No. 12 Huskers Expect Test from Speedy Roadrunners

#12/#15 Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
vs. Bakersfield Roadrunners (6-2, 0-0 WAC)
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2 p.m. (Central)
Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Neb.)
Tickets: Huskers.com/800-8-BIG-RED
Live Video: BTN Plus
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (107.3 FM, Lincoln; 93.3 FM, Omaha)
(PBP-Matt Coatney, Analyst-Jeff Griesch)
Free Live Audio: Huskers.com

No. 12 Huskers Expect Difficult Test from Speedy Roadrunners
The No. 12 Nebraska women’s basketball team returns home for another clash with postseason-caliber competition when the Huskers battle Bakersfield Saturday afternoon.

Tip-off between the Huskers (8-1) and Roadrunners (6-2) is set for 2 p.m. (central) at Pinnacle Bank Arena and tickets are available now at Huskers.com. Tickets also can be purchased at the Pinnacle Bank Arena Box beginning at noon on Saturday.

Live radio coverage will be provided by the Husker Sports Network, with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the call on stations across the network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and 93.3 FM in Omaha. Free live audio also will be available on Huskers.com. A live premium video stream will be available to subscribers of BTN Plus.

The Huskers are coming off a thrilling 60-57 win at Creighton on Thursday night. Nebraska built a 16-point halftime lead then withstood a pair of furious CU rallies in the second half. Senior forward Hailie Sample hit three free throws in the final 15 seconds to seal the win.

Fellow senior forward Emily Cady notched her fourth double-double of the year and 26th of her career with a team-high 18 points to go along with 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Junior All-America point guard Rachel Theriot added 16 points and a season-high nine assists, while senior guard Brandi Jeffery pitched in five points, four assists and a career-high 12 rebounds.

The Huskers will be challenged by a speedy and experienced bunch of Roadrunners from Bakersfield. All-American guard Tyonna Outland leads a small but explosive squad that was picked to win the Western Athletic Conference this season. Outland, a 5-9 redshirt senior, is averaging 17.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. She is joined by fellow senior guard Brooklynn Hinkens, who is contributing 14.0 points per game and shooting 44.9 percent from three-point range. Junior point guard Alyssa Shannon carries one of the nation’s top assist-to-turnover ratios, while helping CSUB carry a plus-8.8 team turnover margin.

#12 Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
3 - Hailie Sample - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 6.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg
23 -  Emily Cady - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 13.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg
1 - Tear’a Laudermill - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 12.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg
13 - Brandi Jeffery - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 9.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 17.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Off the Bench
31 - Anya Kalenta - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg
5 - Natalie Romeo - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 4.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg
22 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - So. - C - 4.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg
34 - Jasmine Cincore - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 1.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg
30 - Chandler Smith - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
11 - Esther Ramacieri - 5-8 - So. - G - 0.2 ppg, 0.3 rpg
12 - Emily Wood - 5-5 - Fr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg
50 - Darrien Washington - 6-2 - Fr. - F - High School
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
13th Season at NU (249-143); 25th Season Overall (444-283)

Bakersfield Roadrunners (6-2, 0-0 WAC)
15 - Erika Williams - 6-0 - So. - G/F - 5.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg
24 - Hali Ford - 6-1 - Jr. - G/F - 2.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg
1 - Alyssa Shannon - 5-2 - Jr. - G - 7.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg
11 - Brooklynn Hinkens - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 14.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg
44 - Tyonna Outland - 5-9 - Sr. - G/F - 17.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg
Off the Bench
5 - Batabe Zempare - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 8.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg
3 - Shaquita Smith - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 6.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg
2 - Brittany Sims - 6-3 - So. - F - 4.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg
4 - Lunden Junious-Reliford - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 1.4 ppg, 1.0 rpg
22 - Airica Carmon - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 1.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg
Head Coach: Greg McCall (Bakersfield, 1991)
4th Season at CSUB (44-53); 4th Season Overall (44-53)

