Huskers Take Aim at Fifth Straight Win

#16/#15 Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten)
at Wisconsin Badgers (7-10, 3-4 Big Ten)
Thursday, Jan. 22, 7 p.m. (Central)
Kohl Center (Madison, Wis.)
Live Video: BTN Plus
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 Take Aim at Fifth Straight Win Thursday at Wisconsin
The No. 16 Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to Big Ten road action in search of their fifth straight win when the Huskers take on Wisconsin Thursday night in Madison.

Tip-off between the Big Red (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten) and the Badgers (7-10, 3-4 Big Ten) is set for 7 p.m. (central) with live premium video by BTN Plus.

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.

Nebraska is coming off its fourth straight win with a 69-59 victory over Purdue on Monday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena. All-American Rachel Theriot led four Huskers in double figures with 16 points and seven assists, closing out the win with nine points in the final three minutes.

Senior Hailie Sample added a strong performance with 15 points, while fellow senior Brandi Jeffery produced one of the best all-around games of her career with 13 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Tear’a Laudermill, who scored 21 points and hit five threes in last year’s 71-70 overtime win at Wisconsin, pitched in 10 first-half points for the Big Red against the Boilermakers.

Nebraska’s win over Purdue snapped a five-game losing streak in the series with the Boilers. On the flip side, the Huskers own a five-game winning streak against Wisconsin. The series has been defined by close games, including NU’s one-point OT win last year and a 55-53 win on Feb. 28, 2013. Four of NU’s five wins have been by single digits with all three wins in Madison decided by six points or less.

Thursday night’s game will mark the third straight meeting in the series in Madison, and the seventh time in 11 games that the teams have met on Wisconsin’s home court.

The Badgers bring a 7-10 record and a 3-4 Big Ten mark into the contest. Wisconsin is coming off a 73-63 loss to No. 24 Rutgers at the Kohl Center on Sunday, but notched a 65-56 win over Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., on Jan. 15. Wisconsin is 5-3 at the Kohl Center this season, including decisive Big Ten wins over Michigan (63-53) and Penn State (65-46).

#16 Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten)
3 - Hailie Sample - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 7.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg
23 - Emily Cady - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 12.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg
1 - Tear’a Laudermill - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 11.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg
13 - Brandi Jeffery - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 8.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 17.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Off the Bench
31 - Anya Kalenta - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 6.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
5 - Natalie Romeo - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 5.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg
22 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - So. - C - 4.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg
34 - Jasmine Cincore - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 1.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg
30 - Chandler Smith - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 2.0 ppg, 0.3 rpg
12 - Emily Wood - 5-5 - Fr. - G - 0.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg
11 - Esther Ramacieri - 5-8 - So. - G - 0.1 ppg, 0.6 rpg
50 - Darrien Washington - 6-2 - Fr. - F - Redshirting
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
13th Season at NU (255-145); 25th Season Overall (450-285)

Wisconsin Badgers (7-10, 3-4 Big Ten)
35 - Jacki Gulczynski - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 9.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg
43 - Cassie Rochel - 6-4 - RSr. - F - 5.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg
1 - Dakota Whyte - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 10.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg
4 - Nicole Bauman - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 12.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg
22 - Tessa Cichy - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 7.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Off the Bench
3 - AnnMarie Brown - 6-0 - Sr. - G/F - 2.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg
23 - Cayla McMorris - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 6.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg
24 - Malayna Johnson - 6-4 - So. - F - 3.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg
30 - Carly Truesdale - 5-9 - So. - G - 0.2 ppg, 0.2 rpg
25 (Out) - Michala Johnson - 6-3 - RSr. - F - 12.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg
Head Coach: Bobbie Kelsey (Stanford, 1996)
4th Season at UW (38-68); 4th Season Overall (38-68)

