Huskers Battle Big Sky Champ Bengals

#21/#19 Nebraska Cornhuskers
(5-2, 0-0 Big Ten)
vs. Idaho State Bengals
(3-2, 0-0 Big Sky)
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2:05 p.m.
Bob Devaney Sports Center (Lincoln, Neb.)
Premium Internet Video: HuskersNside (premium subscribers of Huskers.com)
Free Internet Audio: Huskers.com
Radio: 25-Station IMG College Husker Sports Network
(PBP-Matt Coatney; Analyst-Jeff Griesch)
(107.3 FM-KBBK, Lincoln; 93.3 FM-KFFF, Omaha)
Promotion: Toys for Tots
Fans encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy or cash gift for local children to be collected at Devaney Center entrances by Marines.

Huskers Battle Big Sky Champ Bengals in Saturday Showdown
The No. 21 Nebraska women's basketball team takes on its third 2012 conference champion of the young season when NU faces Idaho State on Saturday afternoon at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Tip-off between the Huskers (5-2) and the reigning Big Sky Conference champion Bengals (3-2) is set for 2:05 p.m. at the Devaney Center. Tickets are on-sale now at Huskers.com.

The Husker Sports Network will provide a live radio broadcast of the game with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the call, including flagships B107.3 FM in Lincoln and The Wolf 93.3 FM in Omaha. A free live audio stream will also be available on Huskers.com. A live premium video stream will be available to subscribers of HuskersNside on Huskers.com.

Saturday's game will be Nebraska's annual Toys for Tots collection by the Marines at the Devaney Center. Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy or cash gift for the benefit of local children during the holiday season to be collected at the Devaney Center entrances.

Nebraska will be looking to bounce back from its first home loss of the season, a 90-71 setback to No. 11 Maryland on Wednesday night in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Huskers will also be looking for their first win over a 2012 conference champ, after losing to defending ACC Tournament champion Maryland and at 2012 Summit League champion South Dakota State on Nov. 18.

Idaho State will be the second of three straight conference champs and NCAA Tournament teams the Huskers face in an eight-day span, starting with Maryland and ending Wednesday, Dec. 5, at Missouri Valley champ Creighton.

Idaho State returns four starters and 13 letterwinners from a 2011-12 squad that won the Big Sky regular-season crown with a 14-2 league mark before winning the Big Sky Tournament title. The Bengals finished with a 24-8 overall record after a 70-41 loss to Miami in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Idaho State comes to Lincoln riding a three-game winning streak after a Thursday night win at South Dakota. ISU's only losses this season came at traditional Big 12 Conference powers Kansas State (62-54) and Kansas (52-36).

#21 Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-2, 0-0 Big Ten)
3 - Hailie Sample - 6-1 - So. - F - 6.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg
23 - Emily Cady - 6-2 - So. - F - 9.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg
35 - Jordan Hooper - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 16.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg
00 - Lindsey Moore - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 15.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg
24 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 3.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg
Off the Bench
13 - Brandi Jeffery - 5-7 - So. - G - 5.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg
1 - Tear'a Laudermill - 5-9 - So. - G - 4.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg
21 - Sadie Murren - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 3.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg
55 - Adrianna Maurer - 6-3 - Jr. - C - 2.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg 
14 - Katie Simon - 6-2 - So. - F - 2.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg
10 - Meghin Williams - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 2.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg
22 - Courtney Aitken - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
11th Season at NU (195-128); 23rd Season Overall (390-268)

Idaho State Bengals (3-2, 0-0 Big Sky)
22 - Ashleigh Vella - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 11.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg
24 - Cydney Horton - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 12.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg
4 - Kaela Oakes - 5-5 - Sr. - G - 8.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg
15 - Kara Jenkins - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 4.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg
30 - Lindsey Reed - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 12.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Off the Bench
11 - Jessa Jeppesen - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 4.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg
5 - Blaire Brady - 5-7 - So. - G - 2.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg
44 - Abyee Maracigan - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 2.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg
33 - Taylor Floyd - 6-0 - Sr. - F - 1.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg
20 - Rebecca Schrimpsher - 5-8 - So. - G - 0.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg
23 - Sheryl Bitter - 5-6 - Jr. - G - 3.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
14 - Anna Lee Policicchio - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
3 - Alissa Willard - 5-11 - Jr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
10 - Jessica Jensen - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 0.3 rpg
Head Coach: Seton Sobolewski (Northern Arizona, 2001)
Fifth Season at Idaho State (71-57); Fifth Season Overall (71-57)

Four Huskers Make 40th Straight Start Together vs. Maryland
Nebraska's four returning starters Lindsey Moore, Jordan Hooper, Emily Cady and Hailie Sample made their 40th consecutive start together on Wednesday in the loss to No. 11 Maryland. Since sophomores Cady and Sample have arrived on campus, they have started every game alongside Moore and Hooper.

Moore has made 105 consecutive starts dating back to the first game of her freshman season in 2009-10, while Hooper made her 71st straight start dating back to her first game as a freshman in 2010-11.

Moore to Join Another NU Top 10 with 106th Straight Start
Senior All-America candidate Lindsey Moore made the 105th consecutive start of her Nebraska career in the Huskers' loss to No. 11 Maryland on Nov. 28. The 5-9 point guard from Covington, Wash., has started every game of her Husker career since leading the Huskers to a perfect 29-0 regular-season record and the Big 12 title as a freshman in 2009-10.

Moore owns a 74-31 record as Nebraska's starting point guard and has guided the Huskers to a pair of NCAA Tournaments. With a start against Idaho State, Moore will make her 106th straight start and match Nebraska's 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings (1990-93) at No. 10 in overall career starts. Meggan Yedsena (1991-94) owns the Nebraska record for consecutive career starts, after she started all 120 games in her outstanding four-year career from 1990-91 through 1993-94. Yedsena is the only Husker in history to start every game of a four-year career.

Kelsey Griffin, a 2010 first-team All-American and a teammate of Moore's in 2009-10, owns the NU career record with 127 starts.

Moore's Minutes Could Be Unmatched in Husker History
In addition to challenging the Nebraska record for most consecutive starts and career starts in Husker history this season, Lindsey Moore is on pace to shatter the NU record for minutes played.

The 5-9 point guard from Covington, Wash., recently moved past Husker legends Karen Jennings (3,369) and Maurtice Ivy (3,327) on the Nebraska career minutes list. Moore enters the Idaho State game ranked No. 8 in career minutes played with 3,392 and is set to become just the eighth Husker in school history to play 3,400 career minutes.

By the end of next week, Moore could climb to No. 6 on the Husker career list ahead of current No. 7 Cathy Owen (3,434) and No. 6 Kiera Hardy (3,463).

Meggan Yedsena owns the NU record for minutes played with 3,995, and Moore is on pace to become the first Husker in history to compete in more than 4,000 minutes in a Nebraska uniform. Nicole Kubik ranks second in NU history with 3,798, while Amy Stephens ranks third with 3,742. Two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge ranks fifth in the Husker record book with 3,652 minutes played, while Jina Johansen rounds out the NU all-time top five with 3,581 minutes.

Hooper Approaching 1,200 Points, 600 Rebounds
All-American Jordan Hooper needs just eight points to become the 16th player in Nebraska history to score 1,200 career points. Hooper enters the Idaho State game at No. 16 on the NU career scoring list with 1,192 points after moving ahead of the Huskers' first-ever 1,000-point scorer, Jan Crouch (1,183) against Maryland on Wednesday. Hooper needs 51 points to catch Brooke Schwartz (1,243) in 15th.

