Coatney's Call: Savannah State Game Preview

Nebraska (3-0) vs. Savannah State (3-0)
Monday, Nov. 21, 7:05 p.m.
Bob Devaney Sports Center (Lincoln, Neb.)
Radio: 25-Station Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney-PBP; Jeff Griesch-Analyst)
B107.3 FM-KBBK (Lincoln); Twister 93.3 FM-KTWI (Omaha); 880 AM-KRVN (Lexington); KCOW 1400-AM (Alliance); 960 AM-KNEB (Scottsbluff)
Internet: Free live audio on Huskers.com

Friday night's game between Nebraska and No. 23 USC had an intensity and big-game feel usually reserved for late-conference or post-season play.  The Huskers, who never trailed in the game, came out and blitzed the Trojans with a 9-0 run en route to an impressive 68-50 victory. 

The USC roster included seven former high school All-Americans and one AP pre-season All-American.  Nebraska's pressure defense smothered USC's offense and the Trojans shot a chilly 18-71 from the field (25.4%) and made just three of their 20 three-point field goal attempts.  Nebraska owned a plus-26 rebound margin and NU's 66 rebounds were the most ever by a Husker team against a Division I opponent.  

Jordan Hooper, a 6-2 sophomore forward, posted her fifth career double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds.  Junior point guard Lindsey Moore continued her spectacular play, with 22 points and six assists.  In her last two games, 'Zeroes' has scored 40 points, dished out 17 assists and has committed only two turnovers.  Freshman Hailie Sample, a 6-1 forward, continued her dominatnt defensive play and joined fellow freshman Emily Cady with double-digit rebounds as both posted career highs with 10 boards. 

The Huskers close out their four-game season-opening homestand with a Monday evening game against the Savannah State Tigers.

Savannah State is coming off a respectable 15-11 record last season, which was their first winning record since 1998-99. The Tigers have had to remake their roster after losing eight letterwinners and three starters from 2010-11. Competing as a Division I Independent since moving up from NCAA Division II after the 1999 season, SSU joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) prior to this season. The Lady Tigers are picked to finish 11th in the pre-season MEAC poll.  They have started the season 3-0 with wins over Paine College (55-38), at North Florida (64-61 overtime), and Saturday night over Columbia (South Carolina) College (68-35).

Ezinne Kalu, a 5-8 sophomore, had four of Savannah State's top seven single-game scoring efforts last season, averaging a team-best 15.4 points per game as a freshman. She also led the team in steals and assists.  Kalu has continued her prolific scoring this year and had a career-high 35 points in the overtime win at North Florida. Kalu once scored 53 points in a New Jersey high school game and currently averages a team-best 23.0 ppg.  She was selected to the first-ever Nigerian U-19 Federation Team that was to compete in the FIBA Championships earlier this spring.  However, Nigeria canceled their teams' participation in the tournament due to lack of funding.

Transfer Blessing Uba, a 5-9 sophomore, started her collegiate career at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College in 2009-10.  She helped the Blue Dragons to a 29-4 record and averaged 9.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and dished out 84 assists.  A pre-season knee injury prevented Uba from playing for Hutchinson last year.  She transferred to Savannah State and currently leads the Tigers in minutes per game (31.7) and is second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg).  She had a team-high 16 points in the win over Columbia College.

Alisha Nelson, a 6-2 senior, set the SSU record for single-season blocked shots with 81 in 2009-10.  A defensive specialist, Nelson leads the team in rebounding (8.7 rpg), but only averages 1.7 ppg.  Nelson has only made one of her 10 free throw attempts this season. Kalu and Nelson were the only Tigers to start every game last season. 

Charmaine Greene, a 6-2 sophomore, is a local product from Savannah, Ga., and averages 2.0 ppg.  Sophomore Jasmine Kirkland rounds out SSU's probable starting lineup.  She averages 5.3 points per game.

Cedric Baker has won 384 games in a coaching career that began at his alma mater, Voorhees College (Denmark, S.C.) and continued at Benedict College (Columbia, S.C.).  He is in his eighth season as head coach at Savannah State and has a 78-152 record as the Lady Tigers' head coach.

This will be the first-ever meeting between Nebraska and Savannah State.  The Huskers will face two consecutive MEAC teams as they take the road to face Florida A&M next Friday.

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska women's basketball on the Husker Sports Network.  Our radio broadcast Monday evening beings with the Husker Courtside pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on the Husker Sports Network, including our new Lincoln affiliate KBBK 107.3 FM (B-107.3), KTWI 93.3 FM (Twister 93.3) in Omaha, KRVN 880 AM in Lexington, KCOW 1400 AM in Alliance, KNEB 960 AM in Scottsbluff, and available to our entire 25 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.

There are a number of ways to get enhanced information about our broadcast and Husker women's basketball via social media.  You can learn more about the team on the Nebraska Women's Basketball Facebook page or follow the team on their official Twitter page @huskerswbb.  I also invite you to friend me on Facebook (Matt Coatney) or follow me on Twitter @coatman1.

Go Big Red! 

Matt