Streaks, Stats & Milestones
• Nebraska carries a four-game winning streak to Wisconsin. The Huskers have won five straight games in the series with the Badgers, including a 3-0 mark in Madison during that stretch.
• It is the fourth straight season that Nebraska has had to play a mid-week road game at Wisconsin. • The Huskers have trailed by significant margins in the second half of all three Big Ten games at the Kohl Center, including a seven-point deficit in 2012, a five-point deficit with eight minutes left in 2013 and a six-point deficit with six minutes left in 2014.
• Nebraska’s 2014-15 starting five has combined for 384 career starts. Emily Cady (117), Hailie Sample (116), Rachel Theriot (78), Tear’a Laudermill (47) and Brandi Jeffery (25) make up one of the nation’s most experienced starting units. The five have combined to play in 541 games in their NU careers.
• Seniors Emily Cady and Hailie Sample started the first 115 games of their careers together before Nebraska’s win over Penn State Jan. 15, when Sample was replaced in the starting lineup by Esther Ramacieri. Cady ranks No. 8 on the Husker career starts list with 117, while Sample ranks ninth with 116.
• National Player-of-the-Year candidate Rachel Theriot became just the seventh Husker in history to reach 400 career assists, when she dished out seven against Maryland Jan. 3. The junior from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, has increased her career total to 420 assists to rank sixth in Nebraska history.
• Freshman Natalie Romeo erupted for career highs of 18 points and six three-pointers in Nebraska’s win over Penn State Jan. 15. The 5-7 guard from Martinez, Calif., made her first career start and played a career-high 26 minutes against the Lady Lions.
• All-American Rachel Theriot leads the Huskers with 17.4 points and 5.0 assists per game.
• Theriot ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 3 in NCAA stats with her .934 free throw percentage.
• Theriot is 28 points away from becoming the 30th 1,000-point scorer in Nebraska history.
• All-Big Ten candidate Emily Cady owns six double-doubles this year, including 21 points and 14 rebounds at Minnesota Dec. 29. Cady, who owns 28 double-doubles in her career, is averaging 12.4 points and a team-leading 9.6 rebounds per game, including 10.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in Big Ten play.
• Brandi Jeffery has transformed herself into one of the Big Ten’s best rebounders as a senior. The 5-7 guard has grabbed 115 rebounds, smashing her previous season best of 65 (2011-12). Jeffery ranks 16th in the Big Ten with 6.8 boards per game. She grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds at Minnesota Dec. 29.
• 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. They matched the eight fouls at Illinois Jan. 12. It marked the 11th time in the last 84 contests that NU has committed eight or fewer fouls in a game.
• Nebraska ranks No. 2 nationally with 12.2 personal fouls per game. The Huskers are committing just 10.8 fouls per game in Big Ten play. Wisconsin is averaging 14.6 fouls per game on the year, including 13.9 fouls per game in conference action.
• Nebraska is 24-3 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 17.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.0 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 Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin enters the Nebraska game with a 7-10 overall record that includes a 3-4 Big Ten mark. The Badgers have matched their Big Ten win total from both 2013 (3-13) and 2014 (3-13), despite suffering a season-ending injury to first-team All-Big Ten forward Michala Johnson in game six this season. Last year, Johnson averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds for UW, which finished 10-19 overall.

Johnson was injured early in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge loss at Miami on Dec. 4, closing this season with averages of 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. After the loss at Miami, the Badgers were 1-5 on the year with all five losses by eight or more points. Wisconsin responded by winning four of its next five games, including double-digit wins over Marquette, Oral Roberts and Michigan.

Since that stretch, UW has dropped four of its last six games with double-digit road losses at Northwestern and Indiana, along with double-digit home losses to Minnesota and Rutgers. The Badgers also own a 19-point win over Penn State and a nine-point road victory at Purdue during that span.

Senior Jacki Gulczynski has stepped up for the Badgers in Big Ten play. Through seven conference games the 6-1 wing has averaged a team-best 11.9 points to go along with 5.6 rebounds per game. She has also connected on 41.2 percent (14-34) of her three-pointers and 92.9 percent (13-14) of her free throws.

Junior Nicole Bauman has added 11.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and a team-best 3.3 assists in Big Ten play. Bauman joins Gulczynski in connecting on better than 40 percent of her threes in conference action, going 15-for-37 (.405) from beyond the arc. The 5-10 guard also has hit 13-of-15 free throws (.867).

Junior Dakota Whyte has added 10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in conference games, despite hitting just 2-of-11 threes. The 5-8 guard has been the most aggressive Badger off the dribble and leads UW with 51 trips to the line this season, including 22 attempts in Big Ten play.
A third junior, 5-10 guard Tessa Cichy, has pitched in 8.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a team-best 1.6 steals in conference action. Cichy has hit just 2-of-15 three-point attempts in Big Ten play, but she regularly inverts to the block and uses her quickness and strength to score down low.

Senior center Cassie Rochel rounds out a consistent starting five for the Badgers by averaging 6.4 points, and team-bests of 9.0 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. Rochel’s 20 blocks through seven Big Ten games are seven more than Nebraska’s 13 as a team in six conference contests.
Malayna Johnson (3.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg), Cayla McMorris (3.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.0 apg) and AnnMarie Brown (3.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg) provide Wisconsin with consistent production off the bench in Big Ten action.

