Huskers Shoot for Lucky Seven Against Aces

Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-1)
vs. Evansville Purple Aces (1-6)

Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m. - Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Neb.)
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney, Jeff Griesch)

Tuesday's Stations

• B107.3 FM, Lincoln
• CD 105.9 FM, Omaha
• KHAQ 98.5 FM, North Platte
• KHAS 1230 AM, Hastings
• KNEB 94.1 FM, Scottsbluff
• KHUB 1340 AM, Fremont
• KGFW 1340 AM, Kearney
• KNCY 1600 AM/105.5 FM, Nebraska City
• KAMI 1580 AM, Cozad

Free Live Audio: Huskers.com
Live Video Stream: BTN Plus

Huskers Close Home Stand with Purple Aces Tuesday
The Nebraska women’s basketball team wraps up its three-game home stand by taking on Evansville on Tuesday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tip-off between the Big Red and the Purple Aces is set for 7 p.m., and tickets are available at Huskers.com or by calling 800-8-BIG-RED. Fans also can purchase tickets the night of the game at the Pinnacle Bank Arena box office, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Live radio coverage on select stations will be provided by the Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and CD 105.9 FM in Omaha, with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the call. A live video stream will be available to premium subscribers of BTN Plus.

After opening the home stand with an 88-67 run past NC State on Thursday, Dec. 3, the Huskers produced the largest comeback in the Connie Yori coaching era at Nebraska with a 65-63 win over Creighton on Sunday. NU rallied from 21 points down in the second quarter to claim its 17th straight home non-conference win. The Huskers try to improve to 7-0 at home this year when they face Evansville.

Senior All-America point guard Rachel Theriot has been spectacular in the first two games of the stand, averaging 18.5 points and 9.5 assists to improve her season averages to 12.0 points and 6.0 assists per game. Theriot hit the game-winning three with 1:35 left to cap the comeback against Creighton.

Freshman forward Jessica Shepard pitched in 19 points and seven rebounds against the Jays to continue leading the Huskers with 19.4 points per game. She has added 7.9 boards per contest. Sophomore Natalie Romeo gives the Huskers three players averaging double figures with 15.9 points per contest while leading the Big Red with 21 threes and 15 steals on the season.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
43 - Rachel Blackburn - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 5.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg
32 - Jessica Shepard - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 19.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg
4 - Kyndal Clark - 5-7 - RSr. - G - 2.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg
5 - Natalie Romeo - 5-7 - So. - G - 15.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 12.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Off the Bench
31 - Anya Kalenta - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 6.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg
24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Fr. - G - 5.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg
22 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - Jr. - C - 5.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg
34 - Jasmine Cincore - 5-10 - So. - G - 4.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg
50 - Darrien Washington - 6-2 - RFr. - F - 4.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg
12 - Emily Wood - 5-5 - So. - G - 2.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg
11 - Esther Ramacieri - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 0.4 ppg, 0.2 rpg
52 - Alicia Ostrander - 6-3 - Sr. - F - DNP
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
14th Season at Nebraska (268-154); 26th Season Overall (463-294)

Evansville Purple Aces (1-6, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
33 - Ashley Hawkins - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 4.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg
4 - Camille Coleman - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 8.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg
13 - Laura Friday - 5-6 - Sr. - G - 5.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg
15 - Kenyia Johnson - 5-8 - So. - G - 2.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg
24 - Sara Dickey - 5-11 - Jr. - G - 16.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg 
Off the Bench
2 - Kerri Gasper - 5-11 - Fr.-  F - 10.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg
5 - Aaliyah Gaines - 5-8 - So. - G - 6.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg
0 - Camary Williams - 5-5 - Jr. - G - 4.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg
14 - Peyton Langston - 6-0 - So. - F - 2.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg
32 - Erin Sinnott - 5-11 - Fr. - F - 1.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg
25 - Jordan Campbell - 6-0 - Fr. - F - 1.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg
31 - Tattenai Hall - 6-0 - Fr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 0.5 rpg
Head Coach: Oties Epps (Wisconsin-Stout, 2002)
Fifth Season at Evansville (43-87); Fifth Season Overall (43-87)

Husker Nuggets
• Nebraska is 6-0 at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season to stretch its home non-conference winning streak to 17 games. The Huskers have not lost a non-conference home game since a 76-72 loss to Washington State on Nov. 30, 2013. The Huskers are 22-1 all-time in home non-conference games at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

• Nebraska’s 21-point comeback against Creighton marked the largest rally in Coach Connie Yori’s 14-year career at Nebraska. It is the third time in the last 13 months the Huskers have rallied from a 14-point or greater deficit to win. That had happened just four times in Coach Yori’s first 12 seasons in Lincoln.

• Rachel Theriot needs just nine points to move into the top 20 in school history on the all-time scoring list. She enters Tuesday’s game with 1,107 points.

