Huskers Set for Battle with Badgers

#22 Nebraska Cornhuskers
(15-5 Overall, 5-3 Big Ten)
Wisconsin Badgers
(10-11 Overall, 3-6 Big Ten)
Wednesday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m. (Central)
Kohl Center (Madison, Wis.)
NCAA Lincoln Regional Tickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Radio: 25-Station IMG College Husker Sports Network
(PBP-Matt Coatney; Analyst-Jeff Griesch)
107.3 FM KBBK-Lincoln; 93.3 FM KFFF-Omaha
Free Live Audio: Huskers.com  
Live Premium Video: BTN.com All-Access

Huskers Focused on Big Ten Road Battle with Badgers
The Nebraska women’s basketball team opens its second half of Big Ten Conference play by closing a two-game road swing at Wisconsin on Wednesday.

Tip-off between the Huskers (15-5, 5-3 Big Ten) and the Badgers (10-11, 3-6 Big Ten) is set for 7 p.m. (CT) with live radio coverage provided by the Husker Sports Network. Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will call the action on flagships B107.3 FM in Lincoln and the Wolf 93.3 FM in Omaha. Free live audio is available on Huskers.com. Live premium video also will be provided to subscribers of BTN.com All-Access.

The Huskers head to the Kohl Center in Madison after producing their best back-to-back performances of the season. Nebraska stormed to an 84-51 home win over Michigan last Wednesday, before running to an 80-67 road win at Iowa on Saturday afternoon. The Big Red got huge performances from All-American Jordan Hooper and Tear’a Laudermill in both games.

Hooper, who last week became just the third Husker and fifth Big Ten player in history to reach the combined milestones of 2,000 points and 1,000 career rebounds, averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the wins. The 6-2 senior forward from Alliance, Neb., produced double-doubles in both games to increase her Big Ten-leading season total to 10. Her 36 career double-doubles are tied for second in Husker history with 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings, trailing only 2010 All-American Kelsey Griffin’s school-record 40. The reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, Hooper heads to Wisconsin averaging 19.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

Laudermill, a 5-9 junior from Riverside, Calif., continued her emergence as one of the Big Ten’s most explosive guards. After tying her career high for the second straight game with 18 points in the mid-week win over Michigan, Laudermill torched the Hawkeyes for a career-high 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. She tied her career high with four three-pointers, while adding four rebounds and three assists.

Over the last three games, Laudermill is averaging 20.7 points per game while connecting on 10-of-17 three-pointers. She ranks second among the Huskers with 27 three-pointers on the season, including 44.4 percent (16-36) shooting in Big Ten play. Laudermill is averaging 13.5 points per game in league action.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (15-5, 5-3 Big Ten)
3 - Hailie Sample - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 6.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg
23 - Emily Cady - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 13.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg
35 - Jordan Hooper - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 19.7 ppg, 10.1 rpg
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - So. - G - 12.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg
1 - Tear’a Laudermill - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 10.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Off the Bench
13 - Brandi Jeffery - 5-7 - Jr. - G - 4.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg
22 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - Fr. - C - 3.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg
21 - Sadie Murren - 5-8 - So. - G - 3.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg
10 - Hannah Tvrdy - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 1.6 ppg, 0.5 rpg
11 - Esther Ramacieri - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 0.1 ppg, 0.5 rpg
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
12th Season at NU (230-140); 24th Season Overall (425-280)

Wisconsin Badgers (10-11, 3-6 Big Ten)
10 - Dakota Whyte - 5-8 - So. - G - 6.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg
5 - Morgan Paige - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 12.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg
2 - Taylor Wurtz - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 12.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg
35 - Jacki Gulczynski - 6-1 - Jr. - G/F - 8.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg
25 - Michala Johnson - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 16.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg
Off the Bench
4 - Nicole Bauman - 5-10 - So. - G - 5.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg
22 - Tessa Cichy - 6-0 - So. - G - 1.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg
3 - AnnMarie Brown - 6-0 - Jr. - G/F - 1.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg
24 - Malayna Johnson - 6-4 - Fr. - F/C - 0.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg
00 - Shannon Malone - 6-1 - So. - F - 0.5 ppg, 0.4 rpg
Head Coach: Bobbie Kelsey (Stanford, 1996)
Third Season at UW (31-50); Third Season Overall (31-50)

Husker Hot Shots - Nebraska’s Starting Five
#35, Jordan Hooper, 6-2, Sr., F, Alliance, Neb. (19.7 ppg, 10.1 rpg)
• Senior All-American Jordan Hooper has become the third Husker and fifth Big Ten player in history to reach the combined career milestones of 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Hooper averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists last week to earn her eighth career Big Ten Player-of-the-Week award. She has pushed her career totals to 2,078 points and 1,013 rebounds.

• Hooper ranks third on the Nebraska career scoring list with 2,078 points and needs 53 points to catch Maurtice Ivy (2,131) in second on NU’s scoring list. Karen Jennings, the 1993 Wade Trophy winner from Persia, Iowa, owns the Husker career mark with 2,405 points.

• Hooper ranks third on the Nebraska career rebound chart and needs just six boards to catch Kelsey Griffin in second with 1,019. Janet Smith owns the NU career record with 1,280 rebounds.

• Hooper owns 36 career double-doubles, tying 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings in second on the NU all-time list. Hooper needs four to tie Griffin’s school-record 40. Hooper leads the Big Ten lead with 10 double-doubles this season.

• Hooper carries a 3.45 GPA as a psychology major. She is scheduled to graduate in May. Hooper is also a Senior CLASS Award candidate.

• Hooper ranks No. 15 in Big Ten history with 2,078 points and needs 11 points to catch Ashley Berggren  (2,089, Illinois, 1995-98) in 14th. Hooper is 21 points away from 13th on the Big Ten all-time list (Carol Ann Shudlick, Minnesota, 1991-94).

• Hooper is the 16th player in Big Ten history to reach 1,000 rebounds and needs just one rebound to catch Cindy Dallas (1,014, Illinois, 1999-2004) at No. 15 on the Big Ten career list. With three rebounds, Hooper will match Andrea Garner (14th, 1,016, Penn State, 1997-2000) and five boards to reach Lykendra Johnson (13th, 1,018, Michigan State, 2009-12) on the all-time Big Ten chart. A 16-rebound effort against Wisconsin would put Hooper in a tie with Laura Coenen (12th, 1,029, Minnesota, 1982-85). Hooper had a career-high 18 rebounds against Wisconsin on Feb. 19, 2012.

• Hooper ranks No. 9 nationally among all active NCAA Division I players with 2,078 career points. She ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten in scoring and No. 38 nationally with 19.7 points per game this season.

• Through games Feb. 2, Hooper ranked second in the Big Ten and 37th nationally with 10.1 rebounds per game. With 1,013 career rebounds, Hooper ranks No. 12 among all active NCAA Division I players.

• Hooper is expected to make her 119th consecutive start in Wednesday’s game at Wisconsin, which will move her into a tie for sixth on the Nebraska career list with Nicole Kubik (1997-00).

• With three assists at Iowa, Hooper increased her single-season high to 27. She has two more assists than her freshman and sophomore seasons combined (25), and five more than she distributed in 2012-13.

• Hooper has scored in double figures in 103 of her 118 career games, including 44 20-point performances. She owns eight career 30-point efforts, including 33 points and 14 boards against Utah State (Dec. 8) and 30 points and 11 rebounds against ORU (Dec. 29) this season. She has grabbed double-digit rebounds on 42 occasions, including 12 times this year.

#23, Emily Cady, 6-2, Jr., F, Seward, Neb. (13.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.0 bpg)
• One of the Big Ten’s most versatile forwards, Emily Cady ranks second in Big Ten games-only with 10.5 rebounds per game. In league play, Cady is tied for 17th in scoring (14.0 ppg), second in rebounding (10.5 rpg) 10th in assists (4.1 apg), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8-to-1) and fourth in free throw percentage (.909) in conference play.

• Cady ranks second in the Big Ten with nine double-doubles on the season, trailing only teammate Jordan Hooper’s 10. Cady owns five double-doubles in eight Big Ten games.

• Cady notched her fifth Big Ten double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Northwestern Jan. 26. She had 13 points and a career-high-tying 16 rebounds against Purdue Jan. 19. That followed a season-high 23 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists in the win over Minnesota on Jan. 16. She had 19 points and 10 rebounds at Illinois to go along with 16 points and 12 boards at Michigan State.

