Huskers Close Stand Against Scrappy Southern

Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0)
vs. Southern Jaguars (2-1)

Monday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. - Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Neb.)
Tickets: Huskers.com/Tickets

Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney, Jeff Griesch)

Monday's Stations

• B107.3 FM, Lincoln
• CD105.9 FM, Omaha
• KHAQ 98.5 FM, North Platte
• KHAS 1230 AM, Hastings
• KFAM 1580 AM, Cozad
• KNCY 1600 AM/105.5 FM, Nebraska City
• KNEB 94.1 FM, Scottsbluff
• KHUB 1340 AM, Fremont

Free Live Audio: Huskers.com
Live Video Stream: HuskersNside (with radio call)
Live Stats: Huskers.com

 

Huskers Close Stand Against Scrappy Southern
The Nebraska women’s basketball team wraps up its four-game, season-opening home stand on Monday when the Huskers take on Southern at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Tip-off between the Huskers and the Jaguars is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are available at Huskers.com or by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED. They can also be purchased on the day of the game beginning 90 minutes prior to tip-off at the Pinnacle Bank Arena Box Office.

Live radio coverage on select stations will be provided by the Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and CD105.9 FM in Omaha, with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the call. A live premium video stream will be available on HuskersNside at Huskers.com.

Reigning Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week Jessica Shepard continued her impressive start to the season with her third consecutive 20-point game and third straight double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds in Nebraska’s win over North Carolina Central on Saturday. The 6-4 forward from Fremont, Neb., is averaging 23.7 points and 11.0 rebounds through three games. If she can score 29 points against Southern, Shepard will become the first freshman in Husker history to reach 100 points in four games. In fact, Jordan Hooper (2010-11) and Debra Powell (1981-82) hold the NU record for freshmen getting to 100 points fastest, and it took them six games.

If Shepard can notch her fourth double-double, she would move into a tie with 1993 National Player-of-the-Year Karen Jennings (1989-90) and Kathy Hagerstrom (1979-80) for fifth on Nebraska’s freshman double-doubles list. Only Powell (9, 1981-82) has more than five double-doubles as an NU freshman.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
43 - Rachel Blackburn - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 6.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg
32 - Jessica Shepard - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 23.7 ppg, 11.0 rpg
4 - Kyndal Clark - 5-7 - RSr. - G - 4.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg
5 - Natalie Romeo - 5-7 - So. - G - 16.7 ppg, 0.7 rpg
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 9.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg
Off the Bench
31 - Anya Kalenta - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 7.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg
34 - Jasmine Cincore - 5-10 - So. - G - 6.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Fr. - G - 6.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg
22 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - Jr. - C - 5.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg
50 - Darrien Washington - 6-2 - RFr. - F - 4.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg
12 - Emily Wood - 5-5 - So. - G - 2.7 ppg, 0.7 rpg
11 - Esther Ramacieri - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 0.7 ppg, 0.0 rpg
52 - Alicia Ostrander - 6-3 - Sr. - F - DNP
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
14th Season at Nebraska (264-153); 26th Season Overall (460-293)

Southern Jaguars (2-1, 0-0 SWAC)
22 - Briana Green - 5-11 - So. - F - 6.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg
32 - Miaya Crowder - 6-0 - Jr. - P - 8.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg 
4 - Skylar O’Bear - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 11.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg
23 - Kadesha Berry - 5-7 - Jr. - G - 2.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg
40 - Cortnei Purnell - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 9.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg
Off the Bench
5 - Jadea Brundidge - 6-2 - Sr. - P - 8.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg
11 - Rishanti Cowart - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 2.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg
33 - Kenidi Robinson - 5-11 - Sr. - P - 2.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg
20 - Danayea Charles - 5-6 - Fr. - G - 1.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg
10 - Ashley Williams - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 0.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg
15 - Deja Clay - 6-2 - Jr. - P - 0.7 ppg, 0.0 rpg
12 - Courtney Parsons - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 0.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg
24 - Sarai Blissett - 6-1 - Fr. - P - 0.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg
1 - Tashi-ana Thompson - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Head Coach: Sandy Pugh (Northwestern State, 1987)
16th Season at Southern (258-185); 16th Season Overall (258-185)

Husker Nuggets
• Southern returns to Pinnacle Bank Arena for the second time in three seasons on Monday. The Jaguars played the fourth regular-season women’s basketball game in history at the arena on Nov. 24, 2013, falling to the Huskers 87-64.

