Coatney's Call: Maryland Preview

#12 Nebraska vs. #14 Maryland
Saturday, Jan. 3, 3 p.m. (central)
Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Neb.)
TV: CBS
Radio: Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney-PBP; Jeff Griesch-Analyst)
107.3 FM, Lincoln; 93.3 FM, Omaha; 93.9 FM, 1340 AM, Sidney; 93.9 FM, McCook, 94.5 FM, Hastings; 1400 AM, Ainsworth; 94.1 FM, Scottsbluff, 1340 AM, Fremont, 1310 AM, Fairbury
Internet: Free live audio on Huskers.com

No. 12 Huskers Host No. 14 Maryland on CBS
Before Monday night’s 72-69 Nebraska women’s basketball loss at Minnesota, I told my counterparts on Golden Gophers’ radio that the Huskers’ margin for error was razor thin. I noted that if any of Nebraska’s starters got in foul trouble, the game could change quickly.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. Playing with only six available scholarship players due to injury and an outbreak of stomach flu, Nebraska built a 17-point lead with less than 11 minutes to go in the game. However, with Hailie Sample battling foul trouble, Minnesota rallied to go on a 13-0 run in a 3:40 stretch late in the game and emerged with the victory in the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams.

Senior forward Emily Cady posted her sixth double-double of the season with 21 points and 14 rebounds while playing the entire 40 minutes. Junior point guard Rachel Theriot also played the entire 40 minutes and posted her fifth career points-assists double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. Theriot has a combined 28 assists in her last two games against the Gophers. She also happens to rank second nationally in free throw percentage (95.6%).

Senior guard Brandi Jeffery continued her torrid rebounding pace, grabbing a career-high 16 boards in the losing effort. Things certainly don’t get any easier for the short-handed Huskers as they return home to host the preseason favorites to win the Big Ten.

No. 14 Maryland faces Nebraska in a 3 p.m. (central) tip-off Saturday at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln in a game that will be nationally televised on CBS.

Maryland comes off a 2013-14 season in which they advanced to the NCAA Women's Final Four for the fourth time in school history and the second time under Head Coach Brenda Frese. The Terrapins lost Alyssa Thomas to graduation from last year’s team. My broadcast partner, Jeff Griesch, and I both think Thomas was one of the top five opposing players we have ever seen play against Nebraska. She had 25 points, five rebounds, eight assists and six steals in Maryland’s 90-71 win at the Devaney Center on Nov. 28, 2012.

However, the Terrapins are rolling again this season with a 10-2 record and opened their inaugural season in the Big Ten by running past Ohio State 87-78 Monday night. The Terrapins lead the Big Ten in scoring offense (84.9), scoring margin (+26.5), field goal percentage (49.9), rebounding margin (+11.8) and offensive rebounds (15.5). Maryland is second in the country in field goal percentage, behind only Connecticut.

The Terrapins have had a very consistent starting lineup this season, paced by their lone senior, 6-0 wing Laurin Mincy. She leads the team in scoring (13.5 ppg) and picked up her second career double-double against Ohio State Monday with 14 points and 11 rebounds. In the 2012 game against Nebraska, Mincy had 16 points and was 4-of-4 shooting from three-point range in only 23 minutes, but unfortunately was injured in the second half, tearing her right ACL and missed the remainder of the 2012-13 season.

Sophomore Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, a 5-11 guard, had an 18-point effort against Ohio State and is second on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg).

Sophomore center Brionna Jones dominated the Buckeyes, tying her career-high with 23 points and added a career-high 14 rebounds and four blocks. She averages 12.0 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game.

Sophomore Lexie Brown, a 5-9 point guard, averages 11.3 points, leads the team in three-pointers (20) and is tied with Mincy for the team lead in assists (41). Brown had 12 points, including 10 in the second half, in the win over Ohio State.

Junior Malina Howard rounds out Maryland’s probable starting lineup. A good friend and summer club teammate of Husker point guard Rachel Theriot, the 6-4 center Howard averages 5.8 points.and 5.1 rebounds per contest.

Brenda Frese was the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year in her only season at Minnesota. She led the Gophers to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2002 before taking over the Maryland program. She won the 2006 NCAA Championship and took the Terrapins back to the Final Four last season.

Maryland leads the all-time series with Nebraska 2-0. In addition to the 2012 game at the Devaney Center, the Terrapins defeated the Huskers 78-64 in College Park in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska women’s basketball on the Husker Sports Network. Our radio broadcast Saturday afternoonbegins with the pre-game show at 2:45 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 3:05 p.m. on the Husker Sports Network including KBBK (B107.3) in Lincoln, KFFF 93.3 in Omaha, KGMT 1310 in Fairbury, KSWN 93.9 in McCook, KHUB 1340 in Fremont, KNEB 94.1 in Scottsbluff, KLIQ 94.5 in Hastings, KBRB 1400 in Ainsworth, and many others. Fans inside Pinnacle Bank Arena can listen to the live Husker Sports Network broadcast delay-free on 87.7 MHZ via an in-arena transmitter. Saturday’s game can also be heard on your computer, tablet or smart phone on the TuneIn App. Just search for “Husker IMG Sports Network.” All Husker Women’s Basketball broadcasts are also available for free worldwide on the internet at www.huskers.com. I hope you can join us.

There are a number of ways to get enhanced information about our broadcast and Husker Women’s Basketball via social media. You can learn more about the team on the Nebraska Women’s Basketball Facebook page or follow the team on their official Twitter page @huskerswbb. I also invite you to friend me on Facebook (Matt Coatney) or follow me on Twitter @coatman1.

Go Big Red!

Matt