Overall, the 6-2 junior forward from Alliance, Neb., needs just eight points and 29 rebounds to become the 10th Husker in history to produce 1,200 points and 600 rebounds in a career. That distinguished list in Nebraska history includes first-team All-Americans Karen Jennings (2,405 points/1,000 rebounds) and Kelsey Griffin (2,033/1,019), along with 1988 Big Eight Player-of-the-Year Maurtice Ivy (2,131/778). Two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge (1,859/804), Debra Powell (1,843/750), Kathy Hagerstrom (1,778/874), Angie Miller (1,541/661), Diane DelVigna (1,433/542), Cory Montgomery (1,378/627) and Janet Smith (1,284/1,280) are the only other Huskers in that elite group.

Yori Reaches Top of Husker Coaching Chart in Win Over Temple
Nebraska Coach Connie Yori became the winningest women's basketball coach in school history with NU's win over Temple on Nov. 11, 2012. The victory over the Owls increased Yori's win total to 192 at the start of her 11th season at Nebraska. She moved past former Husker Coach Angela Beck (1986-97) atop Nebraska's all-time win list. Beck posted a 191-128 record (.599) in 11 seasons at the helm of the Huskers.

The 2010 National Coach of the Year, Yori needs five more wins to become the first women's coach in Nebraska history to reach the 200-victory mark. Yori's NU mark is 195-128 (.604).

On the men's side, only Danny Nee and Joe Cipriano have produced 200 basketball victories at Nebraska. Nee won 254 games in 14 seasons coaching the Huskers from 1987 to 2000. Cipriano earned 253 wins in 17 seasons from 1964 to 1980.

Huskers Have History of Home-Opening Success
Nebraska owns a history of season-opening success on the Huskers' homecourt at the Devaney Center. Nebraska improved to 37-2 all-time in home openers, including 35-2 at the Devaney Center, with its 68-50 victory over North Carolina A&T on Nov. 9, 2012.

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 to Kansas (88-56) on Nov. 21, 1980.

Nebraska has been strong in its first six home games every season. In fact, NU is 199-33 over the past 39 years in its first six home contests (.858 winning percentage), including 33-6 in the second game of the season. The Huskers stretched their Game No. 2 winning streak to 13 games with a 64-39 win over Temple on Nov. 11, 2012.

Game No. 3 has traditionally provided the toughest test among the first six home contests for the Huskers, but NU has won six straight in Game No. 3 after an impressive 77-55 run past Northern Arizona in Lincoln on Nov. 16, 2012. NU improved to 33-6 all-time in game No. 4 with a 85-72 win over Sam Houston State, on Nov. 20, 2012, but suffered a rare Game No. 5 setback in a 90-71 loss to No. 11 Maryland on Nov. 28, 2012 to slip to 34-5 all-time in Game No. 5. NU produced its 15th straight victory in Game No. 6 with a 66-55 win over Creighton Dec. 8, 2011.

Scouting the Idaho State Bengals
Defending Big Sky Conference regular-season champion Idaho State comes to Lincoln riding a three-game winning streak after a 69-45 win at South Dakota on Thursday night.

The second of three consecutive 2012 conference champions to face the Huskers this week (also Maryland, ACC, Nov. 28; at Creighton, Missouri Valley, Dec. 5), Idaho State won the Big Sky regular-season crown with a 14-2 league mark last season. The Bengals finished with a 24-8 overall record under Coach Seton Sobolewski. The Bengals also won the Big Sky Tournament title and claimed the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, where they lost 70-41 to Miami in the first round.

Idaho State returns four starters and 13 letterwinners from last year's team, including seniors Ashleigh Vella and Kaela Oakes. Vella, a 6-1 forward, is averaging 11.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, and recently became the 15th player in Idaho State history to reach 1,000 career points. The Melbourne, Australia, native achieved the milestone in Idaho State's win over Boise State on Nov. 20. Vella enters Saturday's game at Nebraska with 1,013 points and 592 rebounds in her career.

Oakes, a 5-5 guard from Chandler, Ariz., contributed 11.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. One of 30 candidates for the 2013 Senior CLASS Award, Oakes was a first-team All-Big Sky selection last year and a member of the Big Sky All-Tournament team. Oakes is averaging 8.4 points and 2.4 rebounds this year.

Lindsey Reed, a 5-9 junior guard, gives the Bengals three returning players who averaged double figures last season with 10.7 points and 5.5 boards per game. Reed led the Bengals with a game-high 20 points, including 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range, in Thursday night's 69-45 win at South Dakota. She is averaging 12.0 points and 4.6 boards per game.

Cydney Horton, a 6-1 junior forward, pitched in 7.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore, but has been Idaho State's most productive player early this season. The reigning Big Sky Conference Player of the Week, Horton collected her second double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds in a win at Boise State on Nov. 20. She produced her first double-double of the year with 19 points and 10 boards in a win over Air Force on Nov. 17. Through five games, Horton is averaging a team-high 12.2 points while adding 8.0 rebounds per game. She also leads ISU with nine blocked shots after rejecting 47 shots a year ago.

Kara Jenkins, a 5-8 junior guard, has filled the fifth starting spot for Idaho State by averaging 4.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and a team-best 3.2 assists. Jenkins had 10 points and hit a pair of threes in Thursday's win at South Dakota.

The Bengals have utilized a deep bench that includes 6-2 senior forward Jessa Jeppesen, who is averaging 4.4 points and 3.4 boards per game, after contributing 5.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest last season. Another senior forward, 6-0 Taylor Floyd from Topeka, Kan., has added 1.6 points and 1.0 rebounds while making two starts early this season. Abyee Maracigan, a 5-9 senior guard, has added 2.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, while 5-7 sophomore guard Blaire Brady has pitched in 2.8 points and 0.8 rebounds per contest.

Nebraska vs. Idaho State Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Idaho State 1-0, after running to an 88-41 win over the Bengals on Nov. 19, 2009. Cory Montgomery led five Huskers in double figures with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Yvonne Turner added 14 points and five boards. All-American Kelsey Griffin also contributed 14 points, while Dominique Kelley pitched in 12 points and seven rebounds. Jessica Periago rounded out the Huskers in double figures with 11 points and four boards, while Catheryn Redmon notched eight points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Current Idaho State starters Ashleigh Vella (7 points) and Kaela Oakes (4 points) both earned starts for the Bengals.

No. 11 Terps, Thomas Power Past No. 21 Huskers
Lindsey Moore led No. 21 Nebraska with 17 points and five assists, but it wasn't enough to stop Alyssa Thomas and No. 11 Maryland from running to a 90-71 win over the Huskers in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at the Devaney Center on Wednesday.

Nebraska slipped to 5-2 with its second loss to a 2012 conference champion, while Maryland improved to 4-1 in front of 6,238 fans at the Devaney Center.

Thomas, a preseason All-American, led the Terrapins with 25 points, five rebounds, eight assists and six steals in 36 minutes. Fellow All-America candidate Tianna Hawkins added a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Laurin Mincy added 16 points, including 4-of-4 shooting from three-point range, before leaving the game with a leg injury with just over 15 minutes left in the second half.

Moore led the Huskers with 17 points, while Jordan Hooper added 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks for the Big Red. Sophomore Hailie Sample contributed nine points, six boards and three assists in a solid effort, while fellow sophomore forward Emily Cady contributed six points, seven boards and three assists. Husker freshman guard Rachel Theriot also put up the best numbers of her young career with six points, six rebounds and four assists against the Terps, while sophomore guard Tear'a Laudermill added eight points, three rebounds and two steals.