• Former Jaguar Kendra Coleman shares the Pinnacle Bank Arena three-point record with former Husker Tear’a Laudermill. Coleman hit seven threes and scored 30 points against the Big Red.

• Nebraska set a season ticket sales record by reaching the 4,000 mark for the first time in school history this week. The Huskers have sold 4,011 women’s basketball season tickets.

• Jessica Shepard needs 29 points to become the first Husker freshman in history to reach 100 points in just four games. No other Husker freshman has ever scored 100 in fewer than six games.

• Shepard’s next double-double will tie for fifth on the Husker freshman list with four. Only one Husker (Debra Powell, 1981-82) has ever produced more than five double-doubles as a freshman.

• Shepard produced 24 points and 13 rebounds in the opener to become the first Husker freshman in history to record a double-double in the first game of her career.

• Natalie Romeo’s career-high 30-point effort against Arkansas Pine Bluff marked the highest point total by a Husker in an opener in school history.

Fast Five: Husker Quick Hitters
#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, Sr., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (9.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.3 apg)
• Theriot is a national player-of-the-year, All-America, Lieberman Award, Senior CLASS Award, Academic All-America and WBCA Allstate Good Works Team candidate as a senior.
• A two-time preseason first-team All-Big Ten choice (2014, 2015), Theriot was an honorable-mention AP All-American as a sophomore in 2014, after leading the Big Red to their first Big Ten Tournament title as the MVP. She was a first-team All-Big Ten pick in 2014, and a Big Ten All-Freshman pick as a starter on Nebraska’s 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 team.
• Theriot set the Nebraska single-season record with 234 assists as a sophomore in 2013-14. She needs 239 assists to match All-American Lindsey Moore’s school career record (699, 2010-13).
• Theriot averaged 16.5 ppg as a junior, and is ranked No. 27 in career points at Nebraska with 1,050. She needs 19 points to catch Kate Galligan (1,069, 1993-96) at No. 26 on NU’s all-time list.
• Nebraska’s most experienced player, Theriot will be making her 86th start in a Husker uniform.

#4, Kyndal Clark, 5-7, Sr., G, Webb City, Mo. (4.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.7 spg)
• The 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as a junior, Clark was a two-time all-conference player at Drake (2013, 2014). She was also an MVC All-Defensive choice as a sophomore in 2013, after earning a spot on the Valley All-Freshman Team in 2012.
• Clark was a member of the 2015 WBCA Allstate Good Works Team.
• Clark suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game of her senior season at Drake (vs. South Dakota, Nov. 14, 2014). She graduated from Drake in May of 2015, after majoring in information systems.
• Clark is expected to make her 102nd collegiate start on Monday. She produced double figures for the first time in her Husker career against North Florida last Monday with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists. She owns 73 career double-figure scoring performances, including 24 20-point games and four career 30-point efforts with a career-high of 41.
• She scored 1,418 points and hit 222 three-pointers in her three seasons plus one game at Drake. She averaged 19.3 points per game and set the Missouri Valley Conference single-season record with 116 threes in 2013-14.

