Huskers Open New Year in Top 15 Showdown with Maryland

#12/#16 Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-2, 0-1 Big Ten)
vs. #14/#10 Maryland Terrapins (10-2, 1-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, Jan. 3, 3 p.m. (Central)
Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Neb.)
Television: CBS (Dave Ryan, Debbie Antonelli)
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney, Jeff Griesch)
107.3 FM, Lincoln; 93.3 FM, Omaha, 880 AM, Lexington
Free Live Audio: Huskers.com Live Stats: Huskers.com

Huskers Open New Year in Top 15 Showdown with Maryland
The No. 12 Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to Pinnacle Bank Arena to start the New Year by battling No. 14 Maryland in the Huskers’ Big Ten home opener on Saturday afternoon.

Tip-off between the Big Red (10-2, 0-1 Big Ten) and the Terrapins (10-2, 1-0 Big Ten) is set for 3 p.m. (central) with live national television coverage on CBS, with Dave Ryan and Debbie Antonelli on the call.

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, 93.3 FM in Omaha and 880 AM in Lexington. Free live audio also will be available on Huskers.com.

The Huskers will be looking to rebound from a 72-69 road loss at Minnesota on Monday night in their Big Ten opener. Nebraska led by as many as 17 points in the second half and held a 14-point lead with 7:50 left before the Gophers (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten) rallied for the win.

The Huskers were hindered by injuries and illness leaving them with just six scholarship players and one walk-on in uniform at Minnesota. Newcomers Jasmine Cincore, Anya Kalenta, Natalie Romeo and Chandler Smith all closed non-conference play on the injured list with foot/leg injuries. Kalenta, Romeo, sophomore Esther Ramacieri and redshirt Darrien Washington did not attend the Minnesota game because of a stomach virus.

The last time Nebraska had only six scholarship players in uniform for a game was Coach Connie Yori’s first season with the Huskers in 2002-03.

Maryland comes to Lincoln for its first-ever Big Ten road game after running to an 87-78 win over Ohio State on Monday in the Terrapins’ Big Ten debut at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Md. Brionna Jones led four Terps in double figures with 23 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks, while senior guard Laurin Mincy also produced a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds to go along with six assists.

In the last meeting between the Huskers and Terps in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Nov. 28, 2012, Mincy had 16 points, including 4-of-4 shooting from three-point range, in just 23 minutes before suffering a torn ACL. No. 11 Maryland beat No. 21 NU, 90-71.

#12 Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-2, 0-1 Big Ten)
3 - Hailie Sample - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 7.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg
23 - Emily Cady - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 14.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg
1 - Tear’a Laudermill - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 12.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg
13 - Brandi Jeffery - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 7.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 18.3 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 - 4.6 ppg, 3.8 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
12 - Emily Wood - 5-5 - Fr. - G - 0.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg
11 - Esther Ramacieri - 5-8 - So. - G - 0.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg
50 - Darrien Washington - 6-2 - Fr. - F - High School
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
13th Season at NU (251-144); 25th Season Overall (446-284)

#14 Maryland Terrapins (10-2, 1-0 Big Ten)
5 - Malina Howard - 6-4 - Jr. - C - 5.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg
42 - Brionna Jones - 6-3 - So. - C - 12.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg 
1 - Laurin Mincy - 6-0 - RSr. - G - 13.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg
4 - Lexie Brown - 5-9 - So. - G - 11.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg
32 - Shatori Walker-Kimbrough - 5-11 - So. - G - 12.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Off the Bench
0 - Aja Ellison - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 2.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg
2 - Kiara Leslie - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 5.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
3 - Brene Moseley - 5-7 - Jr. - G - 5.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg
12 - Kristen Confroy - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 6.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg
15 - Chloe Pavlech - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 3.1 ppg, 0.5 rpg
22 - Tierney Pfirman - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 6.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg
33 - A’Lexus Harrison - 6-0 - RFr. - F - 3.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Head Coach: Brenda Frese (Arizona, 1993)
13th Season at Maryland (316-103); 16th Season Overall (373-133)

Theriot Named to Wade, Wooden, Naismith Watch Lists
Nebraska junior Rachel Theriot is one of 25 candidates on the Wade Watch List, one of 30 preseason candidates for the 2015 John R. Wooden Award and one of 50 contenders for the 2015 Naismith Trophy.

The 6-0 point guard from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, was ranked as the No. 13 player in the nation by ESPN heading into this season and was a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection. She is averaging 18.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists this season.