• Cady owns 17 career double-doubles and needs one more to catch two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge in eighth with 18 career double-doubles at Nebraska.

• Overall, Cady ranks No. 4 overall in the Big Ten with 9.3 rebounds per game, trailing only Minnesota’s Amanda Zahui B. (10.7 rpg), Hooper (10.1 rpg) and Michigan’s Cyesha Goree (9.4 rpg). No other Big Ten player is averaging more than 8.0 rebounds per game on the season.  

• Cady enters the week with 669 rebounds to rank 10th all-time at Nebraska. She needs 12 rebounds to catch Jan Crouch (681, 1976-78) in ninth on the NU all-time list.

• Cady, who owns 907 points, 669 rebounds, 175 assists and 101 steals, needs 93 points, 31 rebounds and 25 assists to become just third player in Nebraska history with 1,000 points, 700 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 career steals, joining Maurtice Ivy and Anna DeForge.

• Cady ranks 10th in NU history with 78 career blocks. She needs 10 more to catch Casey Leonhardt (88, 2000-01) in ninth on the Husker career chart. Only seven Huskers have 100 career blocks.

• No player in Husker history has 1,000 points, 900 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocks.

#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, So., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio
(12.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 6.1 apg)
• One of the best young point guards in the nation, Rachel Theriot is averaging 14.9 points and 6.9 assists in Big Ten play. She is averaging 12.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists on the year.

• Theriot produced her first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 assists in Nebraska’s win over Michigan last Wednesday, before adding 10 points, four rebounds and four assists at Iowa on Saturday.

• She earned the first Big Ten Player-of-the-Week award of her career on Jan. 20, after averaging 26.0 points and 6.5 assists against Minnesota and Purdue. She produced career highs of 33 points and nine assists without a turnover in Nebraska’s 88-85 OT win over Minnesota Jan. 16. Theriot scored 21 points after halftime, including 17 in the second half to lead NU back from a 14-point deficit with 13:40 to play. Theriot added four in overtime, including two free throws with 14.9 seconds left to seal the win.

• Theriot ranks third in the Big Ten and 19th nationally with 6.1 assists per game, including 6.9 assists per game in Big Ten play. She has produced back-to-back 100-assist seasons.

• Theriot ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten in overall assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1-to-1).  

• Theriot is tied with Tear’a Laudermill for the team lead with 21 steals on the season.

• Theriot has scored in double figures 14 times this season. She had a career-high 33 points in an overtime win over Minnesota (Jan. 16). It topped her previous season and career high of 28 points at Utah (Nov. 15), when she added a career-best seven rebounds. Theriot owns 21 career double-figure scoring efforts and two career 20-point games.

• Theriot has scored 257 points and has 121 assists through 20 games. Last season, she scored 211 points and had 101 assists while playing all 34 games, including 28 starts. Theriot’s production has come in 194 fewer minutes than 2012-13.

#3, Hailie Sample, 6-0, Jr., F, Flower Mound, Texas (6.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.6 apg)
• Hailie Sample is expected to join Jordan Hooper and Emily Cady in Nebraska’s starting front line for the 88th consecutive game on Wednesday at Wisconsin.

• Sample is averaging 6.2 points and 5.8 rebounds, while ranking third on the team with 2.6 assists per game. She produced double figures for the fifth time this season with 10 points at Iowa Feb. 1. She had 12 points against No. 22 Purdue on Jan. 19. She had a season-high 13 points in a win over Creighton on Dec. 14, after producing back-to-back double-digit efforts against Washington State and at North Carolina. Sample owns 11 career double-figure scoring performances, including a career-high 20 points at Creighton last season.

• Sample is tied with teammate Jordan Hooper for 12th in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds (2.1 rpg).

• With 16 steals this season, Sample has surpassed her season total of 11 from a year ago.

#1, Tear’a Laudermill, 5-9, Jr., G, Riverside, Calif.
(10.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.1 spg)
• Tear’a Laudermill is emerging as a rising star for the Huskers as a junior in Big Ten play. Over the last three games, Laudermill has averaged 20.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals. She has hit a blistering 60.6 percent (20-33) from the field, including 58.8 percent (10-17) from three-point range. She has also knocked down 12-of-14 free throws. She erupted for a career-high 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field including a career-high-tying four threes in the win at Iowa on Saturday.

• In Big Ten play, Laudermill is averaging 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 23 minutes per game. Last season in league play, Laudermill averaged 6.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per contest.

• Laudermill has hit 12-of-20 (.600) three-pointers over the last four games. She was 15-for-52 from long range this season entering her recent surge. In Big Ten play this season, Laudermill is 16-for-36 (.444) from long range. Last season, she went 12-for-43 (.279) from beyond the arc in Big Ten play.

• Prior to scoring a career-high 26 at Iowa, Laudermill scored a then-career-high 18 points at Northwestern on Jan. 26. She matched that career high with 18 points in a win over Michigan Jan. 29.

• Laudermill has scored in double figures in six of eight conference games and is averaging 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 steals in Big Ten play.

• Laudermill has scored in double figures in four straight games to increase her season total to 11 double-figure efforts - all in the last 16 games. She had just four double-figure efforts in the first 65 games of her career.

• Laudermill has nine blocked shots this season. She produced five blocked shots in the first 62 games of her career, all coming last season.

• Laudermill is Nebraska’s No. 2 active career three-point shooter with 64 makes. She needs 32 more threes to crack NU’s career top 10. Her 27 made three-pointers this season are a career single-season high and trail only Jordan Hooper’s 42 among the Huskers. Laudermill’s 37.5 percent three-point shooting also is a career-best.

Husker Headliners
• Nebraska’s front line players Jordan Hooper, Emily Cady and Hailie Sample are expected to make their 88th consecutive starts together on Wednesday at Wisconsin. The group is averaging 39.5 points and 25.2 rebounds per game this season.

• Emily Cady, Hailie Sample and Rachel Theriot have combined to step up their production from a year ago. The trio combined for just 389 points in NU’s first 20 games (19.5 ppg) last season compared to 653 points in 20 contests (32.7 ppg) this season - combining for 13.2 more points per game than 2012-13.

• Junior guard Brandi Jeffery started NU’s first three games. She missed the Southern game with an injury but has returned for Nebraska’s last 16 games. She is Nebraska’s top guard off the bench.

• Nebraska ranks No. 10 nationally with 80,079 fans at home this season. The Huskers rank 11th nationally with an average home attendance of 5,720 per game. The Huskers drew 10 of the top-16 non-conference home crowds in school history this season, including a record 9,750 vs. UCLA (Nov. 8).

Big Red, Big Picture
• Nebraska 2013-14 recruiting class is ranked No. 9 nationally by ESPN.

• Nebraska has sold more than 4,000 all-session tickets for the NCAA Lincoln Regional (March 29-31).

• Nebraska recognized 2013 All-American Lindsey Moore during the Oral Roberts game (Dec. 29) for her part in helping the Minnesota Lynx to the 2013 WNBA title. The first-round pick in the WNBA Draft returned to Lincoln from her professional team in Italy to receive a minute-long standing ovation.

• Nebraska retired 2010 All-American Kelsey Griffin’s jersey at the Michigan game (Jan. 29). The 2010 Senior CLASS Award winner and Nebraska Female Student-Athlete of the Year had her number raised at Pinnacle Bank Arena, but not permanently retired. Current Husker Emily Cady shares Griffin’s No. 23. Griffin, a four-year WNBA veteran, made a return trip to Lincoln from her club team in Australia.

• The Huskers have advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 twice in the last four seasons (2010, 2013).

• NU has earned NCAA Tournament trips in five of the past seven seasons (2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013).

• Coach Connie Yori is the winningest coach in Husker history (230 victories) and has won conference coach-of-the-year honors in the Big Ten (2013), Big 12 (2012) and Missouri Valley (2002). She was the national coach-of-the-year in 2010.

Scouting the Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin heads into Wednesday’s clash with Nebraska after snapping a four-game losing streak with an 82-71 victory over Ohio State at the Kohl Center in Madison on Sunday. Michala Johnson, Jacki Gulczynski and Taylor Wurtz had huge games for the Badgers, who improved to 10-11 overall and 3-6 in the Big Ten.

Johnson, a 6-3 redshirt junior forward/center in her first year on the court for the Badgers after transferring from Connecticut, scored 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. She also pitched in seven rebounds. Johnson leads the Badgers on the season with 16.3 points per game, while ranking second on the team with 7.4 rebounds per contest. She is a 55.1 percent shooter from the field, but just 59.8 percent at the free throw line.

