,000 to the Devaney Center to end the season, beginning with a then-school-record 13,303 fans for Nebraska's win over Kansas State on Jan. 23 - the 16th-largest crowd in the nation in 2009-10 (including NCAA Tournament play).

Nebraska smashed that record against Missouri Feb. 27, posting the first sellout in school history with 13,595 fans. The NU-MU game featured the largest regular-season crowd in the nation in 2009-10 that did not involve Connecticut or Tennessee.

Over the last seven home games, the Huskers attracted an average of 11,989 fans per game to the Devaney Center. NU's previous single-season average home attendance record was 5,000 fans per game in 1998-99.

Nebraska entered the 2009-10 season with 1,424 season ticket holders. During a special March Madness season ticket promotion at the end of 2010, the Huskers sold more than 1,100 new season tickets for 2010-11, pushing NU's season ticket base beyond 2,500 for the first time in history.

Huskers Played One of Nation's Top Schedules in 2010-11
Nebraska has consistently played one of the nation's top 30 schedules over the past five years, and the 2010-11 season was no different. Nebraska's strength of schedule ranked No. 29 nationally according to CollegeRPI.com. The Huskers finished No. 101 overall in the official NCAA RPI at the end of 2010-11.

The Huskers produced a pair of wins over top 25 RPI teams, including victories over 2011 ACC regular-season champion and No. 12 RPI Miami and RPI No. 24 Texas Tech. NU notched four other top-100 RPI wins, including victories over Kansas (71), Creighton (75), Missouri (80) and Saint Mary's (94).

In addition to games against the Big 12 champion and ACC champion, the Huskers also dropped narrow decisions on neutral courts to Conference USA champion Houston and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion Marist. Houston ran to its best season in school history and joined the AP Top 25 at the end of the regular season, while Marist had its school-record winning streak snapped in the NCAA Tournament second round by Stanford. The Red Foxes also closed the regular season in the top 25.

Nebraska played 21 games against top 100 RPI teams. NU played 14 games against 2011 NCAA Tournament teams, with Baylor, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Miami, Marist and Louisville all advancing to at least the NCAA second round. The Huskers also played seven games against Postseason WNIT teams and one game against a WBI postseason tournament (Northern Colorado). Overall, 22 of Nebraska's 31 games came against postseason qualifiers.

Nebraska Owns Success Against Top 25 Foes
Nebraska has made a habit of knocking off top-25 opponents during Connie Yori's nine seasons at the helm. In fact, the Huskers' win over No. 22 UCLA marked their 20th win over an AP Top 25 foe during Yori's tenure, including their eighth in 2009-10. NU's 21-point win over No. 10 Oklahoma State on Feb. 3 was the Huskers' fifth against a top-10 opponent. Before Yori's arrival, Nebraska had beaten just one top-10 opponent in school history.

Nebraska's three top-10 wins in 2009-10 matched NU's all-time total in 35 seasons of women's basketball.

NU's win at No. 9 Baylor on Jan. 17, 2010, marked the Huskers' first victory against a top-25 team in a true road game under Yori. It was also the Huskers' first-ever true road win over a top-10 opponent.

The Huskers posted six wins over AP Top 15 teams (No. 5 LSU, No. 9 Baylor, No. 10 Oklahoma State, No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 13 Iowa State) in 2009-10, including three wins over top-10 foes.

The Huskers added a road win over final AP No. 16 Iowa State on Jan. 9, in Ames, while also claiming road wins over previously ranked clubs at Vermont (AP No. 24, Jan. 18), Miami (AP No. 25, Jan. 11), Kansas (as high as No. 18, first nine weeks AP). The Jayhawks, Catamounts and Hurricanes were unranked when they played the Huskers.

The highest-ranked team Nebraska has ever defeated was the 2004-05 Baylor team that went on to win the national title. NU outlasted No. 2 BU, 103-99 in triple overtime on Jan. 12, 2005. The Huskers' 21-point win over No. 10 OSU on Feb. 3, 2010, marked NU's largest victory margin ever over a top-10 team. Nebraska's 29-point win over No. 14 Iowa State in 2005 was NU's largest victory margin in history over a top-25 foe. Nebraska's 56-45 win over No. 15 Texas at the Devaney Center in 2008 also marked the lowest point total ever allowed by the Huskers against a ranked opponent. Before Yori's arrival at Nebraska in 2002-03, the Huskers had not defeated a top-10 team since a 73-67 win over No. 9 Iowa on Dec. 8, 1996, and had never beaten a top-five opponent.