Huskers Face Wildcats on Senior Day Sunday

Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-11, 8-9)
vs. Northwestern Wildcats (15-14, 4-13)

Sunday, Feb. 28, 3 p.m. - Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Neb.)
Tickets: Huskers.com - Doors Open: 1:30 p.m.
Radio: Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney, Jeff Griesch)

Sunday's Stations

• KBBK 107.3 FM, Lincoln
• KXSP 590 AM, Omaha
• KRVN 880 AM, Lexington
• KNCY 1600 AM, 105.5 FM, Nebraska City
• KRGI 1430 AM, Grand Island
• KHUB 1340 AM, Fremont
• KSWN 93.9 FM, McCook
• KHAS 1230 AM, Hastings
• KSID 1340 AM, Sidney
• KHAQ 98.5 FM, North Platte
• KNEB 960 AM, Scottsbluff
• KBRB 1400 AM, Ainsworth

Free Live Audio: Huskers.com
Television: BTN (Mike Wolf, Shelley Till)
Live Video Stream: BTN2Go.com

Huskers Face Wildcats on Senior Day Sunday
The Nebraska women’s basketball team will close its 2015-16 regular-season home schedule by taking on Northwestern Sunday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Tip-off between the Huskers (17-11, 8-9 Big Ten) and the Wildcats (15-14, 4-13) is set for 3 p.m., with tickets available now at Huskers.com.

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 Mike Wolf and Shelley Till on the call. A live video stream also will be available at BTN2Go.com.

Following Sunday’s game, the Huskers will honor seniors Rachel Theriot, Anya Kalenta and Kyndal Clark for their contributions to the program. Senior managers Cameron Aitken and Katie Wilkins also will be recognized, along with graduate assistant manager Meghin Williams.

Nebraska will be looking to avenge an 85-62 loss at Northwestern on Jan. 7. Christen Inman and Nia Coffey both had 25 points for the Wildcats, while Ashley Deary had 15 points, six rebounds, eight assists and eight steals. She enters the game as the nation’s leader in steals with 126.

The last time Nebraska and Northwestern met in Lincoln was on Jan. 2, 2014 - the first-ever Big Ten game at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Huskers won that meeting 66-65, as Rachel Theriot starred with 19 points and eight assists for Nebraska. Northwestern’s Christen Inman answered with 19 points of her own on 8-of-8 shooting from the field, including a three, and a pair of free throws.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-11, 8-9 Big Ten)
32 - Jessica Shepard - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 19.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg
22 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - Jr. - C - 7.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg
5 - Natalie Romeo - 5-7 - So. - G - 15.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 10.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg
34 - Jasmine Cincore - 5-10 - So. - G - 4.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Off the Bench
4 - Kyndal Clark (OUT) - 5-7 - RSr. - G - 4.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg
43 - Rachel Blackburn - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 4.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg
24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Fr. - G - 4.2 ppg, 0.9 rpg
31 - Anya Kalenta - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 4.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg
50 - Darrien Washington - 6-2 - RFr. - F - 2.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg
12 - Emily Wood - 5-5 - So. - G - 1.4 ppg, 0.7 rpg
11 - Esther Ramacieri - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 0.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
14th Season at Nebraska (279-164); 26th Season Overall (474-304)

Northwestern Wildcats (15-14 Overall, 4-13 Big Ten)
10 - Nia Coffey - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 19.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg
14 - Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 3.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg
3 - Ashley Deary - 5-4 - Jr. - G - 12.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg
24 - Christen Inman - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 14.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg
25 - Maggie Lyon - 6-2 - Sr. - G - 16.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Off the Bench
5 - Jordan Hankins - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 3.0 ppg, 0.8 rpg
12 - Lydia Rohde - 5-10 - So. - G - 2.3 ppg, 0.9 rpg
35 - Maya Jonas - 6-2 - So. - G - 1.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg
34 - Amber Jamison - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 1.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg
30 - Allie Tuttle - 6-4 - Jr. - F/C - 1.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg
32 - Christen Johnson - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 0.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Head Coach: Joe McKeown (Kent State, 1979)
Eighth Season at Northwestern (126-124); 30th Season Overall (635-298)