Gulczynski, a 6-1 junior guard/forward, erupted for 21 points and a game-high 15 rebounds while playing the full 40 minutes against the Buckeyes. Gulczynski hit 8-of-14 shots from the floor, including 4-of-5 three-pointers. She has been UW’s best shooter from beyond the arc on the year, hitting 29-of-75 attempts (.387). A better than 90 percent free throw shooter on the season (19-21), she also hit her lone free throw attempt on the day, while blocking four shots.

Gulczynski ranks fourth among the Badgers on the season with 8.7 points per game, while ranking third in rebounding with 7.1 boards per game. Last season, Gulczynski averaged 13.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest for the 12-19 Badgers, who went 3-13 to finish 11th in the Big Ten.

Wurtz, a fifth-year senior added a double-double of her own with 17 points and 14 rebounds against Ohio State. The 6-0 guard hit 3-of-10 three-pointers, while going 6-of-15 overall from the floor. Wurtz leads the Badgers with 7.9 rebounds per game and is tied for the team lead with 22 steals, while ranking second on the squad with 47 assists. Wurtz has struggled from long range this year, hitting just 28.6 percent (32-112) of her three-point attempts after hitting 37.7 percent (69-183) of her long range attempts in 2011-12, including nearly 40 percent in Big Ten action.

Wurtz missed all of last season after undergoing back surgery. In 2011-12, Wurtz led UW with 16.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. This season, she heads into the week averaging 12.0 points per game.

While Wisconsin’s front line set the pace in running past the Buckeyes, senior Morgan Paige pitched in 12 points and three assists from the backcourt. The 5-9 guard ranks second on the team in scoring with 12.6 points per game and has added nearly 2.0 assists per game. Paige has struggled from long range this year, hitting just 26.5 percent (27-102) of her three-point attempts.

Sophomore Dakota Whyte has taken over point guard duties for the Badgers following the graduation of Tiera Stephen, who averaged 6.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and team-bests of 5.0 assists and 2.6 steals a year ago. The 5-8 Whyte has averaged 6.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and a team-high 2.6 assists. However, Whyte is just 7-for-31 from three-point range (.226) and has hit just 50 percent (11-22) of her free throws.

Fellow sophomore Nicole Bauman started five games in Big Ten play, splitting time with Whyte. The 5-10 guard has averaged 5.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists, and gives the Badgers another long-range threat on the court. Bauman has hit 38.7 percent (24-62) of her threes.

AnnMarie Brown, who missed much of last season with an ACL injury, has pitched in 1.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. The 6-0 junior swing player is averaging 12 minutes per game in Big Ten action.

Tessa Cichy, a 5-10 sophomore guard, has added 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds. Cichy and Brown have combined to hit 14-of-30 threes on the year.

Malayna Johnson, a 6-4 freshman forward/center and the younger sister of Michala, has contributed 0.4 points and 1.2 boards per game in limited playing time. Shannon Malone, a 6-1 sophomore forward out of Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas also has seen some playing time for UW in Big Ten play. She was a high school teammate of Husker Hailie Sample.

As a team, Wisconsin has averaged 65.8 points per game on the season, while surrendering 65.7. In addition to their +0.1 scoring margin, the Badgers own a +0.2 rebounding margin (37.6-37.4). However, UW carries a minus-3.0 turnover margin, including a minus-4.2 in Big Ten play.

In conference play, Wisconsin is shooting just 31.4 percent from three-point range, while opponents are hitting 35.9 percent against the Badgers. However, UW has hit 12 more threes than their Big Ten foes and have outscored their conference opponents 90-74 at the free throw line. Big Ten opponents have hit 36 more field goals on 70 additional attempts, thanks to forcing 38 more turnovers by the Badgers. In conference play, opponents have outscored Wisconsin 68.4-63.6.

Nebraska vs. Wisconsin Series History
Wisconsin leads the all-time series with Nebraska 5-4, but the Huskers have won all four meetings as Big Ten Conference foes. NU battled to a 55-53 win over Wisconsin at the Kohl Center in Madison on Feb. 28, 2013, in the last meeting between the two teams. The Huskers rolled to a 70-52 win over the Badgers in Lincoln to open conference play on Jan. 2, 2013.

The Huskers notched their first-ever win against the Badgers in Madison, Wis., on Jan. 12, 2012, in a 75-69 victory. The Huskers battled back from an 11-point first-half deficit to win that game. Nebraska completed the 2012 season sweep with a 68-59 win in Lincoln on Feb. 19. Jordan Hooper led NU with 19 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. Hooper has averaged 12.5 points and 10.3 boards in her career against Wisconsin.

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Nebraska was 0-5 all-time against Wisconsin dating back to the first meeting in Madison on Jan. 5, 1979, when the Badgers prevailed 79-74. UW added a 77-67 win at Wisconsin on Dec. 12, 1989, and a 10-point win at the Kohl Center (74-64) on Nov. 29, 2000. The Huskers also dropped a pair of overtime games to the Badgers at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, falling 80-74 on Dec. 7, 1990, and 92-85 on Nov. 21, 1999.

Close games have been the norm in the series. In fact, prior to last year’s 70-52 win by the Huskers in Lincoln, every game had been decided by 10 points or less. After the lopsided home win, Nebraska escaped from the Kohl Center with a two-point win after trailing by five, 49-44, late in the game. Hailie Sample hit the game-winning shot with 43 seconds left for the Huskers, off an assist from Lindsey Moore, and Moore added a free throw with 9.9 seconds left to seal the win.

Huskers Soar Past Hawkeyes
Tear’a Laudermill erupted for a career-high 26 points, while Jordan Hooper added her Big Ten-leading 10th double-double of the year with 25 points and 13 rebounds to power Nebraska to an 80-67 win at Iowa.

Laudermill was electrifying, producing a career high for the third straight game. She hit 9-of-12 shots from the floor, while tying her career high with four three-pointers. She added four rebounds, three assists and a block.

Hooper was dominant inside and out, pumping in 25 points for the second straight game, while notching the 36th double-double of her career to tie Karen Jennings at No. 2 on the Nebraska career list.

Hailie Sample added double figures by scoring all 10 of her points in the second half, while Rachel Theriot put four Huskers in double figures with 10 points.

Nebraska used a 14-0 run midway through the first half to turn a game tied at 19 into a 33-19 lead with 2:28 left in the first half. NU led 38-27 at the half, then quickly built the lead to 18 points with seven straight points from Hooper to start the second half. Iowa never got closer than 11 points the rest of the game.

Samantha Logic led Iowa with 22 points, including five three-pointers, but Iowa’s second-leading scorer, Melissa Dixon, was held scoreless by the Huskers.

Huskers Honor All-American Griffin with Jersey Retirement
The Nebraska women’s basketball program added another name and number to its wall of honor inside the new Pinnacle Bank Arena - and this one is a legend.

Kelsey Griffin, one of the most accomplished Huskers both on and off the court in program history, was honored by Nebraska with the retirement of her No. 23 jersey on Wednesday, Jan. 29, in pregame ceremonies before Huskers defeated Michigan. She joined 1993 Wade Trophy Winner and CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Famer Karen Jennings (No. 51) and 1988 Big Eight Player-of-the-Year Maurtice Ivy (No. 30) among Nebraska’s retired jersey honorees.

Griffin made the 28-hour flight from Australia to Lincoln in the middle of her professional season. She watched her first Nebraska game in person since graduating in the spring of 2010. She was joined on the court by family and friends from Australia, Alaska and California. Griffin spoke to the Huskers briefly before the game, then sat on the bench with the team as the Big Red put on their best all-around performance of the season in the win over the Wolverines.

Griffin, a first-team All-American on the court and a national player-of-the-year finalist in 2010, became the face of Nebraska women’s basketball for five seasons (2006-10). The lightly recruited 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, powered Nebraska’s rise to national prominence by earning three first-team All-Big 12 Conference awards.

Griffin also led Nebraska to a trio of NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Her final season as a Husker, she etched a permanent place in Husker history as part of a six-player senior class that led Nebraska to an unbeaten regular season (29-0), 30 consecutive victories, a Big 12 Conference regular-season title and Nebraska’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Sweet 16. She captured Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors while leading NU to a 32-2 final record that included a 16-0 Big 12 mark.