Last season, she proved herself as one of the nation’s top young players, earning honorable-mention All-America accolades from the AP after claiming a first-team All-Big Ten award. In 2013-14, Theriot averaged 14.1 points and 7.1 assists per game while leading the Big Ten with a 2.7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Her 234 assists were a school record. She guided NU to its first conference tournament title as the Big Ten Tournament MVP, averaging 18.7 points and 10.0 assists per game.

Nebraska has had at least one player on the Wade, Wooden and Naismith watch lists in five of the last six seasons, including Jordan Hooper, Lindsey Moore and Kelsey Griffin.

Scouting the Maryland Terrapins
Coach Brenda Frese brings her Maryland Terrapins to Pinnacle Bank Arena for the first time in their Big Ten road opener. Frese, who started her tenure at Maryland the same season that Coach Connie Yori came to Nebraska (2002-03), has the Terps off to a 10-2 start overall in their first season in the Big Ten.

Maryland opened Big Ten play with an 87-78 win over Ohio State on Monday night in College Park, Md. Brionna Jones, a 6-3 sophomore center, led the Terps with 23 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in the win over the Buckeyes. She has started all 12 games but is averaging just 20.4 minutes per game for a young and deep Maryland squad. Jones is one of four Terps averaging double figures on the year, ranking third on the team with 12.0 points to go along with a team-leading 7.0 rebounds per game. She is also shooting a team-best 60 percent from the field, after going 9-for-13 from the floor against OSU.

Laurin Mincy, a 6-0 senior guard, leads the Terrapins in scoring with 13.5 points per game, while adding 3.8 rebounds. She also ranks second on the squad with 3.4 assists per game. Mincy added a double-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the win over Ohio State. Two years ago, Mincy scored 16 points and hit all four of her three-point attempts in just 23 minutes of action in a 90-71 win over the Huskers. Her season ended early in the second half of that game with a torn ACL.

Sophomore Shatori Walker-Kimbrough ranks second on the squad with 12.8 points per game. The 5-11 guard has also grabbed 5.7 rebounds per contest.

Walker-Kimbrough, Mincy, Jones and 6-4 junior center Malina Howard have started all 12 games for the Terps. Howard, a club teammate of Nebraska point guard Rachel Theriot while growing up in Ohio, is averaging 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Sophomore Lexie Brown has started 11 games for the Terps, missing only the non-conference finale at Coppin State with a back injury. The 5-9 guard who is the daughter of former NBA dunk champion Dee Brown, is averaging 11.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and team bests with 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals. Brown also leads the Terps with 20 threes on the year, while hitting 37.7 percent of her long-range attempts.

While the Maryland starters put up strong numbers, five other Terps have averaged at least 12.8 minutes per game while playing in at least 11 games each.

Kristen Confroy, a 5-8 freshman, started one game in place of Brown and has averaged 6.1 points and 2.0 rebounds per game on the season. She ranks second on the team behind Brown with 12 made threes.

Tierney Pfirman, a 6-2 junior forward, has been Maryland’s most productive player off the bench, averaging 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds, while 5-7 junior guard Brene Moseley has added 5.8 points, 1.4 boards, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Freshmen Kiara Leslie (5.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and A’Lexus Harrison (3.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg) have both averaged 13.5 minutes per game off the bench in 11 contests.

Maryland has been the most potent offensive team in the Big Ten early in the season, leading the conference with 84.9 points per game while shooting a Big Ten-best 49.9 percent as a team from the floor. The Terps have hit 33.2 percent of their three-point attempts and rank second in the Big Ten with their 76.5 free throw percentage. Maryland’s plus-11.8 team rebounding margin also leads the Big Ten, including a conference-best 15.5 offensive rebounds per game.

Nebraska vs. Maryland Series History
Maryland has won the two previous meetings with Nebraska, including a 90-71 victory over the Huskers in their last battle on Nov. 28, 2012. All-American and first-round WNBA draft pick Alyssa Thomas led No. 11 Maryland with 25 points, five rebounds, eight assists and six steals in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge win at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Tianna Hawkins added 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Guard Laurin Mincy pitched in 16 points, including all four of her three-point attempts, before suffering a season-ending ACL injury with just over 15 minutes left in the second half.

All-American and first-round WNBA draft pick Lindsey Moore led the Huskers with 17 points and five assists while fellow All-American and current WNBA player Jordan Hooper added 15 points and six rebounds in the loss.

The only other meeting between the two schools came in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, when the Terps defeated Nebraska, 76-64, in College Park, Md., on March 25, 2008.