As a team, Wisconsin is averaging 59.1 points per game in the Big Ten, while allowing 62.4 points per conference contest. UW is shooting 37.4 percent from the field, including 32.1 percent from three-point range while hitting an impressive 77 percent of its free throws. The Badgers have outrebounded Big Ten foes by 2.1 boards per game but carry a minus-5.3 team turnover margin with 17.4 turnovers per game.

Coach Bobbie Kelsey owns a 38-68 overall record in her fourth season at the helm of Wisconsin, including a 14-41 record in regular-season conference play.

Nebraska vs. Wisconsin Series History
Nebraska and Wisconsin are tied 5-5 in the all-time series, but the Huskers have won all five meetings as Big Ten Conference foes. The last two games have been barn-burners, including Nebraska’s 71-70 overtime win at Madison on Feb. 5, 2014. In another nail-biter, the Big Red battled to a 55-53 win at the Kohl Center on Feb. 28, 2013. Four of NU’s wins over the Badgers as Big Ten foes have been by single digits, including a 75-69 win in Madison on Jan. 12, 2012.

Wisconsin won the first five meetings in series history with all five games decided by 10 points or less, including a pair of overtime victories over the Huskers.

Husker Hot Shots - Nebraska’s Starting Five

#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, Jr., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (17.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.0 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 has started 78 consecutive games for the Huskers.
• She enters the Wisconsin game with 972 career points and needs 28 points to become the 30th 1,000-point scorer in Husker history.
• Theriot has produced double figures in 15 of NU’s 17 games this season, averaging 17.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
• She ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 3 in the NCAA Division I stats with her .934 free throw percentage (57-61). Theriot has made seven straight free throws entering the Wisconsin game. She had a season-best streak of 20 makes from Nov. 30 to Jan. 11. She has added streaks of 15 and 11 straight makes at the line this year.
• Theriot’s 420 career assists rank sixth in Husker history. She needs 24 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 27-point effort at Illinois Jan. 11 marked her fifth 20-point performance of the year. In addition to her 31 against High Point, 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 11 career 20-point efforts and 44 career double-figure scoring performances, including 25 last season and 15 this season.
• Theriot has played the full 40 minutes nine times in 17 games this season, including eight times in the past 11 games. Over the last 15 games, she has been on the floor for all but 27 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. (12.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.0 apg)
• One of the nation’s most versatile forwards, Emily Cady earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2014. She enters the Wisconsin game averaging 12.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
• In Big Ten play, Cady is averaging a double-double with 10.0 points and 10.5 rebounds to go along with 3.3 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 played a major role in NU’s comeback at Michigan State Jan. 8, scoring seven of Nebraska’s last 11 points, including the go-ahead three-point play with 30 seconds left to give the Huskers a 69-67 lead. She finished with a team-high 16 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists.
• 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 950 in her career, including 13 rebounds in Monday night’s win over Purdue.
• 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 1,264 points, 950 rebounds, 270 assists and 123 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 96 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 236 points, 50 rebounds and 30 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 1,264 career points rank No. 16 in Husker history. She needs 20 points to catch Janet Smith (1,284, 1979-82) in 15th.
• Cady ranks fifth in Nebraska history with 950 rebounds and needs 50 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. (11.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.2 spg)
• 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 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 11.8 points per game. She has a team-best 30 three-pointers. She is also NU’s top on-the-ball defender.
• Laudermill has significantly increased her rebounding production this season, and her role on the glass continues to grow. She is averaging a career-best 3.8 rebounds per game, including 4.8 in Big Ten play. She entered the season averaging just 2.0 rebounds per game in her career.
• 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 129 makes, which is tied for seventh on the Husker career list with Nicole Kubik (1997-00) and current Husker assistant coach Amy Stephens (1986-89).
• Laudermill (111) is one of four Huskers who have played more than 100 career games, joining Emily Cady-117, Hailie Sample-117 and Brandi Jeffery-112.
• 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 23 of her last 34 games, after managing double figures in just 11 of her first 77. She owns 34 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. (8.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.6 spg)
• Brandi Jeffery is playing the best basketball of her career, averaging 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals in 17 games with 16 starts this season. Jeffery did not start against Penn State Jan. 15 because of an administrative error.
• Jeffery has scored in double figures seven times, including three double-digit efforts in the last four games. Her 13 points against Purdue Monday marked the second-highest scoring total of her career. She added six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Jeffery owns 16 career double-digit scoring efforts.
• During Nebraska’s four-game winning streak, Jeffery is averaging 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 48.5 percent (16-33) from the field.
• She needs 13 points to reach 500 for her career and her next rebound will be the 300th of her career.
• Jeffery (112) is one of four Husker seniors who have played more than 100 career games, joining Emily Cady-117, Hailie Sample-117 and Tear’a Laudermill-111.
• 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). She had 10 points at Michigan State (Jan. 8) and against Penn State (Jan. 15).
• Jeffery’s most impressive gains have come on the glass, where she ranks second among the Huskers and 16th in the Big Ten with 6.8 rebounds per game. With 115 rebounds this season she has smashed her previous single-season best (65, 2011-12). She had 62 rebounds last year. She needs just four rebounds to match her sophomore and junior season totals combined (119).
• Jeffery’s 141 points and 535 minutes played are both career single-season bests.
• She also leads the Huskers with 28 steals this season, surpassing her total of 19 from 2013-14. She has at least one steal in all but two games for the Huskers and owns 17 steals over the last seven contests.
• Over the last nine games, Jeffery is averaging 7.9 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 88-28 record and three NCAA tournaments.

