Coatney's Call: Illinois/Michigan Preview

#15 Nebraska vs. Illinois
Thursday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m. (central)
Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Neb.)
Live Video: BTN Plus
Radio: Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney-PBP; Jeff Griesch-Analyst)
107.3 FM, Lincoln; 93.3 FM, Omaha; 880 AM, Lexington; 1450 AM, 93.9 FM, McCook; 1340 AM, Sidney; 94.5 FM, Hastings; 94.1 FM, Scottsbluff; 1400 AM, Ainsworth

Internet: Free live audio on Huskers.com

No. 15 Huskers Return Home to Host Illini, Wolverines

It’s hard to believe that there are less than 20 games remaining in the college career of Emily Cady. She is such a special player and has meant so much to the 15th-ranked Nebraska women’s basketball team these last four years. Even though NU fell 78-72 in overtime at Iowa Monday night, Cady’s individual effort was something to behold. The senior from Seward posted a double-double in the first half alone and finished with 19 points and a career-high 18 rebounds.

Rachel Theriot had 15 points, including a basket with 4.5 seconds remaining in regulation to give the Huskers a one-point lead. Iowa was able to tie the game and send it into overtime and the Hawkeyes emerged victorious for the first time in nine tries against Nebraska since NU joined the Big Ten Conference.

The Huskers return home for a two-game home stand beginning with a Thursday night 7:05 (central) rematch with the Illinois Fighting Illini. On Sunday at 2:05 p.m., the Michigan Wolverines head to Lincoln for their only meeting this season with Nebraska.

Illinois heads to Lincoln on a five-game losing streak that started with its 58-53 loss to Nebraska in Champaign on Jan. 11. The Illini's last win came at home against Iowa on Jan. 8, but it was costly as the Illini lost senior guard Ivory Crawford to a torn meniscus in her right knee nine minutes into the game. Without Crawford, Illinois has scored more than 60 points just once and has lost all five games.

Illinois recently announced that she would miss three weeks with the injury, which makes her return for Thursday night’s game at Nebraska questionable. She was not dressed in uniform for the Illini's 70-57 loss at Michigan Monday night.

Sophomore forward Jacqui Grant has tried to pick up some of the scoring load without Crawford, and Grant posted her second straight double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds at Michigan. Shelby, Neb., native Chatrice White is having a solid freshman season for the Illini. She is second on the team in scoring (14.8 ppg), but is shooting less than 42 percent from the field in Big Ten Conference games (42-of-99), including a 4-of-14 shooting performance in the loss at Michigan. After a solid 9-3 start in non-conference play, the Illini are just 2-6 in league games.

In the Huskers’ 58-53 win over Illinois at Champaign three weeks ago, Nebraska trailed 49-43 with 6:42 remaining, but Theriot scored 20 of her game-high 27 points in the second half to lift Nebraska to the victory. NU leads the all-time series 7-3 with Illinois including a sweep of last year’s season series. Tear’a Laudermill had 15 points and hit four three-pointers and three clutch free throws in the final minutes to help the Huskers defeat Illinois 72-65 on Senior Night at Pinnacle Bank Arena to close out Nebraska’s 2013-14 home schedule.

Michigan is in a five-way tie for third place in the Big Ten with a 5-3 record after their Thursday night win over Illinois. The Wolverines are 13-6 overall and 11-3 in games in which they have outrebounded their opponents. Michigan owns an impressive plus-6.1 rebound margin, including outrebounding the Illinois by 13 boards (41-28) Thursday night.

Before heading to Lincoln on Super Sunday, the Wolverines host league-leading Maryland Thursday night in Ann Arbor.

Senior Cyesha Goree, a 6-3 forward, emerged as one of the most improved players in the nation last season. She currently averages a double-double, leading Michigan with 15.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. She had 19 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Illinois Monday night.

Goree’s inside play gives the Wolverines a potent inside-outside attack, as the team ranks seventh nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.386).

Freshman Katelynn Flaherty started the first three games of the season, but now is one of the top sixth players in the league coming off the bench. The 5-7 guard ranks second on the team in scoring (14.9 ppg) and leads the team in three-pointers (51-of-120, .425).

Sophomore guard Siera Thompson joins Flaherty in giving Michigan perhaps the best three-point shooting combo in the Big Ten. Last season, Thompson set an NCAA single-season record by hitting a three-pointer in 34 consecutive games. She knocked down 75 triples, setting a Michigan freshman record and ranking third on the U-M single-season list. She has hit 44-of-100 three-pointers this season and averages 11.4 points per game.

Third-year Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico led St. John’s to four NCAA Tournament appearances and the Sweet 16 before moving to Ann Arbor. She has more wins than any coach in St. John’s history.

Nebraska has won three straight against Michigan and leads the all-time series 9-1. NU swept the two-game season series last year, winning 76-58 in Ann Arbor and blowing out the Wolverines 84-51 at Pinnacle Bank Arena on a night in which Nebraska retired Husker legend Kelsey Griffin’s jersey in a pre-game ceremony.

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska women’s basketball on the Husker Sports Network. Our radio broadcast Thursday evening against Illinois begins with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on the Husker Sports Network including KBBK (B107.3) in Lincoln, KFFF 93.3 in Omaha, KRVN 880 in Lexington, KWBE 1450 in Beatrice, KSWN 93.9 in McCook, KSID 1340 in Sidney, KLIQ 94.5 in Hastings, KNEB 94.1 in Scottsbluff and KBRB 1400 in Ainsworth and many others.

Our Sunday broadcast against Michigan begins with the pre-game show at 1:45 p.m. and the tip-off scheduled for 2:05 p.m. on KBBK (B107.3) in Lincoln, KFFF 93.3 in Omaha, KRVN 880 in Lexington, KWBE 1450 in Beatrice, KGMT 1310 in Fairbury, KSWN 93.9 in McCook, KSID 1340 in Sidney, KHAS 1230 in Hastings, KNEB 94.1 in Scottsbluff, and many others. Fans inside Pinnacle Bank Arena can listen to the live Husker Sports Network broadcast delay-free on 87.7 MHZ via an in-arena transmitter. All Husker Women’s Basketball broadcasts are also available for free worldwide on the internet at www.huskers.com. I hope you can join us.

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

Go Big Red!

Matt

Matt