Coatney's Call: Minnesota Game Preview

#13 Nebraska (19-4, 8-3) at Minnesota (12-14, 4-8)
Monday, Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m. (central)
Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minn.)
Radio: 25-Station Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney-PBP; Jeff Griesch-Analyst)
B107.3 FM-KBBK (Lincoln); The Wolf 93.3 FM-KTWI (Omaha); 880 AM-KRVN (Lexington); 1400 AM-KCOW (Alliance); 1230 AM-KHAS (Hastings); 960 AM-KNEB (Scottsbluff); 1450 AM-KWBE (Beatrice)
Internet: Free live audio on Huskers.com
Live Television: Big Ten Network (Kevin Kugler & Debbie Antonelli) 

I don't claim to be the brightest basketball analyst around, but simply said, if you don't score, it's hard to win. The Nebraska women's basketball team endured 'the mother of all cold spells' in Thursday night's 63-52 loss to Michigan. 

The Huskers missed 17 straight shots, including 11 consecutive three-pointers during a 14-minute stretch in the first half.  Michigan outscored NU 28-5 during that time period to grab a 32-12 halftime lead.  The Wolverines increased their lead to 41-14 before Nebraska stormed back to cut Michigan's lead to eight, but a 27-point deficit proved to be too much to overcome. 

The Huskers missed 28 of their school-record 37 three-pointers attempted and their 52 points scored and 25.8 percent shooting from the field were both season lows.  Lindsey Moore led all scorers with 23 points and tied her career high with five three-pointers. 

Nebraska will look to get back on the winning track when they head to Minneapolis to face Minnesota Monday night. NU will be trying for a season sweep over the Golden Gophers and their first-ever win over Minnesota at 'The Barn'.

Minnesota has lost four of their five games since losing at Nebraska 64-49 on Jan. 22.  The Gophers are 12-14 overall and 4-8 in Big Ten Conference play.  Minnesota has proven to be a much more successful team at home in Williams Arena, winning nine of 13 games, while losing all but one of eight true road games this season.  The Gophers average 70.5 points per game at home and only 58.7 points per game on the road.  In 13 home games, they have scored 70 or more points nine times, while failing to score at least 70 in all 13 games away from home. 

Minnesota is second in the league in conference games with a .407 three-point field goal percentage, yet they are 11th in the Big Ten in three-pointers made (88).  By comparison, Nebraska leads the conference in triples (173).  The Gophers have been outscored by 183 points from beyond the arc this season (149-88, -61 threes).

Minnesota native Rachel Banham, a 5-9 point guard, has exploded onto the scene as one of the best freshmen in the Big Ten.  She leads the team in scoring (15.9 ppg) and three-pointers (39). Banham is second in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.464).  She has scored in double figures in 21 straight games, including 20 points in Minnesota's 75-58 loss at Iowa last Thursday night.  Banham has been the Big Ten Freshman of the Week five times and has started all 26 games this season.  She had 13 points in the Gophers' loss at Nebraska earlier this season. 

Senior Kiara Buford, a 5-11 guard, ranks ninth on the Minnesota all-time career scoring list.  She leads the team in assists and steals and is second on the team in scoring (13.6 ppg).  Buford had nine points in the game at Nebraska.  

Junior Katie Loberg, a 6-4 center, leads the team in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and blocked shots and adds 10.0 ppg.  She had seven points and eight rebounds in the earlier meeting with the Huskers. Junior Leah Cotton, a 5-8 guard, is Minnesota's defensive stopper.  She has started 17 games and averages 6.5 points per contest.  She had 10 points against the Huskers in three weeks ago.  In that game, 6-1 senior forward Jackie Voigt suffered a concussion in a collision with Brandi Jeffery.  Voigt has not played since that injury occurred.  Sophomore Kionna Kellogg has taken Voigt's spot in the lineup the past five games.  She averages 5.5 points per game.

Pam Borton is in her 10th season as Minnesota' head coach.  After 69 wins in four seasons at Vermont, she led the Golden Gophers to six NCAA Tournament appearances in her first six years in Minneapolis.  Her 2003 and 2005 teams reached the Sweet 16 while her 2004 team advanced to the Final Four with future WNBA stars Lindsay Whalen and Janel McCarville. 

While Nebraska is 0-3 all-time at the Williams Arena against Minnesota, the Huskers have won their last two games at 'The Barn'.  NU advanced to the 2010 Sweet 16 with wins over Northern Iowa and UCLA in Minneapolis.  Nebraska leads the all-time series 6-5.

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska women's basketball on the Husker Sports Network. Our radio broadcast Monday night begins with the Husker Courtside pre-game show at a special start time of 6:04 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on the Husker Sports Network, including Lincoln affiliate KBBK 107.3 FM (B107.3), KTWI 93.3 FM (The Wolf 93.3) in Omaha, 880 AM KRVN in Lexington, KCOW 1400 in Alliance, KWBE 1450 in Beatrice, 1230 KHAS in Hastings, 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