Huskers Back Home to Battle No. 17 Spartans

Nebraska Cornhuskers (16-8, 7-6)
vs. #17/15 Michigan State Spartans (18-6, 9-4)

Sunday, Feb. 14, 3 p.m. - Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Neb.)
Tickets: Huskers.com
Special Event: Play4Kay (Cancer Awareness - Fans Encouraged to Wear Pink)
Radio: Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney, Jeff Griesch)

Sunday's Stations

• KBBK 107.3 FM, Lincoln
• KXSP 590 AM, Omaha
• KRVN 880 AM, Lexington
• KRGI 1430 AM, Grand Island
• KHAS 1230 AM, Hastings
• KNCY 1600 AM/105.5 FM, Nebraska City
• KHUB 1340 AM, Fremont
• KSID 1340 AM, Sidney
• KHAQ 98.5 FM, North Platte
• KNEB 94.1 FM, Scottsbluff

Free Live Audio: Huskers.com
Television: BTN (Kevin Kugler, Mike Thibault)
Live Video: BTN2Go
Live Stats

Huskers Back Home to Battle No. 17 Spartans
The Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to Pinnacle Bank Arena Sunday to begin the final stretch of the Big Ten season when the Huskers battle No. 17 Michigan State.

Tip-off between the Huskers (16-8, 7-6 Big Ten) and the Spartans (18-6, 9-4) is set for 3 p.m. (central), and tickets are available now at Huskers.com. The Pinnacle Bank Arena Box Office opens with the doors on game day at 1:30 p.m. for single-game ticket sales. Fans are encouraged to wear pink on Sunday to promote cancer awareness in Nebraska’s annual Play4Kay Day.

The live Husker Sports Network radio call of Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch can be heard on B107.3 FM (Lincoln), ESPN 590 AM (Omaha), KRVN 880 AM (Lexington) and for free on Huskers.com.

The Big Ten Network will televise the game with Kevin Kugler on the call alongside current Washington Mystics (WNBA) head coach and former Omaha Racers (CBA) head coach Mike Thibault.

Nebraska is hoping to get well at home after suffering back-to-back road losses at Indiana and Minnesota. The Huskers have dropped three straight road games, but have won four straight at home and carry a 13-1 record at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season. Nebraska is shooting for its first win over a ranked foe this season.

Michigan State is coming off a 65-61 home loss to Penn State in East Lansing on Thursday.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (16-8, 7-6 Big Ten)
32 - Jessica Shepard - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 20.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg
22 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - Jr. - C - 7.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg
4 - Kyndal Clark - 5-7 - RSr. - G - 5.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg
5 - Natalie Romeo - 5-7 - So. - G - 15.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 11.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Off the Bench
43 - Rachel Blackburn - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 4.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg
24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Fr. - G - 4.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg
31 - Anya Kalenta - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 3.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
34 - Jasmine Cincore - 5-10 - So. - G - 3.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg
50 - Darrien Washington - 6-2 - RFr. - F - 2.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg
12 - Emily Wood - 5-5 - So. - G - 1.4 ppg, 0.7 rpg
11 - Esther Ramacieri - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 0.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
14th Season at Nebraska (278-161); 26th Season Overall (473-301)

#17 Michigan State Spartans (18-6 Overall, 9-4 Big Ten)
23 - Aerial Powers - 6-0 - Jr. - F - 20.7 ppg, 8.6 rpg
45 - Akyah Taylor - 5-11 - Sr. - F - 5.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg
4 - Jasmine Hines - 6-3 - Sr. - C - 9.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg
1 - Tori Jankoska - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 15.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg
10 - Branndais Agee - 5-11 - So. - G - 12.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Off the Bench
13 - Morgan Green - 5-8 - So. - G - 4.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg
33 - Jenna Allen - 6-3 - Fr. - C - 4.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg
24 - Lexi Gussert - 6-0 - So. - G/F - 2.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg
55 - Kennedy Johnson - 6-2 - So. - F - 1.9 ppg, 1.2 rpg
2 - Cara Miller - 6-1 - Sr. - G - 1.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg
Head Coach: Suzy Merchant (Central Michigan, 1991)
Ninth Season at Michigan State (197-93); 21st Season Overall (398-213)

Husker Nuggets
• Nebraska leads the all-time series with Michigan State 4-2, including three straight wins. The Huskers rallied for a 71-67 win over the Spartans in East Lansing on Jan. 7, 2015. NU rolled to an 86-58 win over the No. 19 Spartans in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on March 8, 2014. The victory in Indianapolis followed a 76-56 win over the Spartans at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Feb. 8, 2014. The Huskers are 2-0 all-time against Michigan State in Lincoln, including a 59-54 win at the Devaney Center on Jan. 24, 2013. All six meetings between Nebraska and Michigan State have come as Big Ten opponents.

