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Sunday, Nov. 23, 1 p.m. (central)
Bob Devaney Sports Center (Lincoln, Neb.)
Video: HuskersNside
Radio: Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney-PBP; Jeff Griesch-Analyst)
107.3 FM, Lincoln; 93.3 FM, Omaha; 880 AM, Lexington; 1230 AM, Hastings; 94.1 FM, Scottsbluff; 93.9 FM, McCook
Internet: Free live audio on Huskers.com
This year’s version of Nebraska women’s basketball has already proved they are a tough team. How tough? After enduring a 20-hour delay in their arrival to Pullman, Wash., and two different trips to different sides of the Lincoln airport, the Huskers faced a Washington State team Wednesday night that had knocked off Nebraska in Lincoln last year, hitting 12 three-pointers.
The Cougars had already knocked off No. 22 Dayton by 16 points and led Idaho State 40-0. Nebraska got out to as much as a nine-point first-half lead, but WSU rallied to tie it 34-34 at the half. The second half was all Big Red as Nebraska held the Cougars to an ice cold 0-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc in the second half, 2-of-27 overall en route an impressive 82-61 victory.
All Big Ten Defensive Team member Hailie Sample made big defensive play after defensive play and added 16 points and nine rebounds to go along with a career-high tying three steals. Five Huskers scored in double figures as Nebraska improved to 3-0 on the young season. NU continues its run of three straight games against Pac-12 Conference teams when the Huskers return to Lincoln to host Utah Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Devaney Center.
That’s not a typo. Nebraska is hosting Utah in a “”Turn Back The Clock” event at their former long-time home. NU will honor the 1988 Big Eight Championship team and will wear throw-back uniforms that resemble those worn by that title team.
Utah is 1-1 on the season after losing at Creighton 64-57 Thursday night. The Bluejays only turned the ball over two times and outscored Utah 20-3 in points off turnovers. The Utes started the season with a 100-87 overtime win over San Jose State in Salt Lake City. Utah outscored the Spartans 17-4 in the extra period.
The Utes struggled to a 12-19 finish last season and lost 6-3 forward Michelle Plouffe to graduation. Plouffe was a teammate of former Husker Chelsea Aubry on the 2012 Canadian Olumpic team in London and averaged 18.4 points and 10.4 rebounds last year. She ended her stellar career with 2,100 points and a school-record 1,115 rebounds, earning All-Pac 12 and conference defensive team honors. Plouffe was a second-round WNBA draft pick by Seattle.
While Utah lost one tremendous forward, they gained another. Two-time all-Pac-12 forward 6-3 Taryn Wicijowski (witch-OW-ski) tore her ACL for the second time last October, forcing her to miss the 2013-14 season. Now healthy and ready for her sixth year at Utah, Wicijowski leads a talented team with a lot of new faces. With four players back from injury from a year ago, four freshmen and one transfer, the Utes have nine players who did not suit up for Utah in 2013-14.
In the season-opening win over San Jose State, Wicijowski sent the game to overtime with two last-second free throws in regulation and turned in a career-high 36 points and 19 rebounds. She was 15-of-23 shooting, including a 6-of-7 night from the free throw line, while distributing three assists. On Thursday night, Wicijowski posted another double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds at Creighton, but she turned the ball over six times and struggled to hit 5-of-16 shots from the field.
Danielle Rodriguez has started 68 of 69 games the past two-plus seasons at point guard. Last year, the 5-10 guard ranked third in the Pac-12 with 4.3 assists per game.
Malia Nawahine (NA-wh-HE-nay) posted her seventh career double-digit scoring game with 17 points against San Jose State. The 5-10 sophomore forward started 12 games as a freshman. Paige Crozon, a 6-1 sophomore guard, missed all of last season recovering from symptoms related to a concussion suffered at the end of the 2012-13 season. The concussion occurred in March before Utah’s WNIT matchup with San Diego during a practice where Crozon collided with a teammate.
In 2012-13, Crozon averaged four points a game as a freshman, starting 10 games, and had the Utes’ best free throw shooting percentage with .815, making 22 of 27 attempts. Crozon was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field with nine points and six rebounds against Creighton.
Tanaeya Boclair, a 6-0 freshman, rounds out Utah’s probable starting lineup. Last season, Boclair led Brennan High School to the Texas UIL 4A State semifinals while earning Female Athlete of the Year in San Antonio. She tied for team-high scoring honors with 14 points in the Thursday night loss at Creighton.
Additionally, 6-4 freshman center Joeseta Fatuesi was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on Nov. 17. She had 14 points in her collegiate debut, and in the overtime period alone, posted five points and was 3-for-4 from the foul line with four rebounds in the win against San Jose State.
Anthony Levrets is in his fifth season as head coach of Utah. While serving as interim head coach, he won a conference title and made an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010-11.
Utah leads the all-time series 2-1 with Nebraska, but the Huskers emerged victorious in their last meeting. On Nov. 15, 2013 in Salt Lake City, Rachel Theriot led Nebraska back from a five-point halftime deficit with a then-career high 28 points to lead NU to a 75-69 win. Emily Cady had 13 points and nine rebounds for Nebraska while Danielle Rodriquez added 16 points for the Utes.
Utah defeated Nebraska 56-62 in Salt Lake City in 1978 and bested the Huskers 56-44 in 2007 at the Oahu Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii.
I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska women’s basketball on the Husker Sports Network. Our radio broadcast Sunday afternoon begins with the pre-game show at 12:45 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on the Husker Sports Network including KBBK (B107.3) in Lincoln, KFFF 93.3 in Omaha, KRVN 880 in Lexington, KHAS 1230 in Hastings, KNEB 94.1 in Scottsbluff, KSWN 93.9 in McCook and many others. All Husker women’s basketball broadcasts are also available for free worldwide on the internet at www.huskers.com. Wednesday night’s broadcast is also available for free on your phone or tablet via the TuneIn Radio app. I hope you can join us. .
There are a number of ways to get enhanced information about our broadcast and Husker women’s basketball via social media. You can learn more about the team on the Nebraska Women’s Basketball Facebook page or follow the team on their official Twitter page @huskerswbb. I also invite you to friend me on Facebook (Matt Coatney) or follow me on Twitter @coatman1.
Go Big Red!
Matt