She ranks No. 4 on Nebraska’s all-time scoring list with 2,033 points, while ranking No. 2 in the Husker record book with 1,019 career rebounds. Griffin and Jennings were the only players in Nebraska history with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, until All-American Jordan Hooper joined the elite list by the end of the game. Hooper pulled down her 1,000th career rebound with just over four minutes left in the game, then sat next to Griffin on the Husker bench for the remainder of the contest.

Griffin also set Nebraska’s career record with 40 double-doubles in her four years on the court in Lincoln. Her 127 career starts rank No. 2 in school history. As a senior, Griffin averaged 20.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, including 20 double-doubles. She also earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team by notching 60 steals, 26 blocked shots and took a remarkable 29 charges on the year.

Griffin was NU’s first-ever winner of the Senior CLASS Award, recognizing her achievements in the community and the classroom, while honoring her character and success in competition. She was honored as Nebraska’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year in 2009-10, before earning the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft.

Griffin earned a spot on the WNBA All-Rookie Team with the Connecticut Sun in 2010. She completed her fourth professional season with the Sun in 2013, starting all 34 games and averaging career bests of 8.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. In her four-year WNBA career, she has played in 133 games with 61 starts for Connecticut. Griffin also has played professionally in Hungary, Israel and most recently for the Bendigo Spirit in Australia’s WNBL. In 2012-13, Griffin led the Spirit to the WNBL title and was named the MVP of the championship series. She has returned to Australia for the 2013-14 campaign, where she is averaging 12.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while playing alongside former Husker teammate and 2012 Olympian Chelsea Aubry.

Nebraska Celebrates Season One at New Arena
Nebraska celebrates its first season in Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013-14. The arena, located in the historic Haymarket in downtown Lincoln just steps away from the Nebraska campus, will serve as the new home for Husker men’s and women’s basketball teams.

The $179 million project was completed in the summer of 2013 after being approved by voters in May of 2010. A ribbon cutting ceremony that included Governor Dave Heineman, Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler, UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman, Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst and Husker coaches Connie Yori and Tim Miles, tipped off the opening of the new arena in late August.

The 470,400-square foot arena project has sparked a revitalization of the Haymarket District, including the addition of several new hotels and upscale housing options. It also has added the Railyard, an outdoor entertainment area adjacent to the arena. The Railyard includes “The Cube” a massive outdoor screen that will serve as a hub for other entertainment options.

In “Season One” at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Husker women’s basketball program has experienced more than a 50 percent increase in season ticket sales, surpassing the 3,200 mark. The number shattered NU’s previous season ticket record.

The women’s program was also selected as one of four NCAA Regional hosts for the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Huskers will play host to the NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds at Pinnacle Bank Arena, March 29-31. Nebraska has advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in two of the past four seasons, but Lincoln has not played host to an NCAA Tournament game in men’s or women’s basketball since 1993.

On the men’s side, the Huskers have sold out for the season, guaranteeing a school-record average of more than 15,000 per game in their first year at the arena.

Hooper Creating Historic Husker Career
Senior Jordan Hooper is leaving a legacy of success at Nebraska, while making her mark on the national landscape. The 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., is tied for No. 9 among active NCAA Division I scorers with 2,078 career points. She ranks No. 12 among active Division I rebounders with 1,013 career boards. Hooper also is tied for eighth among active career three-point shooters with 257 makes and is one of only two forwards among the top 25, joining UConn’s Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.

Hooper is one of only four active Division I players to achieve career milestones of 2,000 points and 1,000 career rebounds.

She ranks No. 5 in career field goal attempts (1,834), No. 7 in career three-point field goal attempts (764), No. 12 in career field goals made (720) and No. 28 in career free throws made (381) among all active NCAA Division I players.

Hooper Joins Big Ten All-Time Elite
Jordan Hooper became just the fifth player in Big Ten Conference history to achieve combined career milestones of 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, when she pulled down her 1,000th career board in the second half of Nebraska’s win over Michigan on Jan. 29. She heads to Wisconsin with 2,078 points and 1,013 career rebounds, joining just four other Big Ten players - Jessica Davenport and Jantel Lavender from Ohio State, Jenna Smith from Illinois and Laura Coenen from Minnesota - in achieving the dual milestones.

Lavender (2008-11) scored 2,818 points and grabbed 1,422 rebounds, while Davenport (2004-07) had 2,303 points and 1,094 rebounds for the Buckeyes. Smith (2007-10) produced 2,160 points and 1,217 rebounds for the Fighting Illini, while Coenen (1982-85) was the first Big Ten player to achieve the marks with 2,044 points and 1,029 rebounds for the Golden Gophers.

Hooper, who is on track to rank among the top 10 career scorers and rebounders in Big Ten history, would join Davenport, Lavender and Smith as the only players in Big Ten history to rank among the top 10 on both lists. All three of those players were chosen in the top 15 in their respective WNBA Drafts.

Hooper Named to Wooden Award Midseason Top 20
Two-time All-American Jordan Hooper was one of 21 players chosen to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 20, when the Wooden National Advisory Board announced its selections on Friday, Jan. 17.

Hooper is a national player-of-the-year candidate for the Wade and Naismith trophies as well in 2013-14. She was also a candidate for all three awards in 2012-13.

Hooper, a 6-2 senior forward from Alliance, Neb., is a two-time WBCA and Associated Press honorable-mention All-American and a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection. She is just the third player in Nebraska history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in her career, joining 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings and 2010 first-team WBCA All-American Kelsey Griffin.

Hooper, who has scored 2,078 points and pulled down 1,013 rebounds in starting the first 118 games of her Husker career, is also in position to break the school’s three-point record. She enters the Wisconsin game with 257 made three-pointers, just 10 shy of the school record held by three-time first-team All-Big 12 guard Kiera Hardy (2004-07). Hooper has averaged nearly 72 three-pointers per season at Nebraska, including 81 a year ago when she helped shoot the Huskers to the 2013 NCAA Sweet 16.

Over the summer, Hooper helped the USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team to a gold medal in Kazan, Russia. In the championship, Hooper earned a start and scored nine points while grabbing nine rebounds while going head-to-head against several members of Russia’s 2012 Olympic Team.

Hooper was one of three players from the Big Ten to earn mention on the Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 and the Wade and Naismith preseason lists, joining Penn State’s Maggie Lucas and Minnesota’s Rachel Banham.

Hooper Named Candidate for Senior CLASS Award
Nebraska’s Jordan Hooper has been selected as one of 30 candidates nationally for the Senior CLASS Award for women’s basketball.

The Senior CLASS Award announced its list of candidates on Wednesday, Oct. 30. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must display notable achievements in community, classroom, character and competition. The acronym for “Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School,” the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Hooper, a 6-2 senior forward from Alliance, Neb., is a two-time honorable-mention All-American and a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection. She has also been a nominee for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. In the community, she has volunteered her time at Belmont Elementary School, Saint Elizabeth’s Regional Medical Center and participated on Nebraska’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

On the court, Hooper has led the Huskers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the 2013 NCAA Sweet 16. She has started 118 consecutive games and is a two-time team captain. She could challenge Nebraska career records for points, rebounds and three-pointers made.

Hooper is one of only two women’s basketball student-athletes in the Big Ten Conference to earn a spot on the elite list of 30 Senior CLASS Award candidates, joining Penn State’s Maggie Lucas.

The list of 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 midseason by a national media committee for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award. The 10 finalists will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.

Cady, Theriot Making Strong Early Cases for All-Big Ten Awards
Emily Cady is a two-time honorable-mention All-Big Ten pick who is making an impressive case for bigger honors early in her junior campaign. The 6-2 forward from Seward, Neb., enters the Wisconsin game with nine double-doubles, trailing only teammate Jordan Hooper’s 10 among all Big Ten players. Cady has notched five double-doubles in conference play. She also ranks second in Big Ten games with 10.5 rebounds per game. She is tied for 17th in scoring (14.0 ppg), ranks 10th in assists (4.1 apg), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8-to-1) and fourth in free throw percentage (.909).

Cady leads the league with 8.3 defensive rebounds per game and is 14th with 2.3 offensive boards per contest. She also ranks eighth in minutes played (37.2 mpg) in conference games.

Sophomore Rachel Theriot also has been a dominant player for the Huskers early in the Big Ten season. The 6-0 point guard from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, ranks 11th in conference games-only with a 14.9 points per game. She leads the Big Ten with 38.9 minutes per game in conference play, while leading the league with her 2.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and ranking third in assists (6.9 apg).