Nebraska worked its way to a 31-27 lead with five minutes left in the first half after back-to-back three-pointers from Moore and Theriot. But Maryland answered with an 11-2 run over the next 2:30 to regain a five-point lead. The Terrapins took a 46-37 lead into the locker room at halftime thanks to 13 points apiece from Thomas and Mincy, who hit all three of her three-point attempts in the opening period. Hawkins added eight points and seven rebounds in the first half to help the Terrapins.

Moore led the Huskers with eight points and five assists in the first half, while Sample pitched in seven points despite picking up three first-half fouls. Theriot, in her first career start, added six points, six rebounds and three assists in the first 20 minutes.

Although NU trailed by nine at the break, the Huskers hit 16-of-33 shots from the field, including 4-of-7 three-pointers. Maryland answered with 50 percent (19-38) shooting, including 5-of-9 shots from beyond the arc. In the second half, the Huskers hung within striking distance despite a frenetic pace from the physical Terrapins. Thomas controlled the flow of play at both ends of the court, but NU still trailed by nine at 55-46 after a Sample jumper with 14:50 to play.

Thomas answered with five straight points to push the Maryland margin to 14, but Hooper and Moore answered with four straight to cut the edge to 10 points with 12:33 left.

The Maryland lead remained at 10 with 11 minutes left before the Huskers forced a turnover and Moore missed a jumper with a chance to cut the lead to eight. Thomas got the rebound and found Hawkins for a layup at the other end. Hooper then had a clean look at a short jumper but drew back iron. Malina Howard cleared the board and moments later found Katie Rutan for a three-pointer to extend the Maryland margin to 69-54 with 9:31 left. The Huskers were unable to pull closer than 15 the rest of the way, as the Terps sealed their first-ever win in Lincoln.

Nebraska cooled off from the field in the second half, hitting just 33.3 percent (12-36) of its shots, including 2-of-6 threes. For the game, the Huskers finished 40.6 percent (28-69) from the floor, including a solid 6-of-13 (46.2 percent) from beyond the arc. NU finished the night just 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) at the free throw line.

Maryland finished 50.7 percent (35-69) from the field for the game and 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) from long range. The Terps also hit 13-of-18 free throws (72.2 percent).

Nebraska battled the nation's best rebounding team to a near draw. The Terps entered the game with a plus-28 average rebounding margin through four games, but edged NU just 41-40 on the boards. The Huskers also got 19 offensive rebounds compared to 16 for the Terps.

Nebraska Celebrates Final Basketball Season at Devaney Center
The Nebraska men's and women's basketball teams will celebrate their final season at the Bob Devaney Sports Center throughout the 2012-13 campaign. The Huskers will move into the new Pinnacle Bank Arena in downtown Lincoln in October of 2013. The arena, which is set for completion next fall, will become the new home of Husker men's and women's basketball in 2013-14.

As part of the festivities at the Devaney Center during 2012-13, the Huskers plan to highlight the greatest moments and greatest players in the 37-year history of the Devaney Center At each men's and women's basketball home game during the season, HuskerVision will produce a big screen feature showcasing one of the most memorable moments in men's and women's basketball history.

On the women's side, long-time Husker Sports Network basketball broadcasters Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch compiled the list along with Mike Babcock, who researched and wrote a detailed history of Husker women's basketball in 2000. The women's basketball moments range from Jan Crouch's 27-point performance on opening night on Nov. 12, 1976 to Lindsey Moore's triple-double on Jan. 2, 2011. They include championship celebrations in 1988 and 2010 and historic victories throughout the decades, while recognizing Husker legends such as Karen Jennings, Maurtice Ivy, Kelsey Griffin, Anna DeForge, Amy Stephens and more.

During the season, fans also will be able to join the discussion through social media, offering their most memorable moments at the Devaney Center.

The Nebraska Athletic Department has created a special "Devaney Center Final Season" logo that will be displayed on giant banners draped outside above the north and south entrances of the Devaney Center.

Hooper, Moore Earn Spots on Wade, Naismith, Wooden Lists
Junior Jordan Hooper and senior Lindsey Moore are being mentioned among the top players in the nation in 2012-13, and are candidates for the Wade, Naismith and Wooden awards.

Hooper and Moore were among 25 college players named to the 2012-13 preseason Wade Watch List, announced by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) on Sept. 18. They joined each other on the Preseason Wooden Award Top 30 on Nov. 9. They appeared on their first national player-of-the-year watch list together last season, when they were both included in the Naismith Midseason 32 and they earned spots on the 2013 Naismith Trophy Preseason Top 50 on Nov. 15.

Hooper and Moore are the first Husker teammates in history named to any of the three major national player-of-the-year watch lists at the same time.

In 2011-12, Hooper was an Associated Press Honorable-Mention All-American, while earning WBCA All-Region 6 honors. The 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., was also one of five first-team All-Big Ten selections, and a member of the Big Ten All-Tournament team after averaging 18.9 points and a Big Ten-best 9.3 rebounds per game.

Moore, a 5-9 point guard from Covington, Wash., was one of eight finalists for the 2012 Nancy Lieberman Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top point guard. Moore joined Hooper on the Big Ten All-Tournment Team and was a second-team All-Big Ten choice. Moore ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten in assists (5.1 apg), No. 5 in steals (2.2 spg) and No. 7 in scoring (15.7 ppg).

Former Nebraska All-American Karen Jennings won the Wade Trophy in 1993, while All-American Kelsey Griffin was a finalist for the Wade, Naismith and Wooden awards in 2010.

Hooper, Moore Earn Preseason All-Big Ten Honors
Nebraska's Jordan Hooper and Lindsey Moore captured All-Big Ten honors while the Huskers were picked to finish second in the conference, when preseason polls were announced by the Big Ten Oct. 25.

Hooper, a 6-2 junior forward from Alliance, Neb., was named to the preseason All-Big Ten team by both the conference coaches and media. In 2011-12, Hooper was one of five first-team All-Big Ten selections, while also earning Big Ten All-Tournament honors. She ranked third in the Big Ten in scoring (18.3 ppg), while leading the Big Ten in both rebounding (9.3 rpg) and double-doubles (14) last season.

Moore, a 5-9 senior point guard from Covington, Wash., was one of five preseason All-Big Ten picks by the conference media. Moore ranked No. 7 in the Big Ten in scoring (15.7 ppg), No. 2 in assists (5.1 apg) and No. 5 in steals (2.2 spg) in 2011-12. Moore earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior, while joining Hooper on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.

Defending regular-season champion Penn State was the choice of the coaches and the media to win the 2013 Big Ten title. The Huskers were picked second in both polls, while Purdue was the coaches' selection to finish third. Ohio State was the media's choice to finish third.

Huskers Load Up 2012-13 Schedule
Nebraska's 31-game regular-season schedule features 19 games against 2012 postseason squads. NU's schedule is highlighted by 13 games against 2012 NCAA Tourament teams, including a matchup with Elite Eight qualifier Maryland and two games with NCAA Sweet 16 Penn State. The Huskers played three games against 2012 WNIT teams and three contests against WBI participants.

The Huskers also play seven games against six teams that won conference titles in 2012. Maryland headlines the list of conference champs after claiming the 2012 ACC Tournament title. The Terps finished with a 31-5 record at No. 6 in the AP poll. NU also faces Big Ten regular-season champ Penn State twice and Big Ten Tournament champ Purdue once. In non-conference play, the Huskers tangle with Big Sky Conference champ Idaho State, Missouri Valley Conference champ Creighton and Summit League Conference champ South Dakota State.

Husker Non-Conference Schedule Offers Quality, Depth
Nebraska expects to face one of the toughest regular-season schedules in school history in 2012-13. NU's Strength of Schedule has ranked among the top 30 nationally in four of the past five seasons, and the Huskers could face a top-20 schedule in 2012-13. Six of Nebraska's non-conference opponents won 20 or more games last season, led by Maryland's 31.