#5, Natalie Romeo, 5-7, So., G, Martinez, Calif. (16.7 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 4.3 apg, 2.0 spg)
• Romeo produced the best season-opening performance in school history with 30 points while going 6-of-9 from three-point range in the win over Arkansas Pine Bluff on Nov. 14. Romeo’s career high came despite missing multiple practices during the week due to illness, which also kept her out of the starting five in the opener.
• Through three games this season, Romeo has set new career highs for points (30, UAPB), assists (6, NCCU), and steals (3, NCCU). She needs just 21 more assists (34) and 11 more steals (17) to match her season totals from a year ago.
• Romeo started Nebraska’s final 10 games of 2014-15 in place of the injured Rachel Theriot. Over the final eight games, she led the Big Red with 15.4 points per game. She is expected to make her 15th career start on Monday against Southern.
• Romeo finished with 51 three-pointers in 2014-15 to produce the second-highest total by a freshman in Nebraska history, trailing only school-record holder Jordan Hooper (67, 2010-11). Romeo achieved her total despite going 3-for-9 in non-conference play while missing eight games with an injury (stress fracture, foot, Nov. 28-Dec. 29, 2014).
• Romeo led Nebraska by averaging 20.0 points in a pair of Big Ten Tournament games, including a season-high 26 points in a win over Illinois March 5. She tied a school record with seven threes against the Illini to set Nebraska’s all-time conference tournament record. She also tied the Nebraska NCAA Tournament record with five three-pointers in a 72-69 loss to Syracuse on March 20, 2015. She finished with 15 points against the Orange.

#32, Jessica Shepard, 6-4, Fr., F, Fremont, Neb. (23.7 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.7 spg)
• Shepard produced the best career-opening performance by a freshman in school history, powering her way to 24 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals in 23 minutes against Arkansas Pine Bluff on Nov. 14. Nebraska’s previous season-opening bests by a freshman were 19 points (Debra Powell, 1981) and eight rebounds (Angie Miller, 1983; Terri Parriott, 1981). Shepard’s double-double was the first in history by a Husker freshman in an opener. She added a career-high 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds in game two against North Florida Nov. 16 and 20 points and 10 boards against North Carolina Central Nov. 21. She is the first Husker freshman in history with three straight 20-point games and three consecutive double-doubles to open a career.
• Shepard needs 29 points against Southern in her fourth game to reach the 100-point mark faster than any Husker in history. No other Husker has achieved 100 points in fewer than six games. Shepard also needs just four assists to match the freshman total (10) of Jordan Hooper, who earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors in 2010-11 before claiming first-team All-America accolades in 2013-14.
• The top recruit in Nebraska history, Shepard was the No. 1 ranked post and No. 3 overall recruit in the nation by ESPN last season. A first-team Parade All-American as a senior despite missing nearly all of her final year (ACL tear, Dec. 29, 2014), Shepard was the 2013 and 2014 Nebraska High School Player of the Year.
• Shepard averaged 12.8 points and 3.8 rebounds while helping the USA Basketball U18 Team to a 5-0 record and a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Americas Championship.
• Shepard produced the best exhibition game by a Husker in history with 42 points and 12 rebounds in 25 minutes against NCAA Division II No. 16 Winona State on Nov. 8. Her production came against former Iowa post Kayla Timmerman, a 6-3 center. Shepard hit 16-of-19 shots and all 10 of her free throws.

#43, Rachel Blackburn, 6-3, Fr., F, Leavenworth, Kan. (6.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.3 apg)
• The No. 63 player in the nation by Blue Star and No. 69 by Prospects Nation, Blackburn was ranked as the No. 17 post in the country by ESPN coming out of high school last year.
• A hard-working, team-first power forward that has tendencies in her game similar to Kelsey Griffin and Emily Cady (both had more than 1,400 points and 1,000 rebounds in four-year careers as starters), Blackburn earned a start alongside fellow freshmen Jessica Shepard and Maddie Simon in the season-opening win over Arkansas Pine Bluff.
• Blackburn has just missed double-doubles in the last two games with eight points, 10 rebounds and three assists in a win over North Florida Nov. 16, before adding nine points, nine rebounds and three assists against North Carolina Central Nov. 21. Blackburn is hitting a team-best 69.2 percent of her shots from the field.
• Blackburn averaged 5.5 points and 8.0 rebounds while starting both of NU’s exhibition wins. She averaged 7.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game in Nebraska’s four-game tour of Australia in August of 2015. She led the Huskers by shooting 65 percent from the field.
• Blackburn led Leavenworth High School to back-to-back Kansas Class 5A state titles in 2014 and 2015. She set the Leavenworth High School record with a career 67.5 field goal percentage.

