Benson's Honors
- First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (1996-97, 1997-98)
- 1995-96 Phillips 66 Big Eight Conference Academic Honor Roll
Senior (1998-99)
As a senior, Benson saw action in 17 games for the Huskers, producing four steals and averaging 1.1 points and 0.9 rebounds per game.
Benson scored a season-high six points in NU's 108-54 route of Troy State.
Benson ended her career as one of Nebraska's top academic performers in school history. Benson finished her career with her bachelor's degree in political science after just 2 and 1/2 years. After her senior season ended, Benson completed her master's degree in business administration in a total of just four years.
Junior (1997-98)
Benson saw action in 25 games for the Huskers, averaging 6.1 minutes per game. She averaged 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 31.8 percent from the field. She was a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line.
In Big 12 Conference games, Benson averaged 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds. She hit all eight of her free throw attempts in Big 12 play. Benson posted a season high with six points in a season-high 19 minutes in the Huskers' 101-72 win at Oklahoma on Feb. 14. She tied her season high with six points and added a season-high four rebounds at No. 5 Texas Tech on Feb. 25. Benson set her season high with four rebounds in the Huskers' 82-42 win over Stetson on Nov. 28. A tremendous student, Benson earned first-team academic All-Big 12 Conference honors for the second consecutive year. Benson graduated with a 3.7 cumulitive grade-point average in December 1997 after just 2 1/2 years of undergraduate work.
Sophomore (1996-97)
Benson became a key contributor off the Nebraska bench, averaging 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. She shot 42.3 percent (22-52) from the field and 68.2 percent (15-22) from the foul line. In Big 12 Conference play, Benson averaged 1.1 points and 0.9 rebounds.
Benson's best effort was a 10-point, four-rebound performance in the win over Pacific , when she hit 6-of-6 free throws. She made 3-of-4 shots from the field against both Bucknell and St. Louis in the CableVision Classic and had four rebounds in a game three times, tying her career high in that category.
Benson began the year red hot, making 11-of-her-first-15 shots (73.3 percent) from the field. She had 20 assists on the season, including four against Southern Utah. Her one start of the season came against Missouri in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, where Benson scored two points in nine minutes of action.
Benson averaged 1.1 points and 0.9 rebounds in Big 12 Conference games and scored a high of four points against Kansas State, Texas A&M and Kansas. Overall, she played at least 12 minutes in a game eight times, while appearing in 24 games.
Freshman (1995-96)
Benson saw playing time in 25 games as a freshman, averaging 2.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. She showed her excellent shooting touch by hitting 50.9 percent of her shots from the field and 72.2 percent at the line.
Benson started two games early in the season including a six point, four-assist effort against Kent. She earned starts with a career-best 12-point performance against Montana State and a 10-point outing against Oregon State in the Gazette Times Classic, where she made 11-of-16 shots from the field, grabbed five rebounds and handed out three assists. She played a career-high 26 minutes against the Beavers.
Benson dished out five assists to go with six points in the win over Sam Houston State. She hit both of her shots from the field, socred five points and had three rebounds in the critical 92-72 late-season rout of Missouri.
High School
Benson came to Nebraska a highly-recruited freshman after earning Street & Smith's High School Honorable-Mention All-America honors in 1994-95. Benson was Miss Kansas Basketball in 1995 and holds Shawnee Mission South records for points (1,800) rebounds (859), assists (296) and steals (276).
Personal
Benson whose full name in Katherine Ann Benson, earned her bachelor's degree in political science in December 1997, graduating with a 3.7 cumulitive GPA. She was born June 11, 1977, in Kansas City, Mo. Kate is the daughter of Cathy and Steve Benson and she has a sister, Kelli.
Benson's Career Statistics
Year
G-GS
FG-FGA
Pct.
3P-3PA
Pct.
FT-FTA
Pct.
TRB-Avg.
PF-D
A
TO
Blk
ST
Pts-Avg.
1995-9625-2
28-55
.509
0-1
.000
13-18
.722
41-1.6
17-0
24
31
2
10
69-2.8
1996-9724-1
22-52
.423
0-1
.000
15-22
.682
33-1.4
8-0
20
22
0
5
59-2.5
1997-9825-0
14-44
.318
0-12
.000
8-8
1.00
30-1.2
9-0
7
10
1
13
36-1.4
1998-99 17-0 6-12 .500 0-1 .000 7-11 .636 16-0.9 7-0 2 9 0 4 19-1.1Career
91-3
70-163
.429
0-14
.000
43-59
.728
120-1.31
41
53
72
3
32
183-2.01