#3, Hailie Sample, 6-0, Sr., F, Flower Mound, Texas (6.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.8 apg)
• 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 (.633) through 17 games. Her shooting percentage would lead the Big Ten but she is one field goal shy of the conference minimum requirement of 3.0 made field goals per game.
• She is the Big Ten’s No. 3 active career rebounder with 597, trailing only teammate Emily Cady (950) and Iowa’s Samantha Logic.
• Sample started the first 115 games of her career before not starting against Penn State on Jan. 15 because of a violation of team policy. She owns 116 career starts.
• 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 is coming off a 15-point performance against Purdue Monday night. Sample added another outstanding game with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the win at Michigan State Jan. 8. She hit a pair of free throws with 5.4 seconds left to seal the 71-67 win. She pitched in 13 points and nine rebounds in a win over Bakersfield Dec. 13.
• Sample has been perfect from the floor five times this year, including Duke (6-6), Alcorn State (4-4), at Illinois (3-3), Pepperdine (3-3) and Northern Colorado (1-1).
• 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 20 career double-digit scoring games, including nine in 2013-14 and five in 2014-15. She also owns six career double-figure rebound games, including three in 2013-14.
• Sample ranks No. 18 on the Nebraska career rebound list with 597. She needs 84 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 has started all 117 games in her career while Sample has made 116 starts, helping the Huskers to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and an average of 25 wins per season.

The Husker seniors are 89-28 (.761 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 moved to No. 16 in The Associated Press Poll after running to a 73-45 win over Penn State last Thursday in Lincoln. The Huskers climbed one spot from No. 17. NU had slipped to No. 19 after being ranked No. 12 for five consecutive weeks. NU remained No. 15 in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 for the second straight week. The Huskers opened 2014-15 at No. 16 in both polls.

The Huskers sit at No. 28 in the official NCAA RPI after a win over Purdue on Jan. 19. NU was as high as No. 5 on Jan. 1. Nebraska’s Strength of Schedule ranks No. 48 nationally by RealTimeRPI.com.

The Big Ten slipped from No. 1 to No. 4 in conference RPI in the last five days, trailing the Big 12 (1st), SEC (2nd) and ACC (3rd), while ranking ahead of the Pac-12 (5th). The Big Ten’s conference-wide Strength of Schedule leads the nation, according to RealTimeRPI.com.

Seven Big Ten teams are ranked in the NCAA RPI’s top 50, including Maryland (5th), Iowa (13th), Minnesota (19th), Nebraska (28th), Ohio State (38th), Michigan (42nd) and Northwestern (45th). Purdue (56th), Rutgers (59th), Illinois (67th) and Michigan State (90th) give the conference 11 teams in the RPI top 100. Indiana (115th), Wisconsin (119th) and Penn State (224th) round out the conference.

The Huskers own six top-100 RPI wins, including road wins at Washington State (48th), UCLA (57th), Illinois (67th) and Michigan State (90th) along with home wins over Duke (18th) and Purdue (56th).

Creighton (101st), High Point (132nd), Bakersfield (146th), Alabama (154th) Pepperdine (161st), also rank in the top half of the 349 NCAA Division I teams in the official RPI.

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.