Scouting The Southern Jaguars
Coach Sandy Pugh brings the Southern Jaguars to Pinnacle Bank Arena for the second time in the last three seasons on Monday. The Jaguars, who opened this season with a 65-46 win over Spring Hill College on Nov. 13, before falling at Texas A&M, 88-47, on Nov. 15, improved to 2-1 with a 50-45 victory over South Alabama in Baton Rouge, La., on Friday night.

Southern played the fourth regular-season women’s basketball game in history at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Nov. 24, 2013, dropping an 87-64 decision to a Big Red squad that went on to win the 2014 Big Ten Tournament title and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska led that game just 38-32 at the half, before All-American Jordan Hooper powered the Huskers to victory. Hooper finished with 23 points and eight rebounds, while Emily Cady added 18 points and 14 boards. Rachel Theriot pitched in 13 points and eight assists.

Southern’s Kendra Coleman led all scorers in that game with 30 points, including 7-of-12 three-point shooting. Coleman still shares the women’s basketball arena record with her seven threes, matching Tear’a Laudermill’s seven in a win over Penn State on Feb. 24, 2014.

Coleman ended her career with SU last season by leading the Jaguars to a 19-12 overall record that included a 15-3 SWAC record and a second place conference finish.

The only Jaguar starter remaining from the 2013-14 team is junior Cortnei Purnell, who played 17 minutes and grabbed five rebounds but was held scoreless by the Huskers two seasons ago.
The 6-0 junior guard averaged 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last season, and has increased her averages to 9.3 points and 6.0 rebounds through three games as a starter this year. Purnell scored 16 points and grabbed four rebounds in the loss to Texas A&M.

Senior Britney Washington, who came off the bench to score nine points against the Big Red two years ago, and fellow senior Jadea Brundidge were the only current Jaguars who saw action against NU in 2013-14. Washington has not played yet this season, but Brundidge has been SU’s top contributor off the bench, averaging 8.0 points and 5.3 rebounds. Brundidge had seven points, seven rebounds and two assists against the Aggies, and eight points, seven rebounds and three blocks against South Alabama.

Freshman Skylar O’Bear, a 5-7 guard from White Castle, La., leads Southern with 11.0 points per game. She also leads SU with six three-pointers, including a trio against South Alabama. She had 10 points and hit two threes before fouling out in the loss to A&M.

Junior post Miaya Crowder has added 8.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in her first season at Southern after transferring from Meridian Community College. The 6-0 Crowder had nine points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in just 17 minutes against A&M.

Another junior college transfer, junior guard Kadesha Berry, has managed 2.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals while starting all three games alongside fellow first-year players O’Bear and Crowder.

Sophomore Briana Green, a 5-11 forward, rounds out the Southern starting five with 6.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and a team-best 2.3 steals per game.

Rishonti Cowart (2.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg), Danayea Charles (1.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and Kenidi Robinson (2.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg) add to a Southern roster that has seen 14 players compete in all three games this season.

Huskers Have History of Home-Opening Success
Nebraska owns a history of season-opening success on the Huskers’ homecourt. NU notched its 40th season-opening win with a 96-46 victory over Arkansas Pine Bluff on Nov. 14. NU is 3-0 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in season openers, including a 100-65 victory over Pepperdine on Nov. 15, 2014, and a 77-49 win over UCLA in the first regular-season basketball game in the history of the building on Nov. 8, 2013.

Nebraska’s last loss in a home opener came to South Dakota State on Nov. 19, 2005. NU’s only other home-opening loss was to Kansas (88-56) on Nov. 21, 1980.

Nebraska has been strong in its first six home games every season. In fact, NU is 214-34 in the past 42 years in its first six home contests (.863), including 36-6 in Game No. 2. The Huskers have won 16 straight in their second home games of the year. Nebraska is 34-8 in Game No. 3, 35-6 in Game No. 4, 36-5 in Game No. 5 and 33-7 in Game 6. The Huskers only played five total home games in their first season in 1974-75.