Both Cady and Theriot were Big Ten All-Freshman selections early in their careers. Cady was chosen to the All-Freshman Team in 2011-12, while Theriot earned a spot in 2012-13.

Husker Front Line to Make 88th Straight Starts Together
Nebraska’s starting forwards of Jordan Hooper (118), Emily Cady (87) and Hailie Sample (87) have joined each other in the Huskers’ starting five for 87 consecutive games.

The inside trio has been joined in the Husker starting lineup for each of the last 48 games by Rachel Theriot. Brandi Jeffery started the first three games of 2013-14 with the quartet, after starting the first three games of 2012-13 with Hooper, Cady and Sample before being replaced in the starting five by Theriot. Tear’a Laudermill has taken over the starting role the past 17 games.

Consistent starting lineups are nothing new for the Huskers under Coach Connie Yori.  In 2011-12, fifth-year senior guard Kaitlyn Burke joined Moore, Hooper, Cady and Sample in NU’s starting lineup for every game.  Three times in Yori’s first 12 seasons at Nebraska, the Huskers have used the same starting five for every game in a season, including all 33 games in 2011-12. 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.

A full year with the same starting five is rare in women’s college basketball. In fact, Nebraska was the only Big Ten team to feature the same starting five throughout 2011-12, and was one of only three teams in the 2012 NCAA Tournament to start the same five every game. Kansas State and BYU were the others.

Over the past nine seasons, Nebraska has used only 22 different starting lineups in 279 games.

Big Red Playing Big on Boards
Nebraska has produced a plus-7.3 rebounding margin over 20 games in 2013-14, outrebounding the opposition by an average of 42.0-34.7. Jordan Hooper has led the barrage on the boards by averaging 10.1 rebounds per game, which ranks second in the Big Ten. Hooper owns a 15-rebound game against Creighton, 14-rebound efforts against Washington State and Utah State, 13 rebounds against Alabama and at Iowa, 12 boards at Utah, 11 rebounds against UCLA and ORU, and 10 against Minnesota, Northwestern and UMass-Lowell.

Emily Cady (9.3 rpg) has added nine double-digit rebound games of her own, including a career-high-matching 16 against Purdue on Jan. 19. She added 14 boards against Southern, 13 against Minnesota and Washington State, 12 at Michigan State, 11 rebounds against Alabama and 10 against Utah State, Illinois and Northwestern. She ranks fourth in the Big Ten in rebounding.

Nebraska’s returning front line of Hooper, Cady and Hailie Sample have combined to average 25.2 rebounds per game.

Free Throws Pay Off Big For Big Red
Nebraska has outscored its first 20 opponents by an average of 16.4-7.5 (+8.9 ppg) at the free throw line. The Huskers have attempted 416 free throws, nearly doubling the 233 attempts by their opponents. The Huskers are shooting 78.8 percent at the line as a team, which leads the Big Ten.

For the season, Nebraska has outscored the opposition by a total of 277 points, with 179 of those coming at the free throw line.

Rachel Theriot is fifth in the Big Ten with her .878 (43-49) accuracy at the stripe, while Emily Cady (.862, 94-109) ranks sixth. Tear’a Laudermill (.850, 34-40) would also rank in the top 15 in the Big Ten in free throw percentage but does not meet the minimum requirement of 2.0 makes per game.

Huskers More Than Fair in Foul Department
Nebraska’s dominance at the free throw line starts with the Huskers winning the fight in the foul department. NU leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally by committing just 14.0 fouls per game.

While the Huskers barely put their opponents in the bonus each game, they consistently force double-bonus free throw situations by the opposition. Nebraska’s opponents are averaging 19.6 fouls per game against the Big Red.

Nebraska’s plus-5.6 differential in fouls per game and its nearly 80 percent free throw shooting has allowed the Big Red to outscore its opponents by 179 points at the line this season (8.9 ppg).

Nebraska has continued a non-fouling trend from last season. The Huskers were whistled for just 12.8 fouls per game last season, including 11 fouls per game in Big Ten regular-season games.

@RachTheRiot Wreaking Havoc on Opposing Defenses
Rachel Theriot has emerged as one of the top young point guards in the nation in 2013-14. The 6-0 sophomore is averaging 12.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. She has been even better in Big Ten play averaging 14.9 points and 6.9 assists, while adding 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game.

Last season, All-American Lindsey Moore averaged 15.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

On Jan. 16 against Minnesota, Theriot scored a career-high 33 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 three-pointers, while knocking down all eight of her free throws. She hit Nebraska’s final two free throws with 14.9 seconds left to seal an 88-85 overtime win over the Gophers. Theriot scored 21 points after halftime and played a career-high 45 minutes in the game. She did not commit a turnover.

Earlier this season, Theriot erupted for a then-career-high 28 points, while matching her career best with seven rebounds in NU’s 75-69 win at Utah on Nov. 15. She added four assists while going a career-best 8-for-8 at the free throw line. She scored 19 points and had five rebounds in the second half alone, while going 6-for-6 at the line in the game’s final 35 seconds to seal the victory.

In Nebraska’s Big Ten-opening win over Northwestern, Theriot produced game highs of 19 points and eight assists while committing just one turnover. She added six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot while playing the full 40 minutes. She also hit two huge shot-clock buzzer-beaters late in the second half and grabbed NU’s final defensive rebound. She scored a team-high 19 points and added four assists while playing the full 40 minutes against Purdue on Jan. 19. She hit two free throws in a one-and-one situation with 27.9 seconds left to tie the game at 75.

Theriot added 11 points, six assists and a blocked shot for the third straight game in NU’s win at Illinois on Jan. 12. It followed an 11-point, eight-assist night at Michigan State Jan. 9, when she tied a career high with three three-pointers. Theriot has scored in double figures 14 times this season, including 11 of the last 14 contests.

Theriot pumped in 17 points and dished out five assists in a win over Alabama, after distributing a career-high nine assists in the season-opening victory over UCLA. She had 13 points and eight assists in a win over Southern Nov. 24, before adding 10 points, six rebounds and six assists against Washington State, Nov. 30. Theriot contributed 12 points and five assists in a loss at No. 18 North Carolina on Dec. 4, before producing 11 points, four rebounds and eight assists in the win over Utah State Dec. 8.

As a starter at shooting guard as a freshman, the Middleburg Heights, Ohio, native averaged 6.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game and earned Big Ten All-Freshman honors.

Laudermill Excelling as a Starter
Tear’a Laudermill has solidified Nebraska’s starting lineup over the last 17 games, producing the most consistent and efficient stretch of her career. The 5-9 junior guard from Riverside, Calif., is averaging 11.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 21.4 minutes per game as a starter.

In Nebraska’s first three games this season, Laudermill averaged 5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 21 minutes per game off the bench.

Laudermill’s production has steadily increased throughout her Husker career in a similar way that former Husker All-Big 12 guard and current professional Yvonne Turner grew during her career. Laudermill averaged 4.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game as a freshman, before contributing 5.9 points and 1.8 boards per game as a sophomore. This season, she has increased her season averages to 10.5 points and 2.8 boards per game, including 13.5 points and 2.6 rebounds in Big Ten play.

Over the last three games Laudermill has been on fire, averaging 20.7 points on better than 60 percent shooting from the field, including 10-of-17 from three-point range. She scored a career-high 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting in a win at Iowa on Feb. 1, which included a career-best 4-of-6 three-point shooting. It followed a career-high-matching 18 points in a win over Michigan on Jan. 29, after she set her career high with 18 points at Northwestern on Jan. 26.

The most notable jump though has come in Laudermill’s efficiency. As a freshman in 2011-12, Laudermill shot just 27 percent from the field and 52.4 percent at the free line. As a sophomore, Laudermill hit 35.1 percent of her shots from the field and 73.8 percent of her free throws. This season, she is shooting 46.5 percent from the field, including 37.5 percent from long range, and a sparkling 85 percent at the line.

Huskers Sign Top Recruiting Class in School History
A five-player signing class and a talented walk-on who received other NCAA Division I scholarship offers have given Nebraska the best recruiting class in school history - coming in at No. 9 in ESPN’s class rankings on Nov. 21.

Each of Nebraska’s scholarship recruits ranked among the top 25 nationally by ESPN at their position. Tennessee Class 2-AA Player of the Year Jasmine Cincore, Kansas Class 4A Player of the Year Kaylee Page, California prep stars Natalie Romeo and Darrien Washington, and Washington High School standout Chandler Smith will join Coach Connie Yori’s Huskers. Emily Wood, a walk-on from Salina, Kan., completed the six-player NU freshman class for 2014-15.