Husker Nuggets
• Nebraska leads the all-time series with Northwestern, but the Wildcats have won three straight meetings - all in Evanston. The Huskers won the last meeting in Lincoln, 66-65, on Jan. 2, 2014, in the first-ever Big Ten game at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

• Rachel Theriot had 19 points and eight assists as a sophomore in the win over the Wildcats, including a pair of dramatic shot-clock buzzer-beaters in the closing minutes. Christen Inman went 8-for-8 from the field, including a three, and hit both her free throws to lead Northwestern with 19 points.

• Jessica Shepard earned her conference-record 10th Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award on Feb. 15. 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 16 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 11 20-point games against Big Ten opponents.

• Natalie Romeo tied her own school record with eight threes against Wisconsin (Jan. 27). It marked the school-record seventh time in 51 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 owns the Nebraska single-season record with 92 threes this season and her 143 threes are the most ever by a Husker through her freshman and sophomore seasons combined.

Nebraska Streaks, Stats and Milestones
• Natalie Romeo needs eight three-pointers to become the first player in Nebraska history to hit 100 threes in a season. Only seven players in Big Ten history have hit 100 or more threes in a season, with the top two numbers coming from Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State, 127) and Melissa Dixon (Iowa, 124) last season. Entering the season, Minnesota’s Rachel Banham hit 93 threes in 2013-14 to produce the 10th best total in Big Ten history. Banham has hit 102 threes this season, while Mitchell has knocked down 99.

• Romeo set the school record with eight threes at Penn State (8-16) on Jan. 13, and tied that mark against Wisconsin (8-14) on Jan. 27 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Romeo is averaging 3.29 threes per game to rank No. 6 nationally. In conference play, Romeo has hit 3.53 threes per game which would have ranked as the fourth-best mark in Big Ten history entering this season. However, Banham (4.11) and Mitchell (3.71) currently rank ahead of Romeo in Big Ten play in 2016. Mitchell set the Big Ten record with her 3.83 threes per game in conference play last season.

• In home Big Ten play, Romeo has hit 4.25 threes per game to average 18.8 points per game. She is shooting 48.6 percent (34-70) from long range at Pinnacle Bank Arena in conference play.

• 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 is the first freshman in Nebraska history to reach 500 points in a season. She owns 10 20-point efforts in the last 14 contests to push her season total to 552. The 6-4 forward from Fremont, Neb., has surpassed the previous Nebraska freshman record by 91 points (Debra Powell, 461, 1981-82). Shepard needs 60 points to post one of the top 10 overall seasons in point production in Nebraska history. Only 10 players (13 times) in Nebraska women’s basketball history have ever scored 600 points in a season.

• Shepard needs 31 rebounds to catch Kathy Hagerstrom (277, 1979-80) in the top spot on Nebraska’s freshman rebound list. Hagerstrom played 40 games (6.9 rpg) as a freshman, Shepard has played 28. Only seven players (11 times) in Nebraska history have ever grabbed 300 rebounds in a season.

• Shepard set the Nebraska freshman record with her 10th double-double in Wednesday’s loss to Indiana. She had 16 points and 11 rebounds against the Hoosiers, after notching her ninth double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds at Indiana (Feb. 7). Four of her six Big Ten double-doubles have come on the road this season. Shepard is tied for ninth overall on Nebraska’s single-season list, making 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).

• Shepard is the only Husker to start all 28 games this season.

• Rachel Theriot is just the third Husker in history to distribute 600 career assists. She owns 626 career assists, trailing only Lindsey Moore (699, 2010-13) and Meggan Yedsena (696, 1991-94) on the NU career list. Theriot owns a school-record 12 double-digit assist games, including three in her last five games.

