Shepard Captures Record Big Ten HonorShepard Captures Record Big Ten Honor
Women's Basketball

Shepard Captures Record Big Ten Honor

Lincoln - Nebraska's Jessica Shepard captured her conference-record ninth Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award on Monday.

The 6-4 forward from Fremont, Neb., completed the 13th week of the women's basketball season by becoming Nebraska's single-season freshman scoring leader with 466 points. Shepard eclipsed the previous Husker freshman mark held by Debra Powell (461) since 1981-82.

Shepard also became just the fifth Husker freshman in history to amass 200 rebounds in a season. Her 13 rebounds at Indiana on Sunday pushed her season total to 208, moving her into fourth place on the Nebraska freshman list ahead of All-American Jordan Hooper, who had 206 boards in 2010-11.

Shepard closed the week with 18 points and 13 rebounds to produce her Nebraska freshman-record-tying ninth double-double of the year. Powell also had nine double-doubles as a first-year Husker in 1981-82. No other Husker freshman has ever posted more than five double-doubles.

Shepard opened the week by helping the Huskers to their 16th win of the season with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists in an 87-69 victory over Penn State on Tuesday, Feb. 2. It was Shepard's 13th 20-point scoring performance of the season.

She averaged 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game on the week, while her season averages moved to 20.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest.

Shepard's ninth Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award set the conference record, moving ahead of Penn State's Maggie Lucas (2010-11), who won eight weekly awards.

Minnesota's Rachel Banham won her second Big Ten Player-of-the-Week award of the season with a truly remarkable effort at Northwestern on Sunday. Banham scored a Big Ten-record 60 points in the Golden Gophers' 112-106 double-overtime victory in Evanston, Ill. She hit 19-of-32 shots from the field, including 8-of-15 threes, while knocking down 14-of-16 free throws. She also had nine defensive rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals in 47 minutes.

Banham, who took over the Big Ten scoring lead from Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell, brings her Golden Gophers into Thursday night's game against the Huskers at Williams Arena in Minneapolis averaging 25.8 points per game. The Huskers tip-off with Minnesota at 7 p.m.

Big Ten Freshman of the Week

Big Ten Player of the Week

  • Feb. 8 - Rachel Banham, Minnesota
  • Feb. 1 - Aerial Powers, Michigan State
  • Jan. 25 - Jessica Shepard, Nebraska
  • Jan. 18 - Tyra Buss, Indiana (Natalie Romeo, Nebraska - Honor Roll)
  • Jan. 11 - Katelynn Flaherty, Michigan
  • Jan. 4 - Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State
  • Dec. 28 - Tori Jankoska, Michigan State
  • Dec. 21 - Jessica Shepard, Nebraska
  • Dec. 14 - Rachel Banham, Minnesota
  • Dec. 7 - Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Maryland (Rachel Theriot, Nebraska - Honor Roll)
  • Nov. 30 - Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State
  • Nov. 23 - Ashley Deary, Northwestern
  • Nov. 16 - Mikayla Bailey, Minnesota (Natalie Romeo, Nebraska - Honor Roll)