Husker Hot Shots - Nebraska’s Starting Five

#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, Jr., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (18.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 5.2 apg)
• A Wade, Wooden and Naismith national player-of-the-year candidate, Rachel Theriot claimed preseason All-Big Ten honors in 2014-15 from both the conference coaches and media. Theriot was chosen the No. 13 player in the nation by ESPN in rankings announced on Nov. 5.
• Theriot made her first career start against Maryland on Nov. 28, 2012, in Lincoln. She is expected to start her 74th consecutive game when the Huskers take on the Terps Saturday.
• Theriot has produced double figures in 11 of NU’s first 12 games this season, averaging 18.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. She has hit 48.2 percent of her field goals, including 12-of-26 three-point attempts (.462). She is also 43-for-45 (.956) at the free throw line.
• Theriot’s 397 career assists rank seventh in Husker history. She needs just three more to become the seventh player in school history with 400 career assists, and just five more assists to catch Stacy Imming (402, 1984-87) in sixth place on the NU career assist chart. She needs 47 assists to join Nebraska’s career top five.
• Theriot owns five points-assists double-doubles, including 18 points and 10 assists at Minnesota in the Big Ten opener on Dec. 29. Last season, she had four double-doubles including 10 points and 12 assists in the Big Red’s first-round NCAA Tournament win over Fresno State. Her 12 assists were the most by a Husker in history in an NCAA Tournament game. It was the fifth time in 2013-14 she dished out 11 or more assists in a game. No other Husker has done it more than four times in a career.
• She owns seven career double-digit assist games. Every other Husker in history has combined to produce just 41 double-digit assist games.
• Theriot closed non-conference play with a season-high 31 points in a win over High Point Dec. 20. It was her second career 30-point performance, joining a 33-point effort in an 88-85 OT win over Minnesota on Jan. 16, 2014.
• Her 31-point effort against High Point marked her fourth 20-point performance of the year. She had 25 points, six rebounds and four assists against Northern Colorado. Theriot had 24 points, a career-high eight rebounds and a season-high seven assists in a win at UCLA Nov. 28. She had 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals in a win over Utah Nov. 23.
• Theriot owns 10 career 20-point efforts and 40 career double-figure scoring performances, including 25 last season and 11 this season.
• She earned honorable-mention All-America accolades from the Associated Press as a sophomore. She joined Jordan Hooper (2nd Team) on the AP All-America squad, marking the second straight season the Huskers had produced a pair of All-Americans (Hooper, Lindsey Moore, HM, 2013).
• Theriot earned first-team All-Big Ten honors after ranking second among the Huskers with 15.6 points per game in conference play. She also averaged a team-best 7.3 assists in Big Ten action, which ranked second in the league. Overall, Theriot finished her sophomore season with 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.
• She ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten and fifth nationally with 7.1 assists per game, including 7.3 assists per game in Big Ten play. She led the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7-to-1) and ranked 17th nationally.
• Theriot finished with a Nebraska single-season record 234 assists in 2013-14, smashing the previous mark of 195 set by Meggan Yedsena (1991-92) and matched by Lindsey Moore (2012-13).
• She led Nebraska to its first conference tournament title as the Big Ten Tournament MVP. She averaged 18.7 points and a tournament-record 10.0 assists per game, with 30 total assists and just seven turnovers. Theriot hit 56.4 percent of her shots, including 5-of-10 threes, and went 7-for-8 at the line.
• Theriot’s 30 assists in the Big Ten Tournament were a Nebraska single-season conference tournament record. She produced arguably the best passing game in Big Ten history in Nebraska’s Big Ten quarterfinal win over Minnesota March 7, dishing out a tournament-record-shattering 18 assists against just one turnover. The previous tournament record was 12 set by Helen Darling of Penn State against Illinois in 2000. The most assists by a Big Ten player against a Big Ten opponent came with 16 from Maggie Acuna of Illinois against Wisconsin in 2006.
• Theriot’s 18 assists were the second-most in a game in Nebraska history, trailing only 19 assists by Kathy Hawkins on Feb. 17, 1976 against Kearney State (now Nebraska-Kearney). Theriot’s assists are the most ever by a Husker against an NCAA Division I opponent, and the most in the last 37 seasons, covering nearly 1,200 games. Theriot’s 18 assists were the most in an NCAA Division I game in 2013-14.
• Theriot shot 50 percent from the field and 50 percent (25-50) from three-point range in Big Ten play as a sophomore. Her three-point shooting percentage led the Big Ten.
• In Big Ten play, Theriot led the league with 39.5 minutes per game and her 1,204 minutes were the most played by a Husker in a season in school history, surpassing Lindsey Moore’s 1,170 in 34 games in 2012-13. Theriot went the distance 13 times in 33 games in 2013-14, including the full 45 minutes in both of NU’s overtime wins over Minnesota (Jan. 16) and Wisconsin (Feb. 5).

