Huskers Shoot for Big Ten Win at Michigan State

#19/#18 Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3, 0-2 Big Ten)
at Michigan State Spartans (8-6, 0-3 Big Ten)
Thursday, Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m. (Central)
Breslin Center (East Lansing, Mich.)
Television: BTN (Lisa Byington, Stephanie White)
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney, Jeff Griesch)
107.3 FM, Lincoln; 93.3 FM, Omaha
Free Live Audio: Huskers.com
Live Stats: Huskers.com

Huskers Shoot for First Big Ten Win Over Defending Champ Spartans
The No. 19 Nebraska women’s basketball team opens a two-game Big Ten road trip when the Huskers travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State Thursday night.

Tip-off between the defending Big Ten Tournament champion Huskers (10-3, 0-2 Big Ten) and the defending Big Ten co-champion Spartans (8-6, 0-3 Big Ten) is set for 7:30 p.m. (central) with live national television coverage by the Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Stephanie White 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 and 93.3 FM in Omaha. Free live audio also will be available on Huskers.com.

Both the Huskers and Spartans are hungry for a Big Ten win after battling injuries and illness in the early portion of Big Ten Conference play. Nebraska opened with a 72-69 road loss at

Minnesota on Dec. 29, before falling to No. 14 Maryland, 75-47 on Saturday to end a 12-game home winning streak.

Nebraska’s road loss at current No. 23 Minnesota (14-1, 3-0 Big Ten) came with only six scholarship players in uniform. Against Maryland, the Huskers matched the Terps in the first half before going ice cold in the second half, hitting just over 20 percent of their shots from the floor.

The Huskers did welcome the return of freshman guard Natalie Romeo to the court, after she missed NU’s previous eight games with a foot injury. Junior center Anya Kalenta also was cleared to play against Maryland. She has missed the last seven games with a foot injury. Both Romeo and Kalenta also battled the flu at Minnesota, along with reserve Esther Ramacieri, who also returned to the court against Maryland.

Michigan State slipped to 0-3 in Big Ten play with a 74-65 loss at in-state rival Michigan on Sunday, following a 70-51 road loss at Indiana on New Year’s Eve. The Spartans dropped their Big Ten home opener with a 61-57 setback to Northwestern on Dec. 28.

The Spartans have competed with just eight healthy players for the last two weeks, having been stung by major knee injuries to Branndais Agee and Madison Williams in the offseason. Recently, senior center Jasmine Hines has struggled to overcome concussion symptoms.

#19 Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3, 0-2 Big Ten)
3 - Hailie Sample - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 6.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg
23 - Emily Cady - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 13.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg
1 - Tear’a Laudermill - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg
13 - Brandi Jeffery - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 7.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 17.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Off the Bench
31 - Anya Kalenta - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg
5 - Natalie Romeo - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 4.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg
22 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - So. - C - 4.4 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
12 - Emily Wood - 5-5 - Fr. - G - 0.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg
11 - Esther Ramacieri - 5-8 - So. - G - 0.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg
50 - Darrien Washington 6-2 Fr. F High School
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
13th Season at NU (251-145); 25th Season Overall (446-285)

Michigan State Spartans (8-6, 0-3 Big Ten)
23 - Aerial Powers - 6-0 - So. - F - 19.3 ppg, 11.9 rpg
52 - Becca Mills - 6-4 - Sr. - F - 10.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg
1 - Tori Jankoska - 5-8 - So. - G - 18.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg 
14 - Anna Morrissey - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 5.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg
21 - Jasmine Lumpkin - 6-0 - Fr. - G/F - 5.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg
Off the Bench
4 - Jasmine Hines - 6-3 - Sr. - C - 8.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg
24 - Lexi Gussert - 6-0 - Fr. - G/F - 3.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg
2 - Cara Miller - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 2.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg
55 - Kennedy Johnson - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 1.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg
Head Coach: Suzy Merchant (Central Michigan, 1991)
8th Season at MSU (171-78); 20th Season Overall (372-198)