• Jessica Shepard earned her conference-record ninth Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award on Feb. 8. She swept the Big Ten Player and Freshman honors for the second time on Jan. 25, while adding espnW and College Sports Madness National Player-of-the-Week honors. Shepard has added two appearances on the NCAA.com “Starting Five” (Dec. 23, Jan. 27) and is a two-time USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Dec. 22, Jan. 26). She is one of two freshmen nationally on the Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30.

• Shepard owns 14 20-point games on the season, including two Nebraska freshman record 35-point performances (at Michigan, Jan. 24; vs. Northern Arizona, Dec. 19). She has nine 20-point games against Big Ten opponents.

• Shepard needs 12 points to become the first Husker freshman in history to reach 500.

• Natalie Romeo tied her own school record with eight threes against Wisconsin (Jan. 27). It marked the school-record seventh time in 48 career games that Romeo has hit six or more threes, including the fourth time this season. Romeo owns three 30-point performances this year, including two in Big Ten play.

• Romeo needs four three-pointers to tie Nebraska’s single-season record (85).

Nebraska Streaks and Milestones
• Natalie Romeo needs four three-pointers to tie the Nebraska single-season school record of 85. She enters Sunday’s game with 81 threes to rank among the top players in the nation. Romeo tied her own school record with eight threes (8-of-14 shooting) in the win over Wisconsin (Jan. 27), which she set originally at Penn State (Jan. 13). Romeo is averaging 3.38 threes per game to match Minnesota’s Rachel Banham for the Big Ten lead in that category. Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchel is one three-pointer behind Romeo and Banham and all three rank among the nation’s top five. Romeo is tied for fourth with Jordan Hooper (2012-13) and Kiera Hardy (2005-06) in a tie for fourth with 81. Hardy (2004-05) and Amy Stephens (1988-89) own the Nebraska season record with 85 threes.

• Romeo also has matched Banham for a Big Ten-best 3.77 threes in Big Ten games. Their 49 threes each in 13 conference games rank ahead of Mitchell’s 44 threes in 13 games for Ohio State. Romeo’s three-point shooting percentage (.430) in league play ranks ahead of both Banham (.412) and Mitchell (.396).

• Romeo owns a pair of 30-point efforts in Big Ten play this season (32 at Penn State, Jan. 13; 30 vs. Wisconsin, Jan. 27), becoming just the eighth Husker in history with multiple 30-point games in conference play. The only two players in Nebraska history who have posted more than two 30-point games in league play in a season are Karen Jennings (5, 1992, Big Eight) and Maurtice Ivy (4, 1987, Big Eight). Jennings and Ivy own two of Nebraska’s three all-time retired jerseys.

• Jessica Shepard needs 12 points to become the first freshman in Nebraska history to reach 500 points in a season. The 6-4 forward from Fremont, Neb., owns Nebraska’s freshman season scoring record (488 points), 37 more than previous NU record holder Debra Powell (461, 1981-82).

• Shepard needs 13 rebounds to catch Powell (229, 1981-82) in second on the Nebraska freshman rebound list. Shepard needs 61 rebounds to reach Kathy Hagerstrom (1979-80) at the top of the Nebraska freshman rebounding list with 277. Hagerstrom got her 277 rebounds in 40 games (6.9 rpg).

• Shepard needs one double-double to set the Nebraska freshman record. She notched her school freshman-record ninth double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds at Indiana (Feb. 7). Four of her five Big Ten double-doubles have come on the road this season. Shepard’s next double-double would also tie her for ninth overall on Nebraska’s single-season list and make her just the eighth Husker in history to produce 10 or more double-doubles in a season. First-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (2006-07 & 2009-10), Jordan Hooper (2011-12 & 2013-14) and Karen Jennings (1990-91 & 1992-93) all did it twice, as did Emily Cady (2013-14 & 2014-15). The only other Huskers to accomplish the feat are Nafeesah Brown (1993-94), Maurtice Ivy (1985-86) and Carol Garey (1978-79).

