Richards' Honors | Career Stats
- Big 12 Player of the Week (Jan. 26, 2004)
- Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team (2003)
- Surf & Slam All-Tournament Team (2002)
- Time Warner Cable Classic MVP (2000)
- No. 2 All-Time Performance Index Score Among Nebraska Female Athletes (2,294 points)
- Team Record Holder in 40-Yard Dash (5.17)
- First-Team All-Kentucky (1999)
- Kentucky AAU All-Star Team Member (1998)
- AAU Junior National Tournament MVP (1998)
- Second-Leading Scorer in the State of Kentucky 35.5 Points Per Game (1998-99)
Full Name: Margaret Richards
Bachelor's Degree: August 2003
Major: Communication Studies
Graduate Studies: Undeclared
Family:
Parents, Darlene Richards and Ronald Moore
Brothers, Levelle, 27, Ronnie, 26
Hometown: Louisville, Ky.
High School: Louisville Central
Date of Birth: Sept. 13, 1981
Place of Birth: Louisville, Ky.
2003-04 (Senior)
After being forced to sit out as a partial-qualifier her freshman year, Margaret Richards gained an extra year of eligibility. Richards averaged 9.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, while being voted Nebraska's best defensive player.
Richards earned Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a career-high five steals in the Huskers' 81-63 win over No. 9 Kansas State on Jan. 24, 2004, marking one of the biggest wins in school history.
An outstanding tournament performer, Richards earned a spot on the Lady Tiger Kroger Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament team by averaging 21.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games. She scored a season-high 23 points and added 10 rebounds in a win over Eastern Kentucky. She also tied a school record with 18 free throw attempts against EKU.
With five career double-doubles, Richards pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with 11 points in a win over Creighton on Dec. 21, 2004.
The daughter of Darlene Richards and Ronald Moore, Margaret was born Sept. 13, 1981. She earned her bachelor's degree in communication studies in August of 2003 and played her senior season with her degree in hand.
2002-03 (Senior)
Richards ranked second on the team in scoring with 11.4 points per game, while ranking third on the squad with 6.0 rebounds per game. She also led the team with 1.4 steals and ranked second with 2.7 assists per game.
An explosive player, she produced a career-high 25 points and a career-best four three-pointers in Nebraska’s win at Oklahoma State on Feb. 1. She scored 16 points in the second half, including 11 points in the final 6:44 to help secure NU’s only conference win. It was one of her 19 double-figure scoring efforts on the year.
She earned Surf & Slam All-Tournament honors in San Diego, Calif., Dec. 28-30, claiming a spot on the team by scoring 20 points and tying her career-high with 11 rebounds in a win over San Diego on Dec. 28. She also hit the game-winning shot as time expired, capping NU’s comeback from 19 points down with less than 10 minutes to play.
Richards notched three double-doubles, including the 20-point, 11-rebound effort at San Diego; 16 points and 10 rebounds against New Orleans on Dec. 22; and 12 points and 11 boards in the win over Grambling State on Nov. 22.
Nebraska’s top defender, Richards held Cincinnati All-America guard Valerie King to just three points in Nebraska’s 65-55 upset of the No. 25 Bearcats. Richards did not allow King to hit a field goal (0-14), including an 0-for-7 effort from three-point range.
Richards scored 18 points in the loss to Drake on Dec. 5. She scored 14 points, grabbed two boards and had one steal in the final nine minutes of the game to lead Nebraska back from a 25-point deficit to within four points in the final 30 seconds. She also hit three second-half three-pointers.
Richards dished out a career-high five assists in a 78-60 win over Cal State Fullerton. She tied her career best with five assists at Missouri on Jan. 22.
2001-02 (Junior)
Richards joined Alexa Johnson as one of NU’s top players off the bench as a junior. Richards played in all 30 games with three starts and contributed 5.1 points and 2.0 rebounds, while ranking fourth on the team with 1.1 steals per game.
Richards ranked third on the team with 18 three-pointers on the year. but struggled in Big 12 play, hitting just 3-of-27 (11.1 percent) three-pointers in league play before connecting on 3-of-4 three-pointers in the regular-season finale against Colorado.
Richards shot 36.8 percent (50-136) from the field and 70.0 percent (35-50) from the free throw line.