Streaks, Stats & Milestones
• Nebraska’s starting five has combined for 365 career starts and started all 13 games together in 2014-15. Emily Cady (113), Hailie Sample (113), Rachel Theriot (74), Tear’a Laudermill (43) and Brandi Jeffery (22) make up one of the nation’s most experienced starting units. The five also have combined to play in 521 games in their NU careers.
• Seniors Emily Cady and Hailie Sample are expected to make their 114 career starts against Michigan State, matching Nebraska All-American and two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge for eighth on the Husker career starts list. Lindsey Moore (2010-13) holds the Nebraska record with 132 career starts.
• National Player-of-the-Year candidate Rachel Theriot became just the seventh Husker in history to reach the 400-assist plateau in her career, when she dished out seven assists against Maryland on Jan. 3. The junior from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, increased her career total to 404 assists to rank sixth in Nebraska history. Lindsey Moore (2010-13) holds the Nebraska record with 699 assists.
• Rachel Theriot produced her first double-double of the season and fifth of her career with 18 points and 10 assists at Minnesota Dec. 29. Theriot leads the Huskers with 17.8 points and 5.3 assists per game.
• Rachel Theriot ranks No. 2 in NCAA Division I statistics with her .957 free throw percentage.
• All-Big Ten candidate Emily Cady has produced double-doubles in three of her last five games, including 21 points and 14 rebounds to open Big Ten play at Minnesota. Cady, who owns six double-doubles on the year and 28 in her career, is averaging 13.6 points and a team-leading 9.5 rebounds per game.
• Brandi Jeffery has transformed herself into one of the Big Ten’s best rebounders as a senior. The 5-7 guard has grabbed 91 rebounds on the year, smashing her previous season best of 65 (2011-12). Jeffery is tied for 12th in the Big Ten with 7.0 rebounds per game, including 9.0 rebounds through two Big Ten games. She grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds at Minnesota on Dec. 29. She averaged 1.9 rebounds per game for her career entering the season.
• Nebraska set a school-record by committing just four personal fouls in the win over Bakersfield Dec. 13. One week later in a win over High Point, the Huskers committed just eight fouls, which tied for the ninth best total in school history. It marked the 10th time in the last 80 games that NU has committed eight or fewer fouls in a game. Nebraska ranks No. 3 nationally with 13.1 personal fouls per game.
• Nebraska is 22-3 all-time at Pinnacle Bank Arena, including 3-2 against top-25 foes. Before NU’s 75-47 loss to No. 14 Maryland on Jan. 3, the Huskers’ only losses at Pinnacle Bank Arena came with a 77-75 setback to No. 22 Purdue on Jan. 19, 2014, and a 76-72 loss to Washington State on Nov. 30, 2013.
• Nebraska signee Jessica Shepard was named one of 20 contenders for the Naismith Girls National High School Player-of-the-Year award by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Dec. 16. Shepard, a 6-4 senior at Fremont (Neb.) High School, is ranked as the top post player in the nation by ESPN. Shepard suffered a season-ending ACL tear at a game at Lincoln North Star High School on Monday, Dec. 29.

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 was ranked as the No. 13 player in the nation by ESPN and was a preseason first-team All-Big Ten choice. She is averaging 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 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 Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State enters Thursday night’s game desperate for a Big Ten win after starting the conference season 0-3. The Spartans are coming off a 74-65 road loss at in-state rival Michigan on Sunday. The loss to the Wolverines followed a 70-51 road loss at Indiana on New Year’s Eve.
Michigan State has lost four of its last five games overall, including an 84-65 loss to then-No. 9 Baylor at the Florida Sunshine Classic in Orlando on Dec. 20. However, MSU’s lone win over the last five games was an impressive 89-76 run past then-No. 19 Syracuse in Florida on Dec. 21.

The Spartans have been one of several Big Ten teams bitten by the injury bug in 2014-15, as Michigan State has only had nine players take the court the entire season from their 13-player roster.

The biggest loss for the Spartans was sophomore guard Branndais Agee, who suffered a torn ACL in October. Agee averaged 11 points per game for the Spartans in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments last season, while finishing the year with averages of 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The 5-11 guard was a leading candidate to replace departed senior Klarissa Bell in the MSU lineup this season. Madison Williams, a 6-7 senior center who played 18 games last year, also suffered an ACL tear during the offseason. It was the fourth ACL tear of her career.

Fellow senior Jasmine Hines has missed the last five games for the Spartans with concussion symptoms. The 6-3 center is averaging 8.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this season and is one of the most experienced Spartans, having played in 97 career games.

Despite the setbacks, the Spartans still have two of the Big Ten’s most explosive offensive weapons in Aerial Powers and Tori Jankoska.

Powers, a 6-0 third-year sophomore, is averaging 19.3 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. She also leads the Spartans in assists (3.6 apg), steals (2.0 spg) and blocked shots (1.2 bpg). A Wooden and Naismith Award candidate, Powers has produced double-doubles in 15 of her last 20 games, including 26 points and 10 boards in Sunday’s loss at Michigan. It was her seventh 20-point performance of the season, including a 32-point, 17-rebound eruption in the win over Syracuse.

Jankoska, a 5-8 sophomore guard, has added 18.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. She also leads the Spartans with 2.0 three-pointers per game while shooting a team-best 35.9 percent from beyond the arc. Becca Mills, a 6-4 senior center, gives the Spartans a solid third scoring option with 10.2 points and a team-leading 6.9 rebounds per game. She is shooting 50 percent from the floor and 88.9 percent (16-18) from the free throw line.

Freshman Jasmine Lumpkin (5.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and former walk-on Anna Morrissey (5.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg) round out a Spartan starting five that have tipped off all 14 games together. Morrissey has played 460 minutes this season after playing a total of just 60 minutes combined in her first three years in the program.

Lexi Gussert, the 2014 Michigan High School Player of the Year, has helped the Spartans with 3.9 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, while Cara Miller (2.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and Kennedy Johnson (1.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg) round out the MSU reserves.