• Rachel Theriot became the third Husker in history to distribute 600 career assists. Her 13 assists at Minnesota on Thursday pushed her career total to 611. She trails only Lindsey Moore (699, 2010-13) and Meggan Yedsena (696, 1991-94) on the NU career list. Theriot owns a school-record 11 double-digit assist games, including three against Minnesota.

• Theriot’s 96.2 free throw percentage (25-26) in Big Ten play would lead the conference but she does not meet the minimum requirement of 2.5 free throw attempts per game.

• Allie Havers needs seven blocked shots to crack the top five on Nebraska’s junior single-season list. The 6-5 center from Mattawan, Mich., owns 27 blocks on the year. Maurtice Ivy ranks fifth among Husker juniors with 34 blocks in 1986-87. Havers tied her career high with three blocks at Indiana (Feb. 7).

• Jasmine Cincore made her first career start at Michigan (Jan. 24). Cincore has made 26 consecutive free throws and is a perfect 20-for-20 in Big Ten play. She has not met the Big Ten minimum requirement of 2.5 free throws attempts per game to qualify for the lead in conference-only statistics.

Fast Five: Husker Quick Hitters
#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, Sr., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (11.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 7.2 apg)
• Rachel Theriot leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth in NCAA Division I with 7.3 assists per game. She was a preseason Naismith Trophy, and Senior CLASS Award candidate and was a candidate for CoSIDA Academic All-America and the Allstate Good Works Team.
• 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. Her 15 assists at California on Dec. 12 marked the second-best performance of her career and tied for the fourth-best single-game total in school history. She owns 611 in her career to rank third all-time at NU and 10th in Big Ten history. She had a career-high and Big Ten Tournament-record 18 assists against Minnesota on March 7, 2014.
• Theriot is averaging 11.0 ppg as a senior, and ranks No. 17 in career points at Nebraska with 1,276. She needs eight points to catch Janet Smith (No. 16, 1,284, 1979-82) on NU’s all-time scoring list.
• Theriot produced her seventh career double-double and second of the season with 17 points and 15 assists at Cal on Dec. 12. She also had 20 points and 11 assists in NU’s win over NC State on Dec. 3. She owns 13 career 20-point efforts and 11 career double-digit assist games. Her seven career games with 12 or more assists are the most by any Husker in history.

#4, Kyndal Clark, 5-7, Sr., G, Webb City, Mo. (5.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.3 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.
• She produced a breakout performance with 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting from three-point range in the win over Evansville. Clark added a season-high four steals against the Purple Aces and matched that mark the next time out at California on Dec. 12. She owns four double-figure scoring efforts this season, including a season-high 22 points in NU’s win over Arkansas State on Dec. 21. She scored a personal Big Ten-best 15 points, while knocking down five first-half three-pointers at Michigan.
• She owns 76 career double-figure scoring performances, including 25 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 Drake career. 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. (15.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.3 spg)
• A high-energy guard who brings intensity and toughness to both ends of the court, Natalie Romeo is one of the Big Ten’s most explosive players. She produced a career-high 32 points at Penn State (Jan. 13) when she hit a school-record eight threes. She tied her own three-point record two weeks later in a win over Wisconsin (Jan. 27), capping her third 30-point performance of the season. She added a career-high six rebounds to her 30 points. Romeo opened the year with 30 points by hitting 6-of-9 threes against Arkansas Pine Bluff on Nov. 14. She has added three other 20-point games this season, including 24 points and six more threes in her return home to the Bay Area in an overtime loss at No. 22 Cal on Dec. 12. She closed non-conference play with 20 points and eight assists in a win over Arkansas State.
• Romeo is one of only seven players in Nebraska history to score 30 or more points twice in the same conference season, joining Karen Jennings (5, 1992, Big Eight; 2, 1991, Big Eight), Maurtice Ivy (4, 1987, Big Eight), Amy Stephens (2, 1989, Big Eight), Nicole Kubik (2, 1999, Big 12), Kelsey Griffin (2, 2010, Big 12) and Jordan Hooper (2, 2014, Big Ten).
• Romeo is tied with Minnesota’s Rachel Banham for the Big Ten lead with 81 threes and 3.38 threes per game to rank among the top five players in the nation. Romeo ranks second among sophomores and is tied for fourth overall on the Nebraska single-season lists with 81. Kiera Hardy (85, 2004-05) and Amy Stephens (85, 1988-89) share the Nebraska season three-point record.
• Romeo ranks eighth in Nebraska history with 132 career three-pointers. Romeo needs three threes to post the highest freshman/sophomore combined season total in Husker history. Nebraska career three-point leader Jordan Hooper hit 134 threes in her first two seasons (67, 2010-11; 67, 2011-12). Romeo needs 13 to match Kate Galligan (145, 1993-96) in seventh on the NU all-time list.
• 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 then-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 threes in a 72-69 loss to Syracuse on March 20, 2015.