Perhaps an even stronger indicator of the depth of Nebraska's schedule is that the Huskers will play 20 games against teams that won 18 or more games, while 12 of the Huskers' 13 non-conference opponents won at least 14 games a year ago.

Injuries Slow Down Huskers in Offseason
Nebraska's offseason has featured a laundry list of injuries up and down the roster. Nebraska's entire starting five played injured in the Huskers' NCAA Tournament loss to Kansas to end the 2011-12 season.

Emily Cady underwent offseason knee surgery, while Jordan Hooper and Hailie Sample each took extended rest to recover from stress reactions in their legs following NU's four games in four days at the Big Ten Tournament. Cady entered the season as one of the healthiest Huskers, while Hooper and Sample were limited by injuries. Lindsey Moore was slowed by a reoccurring injury, while NU's lone center Adrianna Maurer continues to recover from major back surgery in January of 2012. Senior forward Meghin Williams has been limited in practice throughout her four-year career by foot injuries.

Freshman guard Rachel Theriot missed nearly three weeks of practice with a stress reaction in her foot, bringing the list of Huskers severely limited in practice to seven on a daily basis.

Nebraska's other freshmen, Courtney Aitken and Sadie Murren, and sophomores Brandi Jeffery, Tear'a Laudermill and Katie Simon were healthy throughout fall practice.

Cady Leads Husker Sophomore Class
Emily Cady has produced a solid start to her second season in Nebraska's lineup. The 6-2 forward from Seward, Neb., is averaging 9.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.7 steals through seven games. She produced a 14-point, seven-rebound effort at USC, which followed an 18-point, six-rebound performance in a win over Sam Houston State on Nov. 20. She added a 13-point, seven-rebound, four-steal effort against Northern Arizona. She also had a five-point, 10-rebound performance against Temple, which marked the eighth double-digit rebound game in Cady's career. Cady has started 40 consecutive games to open her career.

In 2011-12, Cady captured Nebraska's first-ever spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team by producing 9.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game to go along with a team-leading 28 blocked shots in 2011-12. The 6-2 forward from Seward, Neb., increased her production in Big Ten play by averaging 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in regular-season conference play.

Cady also earned a spot on the honorable-mention All-Big Ten team from the conference media. She became the first Husker freshman since Meggan Yedsena in 1991 to earn a spot on an overall all-conference team. Yedsena is the only Husker in history to earn four spots on all-conference teams. Yedsena claimed honorable-mention All-Big Eight accolades in 1991, before capturing three second-team awards in 1992, 1993 and 1994.

Husker Starting Five Solid for 33 Straight Games in 2011-12
Nebraska put the same starting five on the floor for 33 consecutive games in 2011-12, a miraculous feat considering the injuries the Huskers battled on their way to a 13-18 record in 2010-11, and during the final month of 2011-12. All five of Nebraska's starters played with leg injuries at some point in 2011-12, including Jordan Hooper and Hailie Sample, who did not practice in the week leading up to NU's appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In addition, Emily Cady played the final month of the season with a knee injury suffered against Wisconsin on Feb. 19, and Lindsey Moore battled through a bone bruise just under her knee suffered against Northwestern on Feb. 16. Senior Kaitlyn Burke, who was granted a medical redshirt after being knocked out with multiple injuries in 2009-10, dealt with foot and leg injuries throughout the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

Despite the injuries, Nebraska's top five battled to start every game, marking the third time in 10 seasons that Coach Connie Yori's Huskers accomplished that feat. A consistent lineup throughout a full season is a rarity in college basketball. Nebraska, which was the only Big Ten team to feature the same starting five throughout 2011-12, was one of only three teams in the 2012 NCAA Tournament to start the same five for every game. Kansas State and BYU were the other two.

The 2006-07 Huskers featured the same starting five for 32 games on their way to a 22-10 season and the NCAA Tournament. Yori's 2003-04 Huskers also used the same starting five for 30 games on their way to an 18-12 season and a WNIT bid.

Moore, Hooper Climbing Nebraska Career Scoring List
Lindsey Moore and Jordan Hooper have flown up the Nebraska career scoring chart during their time as Huskers. Moore, a 5-9 senior guard from Covington, Wash., ranks No. 14 at Nebraska with 1,269 points. She needs 15 points to catch Janet Smith (1979-82) in 13th place.

Hooper, a 6-2 junior forward from Alliance, Neb., already ranks 16th all-time on the Husker scoring list with 1,192 points. Hooper needs 51 points to catch Brooke Schwartz (1997-2000) in 15th with 1,243 points. In 2011-12, Hooper became NU's first sophomore to reach 1,000 career points, achieving the mark in her 60th career game.

Moore One of Two Huskers with 1,200 Points, 500 Assists
Lindsey Moore is one of just two players in Nebraska history with 1,200 points and 500 assists, joining former Husker All-American Nicole Kubik (1997-00, 1,867 points, 563 assists).

Moore ranks No. 14 at Nebraska with 1,269 points and No. 4 in career assists with 538.

Hooper 12th Nebraska Native with 1,000 Points as Husker
Jordan Hooper is the most recent of 12 native Nebraskans among the the Huskers' 28 1,000-point scorers in school history. Hooper is also the second player from the town of Alliance, Neb., in NU's 1,000-point club, joining Amy Stephens (1,976, 1986-89).

Only two other towns in Nebraska have produced multiple 1,000-point scorers with Omaha supplying Maurtice Ivy (2,131, 1985-88), Janet Smith (1,284, 1979-82) and Yvonne Turner (1,101, 2007-10) and Lincoln providing Jan Crouch (1,183, 1976-79) and Dominique Kelley (1,107, 2008-11).

The other 1,000-point scorers from the state of Nebraska are: Nicole Kubik (Cambridge, 1,867, 1997-2000); Angie Miller (Clatonia, 1,541, 1984-87), Brooke Schwartz (Gering, 1,243, 1997-2000), Stacy Imming (Kearney, 1,036, 1984-87) and Charlie Rogers (South Sioux City, 1,001, 1997-2000).

Huskers Expect More Experience in 2012-13
Despite a 12-player roster that features five sophomores and three freshmen, Nebraska is still expected to showcase one of the Big Ten's most experienced starting lineups in 2012-13.

While featuring just one returning senior starter (Lindsey Moore) and one returning junior starter (Jordan Hooper), the Huskers expect to match Iowa for the third most returning starts with 228.

Only Penn State (303) and Northwestern (249) are expected to return more starts than Nebraska. While Nebraska will be more experienced, the Huskers match Northwestern and Michigan as the only schools in the Big Ten with just four players who have ever started a collegiate game. The other nine Big Ten schools all return at least five players with starting experience.

As a whole, the Big Ten is expected to be a more senior-dominated conference in 2012-13. The conference lost only seven seniors who earned all-conference honors in 2011-12, while returning 13 all-conference honorees. A total of 10 2011-12 juniors earned all-conference honors, and all five members of the Big Ten All-Defensive Team were drawn from the junior class.