Smith, a 6-0 guard from Washington, signed her letter of intent Monday, Nov. 18, after being ranked as the No. 62 player in the nation by ESPN. Her addition propelled the Huskers up seven spots in ESPN’s class rankings for 2014. Page and Romeo headline the Husker class. The 6-2 Page was ranked No. 42 nationally by ESPN, while Romeo was No. 55. Romeo, a 5-7 point guard from the Bay Area, has been ranked as high as the No. 27 player overall nationally by Full Court Press.

Romeo’s club teammate, the 6-2 Washington, was ranked as the No. 16 post player in the nation by ESPN, while Cincore was ranked as ESPN’s No. 24 point guard in the 2014 class, despite being projected as a combo guard for the Huskers.

“We are excited about the potential of this recruiting class, and we hope all six players have outstanding senior seasons in high school this year,” Yori said. “We have built quite a bit of momentum in recruiting the past few years and this class is part of it.”

Nebraska’s previous top recruiting class, which came with current Husker juniors Emily Cady, Hailie Sample, Tear’a Laudermill and Brandi Jeffery, was ranked No. 24 nationally in November of 2010.

Nebraska’s six newcomers will be expected to replace the loss of Jordan Hooper, a two-time All-American who is the only senior on the Huskers’ 11-player roster in 2013-14.

Page, a 6-2 senior at Wamego High School in Kansas, was ranked as the No. 13 wing/shooting guard nationally by ESPN. She averaged 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.3 blocked shots, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game as a junior. A gifted shooter, Page knocked down 57 three-pointers for the Red Raiders in 2012-13. She helped Wamego to the Kansas Class 4A state championship while playing for her father, Jim Page, who was the Kansas Coach of the Year.

Romeo, ESPN’s No. 12 point guard nationally as a four-year starter at Carondelet High School in California, averaged 21.4 points, 6.7 assists and 6.3 steals per game as a junior to help the Cougars to the North Coast Section Division II title for the third consecutive season. Along the way, she earned East Bay Athletic League MVP and Nor Cal Prep Player-of-the-Year honors in 2012-13, helping Carondelet to a top 20 national ranking as a team. Romeo has been a starter for one of the premier club programs in the nation, the Cal Stars Elite, since she was an eighth grader. As a member of the Cal Stars program, Romeo has earned all-tournament or MVP honors at 16 national tournaments.

Smith’s signing brought even more talent to the Husker 2014 class. Smith plays point guard for her high school and club teams, but was ranked as the No. 18 wing in the country by ESPN. The 6-0 guard from Brewster High School in Washington, averaged 21.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 4.2 steals as a junior to lead the Bears to a Class 1A state championship. She had 26 points and 10 rebounds in the 2013 state title game, after producing 35 points and 12 boards in the 2012 Class 2B championship game.

Cincore brings more athleticism and strength to the perimeter for the Huskers. The 5-8 guard will add a gritty defensive presence along with an expanding offensive game to the NU backcourt. As a junior at Briarcrest Christian in 2012-13, Cincore averaged 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals per game while leading her team to the state semifinals.

Washington adds size and potential to the Nebraska inside game. The 6-2 Washington plays at Skyline High School in the Bay Area and on the Cal Stars Elite. She is relatively new to basketball, but brings excellent athleticism to the court.

Wood, a 5-5 guard from Salina Central High School, turned down scholarship offers from Harvard and Dartmouth and Western Illinois to walk-on at Nebraska. She is a two-time Kansas Class 5A all-state selection and averaged 11.2 points and 2.3 assists per game as a junior. She has hit 132 career three-pointers as a three-year starter at Salina Central.

NCAA Lincoln Regional All-Session Tickets Selling Strong
The University of Nebraska was awarded one of four regional host sites for the 2014 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, announced by the NCAA on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The Huskers will host the four-team regional at Pinnacle Bank Arena in downtown Lincoln, March 29 and 31.

All-session tickets went on sale to the general public on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 8 a.m., and sales have been strong, more than 4,000 as of Monday, Feb. 3.

All-session reserved seats are $40, while all-session general admission seating is available for just $25 over three games. The GA seats include lower level seats behind each basket (sections 101 and 112), along with 200 and 300 Level seats. Student tickets are available for just $15 ($5 per game if purchased in advance, all-session).

“It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Nebraska women’s basketball program, and the NCAA Regional announcement just keeps that building,” Coach Connie Yori said. “We’ve got a long way to go as a team before we can even think about the possibility of getting back to the Sweet 16 this year, but it is certainly a great opportunity for men’s and women’s basketball fans to have a chance to watch college basketball being played at a really high level at the end of March in Lincoln.”

The last time the University of Nebraska served as a host for the an NCAA men’s or women’s basketball tournament came on March 17, 1993, when the Husker women defeated San Diego, 81-58, in the first round at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. It is the only game the Nebraska women’s basketball team has ever played on its home court in the NCAA Tournament.

The other three NCAA Regional sites are Louisville, Ky., Notre Dame, Ind., and Stanford, Calif. The 16 NCAA first- and second-round locations are Baylor, Duke, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, LSU, Maryland, North Carolina, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Toledo, UConn, UCLA and Washington.

The NCAA Women’s Final Four will be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., April 6-8.

Hooper Powers Team USA to Gold at World University Games
Nebraska’s Jordan Hooper scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds while making her first international start, powering the USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team to a 90-71 victory in the gold medal game on July 15.

Hooper, a 6-2 senior forward from Alliance, Neb., erupted in her first USA start, pouring in five points, including the game’s first three-pointer, to go along with three early rebounds to fuel the U.S. team’s 13-3 lead to open the game. She also played a major role defensively in helping the United States to its third straight World University Games gold medal.

Hooper scored seven first-quarter points to help the USA take a 22-13 lead at the end of the quarter. She played the entire first period and finished with 31 minutes in the game. In the tournament, Hooper finished with 6.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game, giving her per 40-minute averages of 16.6 points and 14.9 boards.

Hooper started the second quarter on the bench, and while she was out, the Russian team quickly trimmed the USA margin to 25-21 with 7:46 left in the first half.

Hooper immediately returned to the court and helped shut out the Russians for the next three minutes to ignite a 7-0 USA run. Hooper’s offensive rebound and assist to Crystal Bradford (Central Michigan) in the corner for a three-pointer, gave the USA a 38-25 lead with 2:43 left in the half. It was the first of back-to-back threes by Bradford in a 45-second stretch to send the U.S. squad to halftime with a 41-27 lead. With Hooper keying the defense, the USA allowed six points in the final seven-plus minutes of the half.

Nebraska’s two-time All-American played every minute of the third quarter. She again keyed a U.S. defense that helped the team build a 68-47 lead at the end of three quarters.

Hooper’s final bucket came with 7:30 left in the game, giving the USA a 75-55 lead.

2012-13 Nebraska Team Season Highlights
• 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 (second appearance in last four years)

• 25 wins (second-highest victory total in school history) - 25-9 overall record

• 12 Big Ten wins (second-most conference wins in school history) - 12-4 Big Ten record

• Big Ten regular-season runner-up finish / Big Ten Tournament semifinalist

• No. 16 in final NCAA RPI. Nebraska played the No. 12 Strength of Schedule in the nation.

• No. 18 in final USA Today/Coaches Top 25; No. 24 in final AP Poll (regular season)

• No. 16 nationally in average home attendance (5,243)

• 10 victories over 2013 NCAA Tournament teams (10-8)

• Nebraska’s 74-63 win at No. 9 Texas A&M on March 25 marked the Huskers’ first true road NCAA Tournament victory in history and the highest seed (No. 3) NU has ever defeated in the tournament.

• 10-game winning streak (Jan. 20-Feb. 28), second-longest winning streak in school history

• Nebraska closed season with seven-game winning streak in true road games (active streak)

• Big Ten No. 2 RPI Conference in the nation and 6-0 in first-round NCAA Tournament games

• Coach Connie Yori was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year

• Nebraska was one of 25 teams in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field with a perfect 100 percent graduation rate. NU has had a 100 percent grad rate in each of NU’s five tournament appearances under Coach Connie Yori.

Yori Captured Big Ten Coach-of-the-Year Honors
Nebraska’s Connie Yori was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in voting by conference coaches for 2013.  Yori captured her second conference coach-of-the-year award in the last four seasons and her first in the Big Ten.  In 2012-13, Yori guided Nebraska to 10 straight conference wins, including a perfect February, as the Huskers finished with a 12-4 Big Ten mark as the regular-season runner-up.