• Theriot’s 182 assists this season rank as the eighth-highest total in Nebraska history. Lindsey Moore (7th, 183, 2010-11), Nicole Kubik (6th, 186, 1998-99), Jina Johansen (T4th, 191, 2004-05) and Kathy Hawkins (T4th, 191, 1975-76) all own season totals within striking distance of Theriot heading into the Purdue game. Theriot owns the Nebraska single-season record with 234 in 2013-14. No other Husker has ever produced 200 assists in a season.

• Theriot has made 17 consecutive free throws entering Sunday’s game with Northwestern. However, she has not attempted a free throw in the month of February. Her last free throw came against Wisconsin on Jan. 27, when she went 4-for-4. She is 25-of-26 overall in Big Ten play at the line.

• Allie Havers needs four blocked shots to crack the top five on Nebraska’s junior single-season list. The 6-5 center from Mattawan, Mich., owns 30 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).

Fast Five: Husker Quick Hitters
#5, Natalie Romeo, 5-7, So., G, Martinez, Calif. (15.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.4 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 four 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 ranks third in the Big Ten with 92 threes, trailing Minnesota’s Rachel Banham (102) and Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell (99). Romeo is tied for fifth nationally in that category and tied for sixth nationally with 3.29 made threes per game. Romeo is averaging 4.25 made threes per game in Big Ten home action. Romeo’s 143 threes in her first two seasons rank as the No. 1 total by a Husker in her freshman and sophomore seasons combined, seven more than career record holder Jordan Hooper’s 134.
• Romeo ranks eighth in Nebraska history with 143 career three-pointers and needs two triples to climb to No. 7 on the NU all-time list.
• Romeo led Nebraska by averaging 20.0 points in a pair of 2015 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.

#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, Sr., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (10.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 7.3 apg)
• Rachel Theriot leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth 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 626 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. She is averaging 10.0 assists her last five games with an assist-to-turnover of 4.5-to-1.
• Theriot is averaging 10.6 ppg as a senior, and ranks No. 16 in career points at Nebraska with 1,288. She needs 60 points to catch Cory Montgomery (No. 15, 1,348, 2007-10) 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 12 career double-digit assist games. She has eight career games with 12 or more assists, including three in her last five games.

#34, Jasmine Cincore, 5-10, So., G, Arlington, Tenn. (4.1 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 has started three games in place of injured point guard Rachel Theriot. She is coming off a career-high 16-point effort when she hit 6-of-9 shots in a career-high 38 minutes against Indiana (Feb. 24). She made her first career start in her 39th career game in Nebraska’s 93-81 win at Michigan Jan. 24. Cincore played a then-career-high 32 minutes against the Wolverines, recording eight points, three assists, a block and a steal. She replaced an injured Theriot in the starting lineup in Ann Arbor.
• Cincore scored eight points and had three assists, a block and a steal in a then-career-high 32 minutes in her first career start at Michigan (Jan. 24). She matched her career high with four steals while managing two points, two rebounds and an assist in her second start against Purdue (Feb. 21).
• Cincore has spent most of her time on the court this season as a wing, and is averaging 6.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 23.5 minutes per game over the last 10 contests dating back to her start at Michigan on Jan. 24.
• Cincore had nine points and a pair of threes at No. 5 Ohio State on Feb. 21, and nine points at No. 8 Maryland on Jan. 7. She scored eight points at Michigan and against Southern (Nov. 23), where her father, Wesley, played college basketball.
• 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.

#32, Jessica Shepard, 6-4, Fr., F, Fremont, Neb. (19.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.9 apg)
• A 10-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 16 games with 20 points, including 11 in Big Ten play, 24 double-figure scoring performances and a Nebraska freshman-record 10 double-doubles.
• Shepard had 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) and 26 points, six rebounds in a win over No. 17 Michigan State (Feb. 14).
• Shepard, who owns the Nebraska freshman record with 552 points, reached the 100-point (5 games), 200-point (11 games), 300-point (16 games), 400-point (20 games) and 500-point (25 games) scoring marks faster than any Husker freshman in history. Shepard leads NU in scoring (19.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 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. (7.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.1 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. She added 14 points against Indiana Wednesday after scoring 12 points against Purdue (Feb. 21). She has eight double-figure scoring efforts this season.
• Havers started 18 straight games (Dec. 19-Feb. 21) inside for the Huskers, replacing a then-ill/injured Rachel Blackburn in game 10 this season. She did not start against Indiana on Wednesday, as Blackburn returned to the starting five. 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 Feb. 7. 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 178 rebounds, 29 assists and 30 blocks. She is tied for 15th in the Big Ten with 6.4 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 Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern comes to Lincoln trying to salvage a winning season. The Wildcats carry a 15-14 overall record and a 4-13 Big Ten mark with losses in five of their last six games and 10 of their last 12.