Setting the Stage for Shepard
Nebraska’s record book could be under assault this season from freshman Jessica Shepard. Here’s a few of the most vulnerable records:

Freshman Game Records
Points, Game: 34, Debra Powell at Notre Dame, Feb. 25, 1982 (98-88, 2OT)
Points, Game (Regulation): 31, Jordan Hooper, at Missouri, Feb. 2, 2011
Kelsey Griffin, vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Nov. 27, 2005 (Miami)
Rebounds, Game: 22, Angie Miller, UMKC, Dec. 7, 1983
Points, Season Opener: 24, Jessica Shepard, vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff, Nov. 14, 2015
Rebounds, Season Opener: 13, Jessica Shepard, vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff, Nov. 14, 2015
Double-Double, Season Opener: 24 points, 13 rebounds vs. UAPB, Nov. 14, 2015 (first in NU history)

Freshman Season Records
Total Points: 461, Debra Powell (1981-82)
Points Per Game: 15.4, Debra Powell (1981-82)
Total Rebounds: 277, Kathy Hagerstrom (1979-80)
Rebounds Per Game: 7.6, Debra Powell (1981-82)
Double-Doubles: 9, Debra Powell (1981-82)
Fastest to 100 Points: 6 games; Jordan Hooper (2010-11); Debra Powell (1981-82)
Field Goals Made: 201, Darcy Williamson (1975-76)
Field Goal Percentage: .582 (78-134), Charlie Rogers (1996-97)
Free Throws Made: 121, Kelsey Griffin (2005-06)

Best of the Fresh: Big Red Freshman Classes
Nebraska’s four-player freshman class of Jessica Shepard, Rachel Blackburn, Maddie Simon and Darrien Washington could be poised to be the most productive in school history. The quartet combined for 38 points and 26 rebounds in NU’s season-opening win, producing the third-most productive performance by a freshman class in an opener in school history. The only two other classes (1981-82, 1999-2000) with more points, each had seven players in the class.

The freshman combined for more against North Florida, joining forces for 46 points and 28 rebounds in just 66 minutes against the Ospreys. The rookies combined for 37 points and 19 rebounds in just 55 combined minutes against North Carolina Central, as Washington sat out.

Consider that Nebraska’s 2011-12 freshman class of Emily Cady, Brandi Jeffery, Tear’a Laudermill and Hailie Sample led the Big Ten by a significant margin with 26.5 points and 17.7 rebounds per game in their first seasons, before going on to be the most successful class in school history with four straight NCAA Tournament bids.

That group, which also included redshirt freshman Katie Simon, is the only freshman class at Nebraska under Coach Connie Yori to average 20 points and 15 rebounds per game. In fact, the only other freshman class to combine to average a double-double was the 2005-06 group featuring first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin, which managed 18.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.

The 2003-04 class averaged 19.5 points and 9.0 rebounds, while featuring three-time first-team All-Big 12 shooting guard Kiera Hardy and future Canadian Olympian Chelsea Aubry.