Yori’s young squad overcame a plethora of injuries and a 2-3 Big Ten start to play for a share of the Big Ten title in the regular-season finale against No. 7 Penn State at the Devaney Center. Although Nebraska came up short against the Lady Lions, Yori’s team finished the regular season with a 22-7 overall record that included a Big Ten-best 7-1 road mark in conference play.

Yori captured Big 12 Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2010 on her way to WBCA, AP, USBWA, Naismith and Kay Yow National Coach-of-the-Year awards. She led the Huskers to the 2010 NCAA Sweet Sixteen after capturing the Big 12 regular-season title with a perfect 16-0 record. The 2009-10 Huskers, which featured first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin and first-team All-Big 12 picks Cory Montgomery and Yvonne Turner, finished with a 32-2 overall record.

Before becoming Nebraska’s head coach in 2002-03, Yori claimed Missouri Valley Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors in her final season at Creighton in 2002. In Yori’s first 11 seasons as NU’s coach, her Huskers have earned a total of 32 all-conference awards (10 first team, 2 second team, 11 honorable mention, 5 freshmen, 4 defensive).

Yori’s 2012-13 Huskers Notched Another 20-Win Campaign
Coach Connie Yori is in the midst of leading the Huskers to the most successful era in school history. The 2012-13 Huskers earned their second NCAA Sweet 16 selection in the past four years, while rolling to 25 wins - the second-highest victory total in school history. It was Nebraska’s fifth 20-win season in the past seven years.

Prior to Yori leading her 2006-07 Huskers to 22 wins, Nebraska had only managed five 20-win seasons in the previous 26 years. NU has managed 14 20-win seasons in 38 full seasons of women’s basketball as a varsity sport.

Over the past seven seasons, Nebraska has averaged 21.7 wins, including the three highest victory totals in school history - 32 wins in 2009-10, 25 in 2012-13 and 24 wins in 2011-12. Over the past four years, NU has averaged 23.5 wins per year. Prior to Yori’s arrival in 2002-03, Nebraska’s record for most wins in a season was 23 (1978-79, 1979-80, 1992-93, 1997-98).

Hooper Closing in on Husker Career Three-Point Record
Senior Jordan Hooper owns 257 career three-pointers, just 10 shy of the Husker career record set by Kiera Hardy (267, 2004-07).

Hooper became the first Husker junior to reach 200 career threes in 2012-13. Hardy ended her junior campaign in 2005-06 with 196.

Hooper, who hit 67 three-pointers in each of her first two seasons as a Husker, knocked down 81 in 2012-13, to match Hardy’s 2005-06 total for the most by a junior in school history.  

Hooper did not attempt a three-pointer on her way to a 33-point, 14-rebound performance against Utah State Dec. 8. It is the only game in Hooper’s career without a three-point attempt. She also went without hitting a three in Nebraska’s win over Creighton on Dec. 14. It marked just the second time in her career that she went without a made three-pointer in consecutive games, joining a home game against Kansas (0-2) on Jan. 16, 2010, and a road game at Kansas State (0-3) on Jan. 22, 2010 during her freshman season.

She has never gone three straight games in her career without hitting a three. Hooper connected on a three-pointer in NU’s win over South Dakota on Dec. 21, before going 4-for-8 from long range in Nebraska’s final non-conference victory over Oral Roberts on Dec. 29.
    
Hooper Puts Up Double-Doubles at Record Rate
Jordan Hooper is tied for second all-time at Nebraska with 36 career double-doubles, following her second straight double-double when she produced 25 points and 13 rebounds at Iowa on Feb. 1. It came after a 25-point, 10-rebound performance against Michigan on Jan. 29.

Hooper owns 10 double-doubles this season and four in Big Ten play. She also had 18 points, 10 rebounds against Minnesota on Jan. 16, and 14 points and 10 boards against Northwestern on Jan. 2.

She owns two huge doubles this season with 30 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Oral Roberts on Dec. 29 and 33 points, 14 rebounds in a win over Utah State on Dec. 8.   

Hooper, who produced three double-doubles in Big Ten play in 2013, has produced some monstrous doubles in her career. In fact, 20 of her career double-doubles have included 20-point scoring efforts, including five of her eight career 30-point games.

Her 30th career double-double came with 24 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to Washington State on Nov. 30. Last season in a win at 2013 NCAA second-round participant South Florida, Hooper poured in 24 points and had 14 rebounds. The previous game against 2013 NCAA second-round participant Florida State, Hooper erupted for 36 points and 12 boards in a win on Dec. 8, 2012. She recorded her 20th career double-double with 29 points and 10 boards against Idaho State on Dec. 1, 2012.  

In the 2012 Big Ten Tournament, Hooper produced three double-doubles in four games, including 25 points and 10 boards against No. 21 Purdue and 21 points and 10 rebounds against No. 14 Ohio State. Earlier in the 2011-12 season, Hooper had 19 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in a win at Wisconsin on Feb. 19, 2012. She added 22 points and 15 rebounds against Iowa on Jan. 26, 2012.

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, recorded 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.

As a sophomore, 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 recorded double-doubles in a personal-best four straight games from Dec. 18, 2011, to Jan. 5, 2012.

Nebraska’s History of Success at Home
Nebraska has opened the Pinnacle Bank Arena era with an 12-2 home record in 2013-14, including a 77-49 win over UCLA (Nov. 8) in the first-ever regular-season basketball game at the arena. NU added a 62-48 victory over Alabama (Nov. 11), a 78-55 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 21), an 87-64 win over Southern (Nov. 24) and a 77-42 victory over UMass-Lowell (Nov. 27).

NU lost its first-ever game to Washington State (76-72) at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Nov. 30, but bounced back with a 95-75 win over Utah State on Dec. 8. The Huskers added a 63-38 win over Creighton on Dec. 14, before rolling to an 87-53 win over South Dakota on Dec. 21 and an 89-53 victory over Oral Roberts on Dec. 29. NU won its first-ever Big Ten home game with a 66-65 thriller over Northwestern Jan. 2, and an 88-85 overtime win over Minnesota on Jan. 16. It marked the first overtime game in Pinnacle Bank Arena history. NU suffered its first home Big Ten loss with a 77-75 setback on a last-second shot against No. 22 Purdue on Jan. 19. The Huskers bounced back with an 84-51 win over Michigan on Jan. 29.

The Huskers have improved to 400-132 (.752) all-time at home. The Huskers have gone 136-36 (.791) over the last 11 seasons at home, posting double-figure home victory totals in each of the last 11 seasons, including 12-2 in 2013-14. NU went a perfect 16-0 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2009-10.

Nebraska played in the Devaney Center from 1976-77 through 2012-13, posting a 388-130 record, including 146-88 (.624) mark in conference play. NU went 13-4 at home in 2012-13.

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

In 2013-14, at least seven regular-season Nebraska women’s basketball games will be televised live nationally by the Big Ten Network, including each of NU’s first five Big Ten Conference contests. An eighth regular-season game (Illinois, Feb. 27) could be picked up by BTN, and Nebraska’s early round games in the Big Ten Conference Tournament also will be televised by BTN.

If the Huskers can advance to the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, that game will be televised by ESPN. It would give Nebraska three appearances on the ESPN family of networks in just over two weeks, following a Feb. 24 clash with Penn State and NU’s regular-season finale at Purdue on March 2. Both those games will be televised live nationally by ESPN2. Nebraska’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge game at North Carolina on Dec. 4 was streamed live world-wide by ESPN3.

Nebraska’s first nationally televised game of the season came at Utah on Nov. 15, when the Huskers appeared on the Pac-12 Network. NU made two appearances on Nebraska Educational Television (NET) in 2013-14. The first game in the history of Pinnacle Bank Arena appeared on NET when the Huskers battled the UCLA Bruins on Nov. 8. Nebraska was back on NET again against Michigan on Jan. 29.

Both of Nebraska’s NET games were streamed live to the Big Ten Digital Network (BTDN aka BTN.com All-Access).  Throughout the season, BTDN will provide video streams to at least 16 games for BTN.com All-Access subscribers.

Nebraska’s inaugural exhibition game at Pinnacle Bank Arena against Pittsburg State on Oct. 29 was streamed live for free on Huskers.com. NU’s Nov. 30 game with Washington State also was streamed live on Huskers.com.