Streaks, Stats & Milestones
• Nebraska has never lost to a team from California under Coach Connie Yori. The Huskers are 19-0 against California schools, including wins over Pepperdine (100-65) and at UCLA (71-66) this season. NU is 2-0 against Bakersfield in that stretch.
• Nebraska is 4-0 vs. USC, 3-0 vs. UCLA, 2-0 vs. Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State and Saint Mary’s, and 1-0 vs. Pepperdine, Fresno State, UC Irvine and San Diego under Coach Yori.
• Overall, Nebraska has won 21 straight games against California schools, dating back to a 77-66 loss at UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 3, 2000.
• Nebraska carries a 10-game home winning streak into Saturday’s game with Bakersfield. NU is 5-0 at home this season after winning its final five home games of 2013-14. The Huskers have not lost at home since a 77-75 setback to Purdue on Jan. 19, 2014.
• Connie Yori takes aim at her 250th win as head coach of the Huskers on Saturday. Nebraska’s all-time winningest women’s basketball coach, Yori carries a 249-143 record at NU.
• Emily Cady needs four points on Saturday to catch Jan Crouch (1976-79) in 18th place on the NU career scoring list (1,183). Cady, a Seward native who enters the game with 1,179 points would move into eighth place among native Nebraskans on the Husker career scoring list.
• Emily Cady needs eight rebounds to catch Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-83) in fifth on the Nebraska career rebounds list (874). Cady enters the game with 866 career rebounds.
• Brandi Jeffery needs six rebounds to match her season total (62) from 2013-14.
• Tear’a Laudermill is expected to make her 40th straight start, when the Huskers play Bakersfield.

Scouting the Bakersfield Roadrunners
Bakersfield brings a 6-2 record to Lincoln, including impressive wins over Fresno State (80-60), Air Force (96-56) and Arizona (76-72). However, the Roadrunners are coming off a surprising 80-68 loss at Omaha on Thursday night.

CSUB hit just 33.8 percent (24-71) of its shots from the floor, including 6-of-20 threes against the Mavericks, who improved to 5-4 with the win. The Roadrunners attempted 21 more shots than Omaha, thanks in part to a plus-11 turnover margin (22-11).

Coach Greg McCall led CSUB to a 19-12 overall record last season, including a 12-4 mark for a second-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference. The ‘Runners also advanced to the Postseason WNIT.

Bakersfield is led by fifth-year senior Tyonna Outland. The 5-9 guard/forward is averaging 17.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game this season. She had 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting at UNO.

Last year, Outland averaged 20.7 points and 6.3 boards per game while being named the WAC Player of the Year by College Sports Madness. She was also an honorable-mention WBCA All-American.

Brooklynn Hinkens, a 5-7 senior guard, adds explosiveness and experience. She led the ‘Runners with 19 points, including a trio of threes at Omaha, but was just 5-of-15 overall from the floor. Hinkens has hit a team-best 22 three-pointers, while connecting at a 44.9 percent clip. She owns 116 threes in her career.

Alyssa Shannon, a 5-2 junior guard, contributes excellent decision-making to a diminutive backcourt. Shannon is averaging 7.3 points, and team bests of 5.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. She also owns one of the nation’s top assist-to-turnover ratios (3.9-to-1).

A pair of undersized forwards lead the Bakersfield frontline. Junior Hali Ford has managed 2.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. CSUB’s top post defender, Ford played just 14 minutes before fouling out at Omaha.

Sophomore Erika Williams has pitched in 5.0 points and 2.4 boards per contest. She had six points on 3-of-10 shooting at UNO.

The Roadrunners get potent inside play off the bench from junior Batabe Zempare. The 6-2 forward from Ghana is averaging 8.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in just 18.3 minutes per contest. She went just 1-for-5 from the floor, managing two points and six rebounds in 14 minutes at Omaha.

Brittany Sims, a 6-3 sophomore center, has added 4.4 points and 4.8 boards per game. She played big minutes at UNO, producing four points while yanking down 10 rebounds, including six offensive boards, in just 17 minutes.

The Roadrunners also get more help off the bench in the backcourt from Shaquita Smith. The 5-7 senior has pitched in 6.5 points per game, while connecting on 12 threes on the year. Smith scored 14 points, including a pair of three-pointers, in 18 minutes off the bench at UNO.

As a team, Bakersfield is averaging 75.2 points per game, while shooting 39.1 percent. The Roadrunners are hitting a solid 36.9 percent from three-point range, while connecting on 7.3 threes per game.

Bakersfield carries a minus-5.2 rebounding margin. CSUB was outrebounded 37-32 at UNO on Thursday, but the ‘Runners pulled down 14 offensive boards.

The speedy Roadrunners make up for their lack of production on the glass by posting a plus-8.8 team turnover margin.    

Nebraska vs. Bakersfield Series History
Nebraska owns a 2-0 all-time record against Bakersfield, including a 70-57 win over the Roadrunners in Lincoln on Dec. 9, 2008. The Huskers won the first meeting, 66-62, on Dec. 13, 2007, in Bakersfield.

NU is 19-0 against California schools under Coach Connie Yori, including wins over Pepperdine (100-65) and at UCLA (71-66) this season.