Big Ten Returning Starts By School for 2012-13

• 1. Penn State (303) - Greene (98), Bentley (96), Nickson (59), Lucas (33), Edwards (9), Wolfe (8)
• 2. Northwestern (249) - Orban (99), Hackney (83), Diamant (38), Roser (29)
• T3. Iowa (228) - Johnson (94), Printy (88), Logic (30), Taylor (8), Dixon (7), Nesbitt (1)
• T3. Nebraska (228) - Moore (98), Hooper (64), Cady (33), Sample (33)
• 5. Illinois (203) - Penn (95), Moore (42), Magrum (32), Crawford (23), GodBold (11)
• 6. Michigan (202) - Ryan (96), Sheffer (62), Jordan (29), Elmblad (15)
• 7. Purdue (200) - Moses (64), Ostarello (38), Houser (37), Poston (24), Mingo (24), Williams (13)
• 8. Ohio State (185) - Hill (101), Adams (48), Stokes (33), Moore (2), Ferguson (1)
• 9. Indiana (162) - Sinclair (50), Chaplin (40), Newbauer (27), McGhee (23), Deloach (7), Rubene (7), McCurty (5)
• 10. Minnesota (149) - Loberg (53), Banham (34), Kellogg (30), Cotton (18), Noga (9), Riche (5)
• 11. Wisconsin (103) - Wurtz (59), Paige (36), Rochel (3), Smith (2), Stephen (2), Gulczynski (1)
• 12. Michigan State (99) - Thomas (34), Johnson (28), Schiffauer (17), Bell (11), Mills (9)

Hooper Hopes to Build Off Super Sophomore Campaign
Jordan Hooper became the first sophomore in school history to produce 600 points and 300 rebounds in the same season, finishing the 2011-12 campaign with 624 points and 306 boards. The 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., became just the fourth Husker ever to accomplish the feat.

Hooper, an honorable-mention AP All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten pick, set the Nebraska sophomore single-season scoring record with 624 points. She eclipsed the 609 points scored by Kiera Hardy in 2004-05. Hooper's 306 rebounds marked the third-highest total in school history by a sophomore, trailing only 372 by Janet Smith in 40 games in 1979-80) and 314 by Carol Garey in 36 games in 1978-79. Hooper's 9.3 rebounds per game matched Smith's sophomore record.

To give Hooper's productivity some more perspective, only one other sophomore in school history - Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-81) managed to score 500 points and grab 250 rebounds.

Hooper's sophomore production was on a similar level to the two most productive seasons in school history. Karen Jennings, the 1993 Wade Trophy winner and a first-team All-American, produced 810 points and 319 rebounds in 32 games as a junior in 1991-92. Kelsey Griffin, a finalist for every national player-of-the-year award in 2010 and a first-team All-American, produced 685 points and 354 rebounds in 34 games as a senior.

Moore Threatening Top of Nebraska Career Assist List
Lindsey Moore has climbed into Nebraska's career top five in assists with 538 (4th) as a Husker. The 5-9 point guard from Covington, Wash., needs 25 assists to catch former Husker All-American Nicole Kubik (1997-2000) in third on the career list with 563. Moore is just 29 assists from joining Jina Johansen (2002-05) at No. 2 on the Husker all-time chart with 567.

The Nancy Lieberman Award candidate needs 158 more assists to match Meggan Yedsena's school record of 696 assists from 1990-91 to 1993-94.

Last season, Moore dished out 167 assists in 33 games, while distributing 183 assists as a sophomore in 2010-11. She opened her career with 154 assists as a freshman in 2009-10.

Moore has produced a career-high 11 assists on four occasions (at Iowa, Jan. 8, 2012; Mississippi Valley State, Nov. 15, 2011; Florida A&M, Jan. 2, 2011; vs. UCLA, March 23, 2010).

Fastbreakers Announce Backboard Event Schedule
The Fastbreakers Booster Club has set the dates for three Backboard Events during the 2012-13 season. The events, which will be held in the northwest corner of the upper concourse at the Devaney Center, tipped off on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 5:30 p.m., 90 minutes before Nebraska's game against Maryland in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

The second Backboard Event will be held prior to Nebraska's Big Ten clash with Purdue on Saturday, Jan. 5. Tip time is set for 1 p.m., while the banquet begins at 11:30 a.m. This season's Backboard Events conclude with a luncheon prior to Nebraska's Big Ten regular-season finale with Penn State on March 3. The start times of the luncheon and game will be announced at a later date, after the Big Ten Network makes its television picks for the final two games of the season across the conference.

Each event 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 event is $15 per person, and spots must be reserved no later than one week in advance of the event, either on-line at www.Huskers.com/donate (online registration available for current Fastbreakers Club members only), by calling the Huskers Athletic Fund at (402) 472-2367.

Fastbreakers Announce Plans for Three Bus Trips
Fastbreakers followed the Huskers to their first road game of the season, when Nebraska took on South Dakota State in Brookings, S.D., on Sunday, Nov. 18. The chartered buses left Lincoln at 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 18 and arrived in Brookings for Nebraska's 2 p.m. tip-off with the Jackrabbits. Cost of the trip was $60 and included a sack lunch and beverages. Game tickets were not included in the price.

The Fastbreakers will also take a bus to Omaha for Nebraska's annual clash with Creighton on Wednesday, Dec. 5. The bus leaves Lincoln at 5 p.m. for the Huskers' 7:05 p.m. tip-off at Sokol Arena with the Jays. The cost of the trip is $20 per person, and the price does not include a game ticket.

The final road trip of the season is set for Nebraska's appearance at the Big Ten Tournament March 7-10 in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The Fastbreakers will leave Lincoln for the Chicago area on Wednesday, March 6 and will return following the Huskers' appearance at the tournament. The cost of bus ride is $170, and does not include game tickets. Beverages on the bus are included in the price, but no meals are included.

For more details on the 2012-13 Fastbreaker Bus Trips, contact Doug Fry at dfry5@neb.rr.com or call (402) 617-7039. All trips must be booked and paid for two weeks prior to departure.

Hooper Puts Up Double-Doubles at Record Rate
Jordan Hooper passed two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge by producing her 19th career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds in Nebraska's 85-72 win over Sam Houston State on Nov. 20. It was her second double-double in six games in 2012-13, joining a 12-point, 14-rebound performance in the Huskers' win over Temple on Nov. 11.

Hooper led the Big Ten and ranked among the top 25 players nationally with 14 double-doubles in 2011-12. Hooper, who produced double figures in 32 of Nebraska's 33 games, produced 14 double-figure rebounding performances as a sophomore.

Hooper's 14 double-doubles ranked as the third-highest single-season total in school history, trailing only first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin's 20 in 2009-10, and Nafeesah Brown's 16 in 1993-94. Griffin and Brown were both seniors when they produced their impressive double-figure totals.

Hooper became just the fifth player in Nebraska history to post double-figure double-doubles in a season, joining Griffin (10, 2006-07, 20, 2009-10), Brown (16, 1993-94), Karen Jennings (13, 1990-91, 13, 1991-92), Maurtice Ivy (10, 1985-86) and Carol Garey (10, 1978-79).

Hooper, a 6-2 junior forward from Alliance, Neb., has produced double-doubles in five of her last 10 games. She had 25 points and 10 rebounds in the Big Ten Championship Game loss to No. 21 Purdue on March 4. She added 21 points and 10 rebounds against No. 14 Ohio State in the Big Ten semifinals March 3, and 15 points and 10 boards in little more than a half against Iowa on March 2.

Hooper produced arguably her most eye-popping double-double with 19 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in NU's win over Wisconsin Feb. 19, 2012. Her 18 boards tied for the 12th-highest total in school history and were the most by a Husker since Charlie Rogers grabbed 20 against Drake on Dec. 2, 1999.

Hooper added back-to-back double-doubles with 22 points and 15 rebounds against Iowa Jan. 26, and 12 points and 16 rebounds at Illinois Jan. 29. She notched double-doubles in a personal-best four straight games from Dec. 18, 2011 to Jan. 5, 2012.