• Theriot needs 14 assists to become the fifth player in Nebraska history to reach 500 in her career.

• Freshman Jessica Shepard has scored in double figures in seven straight games to open her career. She leads the Huskers with 19.4 points per game. The only freshmen in school history to lead the Big Red in scoring are Jordan Hooper (14.6 ppg, 2010-11) and Karen Jennings (13.4 ppg, 1989-90).

• With 16 assists, Shepard already has six more assists this season than Hooper had as a freshman in 2010-11. Shepard needs 12 more to match Kelsey Griffin’s freshman total (28, 2005-06) and 19 more to match Jennings’ freshman mark (35, 1989-90).

• Shepard and fellow freshman forward Rachel Blackburn have each produced three double-figure rebound marks this season. Griffin had three as a freshman in 2005-06 and Hooper four in 2010-11.

Fast Five: Husker Quick Hitters
#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, Sr., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (12.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 6.0 apg)
• Rachel 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 213 assists to match All-American Lindsey Moore’s school career record (699, 2010-13).
• Theriot averaged 16.5 ppg as a junior, and is tied for No. 21 in career points at Nebraska with 1,107. She needs nine points to catch Meggan Yedsena (No. 20, 1,116, 1991-94) and 26 points to match Tear’a Laudermill (No. 19, 1,133, 2012-15) on NU’s all-time scoring list.
• Theriot produced her sixth career double-double with 20 points and 11 assists in NU’s win over NC State on Dec. 3. It was her 12th career 20-point effort and eighth career double-digit assist game. She was named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll on Dec. 7, after adding 17 points and eight assists in Nebraska’s win over Creighton Dec. 6.

#4, Kyndal Clark, 5-7, Sr., G, Webb City, Mo. (2.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.1 spg)
• The 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as a junior, Kyndal 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. She 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 106th collegiate start on Tuesday. She produced double figures for the first time in her Husker career against North Florida on Nov. 16, 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. (15.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.1 spg)
• Natalie 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 seven games this season, Romeo has set new career highs for points (30, UAPB), assists (6, NCCU), and steals (4, at UConn, vs. Southern). She needs just seven more assists (34) and two more steals (17) to match her season totals from a year ago. She also leads the Huskers with 21 threes on 42 percent shooting from long range.
• 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 18th career start in her 32nd career game on Tuesday against Evansville.
• 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. (19.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.3 spg)
• A three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, 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 had 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 added 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals against Southern Nov. 23 to become the first Husker freshman in history with four straight 20-point games.
• Shepard scored the 100th point of her career faster than any other Husker (Game 5), reaching the mark with 10 points at No. 1 UConn Nov. 28. She owns double figures in each of her first seven games.
• The top recruit in Nebraska history, Shepard was the No. 1 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. (5.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.7 apg)
• A fiery workhorse as a freshman, Blackburn leads the Big Red with 8.4 rebounds through the first seven games. She also became the first Husker to take four charges in a game (vs. NC State, Dec. 3) since All-American Kelsey Griffin did it at Baylor on Jan. 17, 2010.
• 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. She owns three double-figure rebound performances this season.
• Blackburn just missed double-doubles in wins over North Florida (8 points, 10 rebounds) and North Carolina Central (9 points, 9 rebounds). She was directly responsible for 10 first-half defensive stops to fuel a 20-0 second-quarter run in NU’s win over NC State Dec. 3. She finished the game with three points, 11 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal.
• 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 Evansville Purple Aces
Coach Oties Epps brings his Purple Aces to Pinnacle Bank Arena for the first-ever meeting between Evansville and Nebraska in women’s basketball. Evansville has struggled to a 1-6 start in Epps’ fifth season at the helm of the program.

Most recently, Evansville dropped a 73-54 decision in its home opener to Murray State on Saturday. Junior guard Sara Dickey led the Purple Aces with 24 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals against the Racers. The 5-11 Dickey averaged a team-best 18.8 points per game last season, and leads Evansville again with 16.0 points and a team-best 4.9 rebounds per game. She also leads the Purple Aces with 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

Freshman forward Kerri Gasper adds a second Ace in double figures with 10.0 points and 3.6 rebounds. Gasper has made four starts for Evansville, but did not start against Murray State. She scored six points, including a three against the Racers.

Camille Coleman, a 5-7 freshman guard, has pitched in 8.7 points and 2.4 rebounds for a young set of Purple Aces. Coleman has started every game alongside Dickey and junior Ashley Hawkins. Coleman leads the Purple Aces with her 42.9 percent (9-21) success rate from three-point range, but she also leads Evansville with 24 turnovers. Gasper and Coleman have combined for 17 assists and 45 turnovers.

