Lincoln - Jessica Shepard scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in just 17 minutes in her much-anticipated debut, powering the Nebraska women's basketball team to a 92-54 exhibition victory over Nebraska-Kearney on Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Shepard, the No. 1 post recruit in the nation coming out of high school in 2015 according to ESPN, hit 11-of-19 shots from the floor, while adding 7-of-11 free throws against NCAA Division II UNK. The 6-4 forward from Fremont High School who was the Nebraska High School Player of the Year in 2013 and 2014, had 11 points in the first quarter and 17 points and six rebounds in the first half despite playing just 10 minutes.
Shepard, who had not played in a game for 10 months after suffering an ACL tear in Lincoln on Dec. 29, 2014, was only cleared for full court 5-on-5 this past Monday for the Huskers, making her performance even more remarkable.
"It was great to get out there and just play again," Shepard said. "When I found out after practice on Monday that I was finally cleared to play, I had tears of joy. It has been a long, hard road, so it felt really good to get out on the court again. I have waited my whole life to wear a Nebraska uniform, so it was a dream come true today."
In addition to the huge performance in limited playing time from Shepard, the 4,900 fans on hand for the exhibition opener also cheered the return of Nebraska senior Rachel Theriot. The 6-0 point guard from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, pumped in 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor, while going 6-for-6 at the free throw line. Theriot dished out seven assists and grabbed five rebounds in 29 minutes of work.
The 2014 All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection had been sidelined from Feb. 3 until September by an ankle injury suffered in practice.
Husker fans also witnessed an exciting debut effort from freshman Rachel Blackburn. The 6-3 forward from Leavenworth, Kan., gave Nebraska three players in double figures with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, while adding 1-of-2 free throws. The hard-working Blackburn added four rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot in 28 minutes.
Husker hometown freshman Maddie Simon, the 2015 Nebraska High School Player of the Year, added six points, three rebounds, an assist and two steals while joining Shepard and Blackburn in the starting five. The 6-2 guard out of Lincoln Pius X High School went just 2-for-9 from the floor and 2-of-5 at the free throw line in 28 minutes, but made several hustle plays at both ends that brought Husker fans to their feet.
A fourth Husker who made an impact in her debut was 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Kyndal Clark. The 5-7 guard scored six points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out five assists without a turnover, and nabbed four steals against the Lopers in 27 minutes of action. She went 2-for-4 from the floor and 2-for-3 at the free throw line.
As a team, Nebraska hit 51.5 percent (35-68) of its shots from the floor, and finished with 92 points without making a three-pointer in the game. In fact, the Huskers attempted just four threes on the afternoon. Last season, the Big Red attempted 18.3 three-pointers per game.
"It is nice to have a post game," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "We can go five deep in the post right now. We scored 64 points in the paint. It is a nice problem to have for us to try and figure out how to use everybody in our rotations."
Nebraska outrebounded UNK, 52-35, and outscored the Lopers, 27-8, on second-chance points. The Big Red also won the turnover battle, 21-12.
Senior Anya Kalenta added a productive day for the Huskers. The 6-3 forward from Minsk, Belarus, who was a 2014 NJCAA All-American, had eight points and six rebounds, a block and a steal in just 17 minutes of action.
Redshirt freshman Darrien Washington, a 6-2 forward from Oakland, Calif., added four points, four rebounds and a block in just nine minutes of playing time for NU.
The only Husker to play in the game without scoring was sophomore Emily Wood. The 5-5 guard from Salina, Kan., attempted two of Nebraska's four threes, while dishing out two assists and grabbing two rebounds. She also matched Clark with a team-high four steals, while being the most distruptive Husker on the defensive end throughout the day.
Sophomores Natalie Romeo and Jasmine Cincore and junior Esther Ramacieri both sat out Sunday's game but are expected to return to action soon for the Huskers.
McKenzie Brown led the Lopers with 16 points, including four three-pointers, while Kelsey Fitzgerald added 10 points and five rebounds. Laramey Becker, UNK's top returning scorer from last season, added nine points for a Loper team that returned four starters from a year ago.
Nebraska held UNK to 32.8 percent (21-64) shooting from the field, including 30 percent (6-20) from three-point range. The Lopers went 6-of-8 at the line but were outscored 22-6 at the stripe by the Huskers, who committed just 12 fouls compared to 22 for UNK.
Nebraska wraps up its two-game exhibition season next Sunday, when the Huskers take on Winona State at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.