#23, Emily Cady, 6-2, Sr., F, Seward, Neb. (14.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.8 apg)
• One of the nation’s most versatile forwards, Emily Cady earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2014. She enters Saturday’s game averaging 14.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
• Cady earned her first career Big Ten Player-of-the-Week award Dec. 16, after averaging 15.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in wins over Creighton (Dec. 11) and Bakersfield (Dec. 13).
• Cady opened Big Ten play with her sixth double-double of the year and 28th of her career with 21 points and 14 rebounds at Minnesota Dec. 29. It was her second 20-point performance of the season.
• With 28 career double-doubles, Cady ranks fourth in school history behind only first-team All-Americans Jordan Hooper (40, 2011-14), Kelsey Griffin (40, 2006-10) and Karen Jennings (36, 1990-93).
• Cady owns double-doubles against Minnesota, Bakersfield, Creighton, Duke, Northern Colorado and Pepperdine this season.
• She added 12 points, six rebounds and three steals in just 21 minutes in the win over High Point Dec. 20, leaving the game with a bruised tailbone after being undercut on a rebound early in the second half.
• She produced a career-high 25 points to go along with nine rebounds, two steals and a block in just 23 minutes in a win over Utah Nov. 23, before adding 18 points and five boards at UCLA Nov. 28.
• She nearly produced a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high eight assists in a win over Pepperdine Nov. 15. She added 16 points and 10 boards against Northern Colorado Nov. 30.
• Cady is the Big Ten Conference’s active rebound leader with 901 in her career. Senior teammate Hailie Sample ranks third in the conference with 575 career boards.
• In 2013-14, Cady tied Jordan Hooper for second in the Big Ten with 14 double-doubles, while ranking third in the league with 9.2 rebounds per game. Cady ranked 24th in scoring (12.7 ppg), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5-to-1), seventh in free throw percentage (.858), eighth in field goal percentage (.495) and 12th in assists (3.1 apg). In Big Ten games-only, Cady ranked third with a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio trailing only Husker point guard Rachel Theriot (2.7) and Iowa point guard Samantha Logic (2.2). Cady ranked eighth in conference play in assists (4.1 apg). She had eight double-doubles in 16 conference games.
• Cady owns 1,225 points, 901 rebounds, 252 assists and 121 steals. She is the only player in Nebraska history with 1,200 points, 900 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 career steals.
• Cady ranks ninth in NU history with 92 career blocks. Only seven Huskers have 100 career blocks.
• Only one player (Janel McCarville, Minnesota, 1,835 points, 1,206 rebounds, 310 assists) in Big Ten history has ever produced 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 assists in a career. Cady could reach those combined milestones this year, needing 275 points, 99 rebounds and 48 assists. Two other players from current Big Ten institutions, Alyssa Thomas and Marissa Coleman, achieved those combined plateaus at Maryland before the Terrapins joined the Big Ten in 2014-15.
• Cady’s 1,225 career points rank No. 17 in Husker history. She needs 18 points to catch Brooke Schwartz (1,243, 1997-00) in 16th.
• Cady ranks fifth in Nebraska history with 901 rebounds and needs 99 boards to become the fifth Husker in history with 1,000 rebounds, joining Janet Smith (1,280), Hooper (1,110), Griffin (1,019) and Karen Jennings (1,000).
• The best passing forward in the Big Ten, Cady’s 102 assists led all conference forwards in 2013-14. Her 1.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio also led all players in the conference at the position. In Big Ten play, her 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio was better than every starting guard except first-team All-Big Ten point guards Rachel Theriot (Nebraska) and Samantha Logic (Iowa).