Huskers Climb to No. 21 in AP Poll after Win at USC
Nebraska moved up two spots to No. 21 in the Associated Press Poll on Nov. 26, following wins over Sam Houston State (Nov. 20) and at USC (Nov. 23).

NU's appearance in the third regular-season AP poll continued the Huskers' school-record streak of 18 consecutive weeks in the AP rankings. NU's previous longest stretch in the AP rankings came with 14 weeks in 2009-10.

Nebraska's 2012-13 schedule is littered with top competition receiving votes in the preseason AP poll. Maryland, which comes to the Devaney Center on Nov. 28 for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, was ranked No. 11 in this week's AP poll.

Preseason Big Ten favorite Penn State, which the Huskers play twice (Jan. 13, March 3) remained firm at No. 6 in the AP poll, while Purdue held steady at No. 14 in the writers' poll. Ohio State, which the Huskers play two times (Jan. 31, Feb. 14) this season, moved up one spot to No. 15.

In addition to those six games against top-25 foes, the Huskers will also face Florida State (Dec. 8) and Iowa (Feb. 11, Feb. 24), who both earned votes in this week's AP rankings.

Yori's Huskers Own Success Against Top 25 Foes
Nebraska has made a habit of knocking off top-25 opponents during Connie Yori's 10 seasons at the helm. In fact, the Huskers' win last season over No. 14 Ohio State on March 3, 2012, marked Nebraska's 25th win over an AP Top 25 foe under Yori

The Huskers also defeated No. 8 Ohio State (Feb. 26), which marked NU's sixth victory over a top-10 foe under Yori. Prior to Yori's arrival at Nebraska in 2002-03, the Huskers owned just one win over a top 10 opponent in school history.

NU produced five wins over AP Top 25 teams (at game time) last season, including a 93-89 triple overtime win at No. 15 Purdue (Feb. 2). The Huskers also knocked off No. 16 Penn State (Dec. 30) on the road in their first-ever Big Ten Conference game, while defeating No. 23 USC (Nov. 18) at the Devaney Center.

In 2009-10, the Huskers set the school single-season mark with eight wins over top-25 teams. NU's top-25 wins that season came against No. 5 LSU, No. 9 Baylor, No. 10 Oklahoma State, No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 13 Iowa State, No. 16 Iowa State, No. 22 UCLA. The win over No. 9 Baylor and freshman Brittney Griner, was Nebraska's first-ever road win over a top-10 team. The Huskers' three wins over top-10 foes in 2009-10, matched Nebraska's previous total from the previous 35 seasons.

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.

Nebraska's History of Success at Home
The Huskers produced a 13-3 record at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2011-12. Since the Devaney Center opened in 1976-77, the Huskers are 379-127 (.749) in games played in the arena, including 141-85 (.624) in conference games. Since 2003-04, NU is 115-31 (.788) at the Devaney Center.

NU has posted double-figure home victory totals in nine consecutive seasons, including a perfect 16-0 mark in 2009-10. NU was 11-4 at home in 2010-11. The Huskers are 4-1 at the Devaney Center in 2012-13.

Big Ten Network Providing Major Exposure for Huskers
For the second consecutive season, Nebraska expects to have every regular-season and postseason game available in video form for Husker fans to follow all the action.

For the first time in school history in 2011-12, all 33 games played by the Huskers were delivered by national television or live video streams to Husker fans. In 2012-13, Nebraska expects its highest level of national TV exposure in school history, while adding two outstanding alternative video streaming sources.

Overall, the Huskers expect to have a minimum of 10 regular-season games televised nationally, including seven by the Big Ten Network and BTN2Go.com. Nebraska's battle with Purdue will be televised nationally by CBS on Jan. 5, while the Huskers' clash with Penn State on Jan. 13 will be carried live on ESPN2. NU's non-conference road game at USC (Nov. 23) will be televised by the Pac-12 Network. Nebraska's final two games of the year at Wisconsin and at home against Penn State could also be picked up by the Big Ten Network.

The Big Ten Network will also distribute at least nine other Nebraska women's basketball games through live video streams on BTN.com. For complete television and live-stream listings, 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.

HuskersNside also plans to provide Husker fans more video streaming opportunities on the Internet. Nebraska's premium site on Huskers.com streamed NU's exhibition finale against Nebraska-Kearney (Nov. 4), before streaming the season opener against North Carolina A&T (Nov. 9). Non-conference home games against Northern Arizona (Nov. 16), Idaho State (Dec. 1), Florida State (Dec. 8) and Grambling State (Dec. 29) also will be streamed through HuskersNside.

Nebraska's road game at South Dakota State (Nov. 18) was also streamed to HuskersNside subscribers through a video share with GoJacks.com. Similar stream shares could occur with Creighton (Dec. 5) and South Florida (Dec. 16) through their premium websites. All three schools share NeuLion as an Internet partner, which could allow those streams to become part of the HuskersNside women's basketball package.

Visit the following link - https://www.nmnathletics.com/PremiumVideo.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=100 - to subscribe to HuskersNside. Monthly packages are available on HuskersNside for $12.95, while a special women's basketball package is available now for $29.95. Four-month passes are on sale for $39.95, while year-long passes are just $54.95.

Huskers Smashed School Three-Point Record Again in 2011-12
The 2011-12 Huskers produced another record-setting three-point season, connecting on 230 threes on a record 759 attempts. Nebraska led the Big Ten with 7.0 made threes per game, matching the school-record the Huskers set in 2010-11.

Nebraska's 230 threes surpassed the 225 the 2009-10 Huskers hit. NU's 759 attempts shattered the previous school recored of 661 also set in 2009-10.

The Huskers hit seven or more threes in 17 of 33 games in 2011-12 (UAPB-9, MVSU-14, at Florida State-9, UTPA-7, Northern Arizona-10, Vermont-8, South Dakota State-8, at Iowa-10, Penn State-7, at Ohio State-7, Minnesota-8; at Purdue-13; Michigan-9; Minnesota-8; Northwestern (Big Ten)-9; Iowa (Big Ten)-7; Ohio State (Big Ten)-9).

NU hit a season-best 14 three-pointers on 26 attempts against Mississippi Valley State, which marked the second-highest total in school history. It trailed only the 17 threes the Huskers hit against Vermont (17-33) to open the 2010-11 season. They added the third-best mark by draining 13-of-34 threes on the road in an epic 93-89 triple-overtime victory at No. 15 Purdue on Feb. 2. Nebraska also connected on 10-of-19 threes in a win at Iowa on Jan. 8, after hitting 10-of-22 threes at Northern Arizona on Dec. 10. Nebraska attempted a school-record 37 threes in the loss to Michigan Feb. 9, while connecting on 9. NU went 8-for-22 in the second half against the Wolverines.

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 nine three-point shooting seasons in school history. Before Yori's arrival, no Husker team had hit more than 132 threes in a season, or attempted more than 437.

Hooper Leads Assault on Husker Three-Point Records
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) in 2010-11, and drained 67 more threes in 2011-12, which is the second-best total by a sophomore in Nebraska history. Hooper's 2011-12 season total trailed only Kiera Hardy's school-record total of 85 set during her sophomore campaign in 2004-05.

In 71 career games, Hooper has hit 150 three-pointers to rank fourth on the Nebraska career list. She needs just five more to catch Anna DeForge (1995-98) on the Huskers career chart with 155. DeForge went on to become one of the most prolific three-point shooters in WNBA history. Hooper is more than halfway to Kiera Hardy's NU career mark of 267.

In 2010-11, Hooper tied the Nebraska single-game record with seven three-pointers at Missouri on Feb. 2, 2011. She scored 31 points against the Tigers, including 28 on six threes in the second half alone.