Pump up the Program

• Nebraska set a season ticket sales record with 4,011 season tickets sold as of Nov. 18, 2015. It marks the first time in school history the Huskers have sold 4,000 season tickets.
• Nebraska earned its fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid and its seventh in the past nine seasons in 2015. NU is one of just 21 Division I teams to earn four consecutive NCAA Tournament bids.
• The Huskers also have owned a perfect 100 percent Graduation Success Rate every season they have been in the NCAA Tournament under Coach Connie Yori (2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015).
• Nebraska Coach Connie Yori owns more wins (265) than any other women’s basketball coach in school history. She has averaged 20 victories per season in her first 13 seasons at the helm of the Huskers.
• The Huskers have produced seven 20-win seasons in the last nine years. Prior to Coach Connie Yori’s arrival in Lincoln in 2002-03, Nebraska had nine 20-win seasons in the first 28 years of the program.
• Nebraska is the only team in the Big Ten to record 10 or more league wins in each of the last four years. The Huskers are the only team to post four straight winning Big Ten regular seasons (2012-15).
• The Huskers, who joined the Big Ten in 2011-12 for the start of the careers of its 2015 seniors, are a Big Ten-best 44-22 in Big Ten regular-season play the last four years (tied with Iowa). The Big Red have added a conference-best eight Big Ten Tournament wins for 52 total victories over Big Ten foes.
• Nebraska has ranked No. 11 nationally in average home attendance in each of the Huskers’ first two seasons at Pinnacle Bank Arena. NU has averaged more than 6,000 fans per game at the arena.
• Every Husker on the roster has earned a spot on Nebraska’s Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in each of the first two years of NU’s all-sports, community service recognition program.

Huskers More than Fair in Foul Department
The Huskers ended last season ranked No. 5 in the final NCAA Division I statistics for fewest personal fouls per game. Nebraska committed just 13.2 fouls per game, including a school-record four fouls in the win over Bakersfield Dec. 13. Nebraska’s 422 total fouls on the season were the fewest in school history.

In 2013-14, NU led the Big Ten and ranked second nationally by committing just 13.1 fouls per game. Nebraska continued a non-fouling trend from 2012-13. The Huskers were whistled for a school-record 12.8 fouls per game in 2012-13, including 11 fouls per game in Big Ten regular-season games.

Through three games in 2015-16, the Huskers have committed just 13.3 fouls per game, while opponents have been whistled for 16.7 fouls per contest.

Season Ticket Sales Reach All-Time High
Nebraska women’s basketball season ticket sales reached an all-time high with 4,011 sold (Nov. 17), an increase of 109 tickets over last year’s previous record high of 3,902.
In Nebraska’s first season at Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013-14, the Huskers shattered their previous season ticket sales record with more than 3,700. The previous record came in 2010-11, when NU sold approximately 2,700 season tickets.

Nebraska’s History of Home Success
Nebraska went 13-3 at home in 2014-15, including 12-3 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Huskers are 31-5 all-time at Pinnacle Bank Arena since the building opened for the 2013-14 campaign, including 3-0 in 2015-16.

The Big Red went 16-2 at home in 2013-14, suffering its only Big Ten loss to Purdue, 77-75, on Jan. 19, 2014. Nebraska’s 16 home wins in 2013-14 tied the school record for single-season home victories.

The Huskers played the first regular-season basketball game in the history of the arena against USA Today No. 25 UCLA (Nov. 8) and rolled to a 77-49 win over the Bruins. NU’s first win over an AP Top 25 team came with a 76-56 win over No. 24 Michigan State on Feb. 8. The Huskers added their first-ever win over an AP Top 10 team at the arena with a 94-74 victory over No. 8 Penn State on Feb. 24.

NU won its first-ever Big Ten home game with a 66-65 thriller over Northwestern Jan. 2, before an 88-85 win over Minnesota on Jan. 16, 2014, marked the first overtime game in Pinnacle Bank Arena history.

NU suffered its first loss at the arena to Washington State (76-72) on Nov. 30, 2013.
The Huskers are 418-135 (.756) all-time at home. The Huskers have gone 154-39 (.798) over the last 12-plus seasons, posting double-figure home victory totals in each of the last 11 years, including 13-3 in 2014-15 and 16-2 in 2013-14. NU went a perfect 16-0 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2009-10.

Nebraska played in the Devaney Center from 1976-77 through 2012-13, and added one appearance at Devaney against Utah on Nov. 23, 2014. The Huskers own a 389-130 record at the Devaney Center, including 146-88 (.624) mark in conference play. NU went 13-4 at home in 2012-13.

Nebraska Ranks Near Top in Attendance
Nebraska closed the 2014-15 season ranked No. 11 nationally in average home attendance with 5,857 fans per game. The Huskers averaged 6,483 fans per Big Ten Conference game.