#32, Jessica Shepard, 6-4, Fr., F, Fremont, Neb. (20.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)
• A nine-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and two-time Big Ten Player of the Week (Dec. 21, Jan. 25), Jessica Shepard was the espnW and College Sports Madness National Player of the Week (Jan. 25). Her most recent national honors came after becoming the first player in Husker history to produce a 30-point, 20-rebound performance at Michigan Jan. 24. She tied her own NU freshman record with 35 points against the Wolverines, while adding a career-high 20 rebounds. She had 23 points and 15 boards in the second half against the Wolverines. Shepard was the USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Dec. 22, Jan. 26) after her NU freshman-record 35-point performances (Northern Arizona, Dec. 19; at Michigan, Jan. 24). Shepard owns 14 games with 20 points, 21 double-figure scoring performances and nine double-doubles.
• Shepard is averaging 21.1 points and 9.9 rebounds in Big Ten play, including 35 points and 20 rebounds at Michigan (Jan. 24) and 29 points and 19 rebounds in a win over Illinois (Jan. 10). She also had 29 points and 10 boards at Penn State Jan. 13. She had 28 points and eight rebounds against Iowa (Dec. 31), 23 points and four boards at Rutgers (Jan. 30) after notching 22 points and eight boards in the win over Rutgers (Jan. 16). She also had 22 points and eight rebounds at Minnesota (Feb. 11), 22 points and six boards in the win at Purdue (Jan. 20) and 20 points and four assists in a win over Penn State (Feb. 2).
• Shepard, who owns the Nebraska freshman record with 488 points, reached the 100-point (5 games), 200-point (11 games), 300-point (16 games) and 400-point (20 games) scoring marks faster than any Husker freshman in history. Shepard leads NU in scoring (20.3 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 ppg), and both season numbers would be Husker freshman records (Debra Powell, 15.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1981-82).
• 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. She is one of only two freshmen nationally this season to earn a spot on the Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30. Shepard joins California freshman Kristine Anigwe on the Naismith Trophy list.
• 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.

#22, Allie Havers, 6-5, Jr., C, Mattawan, Mich. (7.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.1 bpg)
• One of the tallest Nebraska women’s basketball players in history, Allie Havers is playing the best basketball of her career for the Huskers. Havers had 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a win over Wisconsin (Jan. 27) for her second double-double of the season. She also had 15 points, eight rebounds and a career-high five assists at Michigan (Jan. 24) in her only return to her home state this season.
• Havers has started the last 15 games inside for the Huskers, replacing a then-ill/injured Rachel Blackburn in game 10 this season. Havers had 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists at Penn State (Jan. 13). She had 10 points, six rebounds and a career-high-tying three blocks at Indiana Sunday. Her 29 assists this season have surpassed her previous career total (21) entering 2015-16.
• Havers had a career-high 18 points at No. 22 Cal on Dec. 12. She played a career-high 39 minutes at Rutgers (Jan. 30). She produced her first career double-double with 14 points and a then-career-best 12 rebounds in a win over Evansville (Dec. 8).
• Havers owns single-season career-best totals of 158 rebounds, 29 assists and 27 blocks. She is tied for 13th in the Big Ten with 6.6 boards per game, and tied for 11th with 1.1 blocks per contest.
• 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 12 double-figure scoring games in her career, including five this season and 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.

Scouting The Michigan State Spartans
Coach Suzy Merchant brings a powerful and athletic Michigan State roster to Lincoln to take on the Huskers. The No. 17 Spartans are tied with Minnesota for third place in the Big Ten standings with a 9-4 mark. Michigan State is 18-6 overall on the season but has dropped two of its last three games, including a 65-61 home loss to Penn State on Thursday in East Lansing.