Hooper Plays Beast on Boards
Jordan Hooper led the Big Ten and ranked among the nation's top rebounders with 9.3 boards per game as a sophomore in 2011-12.

Her 18-rebound effort in a win over Wisconsin on Feb. 19 put her in rare company in the Nebraska record books, tying for the 12th-highest single-game total in school history. It also marked the best rebound total by a player in Coach Connie Yori's first 11 seasons at Nebraska. It was also the highest total by a Husker since Charlie Rogers grabbed 20 rebounds against Drake on Dec. 2, 1999.

Hooper's 18-board performance represented her third time in seven games with 15 or more rebounds. She became just the seventh player in Husker history to grab 15 or more rebounds three times in a career. and just the sixth Husker to pull down 15 or more boards three times in a season, joining Janet Smith, Carol Garey, Nafeesah Brown, Pyra Aarden and most recently, Keasha Cannon-Johnson (2001-02).

In back-to-back games last season, Hooper grabbed 15 rebounds in a win over Iowa (Jan. 26), before ripping down 16 boards in a victory at Illinois (Jan. 29). She joined Smith and Aarden as the only Huskers to pull down 15 or more boards in back-to-back games.

Sample Joined Cady as Freshmen in 2011-12 Starting Five
Hailie Sample joined Emily Cady as freshman forwards in Nebraska's starting five for all 33 games in 2011-12. Cady and Sample became the first Husker freshman tandem in history to start every game together in a season. In fact, only seven freshmen in school history prior to 2011-12 had ever started every game in a season for NU, including current Husker senior Lindsey Moore (school-record 34 starts, 2009-10) and junior Jordan Hooper (31 starts, 2010-11).

Two other freshmen have started every game under Coach Connie Yori, including forward Kelsey Griffin (32 starts, 2005-06) and guard Dominique Kelley (33 starts, 2007-08). The only other freshmen in NU history to start every game were Meggan Yedsena (28 starts, 1990-91), Angie Miller (28 starts, 1983-84) and Jan Crouch (31 starts, 1975-76).

Pinnacle Bank Arena to Provide New Home to Huskers in 2013-14
Nebraska continues preparations to move into its new home for men's and women's basketball - Pinnacle Bank Arena - next season. Construction on the $179 million arena has marched ahead of schedule with favorable building conditions for more than a year.

The Huskers will continue to call the new Hendricks Training Complex home for practice, while the Nebraska volleyball, wrestling and gymnastics team will call the Devaney Center home for competition.

The arena project was approved by voters in May 2010. Pinnacle Bank Arena is expected to open in the fall of 2013. Nebraska men's and women's basketball teams will be the primary tenants of the 470,400-square-foot facility, which can hold nearly 15,000 fans for Husker hoops.

As the exclusive sponsor of the arena and arena site, the new arena website will be PinnacleBankArena.com. The agreement also calls for Pinnacle Bank to receive: three exterior signs; the Pinnacle Bank Arena logo on the center-hung scoreboard, public exterior doors and adjacent light pole banners; signs on the main and upper concourses; use of a center court suite and use of the arena for two days per year; and three locations for ATM machines in the arena.

Huskers Made New Home at Hendricks Complex in 2011-12
The Nebraska men's and women's basketball and wrestling programs moved into their new homes at the Hendricks Training Complex in October of 2011.

The 80,000-square foot facility adjacent to the Bob Devaney Sports Center 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 $18.7 million facility 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-a-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.

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 women's lounge features three 65-inch televisions and a unique LED bubble wall. The Huskers have a custom locker room with iPads built into the lockers, as well as custom back-lit displays.

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.

Huskers Worked Overtime for Wins in 2011-12
Nebraska went 2-1 in overtime in 2011-12, and the three extra-long games went a combined seven overtimes. The seven overtimes were the most the Huskers played in a single season in school history, and marked the first time that NU played multiple multi-overtime games in the same season.

The Huskers' 93-89 3OT win at No. 15 Purdue on Feb. 2, was the first road triple-overtime game in school history and marked the second overall 3OT game (NU 103, Baylor 99 3OT, Jan. 12, 2005). Nebraska added a 74-70 double-overtime loss against the Boilermakers in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament on March 4 in Indianapolis, Ind.

Nebraska notched a 97-88 double-overtime win at Northern Arizona on Dec. 10. The wins at NAU and Purdue marked the first time in school history that Nebraska won two true road overtime games in the same season.

The Huskers have played 35 overtime games in school history, but just six multi-overtime games, with three of those coming in 2011-12. NU is 5-1 all-time in multi-overtime games, and 18-17 overall in OT. The Huskers are 5-3 in OT in Coach Connie Yori's 10 seasons at NU. The last time Nebraska won two overtime games in the same season was 1995-96, when the Huskers went 2-1, including a double-overtime win against Colorado. NU went 3-0 in overtime games in 1975-76, with all three of those games coming against non-Division I teams on neutral courts.

Husker Sports Network, Huskers.com Carries NU World-Wide
The Husker Sports Network and Nebraska women's basketball have teamed up for well over a decade to take every game, home and away, around the world for free on Huskers.com.

In addition to carrying every women's basketball free on Huskers.com, the Husker Sports Network flagship stations B107.3 FM-KBBK (Lincoln) and The Wolf 93.3 FM-KFFF (Omaha) provide strong FM signals for Husker women's basketball and volleyball. 880-AM-KRVN (Lexington) also provides a huge AM signal statewide in central Nebraska, while more than 20 stations have joined the Husker Sports Network's women's basketball coverage across the state.

The Husker Sports Network is in its 18th season of producing and marketing the live broadcasts of Nebraska women's basketball in 2011-12. Women's basketball play-by-play announcer Matt Coatney and color commentator Jeff Griesch are in their 12th year together as the Huskers' broadcast team.

Catch Coach Yori's Radio Show on the Husker Sports Network
Nebraska Coach Connie Yori will appear on the Husker Sports Network regularly throughout the season with host Matt Coatney for the Connie Yori Radio Show. The show will begin with a regular, one-hour segment on the popular Sports Nightly Radio Show in December. The first show is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. (CST). The show will air regularly on either Monday or Tuesday nights at either 7 or 8 p.m., depending on conflicts with other live events on the network. A tentative schedule for the show can be found below.

• Date - Upcoming Opponents - Time
• Monday, Dec. 10 - at South Florida (Dec. 16) - 8 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 17 - Oral Roberts (Dec. 20) - 8 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 24 - Grambling State (Dec. 29) - 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, Jan. 8 - at Indiana (Jan. 10) / at Penn State (Jan. 13) - 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Jan. 15 - Illinois (Jan. 17) / at Minnesota (Jan. 20) - 7 p.m.
• Monday, Jan. 21 - Michigan State (Jan. 24) - 8 p.m.
• Monday, Jan. 28 - at Ohio State (Jan. 31) / Minnesota (Feb. 3) - 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, Feb. 5 - at Northwestern (Feb. 7) / at Iowa (Feb. 11) - 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Feb. 12 - Ohio State (Feb. 14) - 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Feb. 19 - at Michigan (Feb. 21) / Iowa (Feb. 24) - 7 p.m.
• Monday, Feb. 25 - at Wisconsin (Feb. 28) / Penn State (March 3) - 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 5 - at Big Ten Tournament (March 7-10) - 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 12 - Season Review/Postseason Preview - 7 p.m.
• Monday, March 18 - Postseason Preview (NCAA Selection 6 p.m.) - 7 p.m.