Northwestern opened the season with 10 consecutive victories and was flirting with the top 10 in the national rankings after finishing with a 23-9 record in 2014-15, including a fourth-place Big Ten finish (12-6) and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats returned four starters from that team, including first-team All-Big Ten forward Nia Coffey and honorable-mention all-conference picks Ashley Deary and Maggie Lyon.

However, the loss of 2015 senior center Alex Cohen forced a position change for Coffey, moving her from the wing/stretch-four position to center. The 6-1 junior from Minneapolis has still been terrific, averaging 19.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

Added to that position move, senior wing Lauren Douglas has missed the entire season with an injury. A high school teammate of Nebraska’s Jasmine Cincore at Briarcrest Christian in Tennessee, Douglas was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten choice as a sophomore before missing time last season with an injury.

The absences of Cohen, Douglas and 2015 senior Karly Roser have been enough to send Northwestern into a tailspin in conference play. Eight of Northwestern’s last 10 losses have been by single digits, including a double overtime loss to Minnesota, a two-point loss at Rutgers and three-point losses at Minnesota and Ohio State.

Northwestern was the only team in the Big Ten to beat Ohio State in regulation this year, notching an 86-82 win in Evanston Jan. 14, exactly one week after running to an 85-62 win over Nebraska. The Wildcats were ranked No. 14 nationally when they beat the Huskers, and were 2-2 in the Big Ten and 13-4 overall after beating the Buckeyes.

In addition to Coffey, who had 25 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks, three assists and three steals in the first meeting with Nebraska, Lyon had 16 points. Lyon ranks second on the team at 16.7 points per game.

Junior guard Christen Inman has pitched in 14.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists, including 25 points and five three-pointers against Nebraska. Inman added four rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Fellow junior Ashley Deary has added 12.4 points per game. Deary also leads the nation with a whopping 126 steals, just 42 fewer than Nebraska has as a team. She also leads the Big Ten with 196 assists. She had eight steals and eight assists to go along with 15 points and six rebounds in the first meeting with Nebraska.

Deary, Coffey, Lyon and Inman have started all 29 games for Northwestern this season. Recently, freshman forward Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah has moved into Northwestern’s starting five. She is averaging 3.7 points and 7.6 rebounds, but she has notched four double-doubles on the year and has proven herself as one of the best freshman rebounders in the Big Ten. In the first meeting with Nebraska, the Nigerian had seven rebounds in eight minutes off the bench.

Christen Johnson, who started in the first meeting with the Huskers, and reserves Amber Jamison, Jordan Hankins and Lydia Rohde have been contributors off the bench.

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Northwestern 7-5, but the Wildcats have won three consecutive meetings - all in Evanston. The Huskers won the last meeting in Lincoln, 66-65, on Jan. 2, 2014.