Four of Michigan State’s losses this season have come at the hands of teams currently ranked in the AP top 15, including three to current top-10 teams No. 4 Baylor (84-76), No. 5 Maryland (85-76), No. 7 Ohio State (85-80) on the road. The Spartans also suffered an 85-78 loss to No. 12 Louisville on Dec. 3 for their only other setback of the season in East Lansing. Michigan State’s only other loss to an unranked foe was an 81-65 setback at Indiana, which is unbeaten in Bloomington this season.

The Spartans have displayed relative dominance this season by outscoring their opponents by an average of 14.2 points per game (75.7-61.5) while carrying a plus 11.9 rebound margin (42.9-31.0).

First-team All-Big Ten forward Aerial Powers is one of the conference’s premier athletes. The 6-0 junior is averaging 20.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

Senior Akyah Taylor, who transferred back to Michigan State after spending the past two seasons at NAIA Division II Saint Francis of Indiana, has contributed 5.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. The somewhat undersized Taylor, who spent her freshman and sophomore seasons at Michigan State, provides more athleticism at both ends.

Like the 5-11 Taylor, sophomore guard Branndais Agee gives the Spartans more athleticism around the perimeter. The 5-11 Agee is averaging 12.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. She is MSU’s top long-range shooter by percentage at 42.5 percent, including a sizzling 50 percent (23-46) in Big Ten play. Agee also leads Michigan State with 44 steals on the year.

Junior point guard Tori Jankoska adds both quickness and a quick three-point trigger. The 5-8 Jankoska leads the Spartans with 50 threes on the season. Jankoska also leads MSU with 85 assists and ranks second on the squad with 41 steals. Jankoska (0-6) and Agee (1-5) were a combined 1-for-11 from long range in Thursday’s loss to Penn State. The Spartans were 4-for-18 from beyond the arc overall against the Lady Lions.

Morgan Green, a 5-8 sophomore guard from San Jose, Calif., adds versatility and depth to the backcourt. She averages 4.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest.

Jasmine Hines, a 6-3 senior center, has returned to the court after battling injuries the past two years. She gives the Spartans a force inside at 9.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Jenna Allen, a 6-3 freshman center, has contributed 4.0 points and 2.6 boards, while 6-2 sophomore Kennedy Johnson has pitched in 1.9 points and 1.2 rebounds. Johnson and 6-1 senior Cara Miller both started for the Spartans down the stretch last season, when they finished with a 16-15 overall record. MSU was 7-11 in the Big Ten last season.

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 4-2, including three consecutive wins. The Huskers knocked off the Spartans, 71-67, in the only meeting last season on Jan. 7, 2015, in East Lansing. In the last meeting at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Huskers rolled to a 76-56 win on Feb. 8, 2014, before adding an 86-58 victory over the No. 19 Spartans on the way to winning the 2014 Big Ten Tournament title in Indianapolis. All six meetings between the two schools have been as Big Ten foes, and Nebraska is 3-0 against MSU in Lincoln.

Shepard Playing Big in Big Ten
Nebraska freshman Jessica Shepard ranks fifth in the Big Ten in scoring (20.3 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (9.0 rpg) as the leading contender for Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors and a threat for first-team All-Big Ten accolades as well.

Shepard is one of only three freshmen, joining Penn State’s Teniya Page (16th, 16.2 ppg) and Michigan’s Hallie Thome (24th, 14.4 ppg) to rank among the conference’s top-30 scorers.
Shepard is also one of only three freshmen, joining Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah (11th, 7.2 rpg) and Alex Wittinger (T13th, 6.6 rpg) to rank among the Big Ten’s top-20 rebounders. Shepard is third in the conference with 3.3 offensive rebounds per game, and ranks ninth in the league in field goal percentage (.535).

Shepard is also one of the best post passers in the Big Ten. Among forwards and centers, Shepard’s 47 assists rank third in the conference, trailing only Indiana sophomore Amanda Cahill’s 63. Northwestern junior Nia Coffey, who has spent considerable time in her career on the wing, ranks ahead of Shepard with 52 assists. Purdue’s Bridget Perry (43) is the only other Big Ten post with more than 40 assists.

Romeo Rockin’ from Long Range
Nebraska sophomore Natalie Romeo has developed into one of the nation’s premier three-point shooters in her second season. Through games Feb. 11, the 5-7 guard from Martinez, Calif., is tied for second in the nation with 81 three-pointers and tied for third nationally with 3.38 threes per game. Romeo is tied in both categories with Minnesota’s Rachel Banham. Their total threes trail only Syracuse’s Brianna Butler, who has 87 threes on year. They are behind only Ohio’s Kiyanna Black (3.50), Butler (3.48) and Jessica Kovatch from Saint Francis (Pa.) in threes per game.