Bank of the West Coach Connie Yori Show
The Bank of the West Coach Connie Yori Show is back for its 11th season in 2012-13, providing in-depth analysis and outstanding features in the year-long coverage of Nebraska women's basketball. Coach Yori and host Jeff Griesch will discuss the highlights, which begins in November and continues throughout the season. The show will be available on Time Warner Cable On-Demand this season, and also will be available free world-wide on Huskers.com.

My TV (10.2/11.2) will distribute the show in Lincoln and Grand Island, while Huskers.com will have new shows available on Tuesdays during the season.

Spencer Municipal Utilities in Spencer, Iowa, will also carry the show on SMU-3, each Thursday at 10 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 10 p.m. each week.

The first Connie Yori Show will be available on Huskers.com on Thursday, Nov. 8. Shows throughout the season will be available on Huskers.com on Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Dec. 11, Dec. 25, Jan. 8, Jan. 15, Jan. 22, Jan. 29, Feb. 5, Feb. 19, Feb. 26, March 5 and either March 12 or March 19.

There will be no show on Dec. 18, Jan. 1 or Feb. 12.

Havers, Tvrdy, Ramacieri Feel at Home as Huskers
Nebraska women's basketball coach Connie Yori announced the signing of three talented prep stars to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, Nov. 14, to join the Huskers for the 2013-14 season.

Allie Havers, Hannah Tvrdy and Esther Ramacieri will join the Huskers in 2013-14 hoping to continue Nebraska's tradition of postseason play. Havers, a 6-5 senior forward from Mattawan High School in Michigan, will bring outstanding height, length and athleticism to the Huskers. Tvrdy, one of the winningest players in Nebraska High School history from prep power Seward, adds another player with a point guard's mentality to the Husker backcourt. Ramacieri adds international flavor to the Husker class, as the fourth Canadian to sign with Nebraska in 11 seasons under Yori.

"We're excited about the addition of Hannah, Allie, and Esther to our Husker family," Yori said. "They all are hard-working kids who fit in our system both on and off the court."

Allie Havers
6-5, Forward, Paw Paw, Mich. (Mattawan)
Ranked as the No. 76 overall player in the nation, Allie Havers earned first-team Michigan Class A honors from the Associated Press and Detroit Free Press in 2012. A first-team All-South Michigan Athletic Conference selection each of her first three seasons at Mattawan High School for Coach Troy Wright, the 6-5 Havers was also the Kalamazoo Area Player of the Year in 2012.

As a junior at Mattawan, Havers averaged 17.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.3 blocks, 1.6 steals and 1.3 assists for the 16-7 Wildcats. She shot 50 percent from the field, including 31 percent from three-point range, while knocking down 77 percent of her free throws.

An excellent all-around athlete who has shown guard skills on the court to go along with her 6-5 frame, Havers competed for the Michigan Crossover club team coached by Emez Oliver. Havers was also a four-year letterwinner as a middle blocker/hitter on the Mattawan volleyball team, earning honorable-mention Under Armour All-America accolades as a senior. The first-team Class A all-state selection, was a nominee for Miss Volleyball in the state of Michigan. She also earned three letters as a pitcher and shortstop for the softball team, earning first-team Class A all-state recognition as a shortstop.

"We like versatile and athletic players in our program and Allie Havers fits that mold perfectly," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "She can do multiple things for our basketball team with her ability to run the floor, score in the paint or face up away from the basket. She will be one of the more athletic players on our roster. Her upside is tremendous, and with our strength and conditioning program and the opportunity to focus on just one sport, we think she will thrive at Nebraska. Her future is very bright here."

Havers said she chose Nebraska over Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Green Bay and Iowa State.

"I really like the facilities, but what I really got attached to was the people," Havers said. "All of the girls are hilarious and really nice. I also loved the coaches. They were great. So it was really the people for me."

Hannah Tvrdy 
5-9, Guard, Seward, Neb. (Seward)
A four-year starting guard for Nebraska prep power Seward High School, Hannah Tvrdy committed to Nebraska before her junior season for the Bluejays in 2011-12. Hannah's father, Tom, is the head coach at Seward, while her mother, Shelly (Block) was a letterwinner for the Huskers (1984-87). Shelly and Hannah will be the first mother-daughter combination in the history of Nebraska women's basketball.

As a junior in 2011-12, Tvrdy was named the honorary captain of the Class B first-team all-state squad after leading Seward to its fourth consecutive Nebraska Class B state championship with its third straight unbeaten season. The second-team Lincoln Journal Star Super-Stater averaged 15.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as a junior. Tvrdy earned second-team Class B all-state honors as a sophomore after averaging 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in 2010-11. She earned honorable-mention Class B all-state accolades as a freshman starter in 2009-10. She has helped the Bluejays extend their winning streak to 101 consecutive games entering her senior season in search of the school's fifth straight Class B state title. She played her first two seasons alongside current Husker sophomore Emily Cady at Seward.

Tvrdy, who was rated by ESPN as the No. 28 point guard in the nation in the class of 2013, was a teammate of Cady's and current Husker guard Sadie Murren on the Cornhusker Shooting Stars club team coached by Dan Lesoing. Hannah's father Tom was also an assistant coach for the Shooting Stars.

"Hannah is an unselfish guard with size. She can rebound and shoot and she has that 'Nebraska' blue-collar work ethic and toughness that we like," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "She has been well-coached and is accustomed to competing for and winning championships. She is former teammates with some of our current Huskers, and that will help ease her transition to the Division I level."

Tvrdy said she chose Nebraska because it felt like home.

"When I visited I instantly fell in love with the program," Tvrdy said. "The coaches are wonderful, and I know they will push me every day to become a better player. When I met the team I knew I could fit in and have a great time playing with them. It just felt right, and I knew it was my future home."

Esther Ramacieri 
5-8, Guard, Repentigny, Canada
(Felix Leclerc/Dawson College)
Esther Ramacieri was the final commit to the Huskers' three-player recruiting class, choosing Nebraska in September after her official visit. Ramacieri is entering her second season of CEGEP at Dawson College. She will have four years of eligibility at Nebraska. Ramacieri helped Dawson to a first-place finish at Quebec's Provincial Championships in 2011-12 and a silver medal finish at the CCAA National Championships. She averaged 7.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, while helping Dawson to an 18-2 record.

Ramacieri was chosen as Felix Leclerc High School's athlete of the year four times. She was also selected as the most valuable player of her Dawson Community Blues club team in both 2009 and 2010. In 2010-11, Ramacieri started all 26 games for the Blues and averaged 16.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game for Coach Terri Neill. Ramacieri played on bronze medal-winning teams for Quebec at the 2011 Canadian U-17 Championships and the 2008 Canadian U-15 Championships. She also helped her Lanaudiere club team to a silver medal at the 2007 Quebec Games. She served as the official flag bearer for Lanaudiere at the 2010 Quebec Games in Gatineau.

"On offense we like to play fast and Esther is an up-tempo type of guard," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "Esther is a good on-ball defender and excels at pushing the ball in transition, which makes her a great fit for our system. She is athletic, competitive, an excellent ball-handler, and a hard worker. She can score off the dribble or shoot the three. She will help provide immediate depth in our backcourt."

Ramacieri will become the fourth Canadian to compete for the Huskers in women's basketball, following 2012 Canadian Olympian Chelsea Aubry (2004-07), Kaitlyn Burke (2008-12) and Harleen Sidhu (2009-12).

"I chose Nebraska because it was the best fit for me, as far as the school, academics, coaches and players," Ramacieri said. "Once I came on the visit, I knew there was no other place that could compare to Nebraska. It felt like I was a part of a family. I've wanted to play basketball in the states ever since I was six years old, so finding a perfect fit for me was a dream come true. Nebraska was the only place that felt like home."