Coatney's Call: Indiana Game Preview

#19 Nebraska (12-1) vs. Indiana (5-10)
Thursday, Jan. 5, 7:05 p.m.  (central)
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); 94.1 FM-KNEB (Scottsbluff); 94.5 FM-KLIQ (Hastings); 1450 AM-KWBE (Beatrice)
Internet: Free live audio on Huskers.com
Internet Video: BTN.com All-Access (subscription required)

In my time as the radio play-by-play voice of Husker women's basketball, there are some indelible images in my mind from some fantastic, signature moments. 

There was Margaret Richards' runner at the buzzer to beat San Diego in Coach Connie Yori's first season.  There was Kiera Hardy's 37-point explosion in Nebraska's three-overtime epic win over eventual national champion Baylor.  I'll never forget the win over fifth-ranked LSU two years ago, and my favorite play from that game was Kelsey Griffin's rip and go move from the elbow around Taylor Turnbow. 

Jordan Hooper added a highlight memory to my montage with her dagger three-pointer with 16 seconds left last Friday night to clinch Nebraska's 71-63 win at then-16th ranked Penn State.  I have never seen anything like the reaction Penn State fans had to Hooper's shot.  As if in unison, most of the crowd of approximately 4,000 rose and headed for the exits.  It was a definitive shot in a historic game, as Nebraska upset the preseason favorites to win the league in the Huskers' first-ever Big Ten Conference game. 

Hooper is having a season of legendary proportions and has become a star on the national women's basketball stage. She picked up her third league Player of the Week award this week after her 31-point, 12-rebound effort against Penn State.  Hooper became just the second Husker in history to score 30 or more points three times in a four-game stretch, joining fellow Alliance native Amy Stephens, who accomplished the feat four times in a five-game stretch in February of 1989.

Over the past four games, Hooper is averaging 28.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.3 percent from the field, including 43.8 percent from three-point range, and 80 percent from the free throw line. She is 11th nationally in scoring and is fourth in the nation in points per 40 minutes. 

The Huskers jumped four spots in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings this week to 19th and will return to Lincoln for their first-even home Big Ten Conference game this Thursday night when they host the Indiana Hoosiers.

Indiana has started Big Ten Conference play with an 0-2 record and is 5-10 overall on the season.  They suffered a 63-49 loss at home to Michigan State last Friday night before falling at Minnesota Monday afternoon 84-43.  The Hoosiers own wins this season over Murray State, Belmont, IUPUI, Colorado State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.  They lost three starters and five players from last year's team that went 9-20 (3-13 Big Ten).  The Hoosiers have been outrebounded by 27 in their first two league games.  They also are shooting only .254 (32-of-126) from the field in that time-frame.  Indiana is without their leading rebounder, 6-2 senior team captain Georgie Jones, who tore her right ACL against Virginia Dec. 1 and will miss the remainder of the season. 

Transfer Jasmine McGhee, a 5-11 junior, has been IU's go-to scorer this season.  She leads the team in scoring (13.7 ppg) and is the only Hoosier to start every game this year.  She struggled Monday afternoon at Minnesota, hitting only 1-of-11 from the floor.  Junior Aulani Sinclair is the team's leading three-point shooter and is second on the team in scoring (11.3 ppg).  

Sasha Chaplin, a 6-3 junior, has been oft-injured in her collegiate career, but has put together a solid junior campaign.  She averages 7.3 ppg and 5.8 rebounds. Chaplin had a team-high 14 points and eight rebounds in the loss at Minnesota.  Danilsa Andjuar, a 6-2 senior, posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds last year in Indiana's 67-61 win over Nebraska in Bloomington.  Andjuar averages 4.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season. 

Sophomore point guard Andrea Newbauer rounds out IU's probable starting lineup.  She has not scored in six straight games and eight of their last nine games.  She has started 11 of the 15 games this year, including each of the last three.  Newbauer leads the team in assists.  Freshman Quaneisha McCurty has been impressive off the bench for IU.  The 6-6 center was the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after averaging nearly a double-double with 11.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocks last week. She poured in 17 points with eight rebounds against TAMU-CC and added 10 rebounds and five more blocks in the loss to Michigan State.  McCurty added 10 points and eight rebounds in Monday's loss at Minnesota.

Felisha Legette-Jack  is in her sixth season as Indiana's head coach.  She spent four seasons at Hofstra prior to taking over the program in Bloomington.  She has led IU to three WNIT appearances.  Indiana's last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2002.

The Hoosiers lead the all-time series with Nebraska 2-0. IU won an 83-80 overtime game in Lincoln in 1994 and then defeated the Huskers in a non-conference game last season. 

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska women's basketball on the Husker Sports Network.  Our radio broadcast Thursday 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 the Husker Sports Network, including Lincoln affiliate KBBK 107.3 FM (B107.3), KTWI 93.3 FM (Twister 93.3) in Omaha, KRVN 880 in Lexington, KCOW 1400 in Alliance, KNEB 94.1 FM in Scottsbluff, KLIQ 94.5 FM in Hastings, KWBE 1450 in Beatrice, 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