Romeo is tied for fifth in the Big Ten with her 42.0 percentage, which ranks 25th nationally, despite having more attempts (193) than any shooter other than Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell (197, .406, 40th) in the top 50 in shooting percentage.

Romeo’s explosive shooting has included a school-record eight threes at Penn State (Jan. 13) and against Wisconsin (Jan. 27). Both of those games featured her hitting six first-half threes. In 48 career games, she owns seven shooting nights with six or more threes - more than any other Husker in history.

Romeo is on pace to become the first Husker to hit 100 threes in a season. The school season record is 85 (Kiera Hardy, 2004-05; Amy Stephens, 1988-89). Romeo needs just two more threes to match school career record holder Jordan Hooper for the most three-pointers at the conclusion of a sophomore season. Hooper hit 134-of-394 attempts her first two seasons, while Romeo has knocked down 132-of-337.

Romeo’s consistent shooting has pushed her to 19th in the conference in scoring at 15.6 points per game. Through 13 Big Ten games, Romeo is tied with Banham for the league league with 3.77 threes per game while connecting on 43 percent (6th in Big Ten) of her three-point attempts to average 15.8 points per game (20th in Big Ten).

Theriot Leads Big Ten in Assists
Nebraska point guard Rachel Theriot leads the Big Ten with 7.3 assists per game. Theriot owns 167 assists in 23 games as a senior, 68 more than she produced in 21 games during an injury-shortened junior season. Her assist total this season has come in 48 fewer minutes on the court than a year ago.

In Big Ten play only, Theriot is averaging 7.5 assists per game despite battling injury. Her 611 career assists rank 10th in Big Ten history, as she recently moved past both Stephanie White (578, Purdue, 1996-99) and Lindsay Whalen (578, Minnesota, 2001-04).

Theriot needs 17 assists to catch MaChelle Joseph (628, 1989-92) in ninth on the Big Ten’s all-time assist list.

Shepard Named to Naismith Midseason Top 30
Nebraska’s Jessica Shepard was one of only two freshmen among the Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30 announced on Feb. 11. She joins Cal’s Kristine Anigwe as the nation’s top freshmen this season.

Shepard is averaging team bests with 20.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. She is a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week (Dec. 21, Jan. 25) and a record-setting nine-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week. She was the espnW National Player of the Week (Jan. 25) and College Sports Madness National Player of the Week (Jan. 25). She is also a two-time USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Dec. 22, Jan. 26).

Shepard became the first Husker in history to produce a 30-point, 20-rebound game with a school freshman-record-tying 35 points and a career-high 20 rebounds at Michigan on Jan. 24.

Her 488 points through 24 games are a Nebraska freshman season record.

Shepard was named the Preseason Big Ten Freshman of the Year by College Sports Madness. Since earning that award, she has claimed nine of the first 13 Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honors from the conference. She has also been named the Big Ten Player of the Week four times by College Sports Madness.

Triple Threats: Three Things to Talk About
#11, Esther Ramacieri, 5-8, Jr., G, Repentigny, Quebec, Canada (0.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg)
• Esther Ramacieri made her second career start and first of the season at Penn State Jan. 13, filling in for Rachel Theriot. Ramacieri notched career highs with four rebounds and three assists in a career-high 23 minutes in the win over the Lady Lions, helping the Huskers jump to a 33-13 lead. She earned a second straight start in the win over Rutgers Jan. 16.
• Ramacieri had two points and two rebounds in two minutes against Northern Arizona on Dec. 19, in her return after missing four games with a concussion. She hit her first field goal (37th career game) in the closing minute of NU’s win over North Carolina Central on Nov. 21. She added her first Big Ten field goal with a layup against No. 14 Northwestern on Jan. 3. She added an assist and two rebounds in 10 minutes at No. 8 Maryland Jan. 7. Ramacieri appeared in 17 games in each of her first two seasons, with one career start (vs. Penn State, Jan. 15, 2015).
• 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 NU’s games with NC State, Creighton, Evansville and No. 22 Cal after suffering a concussion outside of competition/practice. She missed the Big Ten opener against Iowa (Dec. 31) with an Achilles strain. She missed five games from Jan. 20 to Feb. 7 with illness, before returning to action at Minnesota (Feb. 11).
• 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. (1.4 ppg, 0.7 rpg)
• Emily Wood is making solid, consistent and reliable contributions as a sophomore, producing 24 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and three steals in 88 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. She added a three while notching career highs of five assists, three rebounds and 23 minutes played against Evansville on Dec. 8.
• 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.