Despite playing an average of just 12.4 minutes per game, Richards scored in double figures five times, including a season-high 15-point effort in Nebraska’s win over Weber State on Dec. 6. Against the Wildcats, Richards hit a season-high three three-pointers. She matched her season best with three trifectas against Colorado in her only double-figure scoring effort in league play.
She added season highs with six rebounds in back-to-back games against Cal State Fullerton and Texas, while dishing out a season-high three assists against Chicago State and No. 10 Baylor. She also tied career highs with four steals in the season opener against Southern Illinois on Nov. 16 and in the win over Chicago State on Dec. 22.
2000-01 (Sophomore)
Richards showed flashes of brilliance in her first season on the court for the Huskers, but struggled with her consistency to average 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
Richards started 10 of her 29 games, including Nebraska's first five games of the year. She also started the Huskers' first five Big 12 games before moving to a reserve role the rest of the way. She did not play in NU's win over Kansas on Jan. 31.
Although Richards was out of the starting lineup, she continued to provide a spark down the stretch. In the regular-season finale at Oklahoma State, she scored nine points, while pulling down a season-high nine rebounds and dishing out a season-best four assists in just 22 minutes of action.
Richards was one of NU's leaders early in the season, capturing Time Warner Cable Classic MVP honors after producing double figures in both games, including a season-high 14 points in the Huskers' title game victory over UC Santa Barbara.
Throughout the year, Richards was one of Nebraska's top shooters, connecting on 30.4 percent (17-56) of her three-pointers. Her 17 three-pointers ranked fourth on the club. Richards hit 37.1 percent of her overall field goal attempts and 62.0 percent of her free throw attempts.
Richards was also one of Nebraska's best offensive rebounders, ranking third on the team with 39 offensive boards, trailing only Casey Leonhardt's 76 and Shahidrah Roberts' 49.
1999-2000 (Freshman)
Richards sat out her freshman season. She set a Nebraska women's basketball team performance record with a timing of 5.17 seconds in the 40-yard dash. She also set the team 40-yard dash Performance Index record with 588 points.
High School
Richards ranked as the No. 2 scorer in the state of Kentucky in 1998-99 averaging 35.5 points to go along with 12.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals for Louisville Central High School. She helped Central to a 13-12 record as a senior under Coach William White. Along with earning first-team all-state honors in Kentucky in 1998-99, she was a first-team all-region and all-district selection. She was also named the most valuable player of the Louisville Christmas Tournament as a senior.
Richards was a four-year starter and a four-year letterwinner, helping Louisville Central to district titles in each of her first three seasons, including a state tournament appearance as a sophomore in 1996-97. As a junior, Richards averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds, while helping Louisville Central to a 22-11 overall record.
Along with her accomplishments on the basketball court, Richards earned two letters in track and field while competing in the 100-yard dash and the 4 x 100-yard relay. She also competed in field hockey during her junior season.
During the summer, Richards played for the Kentucky All-Stars in AAU basketball and was named the most valuable player at the Under-18 Junior National Tournament in 1998.
Personal
The daughter of Darlene Richards and Ronald Moore, Margaret was born Sept. 13, 1981. She earned her bachelor's degree in communication studies in August of 2003 and played her senior season with her degree in hand.
She has been active in the community as a Pacific Pals youth counselor and as an "I've Got Heart" volunteer.
Richards' Career Stats
Year
G-GS
FG-FGA
Pct.
3P-3PA
Pct.
FT-FTA
Pct.
TRB-Avg.
PF-D
A
TO
Blk
ST
Pts-Avg.
2000-01
29-10
53-143
.371
17-56
.304
31-50
.620
94-3.2
43-1
37
49
0
24
154-5.3
2001-02
30-3
50-136
.368
18-66
.273
35-50
.700
60-2.0
42-1
21
26
4
34
153-5.1
2002-03
28-26
110-322
.342
32-120
.267
66-93
.710
168-6.0
62-0
75
96
9
38
318-11.42003-04 30-30 93-261 .356 12-71 .169 92-128 .719 196-6.5 58-1 83 78 16 27 290-9.7Career
117-69
306-862
.355
79-313
.252
224-321
.698
518-4.4
205-3
216
249
29
123
915-7.8