As a team, Michigan State has averaged 70.9 points while surrendering 61.9 points per contest on the year, but the Spartans have managed just 57.7 points per game through their first three Big Ten contests. Big Ten opponents have averaged 68.3 points per game and have produced a plus-5.7 turnover margin. On the year, MSU carries a plus-9.3 rebound margin, but have managed just a 40.0-39.7 edge on the glass in league play. The Spartans are also shooting just 35.6 percent from floor through three Big Ten contests.

Nebraska vs. Michigan State Series History
Nebraska leads the series with Michigan State 3-2, including victories in the last two meetings. The No. 16 Huskers rolled to an 86-58 win over the No. 19 Spartans in a battle of top-20 teams in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals in Indianapolis on March 8, 2014. The Huskers went on to win the Big Ten Tournament title, after the Spartans shared the regular-season conference crown with Penn State. Tear’a Laudermill led the Huskers with 20 points, while Big Ten Tournament MVP Rachel Theriot added 18 points and eight assists. Michigan native Allie Havers pitched in career highs of 17 points and three assists.

In a meeting of top-25 teams in Lincoln one month earlier, the No. 22 Huskers rolled to a 76-56 win over the No. 24 Spartans. That victory avenged a 70-57 loss by the No. 16 Huskers to the unranked Spartans in East Lansing on Jan. 9. Aerial Powers and Annalise Pickrel each produced double-doubles for the Spartans. Powers had 17 points and 15 rebounds, while Pickrel pitched in 17 points and 10 boards.

Husker Hot Shots - Nebraska’s Starting Five

#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, Jr., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (17.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.3 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 is expected to start her 75th consecutive game when the Huskers take on Michigan State Thursday.
• Theriot has produced double figures in 12 of NU’s first 13 games this season, averaging 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.
• She ranks No. 2 in the nation and the Big Ten with her .957 free throw percentage (45-47). Theriot has made 19 consecutive free throws dating back to the first half of the win over Northern Colorado on Nov. 30. She opened the season with 11 straight makes before a second-half miss at UCLA Nov. 28. In between her second-half miss at UCLA and first-half miss in the next game against Northern Colorado, she made 15 straight.
• Theriot’s 404 career assists rank sixth in Husker history. She needs 40 more to catch former Husker and current Nebraska assistant coach Amy Stephens (444, 1986-89) at No. 5 on the NU career assist chart.
• 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 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 41 career double-figure scoring performances, including 25 last season and 12 this season.
• Theriot has played the full 40 minutes six times in 13 games this season, including five times in the past seven games. Over the last 11 games, she has been on the floor for all but 19 minutes.
• 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 more than 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. (13.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.5 apg)
• One of the nation’s most versatile forwards, Emily Cady earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2014. She enters the Michigan State game averaging 13.6 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 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 910 in her career. Senior teammate Hailie Sample ranks third in the conference with 579 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 1,231 points, 910 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 269 points, 90 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 1,231 career points rank No. 17 in Husker history. She needs 12 points to catch Brooke Schwartz (1,243, 1997-00) in 16th.
• Cady ranks fifth in Nebraska history with 910 rebounds and needs 90 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, 3.5 rpg, 1.6 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 29 three-pointers (.312). 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 128 makes, which ranks ninth on the Husker career list. She needs one more to catch Nicole Kubik (1997-00) and Amy Stephens (1986-89) in seventh with 129.
• Laudermill (107) is one of four Huskers who have played more than 100 career games, joining Emily Cady-113, Hailie Sample-113 and Brandi Jeffery-108.
• 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 21 of her last 30 games, after managing double figures in just 11 of her first 77. She owns 32 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, 7.0 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.5 spg)
• Brandi Jeffery is playing the best basketball of her career, averaging 7.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals in 13 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 (108) is one of four Husker seniors who have played more than 100 career games, joining Emily Cady-113, Hailie Sample-113 and Tear’a Laudermill-107.
• 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 and tied for 12th in the Big Ten with 7.0 rebounds per game. With 91 rebounds this season she has smashed her previous single-season best (65, 2011-12). She had 62 rebounds last year.
• Jeffery also leads the Huskers with 19 steals this season to match her season total from 2013-14. She has at least one steal in all but two games for the Huskers and owns eight steals over the last three contests.
• Over the last five games, Jeffery is averaging 9.4 rebounds per game, including a career-high 16 rebounds at Minnesota Dec. 29. She is averaging 9.0 rebounds in Big Ten play.
• 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 85-28 record and three NCAA Tournaments.
• Jeffery owns 449 points, 275 rebounds and 123 career assists. She is six steals away from 100 in her career.

#3, Hailie Sample, 6-0, Sr., F, Flower Mound, Texas (6.8 ppg, 6.5 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 (.600) through 13 games and ranks 18th in Big Ten rebounding (6.5 rpg).
• She is the Big Ten’s No. 3 active career rebounder with 579, trailing only teammate Emily Cady (910) and Iowa’s Samantha Logic.
• Sample has started 113 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 60.0 percent (32-60) 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 579. She needs one rebound to catch Catheryn Redmon (580, 2008-11) in 18th. Sample needs 102 rebounds to join the Nebraska career top 10.