#1, Tear’a Laudermill, 5-9, Sr., G, Moreno Valley, Calif. (12.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg)
• Tear’a Laudermill emerged as a rising star for the Huskers to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior. She finished the season with career-best averages of 11.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while her 62 three-pointers ranked as the 10th-best season total in NU history.
• Laudermill is continuing to grow her game as a senior, ranking third among the Huskers in scoring with 12.5 points per game. She has a team-best 27 three-pointers (.314). She is also NU’s top on-the-ball defender.
• She tied a Nebraska single-game record for the second time in her career by connecting on seven threes (7-15), including six in the second half, at Alabama on Dec. 7. Laudermill finished with 25 points. She also hit seven threes, including six in the first half, in Nebraska’s win over No. 8 Penn State on Feb. 24, 2014. She finished with a career-high 27 points against PSU.
• Laudermill is Nebraska’s No. 1 active career three-point shooter with 126 makes, which ranks ninth on the Husker career list. She needs three more to catch Nicole Kubik (1997-00) and Amy Stephens (1986-89) in seventh with 129.
• Laudermill (106) is one of four Huskers who have played more than 100 career games, joining Emily Cady-112, Hailie Sample-112 and Brandi Jeffery-107.
• Laudermill notched her eighth career 20-point game and third of the season with 22 points in the win over High Point Dec. 20. She had a season-high 25 points at Alabama on Dec. 7. She added 20 points in NU’s 82-61 win at Washington State on Nov. 19.
• In a pair of preliminary mock drafts for the 2015 WNBA Draft, Laudermill has been ranked among the top 25 players in the nation. She slotted as the No. 10 overall pick by DraftSite.com, while College Sports Madness slotted her as the No. 24 overall pick.
• She has produced double digits in 20 of her last 29 games, after managing double figures in just 11 of her first 77. She owns 31 career double-figure scoring games.
• Laudermill averaged 15.2 points per game over the last 17 contests of 2013-14, including the first five 20-point games of her career. She closed the season with 22 points against BYU, including 12 points in the final 2:30. She added 20 points in NU’s Big Ten semifinal win over No. 19 Michigan State and a career-high 27 points in the Big Red’s home win over No. 8 Penn State on Feb. 24.
• Laudermill tied a school record with seven threes in Nebraska’s 94-74 win over No. 8 Penn State Feb. 24, 2014. She hit her first six threes in the first half and closed the night 7-of-10 to lead Nebraska to one of the best three-point shooting nights (16-22, .727) in school history.
• Laudermill averaged 13.5 points in 2014 Big Ten play, while shooting a sizzling 44.3 percent from three-point range, which ranked fourth in Big Ten games-only. Her 2.4 three-pointers per game also tied for fifth in league action. She led the Big Red with 21 steals in conference action.

#13, Brandi Jeffery, 5-7, Sr., G, Vacherie, La. (7.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.4 spg)
• Brandi Jeffery is playing the best basketball of her career, averaging 7.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 12 games as a starter to open the season. She has scored in double figures four times this season and 13 times in her career.
• Jeffery (107) is one of four Husker seniors who have played more than 100 career games, joining Emily Cady-112, Hailie Sample-112 and Tear’a Laudermill-106.
• Jeffery erupted for a career-high 19 points in the season-opening victory over Pepperdine on Nov. 15. Her previous career scoring high came with 12 points against both Florida State and Mississippi Valley State in November of 2011.
• She owns three 11-point efforts this season, including road wins at Washington State (Nov. 19) and UCLA (Nov. 28).
• Jeffery’s most impressive gains have come on the glass, where she ranks second among the Huskers and 12th in the Big Ten with 7.4 rebounds per game. With 89 rebounds this season she has smashed her previous single-season best (65, 2011-12). She had 62 rebounds last year.
• Over the last four games, Jeffery is averaging 11.3 rebounds per game, including a career-high 16 rebounds at Minnesota Dec. 29.
• She entered 2014-15 with career averages of 3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.
• One of four seniors on the roster, including Emily Cady, Hailie Sample and Tear’a Laudermill, Jeffery has helped the Huskers to an 85-27 record and three NCAA Tournaments.
• Jeffery owns 441 points, 273 rebounds and 123 career assists. She is eight steals away from 100 in her career.