The Huskers played 15 home games at Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2014-15, averaging 6,026 fans per game in the new arena. In 33 all-time home games at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Huskers own an impressive 28-5 record (.848 winning percentage) while averaging 6,100 fans per game (201,278 total fans/33 games).

The Huskers also played one home game at Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2014-15, drawing 3,321 fans for a game against Utah on Nov. 23. The Utah game was not included in Nebraska’s 2014-15 season ticket package for logistical reasons.

In 18 home games in 2013-14, the Huskers attracted 110,892 fans including 10 of the top-16 largest home non-conference crowds in school history. Nebraska’s total home attendance of 110,892 ranked No. 8 nationally, while NU’s average home attendance of 6,161 ranked 11th in 2013-14.

Nebraska attracted a non-conference school-record crowd of 9,750 to open its stay in the building with a win over UCLA on Nov. 8, 2013. The Huskers have averaged more than 5,000 fans per non-conference game each of the first two seasons at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Before moving to the new arena, NU had never averaged more than 4,049 fans per game in non-conference home play.

Triple Threats: Three Things to Talk About
#11, Esther Ramacieri, 5-8, Jr., G, Repentigny, Quebec, Canada (0.7 ppg, 0.0 rpg)
• Esther Ramacieri hit her first field goal in 37 career games in the closing minute of Nebraska’s win over North Carolina Central on Saturday. She tied her career high with one assist in Nebraska’s season-opening win over Arkansas Pine Bluff. Ramacieri appeared in 17 games in each of her first two seasons, with one career start (vs. Penn State, Jan. 15, 2015). She owns seven points, 17 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 133 minutes in her career.
• Ramacieri missed much of the summer and preseason with a knee injury, but was cleared to play for the start of the 2015-16 regular season.
• Ramacieri is the fourth Canadian to play for the Huskers under Coach Yori, including Chelsea Aubry (2004-07), Kaitlyn Burke (2008-12) and Harleen Sidhu (2009-12).

#12, Emily Wood, 5-5, So., G, Salina, Kan. (2.7 ppg, 0.7 rpg)
• Emily Wood enjoyed a career night with six points on the first two three-pointers of her career while adding two rebounds, an assist and a steal in Nebraska’s win over North Florida on Nov. 16. She opened her sophomore season with two points in a win over Arkansas Pine Bluff on Nov. 14. Wood played in 10 games as a freshman after walking on to the Nebraska program. She claimed Nebraska’s Teammate Award for her commitment to the Husker program in 2014-15.
• Wood had two points and five rebounds in 29 minutes as a freshman. During the summer of 2015, Wood started for the Huskers on their four-game Australian Tour, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 26 minutes per game.
• Wood was a first-team Kansas Class 5A all-state selection as a senior at Salina Central High School in 2014. Wood averaged 16.0 points per game as a senior, while hitting a school-record 91 threes. She hit 42.1 percent of her threes and 86.2 percent of her free throws as a senior.

#22, Allie Havers, 6-5, Jr., C, Mattawan, Mich. (5.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.7 bpg)
• One of the tallest Nebraska women’s basketball players in history, Allie Havers is averaging 5.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and a team-leading 1.7 blocks through three games as a junior. She averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds while playing 14.8 minutes per game as NU’s top post off the bench in 2014-15.
• Havers tied her career high with 10 rebounds in her second career double-digit rebound game against North Carolina Central on Saturday. She also matched a career best with three assists against the Lady Eagles. Havers owns seven double-figure scoring games in her career, including five as a sophomore in 2014-15. Two double-figure efforts have come in the Big Ten Tournament, including a career-high 17 points in a semifinal win over No. 19 Michigan State on March 8, 2014.
• Havers was NU’s top post off the bench as a true freshman in 2013-14, averaging 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds while playing in all 33 games. She averaged just over 10 minutes per contest.