Hawkins, a 6-1 forward, gives Evansville both size and experience inside. In her first season on the court at Evansville, Hawkins is averaging 4.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. She was a teammate of Nebraska senior forward Anya Kalenta at Vincennes University in Indiana. Hawkins transferred to Evansville prior to last season, but redshirted in 2014-15. Alongside Kalenta at Vincennes, Hawkins averaged 13.3 points and 8.2 rebounds as a sophomore in 2013-14.

An undersized Evansville starting five also could feature 5-6 senior guard Laura Friday (5.4 ppg) and 5-8 sophomore guard Kenyia Johnson (2.3 ppg). Other significant contributors have included 5-5 junior guard Camary Williams (4.6 ppg) and 5-8 sophomore guard Aaliyah Gaines (6.8 ppg).

Evansville has managed 60.4 points but has surrendered 72.7 points per contest as a team. With no player taller than 6-1 on their roster, the Purple Aces also carry a minus-9.6 team rebounding margin on the season. The Purple Aces are shooting just 36.1 percent from the field, including 31.9 percent from three-point range. They have hit 69 percent of their free throws and own a plus-0.1 team turnover margin through seven contests.

Last season, Evansville finished with a 13-19 overall record that included a 6-12 record for a seventh-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference.

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: 5 games; Jessica Shepard (2015-16)
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)

Huskers Putting Up Points at Pinnacle
Nebraska is averaging 86.2 points per game at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season, including five consecutive games with 88 or more points to open the season at home.

It marked the first time in school history that Nebraska scored 88 or more points in five straight home games. It was also the first time since 2009-10 that the Big Red have scored 88 or more in five home contests in a season.

Nebraska had its home streak snapped when Creighton held the Huskers to 65 points on Sunday. Overall, the Big Red is averaging 80.4 points through seven games this season.

The Huskers rank in the top 25 nationally in scoring (23rd, 80.4 ppg), scoring margin (15th, 24.0 ppg), field goal percentage (13th, .481), assists per game (5th, 21.0 apg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3rd, 1.63).

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.

Through seven games, the 2015-16 freshmen have combined for 220 points, 132 rebounds, 41 assists, 11 blocks and 15 steals, despite Washington sitting out the last five games. The group is averaging 31.4 points and 18.9 boards per game.

Consider 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 season, before becoming the most successful class in NU history with four 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.

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 34-5 all-time at Pinnacle Bank Arena since the building opened for the 2013-14 campaign, including 6-0 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 422-135 (.758) all-time at home. The Huskers have gone 159-39 (.803) 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.

Triple Threats: Three Things to Talk About
#11, Esther Ramacieri, 5-8, Jr., G, Repentigny, Quebec, Canada (0.4 ppg, 0.2 rpg)
• Esther Ramacieri hit her first field goal (37th career game) in the closing minute of Nebraska’s win over North Carolina Central on Nov. 21. 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, 18 rebounds, three assists and three steals in 140 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. She missed Nebraska’s wins over NC State and Creighton with a concussion.
• 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. (2.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg)
• Emily Wood is making solid, consistent and reliable contributions as a sophomore, producing 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in 42 minutes off the bench. She 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.
• 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. In the summer of 2015, Wood started for NU on its 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. (5.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
• One of the tallest Nebraska women’s basketball players in history, Allie Havers is turning up her production with 5.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and a team-leading 1.1 blocks through seven games as a junior. She owns season highs of eight points against Creighton (Dec. 6), NC State (Dec. 3) and North Carolina Central (Nov. 21), when she added career bests with 10 rebounds and three assists.
• Havers, who averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game as NU’s top post off the bench in 2014-15, owns seven double-figure scoring games in her career, including five as a sophomore last season. Two of her 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. (5.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 1.7 apg)
• Maddie Simon is growing her game quickly as a key contributor in the Husker lineup after producing her second double-figure scoring effort with 10 points and three assists against NC State on Dec. 3. She established her career high with 11 points and three assists in NU’s win over Southern on Nov. 23.
• 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. She was the No. 149 player in the nation according to Blue Star and the No. 22 guard 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 (6.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
• Anya Kalenta produced the fourth double-figure scoring effort of her Nebraska career and second of the season with 11 points and six rebounds in a season-high 21 minutes off the bench in NU’s win over NC State Dec. 3. She had 10 points and eight rebounds in just 13 minutes in a 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 Nov. 23. She pitched in five points and two rebounds in 10 minutes at No. 1 UConn on Nov. 28.
• Kalenta owns more points (46/38), rebounds (29/17) and assists (5/1) than she did all of last season.She appeared in 12 games 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. She established career highs with 14 points and eight rebounds in a season-opening win over Pepperdine Nov. 15, 2014.
• 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. (4.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.1 apg)
• 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, producing 29 points, 19 rebounds, eight assists and six steals in 98 minutes. She has set or tied career bests in every category, including a career-high eight points against Southern Nov. 23. She had a career-high four steals while matching a career-best with three assists 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.
• 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, Southern, at UConn, against NC State or Creighton (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.