#3, Hailie Sample, 6-0, Sr., F, Flower Mound, Texas (7.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
• Hailie Sample earned a spot on the 2014 Big Ten All-Defensive Team. She was Nebraska’s Defensive MVP in 2013-14.
• Sample leads the Huskers in field goal percentage (.607) through 12 games and ranks 18th in Big Ten rebounding (6.8 rpg).
• She is the Big Ten’s No. 3 active career rebounder with 575, trailing only teammate Emily Cady (901) and Iowa’s Samantha Logic.
• Sample has started 112 consecutive games alongside Cady since the first games of their freshman season in 2011-12.
• Sample produced season highs of 16 points and nine rebounds to go along with a career-high matching three steals at Washington State Nov. 19. She added 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field to help lead the Huskers to a 60-54 win over No. 9 Duke Dec. 3. She added another outstanding game with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in a win over Bakersfield Dec. 13.
• Sample is shooting 60.7 percent (34-56) from the field. She has been perfect from the floor four times this season, including Duke (6-6), Alcorn State (4-4), Pepperdine (3-3) and Northern Colorado (1-1). Entering her senior season, Sample was a 41.6 percent shooter.
• She produced her third career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the 2014 NCAA second-round game against BYU on March 24. It was her second career double-double in the NCAA Tournament and her second double-double in a three-game span, joining 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament Championship Game win over No. 23 Iowa on March 9, 2014.
• Sample averaged 7.5 points and a team-leading 10.0 rebounds in the 2014 Big Ten Tournament. Her 30 total rebounds and 16 offensive boards led the tournament.
• Sample’s 15 rebounds in the 2014 Big Ten Championship Game were a Nebraska Big Ten Tournament record and tied Nafeesah Brown (vs. Kansas, 1993, Big Eight) for the second-highest rebounding total ever by a Husker in a conference tournament game. Only Shelly Block (16 vs. Oklahoma State, 1987, Big Eight) pulled down more boards in a league tournament game than Sample.
• Sample ranked 15th overall in the Big Ten in rebounding (6.4 rpg), while ranking seventh in the Big Ten on the offensive glass (2.5 rpg) in 2013-14.
• Sample owns 18 career double-digit scoring games, including nine in 2013-14 and three in 2014-15. She also owns six career double-figure rebound games, including three in 2013-14.
• Sample ranks No. 19 on the Nebraska career rebound list with 575. She needs five rebounds to catch Catheryn Redmon (580, 2008-11) in 18th. Sample needs 106 rebounds to join the Nebraska career top 10.

Husker Seniors Pursue Fourth Straight NCAA Bid, 20-Win Season
Nebraska’s four-player senior class of Emily Cady, Hailie Sample, Tear’a Laudermill and Brandi Jeffery form the heart of the Husker lineup in 2014-15, after helping the Big Red to the most successful three-year stretch in school history.

Cady and Sample have started all 112 games in their careers, helping the Huskers to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and an average of 25 wins per season.
The Husker seniors are 85-27 (.759 winning percentage) during their four seasons in Lincoln, the best winning percentage of any class in school history.

In 2014-15, the seniors will try to become the first class in school history to compete in four consecutive NCAA tournaments and the first group of Huskers to produce four straight 20-win seasons. They also have a chance to become the first collection of Husker seniors to reach 100 career wins.

Big Red Rankings
Nebraska remained No. 12 in The Associated Press Poll for the fifth straight week, but slipped one spot to No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 after the Huskers’ second one-possession road loss of the year on Monday at Minnesota. The Huskers opened 2014-15 No. 16 in both polls.

The Huskers entered the New Year at No. 5 in the official NCAA RPI (Jan. 1), while the Big Ten ranked as the No. 1 RPI conference in the country, according to College Basketball News. Eight Big Ten teams are ranked in the NCAA RPI’s top 50, including Nebraska (5th), Iowa (14th), Minnesota (24th), Northwestern (26th), Maryland (29th), Purdue (39th), Ohio State (40th) and Michigan (41st). Rutgers (52nd), Illinois (69th), Michigan State (70th) and Indiana (88th) give the Big Ten 12 teams in the top 100, while Wisconsin comes in at No. 116. Penn State is No. 245.

With an aggressive non-conference schedule the Huskers produced five top-100 RPI wins, including road wins at Washington State (49), Creighton (60) and UCLA (62) along with home wins over Duke (11) and Bakersfield (71).

NU closed the 2013-14 campaign at No. 13 in the AP rankings, which did not include NCAA Tournament results. Nebraska, which went 26-7 last season and 12-4 in the Big Ten before winning its first Big Ten Tournament title, ended the season at No. 17 in the final USA Today Coaches Top 25. Both Nebraska’s final AP and Coaches Top 25 rankings were the second-best year-end rankings in school history. The Huskers have finished the season in the AP Top 25 four times in the past five years.

The Huskers finished No. 19 in the official NCAA RPI, which was its third-best RPI finish in history - all in the last five seasons.

Before Nebraska Coach Connie Yori came to Nebraska for the 2002-03 season, the Huskers had never finished a season ranked in the top 25 in either of the major polls or the RPI.