#24, Maddie Simon, 6-2, Fr., G, Lincoln, Neb. (6.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.0 apg)
• Maddie Simon started alongside fellow freshmen Jessica Shepard and Rachel Blackburn in Nebraska’s season opener. Simon produced six points, two rebounds, an assist and a block in her debut. She added five points, three rebounds, a career-high four assists and the first steal of her career against North Florida on Nov. 16, before scoring a career-high eight points against North Carolina Central Nov. 21. Simon averaged 6.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist during Nebraska’s four-game summer tour of Australia in August of 2015.
• The 2015 Nebraska High School Player of the Year, Maddie Simon was a two-time first-team Super-State selection while leading Lincoln Pius X to the 2015 Class B state championship. Simon was the No. 149 player in the nation according to Blue Star and the No. 22 guard nationally by ESPN in 2015.
• A tremendous all-around athlete, Simon won the Class A 100- and 300-meter hurdles championships at the 2015 Nebraska State Track & Field Championships. Her mother, Nicole Ali Simon, was the first female CoSIDA Academic All-American in the history of Nebraska athletics, competing for Coach Gary Pepin’s national champion Huskers in 1983 and 1984.

#31, Anya Kalenta, 6-3, Sr., F, Minsk, Belarus (7.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.0 bpg)
• Anya Kalenta produced the third double-figure scoring effort of her Nebraska career with 10 points and eight rebounds in just 13 minutes off the bench in NU’s win over North Florida Nov. 16. She followed with seven points, six rebounds and career highs with four assists and three blocks against North Carolina Central on Saturday. She appeared in 12 games in her first season at Nebraska in 2014-15, competing in five of NU’s first six games before missing NU’s next nine games with a stress fracture in her foot. She also suffered a broken nose in preseason practice (Oct. 29, 2014), and battled anemia throughout the year.
• Kalenta averaged 12.0 points and 7.5 rebounds on opening weekend of 2014, establishing career highs with 14 points and eight rebounds against Pepperdine on Nov. 15. She went 2-for-2 from three-point range against Alcorn State on Nov. 16.
• Kalenta earned third-team NJCAA All-America honors in 2013-14 at Vincennes University in Indiana. She transferred to Vincennes after spending her freshman season at Broward College in Florida in 2012-13. She ranked in the NJCAA’s top 25 in scoring (20.8 ppg, 13th), rebounding (10.7 rpg, 22nd) and blocked shots (2.1 bpg, 20th) in her only season with the Trailblazers at Vincennes in 2013-14.

#34, Jasmine Cincore, 5-10, So., G, Arlington, Tenn. (6.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.3 spg)
• A two-time Tennessee Class 2-AA Player of the Year (2013, 2014), Jasmine Cincore battled ankle and foot injuries to play in 20 games for the Huskers as a true freshman. She totaled 25 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in 97 minutes on the season.
• Cincore has opened her sophomore season strong, setting or tying her career bests in every category. She had career highs with seven points and four steals while matching a career-best with three assists in a career-high 20 minutes against North Florida on Nov. 16. She tipped off the year with six points and three assists while adding career bests in rebounds (4) and blocks (1) against Arkansas Pine Bluff on Nov. 14. She added five points and three rebounds against North Carolina Central on Saturday. She needs just seven points, four rebounds and four assists to match her season totals from a year ago.
• During Nebraska’s 2015 summer tour of Australia, Cincore was NU’s second-leading scorer with 10.0 points per game, while adding 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in four games against Australian pro teams.

#50, Darrien Washington, 6-2, RFr., F, Oakland, Calif. (4.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
• Darrien Washington produced six points, five rebounds and an assist in eight minutes off the bench in her career debut against Arkansas Pine Bluff after enjoying a strong redshirt season in 2014-15. She added three points, five rebounds and her first career steal in six productive minutes against North Florida on Nov. 16. She did not play against North Carolina Central (coach’s decision).
• Washington played on the Cal Stars Elite with current Husker sophomore guard Natalie Romeo.
• A first-team All-Oakland performer at Skyline High School, Washington averaged 16.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game as a senior. She scored 1,181 career points and came up just short of 1,000 career rebounds in high school.