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Nebraska (10-1) vs. South Dakota State (7-5)
Wednesday, Dec. 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); 1400 AM-KCOW (Alliance); 1230 AM-KHAS (Hastings); 940 AM-KNEB (Scottsbluff)
Internet: Free live audio on Huskers.com
Internet Video: BTN.com All-Access (subscription required)
Based on last Sunday's performance, it would be just fine with me if every game were 'Husker Hometown Day' for Nebraska freshman forward Emily Cady. Playing in front of a multitude of fans from Seward who were adorned in her high school alma mater's Bluejay Blue, Cady posted a career-best 18 points to lead NU to a 94-41 win over Vermont. She added six rebounds and has averaged 13.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in Nebraska's last three games. Cady has been a blistering 14-of-22 from the field during that stretch.
Nebraska, now 10-1, moved up one spot in the Associated Press Top 25 this week to No. 24. Off to the second-best start in school history, the Huskers close out the non-conference portion of their schedule Wednesday night when they host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in Lincoln.
SDSU is 7-5 overall and has lost two of their last three games, including a 59-51 setback at Marquette Monday night. The Jackrabbits are 2-0 in Summit League action already, with conference wins over UALR sandwiched around a home loss to Kansas State and Monday night's defeat at Marquette. The Jacks only average 59.8 points per game, including a 22-point effort in a loss earlier this year to Cincinnati. In that game, SDSU mustered only four first-half points. In each of their five losses this season, the Jackrabbits have been held under 55 points.
SDSU has scored at least 60 points in each of its seven victories. They have, however, improved their free throw shooting considerably since the beginning of the season. Through the first seven games, the Jackrabbits were shooting only 63.8 percent from the stripe. In the last five games, they are 93-of-122 (76.2 percent). While none of the SDSU players individually averages over six rebounds per game, the team entered the week as the top rebounding club in the Summit League, out-rebounding their opponents by 7.0 boards per game. They have held a rebounding advantage in each of their last seven games.
Jennie Sunnarborg, a 6-2 senior forward, leads the team in scoring (10.8 ppg), rebounding (5.7 rpg) and is shooting a blistering .850 from the free throw line (34-of-40). Sunnarborg ranks seventh in career blocked shots at South Dakota State with 102. She also is on pace to reach the 1,000-point mark, entering Wednesday's game with 887 career points.
Senior guard Jill Young is the team's leading three-point shooter (26-of-73 .356) and is second on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg). She became the 30th member of the SDSU 1,000-Point Club earlier this season and is currently 28th on the school's all-time scoring list. Young is in third place on the SDSU career three-point field goal chart with 248, but is only three triples away from breaking the school career record. She is sixth in Summit League history in career three-pointers.
Junior guard Ashley Eide (EYE-dee) is third on the team in scoring (9.7 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.8 rpg). Over the last six games, she has increased her production to 10.7 ppg and 3.8 rpg. Eide was the only Jackrabbit in double figures with her 10-point effort Monday night at Marquette.
SDSU's point guard is 5-10 junior Steph Paluch (PAH-luck). She leads the team in assists and steals and averages 6.7 points per game. Her five steals at IUPUI on Dec. 2 established a career high and are the most by a Jackrabbit player this season.
SDSU has used the same five starters in all 12 games this season. Junior Katie Lingle rounds out their probable starting lineup. The 6-2 center leads the team in blocked shots (six) and averages 5.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
South Dakota State reserves have played a key role this season, as the Jackrabbit bench has outscored the opponent's reserves in seven games this season, including each of the last four. Four SDSU players have played in every game this season. Junior forward Leah Dietel has been the top scorer off the bench four times this season for the Jackrabbits and averages 3.9 points per game.
12th-year SDSU Head Coach Aaron Johnston led the Jackrabbits to the 2003 NCAA Division II National Championship. He has had considerable success since the program went to the Division I level in 2004-05. SDSU has won three consecutive Summit League Tournament titles and in 2008-09, Johnston led the team to a 32-3 record, a final No. 19 ranking in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' poll and a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance. He has taken SDSU to five straight postseason appearances, including three straight NCAA Tournament bids.
Nebraska and South Dakota State are tied in the all-time series 1-1. NU won the first meeting between the two schools in 1978 in Lincoln with SDSU winning 68-49 in 2005 at the Devaney Center.
I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska women's basketball on the Husker Sports Network. Our radio broadcast Wednesday evening afternoon 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 Lincoln affiliate KBBK 107.3 FM (B107.3), KTWI 93.3 FM (Twister 93.3) in Omaha, KCOW 1400 in Alliance, KHAS 1230 in Hastings, KNEB 940 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