#24, Maddie Simon, 6-2, Fr., G, Lincoln, Neb. (4.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0.9 apg)
• Maddie Simon was growing her game quickly as a key contributor in the Husker lineup before suffering a broken arm in a fall outside of basketball activities on Dec. 7. Her recovery went well and she returned to action at No. 8 Maryland on Jan. 7. After missing six games, Simon scored nine points off the bench as one of Nebraska’s leading scorers against the Terps. Simon produced two double-figure efforts before the injury, including 11 points and three assists in a win over Southern (Nov. 23) and 10 points and three assists against NC State (Dec. 3). She had seven points on her 19th birthday at Indiana (Feb. 7), before scoring eight points and hitting a pair of threes at Minnesota (Feb. 11).
• 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 (3.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
• Anya Kalenta had the best game of her career, tying her career high with 14 points while adding 11 rebounds for her first double-double in Nebraska’s win over Penn State (Feb. 2). Kalenta produced several strong games in non-conference play this season, including seven points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a win over Northern Arizona (Dec. 19). She also had three blocks and 26 minutes. She produced the fourth double-figure scoring effort of her Nebraska career and second of the season with 11 points and six rebounds in a 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 had eight points, eight rebounds, two assists and her first career steal against Evansville (Dec. 8).
• Kalenta owns more points (88/38), rebounds (96/17), assists (9/1), blocks (14/3) and steals (4/0) than she had 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. (3.5 ppg, 1.6 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 enjoyed a strong offseason and made her first career start in her 39th career game in Nebraska’s 93-81 win at Michigan Jan. 24. Cincore played a career-high 32 minutes against the Wolverines, recording eight points, three assists, a block and a steal. She replaced an injured Rachel Theriot in the starting lineup in Ann Arbor.
• Cincore has set or tied career bests in every category, including a career-high nine points at No. 8 Maryland on Jan. 7. She had a career-high four steals against North Florida on Nov. 16. She produced a solid all-around game with five points, a career-high four rebounds and a career-best four assists in Nebraska’s win over Penn State (Feb. 2). She had seven points, two rebounds, an assist and three steals at Minnesota (Feb. 11).
• 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.

#43, Rachel Blackburn, 6-3, Fr., F, Leavenworth, Kan. (4.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.3 apg)
• A fiery workhorse as a freshman, Rachel Blackburn was a leader for the Big Red on the glass and on the defensive end before missing three straight games with illness. She returned to the court in a reserve role at No. 14 Northwestern, scoring four points and grabbing a pair of rebounds in 15 minutes. She played 14 minutes off the bench at No. 8 Maryland (Jan. 7). Blackburn was sidelined by illness against Northern Arizona (Dec. 19) and Arkansas State (Dec. 21), before missing the Big Ten opener against Iowa (Dec. 31) with both illness and a strained knee. She played a major role in Nebraska’s win at Purdue, producing five points, a career-high three blocks and a game-high eight rebounds in just 15 minutes. She added six points, five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in NU’s win at Michigan Jan. 24. She played limited minutes before aggravating an existing injury against Wisconsin (Jan. 27), and she did not play at Rutgers (Jan. 30), against Penn State (Feb. 2) or at Indiana (Feb. 7), before returning to the court in a reserve role at Minnesota (Feb. 11). She had four points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal in 10 minutes against the Gophers.
• 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 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. 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. Blackburn erupted for a career-high 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting against Evansville on Dec. 8. She added six rebounds and three assists in just 23 minutes against the Purple Aces.
• Blackburn 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. She 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.

#50, Darrien Washington, 6-2, RFr., F, Oakland, Calif. (2.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
• Darrien Washington had the best Big Ten effort of her career with five points, one rebound and her first career block in six minutes off the bench in Nebraska’s win over Penn State (Feb. 2). She 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 in seven consecutive games (coach’s decision) before returning to action for one first-half minute against Northern Arizona on Dec. 19.
• Washington has totaled 18 points and 16 rebounds in just 35 minutes of action this season, including three points and two rebounds in five minutes in her Big Ten debut at No. 8 Maryland on Jan. 7.
• 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. She played on the Cal Stars Elite with current Husker sophomore guard Natalie Romeo.