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 enjoyed its highest level of national TV exposure in school history, while adding two outstanding alternative video streaming sources. NU’s game with Duke was the 34th game of 2012-13 available world-wide to fans and the 16th nationally televised game. It was NU’s fourth game on ESPN2. The Huskers had 10 nationally televised games on the Big Ten Network, one on CBS and one on the Pac-12 Network.

The Big Ten Network distributed 10 other Nebraska women’s basketball games through live video streams on BTN.com, including two that were televised live in the state of Nebraska by NET.  HuskersNside, the live video area on Huskers.com, took care of the rest of NU’s games in 2012-13.

Husker Sports Network, Huskers.com Carries NU World-Wide
The Husker Sports Network enters its 20th season of producing and marketing the live broadcasts of Nebraska women’s basketball in 2013-14. Women’s basketball play-by-play announcer Matt Coatney and color commentator Jeff Griesch are in their 13th season together as the Huskers’ broadcast team.

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 game 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.

Fastbreakers Offer Travel Opportunities to Follow Huskers
The Fastbreakers Nebraska Women’s Basketball Booster Club has offereda pair of opportunities to follow the Huskers on the road this season.

The first trip was organized is for Nebraska’s Feb. 1 showdown with Iowa in Iowa City, which resulted in an 80-67 victory, with hundreds of Husker fans on hand at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The second trip will join the Huskers at the 2014 Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, March 6-9.

For complete information on the travel opportunities, visit the Nebraska women’s basketball home page on Huskers.com and click on “Fastbreakers Travel” in the right side menu options. Fans can also e-mail Gary Schuster at gary@totalteamtravel.com.
    
Fastbreakers Prepare for More Fun with Pregame Parties
The Fastbreakers Women’s Basketball Booster Club set the dates for four Pregame Parties in Lincoln for the 2013-14 season.

With the new development in the Haymarket District, the Fastbreakers invite fans to take a tour of some of the new restaurants in the area at these fun new events. Each Pregame Party begins two hours prior to the tip-off for select games, and wraps up 30 minutes before the game begins to allow fans to get to their seats in time for the game.

Pregame Parties feature great food and drink specials at each location, lots of door prizes, and a different Husker spirit item provided for each fan in attendance. There is no cost to attend (food and drink will be available for purchase), and no RSVP is required. At the season’s end, fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite location, where next year’s events will be held.

The first Pregame Party was held on Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Courtyard Marriott Bistro, just two blocks from Pinnacle Bank Arena. The party began at 5 p.m., prior to the game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which tipped off at 7 p.m.

The second Pregame Party was held on Sunday, Dec. 8 (game vs. Utah State). NU’s third Pregame Party was Thursday, Jan. 16 (game vs. Minnesota), and the final one will be Saturday, Feb. 8 (game vs. Michigan State).

Locations will be announced on Huskers.com, Twitter, Facebook and at Husker Women’s Basketball games. Questions can be directed to the Huskers Athletic Fund at (402) 472-2367 or 800-8-BIG RED, or at athleticfund@huskers.com.

Husker Home Attendance Soars Past 80,000
Through 14 home games, the Huskers have attracted 80,079 fans including 10 of the top-16 largest home non-conference crowds in school history. NU has drawn 5,000 or more fans for 10 of its first 14 home games at Pinnacle Bank Arena, including seven of 10 home non-conference games. The Big Red drew only five home non-conference crowds of 5,000 or more in 37 seasons at the Devaney Center.

Nebraska’s total home attendance of 80,079 ranks No. 9 nationally, while NU’s average home attendance of 5,720 ranks 11th.

Nebraska attracted almost 15,000 fans to Pinnacle Bank Arena in its season-opening weekend, including a non-conference school-record crowd of 9,750 for a season-opening win over UCLA on Nov. 8. The Huskers added a crowd of 4,924 for a Veterans Day win over Alabama on Nov. 11.

The 14,674 fans over two games nearly matched the 15,221 fans who attended Nebraska’s eight home non-conference games in Coach Connie Yori’s first season in 2002-03.

Nebraska’s average home attendance of 5,658 marked the best single-season non-conference average in school history, crushing the 4,049 fans per game the Huskers averaged during home non-conference action in 2012-13. With just one more home non-conference game than a year ago, the Big Red attracted 20,139 more fans than last season (36,436), which was also a school non-conference record.

Growing interest in Nebraska women’s basketball is not new. In fact, 13 of the 21 largest non-conference home crowds in school history have come over the last 21 non-conference home games for the Big Red.

Game One Featured Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally
Game One presented by Ameritas at Pinnacle Bank Arena featured more than just a top-25 showdown between the Nebraska and UCLA women’s basketball teams on Nov. 8.

The special day-long celebration of the regular-season openers for both the Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball teams at their new downtown arena tipped off with an energy-filled pep rally featuring an all-star cast of speakers and entertainers.

The Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally on the morning of Nov. 8 on the new home court of the Huskers reached more than 4,500 middle-school youth from nearly 50 schools across Nebraska.

Students from Centennial to Crete, Norris to North Bend Central, Seward to Sandy Creek and Wahoo to Wilber-Clatonia joined students from several private schools in Lincoln for a morning of motivational messages and exciting basketball action.

The sportsmanship pep rally, which was organized with assistance from the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame, included messages from nationally recognized speakers.

Nebraska’s men’s basketball coach Tim Miles, baseball coach Darin Erstad, two-time NCAA and Olympic wrestling champion Jordan Burroughs, along with NCAA discus champion Chad Wright all delivered inspirational messages. Amanda Burau from Nebraska’s national champion women’s bowling team, Mattie Fowler from the Huskers’ Women’s College World Series softball team and Shavon Shields from the men’s basketball team added impressive messages, along with former women’s basketball player Meghin Williams. Acrodunk, a nationally acclaimed high-flying dunk team, added a spectacular performance.

The Huskers’ tip time was moved to noon to accommodate the students’ attendance at the pep rally and their return to their home schools.

Comeback Over Gophers One of Largest in Husker History
Nebraska’s 88-85 comeback win over Minnesota in OT on Jan. 16, came after trailing by 14 points with 13:40 left to tie for the second-largest second-half deficit overcome by a Connie Yori-coached Husker team.

In Yori’s first season, the Huskers trailed by five at half, then 19 in the second half but came back to win 62-61 at San Diego on Dec. 28, 2002. In 2007-08, Nebraska trailed by eight at half and 14 in the second half before Kesley Griffin rallied the Huskers for a 73-67 win at Missouri on Feb. 3, 2008.

Double-digit comebacks are nothing new to the Huskers under Coach Yori. In fact, the win over Minnesota marked the 16th time in Yori’s 12 seasons at Nebraska that the Huskers have overcome a double-digit deficit to win. In 2011-12, the Huskers overcame double-digit deficits five times to earn wins.

However, it was only the eighth time the team trailed by double digits in the second half and won.

Nebraska Overtime Facts
• Nebraska is 19-18 all-time in overtime games, including 11-9 at home, 5-6 in true road games and 3-3 on neutral courts in overtime.

• Nebraska is 6-4 all-time in 12 seasons under Coach Connie Yori in overtime, including 4-2 at home and 1-0 in Pinnacle Bank Arena. Yori-coached Husker teams are 1-1 in double-overtime and 2-0 in triple overtime.

• Nebraska is 4-1 in multi-overtime games, including 2-1 since 2005-06. The lone loss came to Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game, 74-70 in double-overtime in 2012.

• NU’s last overtime came with an 88-85 overtime win over Minnesota on Jan. 16. It marked the first overtime game in the history of Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska’s first overtime game in the history of the Bob Devaney Sports Center also came against Minnesota - a 68-67 win for the Huskers on Dec. 30, 1977.

• Nebraska has never played back-to-back overtime games at home. The Huskers have played back-to-back overtime games only once in school history, an 83-81 loss to Texas A&M in College Station on Dec. 30, 1985, before returning to Lincoln for an 80-75 win over Eastern Kentucky at the Devaney Center on Jan. 2, 1986.

• Nebraska’s most frequent overtime opponent is Purdue. The Huskers and Boilermakers have played three overtime games in four all-time meetings, all coming in the past two seasons. The Huskers also battled Missouri in three single-overtime games among the 71 all-time contests in that series. NU’s six total overtimes against Purdue are also the most against any team in school history.

• The Huskers have played eight all-time overtime games against Big Ten opponents and own a 3-5 record. NU is 2-2 against Big Ten opponents since joining the conference for the start of the 2011-12 season.