Theriot’s Triumphs
• Nebraska’s Offensive MVP for the second straight season, Rachel Theriot led the Huskers to a 17-4 record as a starter in 2014-15.
• Theriot’s 626 career assists rank third in Husker history, trailing only Lindsey Moore (699, 2010-13) and Meggan Yedsena (696, 1991-94) on Nebraska’s career list. Theriot ranks 10th in Big Ten history.
• She hit 92.6 percent (63-68) of her free throws in 2014-15, which ranked as the second-best single-season average in Nebraska history. She is shooting 96.2 percent (25-26) in league play this season.
• Theriot owns seven career points-assists double-doubles, including 17 points and 15 assists at No. 22 California on Dec. 12. She had 20 points and 11 assists in Nebraska’s win over NC State on Dec. 3. She had one double-double as a junior with 18 points and 10 assists at Minnesota on Dec. 29, 2014.
• Theriot has dished out 11 or more assists in a game 11 times in her career. No other Husker has done it more than four times. She owns 12 career double-digit assist games.
• Theriot owns two career 30-point games (33, vs. Minnesota, Jan. 16, 2004; 31 vs. High Point, Dec. 20, 2014). She owns 13 career 20-point games and 67 career double-figure scoring efforts.
• She led Nebraska to its first conference tournament title as the Big Ten Tournament MVP. She averaged 18.7 points and a tournament-record 10.0 assists per game, with 30 total assists and just seven turnovers. Theriot hit 56.4 percent of her shots, including 5-of-10 threes, and went 7-for-8 at the line.
• Theriot’s 30 assists in the 2014 Big Ten Tournament were a Nebraska single-season conference tournament record. She produced arguably the best passing game in Big Ten history in Nebraska’s Big Ten quarterfinal win over Minnesota March 7, dishing out a tournament-record-shattering 18 assists against just one turnover. The previous tournament record was 12 set by Helen Darling of Penn State against Illinois in 2000. The most assists by a Big Ten player against a Big Ten foe came with Maggie Acuna’s 16 for Illinois against Wisconsin in 2006.
• Theriot’s 18 assists were the second-most in a game in Nebraska history, trailing only 19 assists by Kathy Hawkins on Feb. 17, 1976 against Kearney State (now Nebraska-Kearney). Theriot’s assists are the most ever by a Husker against an NCAA Division I opponent. Theriot’s 18 assists were the most in an NCAA Division I game in 2013-14.

 

Triple Threats: Three Things to Talk About
#4, Kyndal Clark, 5-7, Sr., G, Webb City, Mo. (4.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.2 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 started Nebraska’s first 26 games before ending her season with extreme knee pain on Feb. 20. She has missed Nebraska’s last two games.
• Clark scored a season-high 22 points in a win over Arkansas State Dec. 21. She had 17 points on 5-of-11 three-point shooting in a win over Evansville and added a Big Ten-best 15 points on five first-half threes at Michigan on Jan. 24.
• Clark owns 76 career double-figure scoring performances, including four as a Huskers. She has 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. Clark averaged 19.3 points per game and set the Missouri Valley Conference single-season record with 116 threes in 2013-14.

#11, Esther Ramacieri, 5-8, Jr., G, Repentigny, Quebec, Canada (0.4 ppg, 1.0 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. She had three rebounds and a career-high four assists against Purdue (Feb. 21). 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 27 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and two blocks in 116 minutes off the bench in 20 games. She played a career-high 25 minutes in Nebraska’s loss to Indiana Wednesday when she had three points, two rebounds, three assists and the first two blocked shots of her career. 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 added a three while notching a career-high five assists 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. (4.2 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 1.1 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 made her second career start in place of Kyndal Clark against Purdue (Feb. 21). She started the third game of her career against Indiana (Feb. 24) when she tied career highs with four assists and three rebounds in 13 minutes.
• 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 (4.0 ppg, 3.8 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). She produced her fourth double-figure scoring effort of the season with 13 points in 16 minutes off the bench against Purdue (Feb. 21). Kalenta had 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 had 11 points and six rebounds in 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).
• Over the last seven games, Kalenta is averaging 6.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. She owns more points (113/38), rebounds (105/17), assists (11/1), blocks (16/3) 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.

#43, Rachel Blackburn, 6-3, Fr., F, Leavenworth, Kan. (4.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.1 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. 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 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 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, before adding three points, two rebounds and two steals, including two of the game’s biggest plays in the final minute of an upset of No. 17 Michigan State (Feb. 14). She started in the loss to Indiana Wednesday, but played just 10 minutes before fouling out.
• 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. (2.2 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 20 points and 18 rebounds in just 37 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, and two points and two rebounds in two minutes at No. 5 Ohio State on Feb. 18.
• 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.