The No. 19 Nebraska women’s basketball team makes its first-ever trip to Piscataway, N.J., to take on No. 21 Rutgers in a Big Ten Conference top-25 showdown on Thursday night.
Tip-off between the Big Red (17-4, 7-3 Big Ten) and the Scarlet Knights (16-5, 7-3 Big Ten) is set for 6 p.m. (CT), with live national television coverage by the Big Ten Network. Ed Cohen and Vera Jones will be on the call for BTN. Live radio coverage will be provided by the Husker Sports Network, with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action on stations across the network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln, 93.3 FM in Omaha and 880 AM in Lexington.
The Huskers, who have won seven of their last eight games, take a 17-game February winning streak with them to New Jersey. Nebraska has not lost a game in the month of February since a 73-53 loss at Michigan State on Feb. 23, 2012. Three of Nebraska’s 17 wins in their February streak have come to top-25 foes, including a pair of top-10 wins over No. 8 Ohio State in 2012 and No. 8 Penn State in 2014. The Huskers have not beaten a top-25 team on the road during the 17-game February winning streak.
Nebraska rebounded from an overtime loss at No. 20 Iowa on Jan. 26, to sweep a pair of home wins against Illinois (Jan. 29) and Michigan (Feb. 1).
Senior Tear’a Laudermill led the Big Red in scoring in all three games. The 5-9 guard from Moreno Valley, Calif., has produced double figures in six straight games, including 24 points in a road win at Wisconsin on Jan. 22. Laudermill, who was a second-team All-Big Ten pick last year, has pushed her season averages to 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
The Huskers continue to be led in scoring by junior point guard Rachel Theriot. The All-America candidate is averaging 16.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. A first-team All-Big Ten pick a year ago, Theriot has produced double figures in 19 of 21 games this season.
Senior Emily Cady, a second-team All-Big Ten pick, adds a potent inside presence. The 6-2 forward from Seward, Neb., averages 12.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists. In Sunday’s win over Michigan, she became the fifth Husker and 17th player in Big Ten history to record 1,000 career rebounds.
#19 Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-4, 7-3 Big Ten)
3 – Hailie Sample – 6-1 – Sr. – F – 7.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg
23 – Emily Cady – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 12.7 ppg, 10.1 rpg
1 – Tear’a Laudermill – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 13.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg
13 – Brandi Jeffery – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 7.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg
33 – Rachel Theriot – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 16.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg
Off the Bench
5 – Natalie Romeo – 5-7 – Fr. – G – 6.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg
22 – Allie Havers – 6-5 – So. – C – 4.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg
31 – Anya Kalenta – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 4.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg
34 – Jasmine Cincore – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 1.9 ppg, 0.3 rpg
30 – Chandler Smith – 6-0 – Fr. – G – 1.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg
12 – Emily Wood – 5-5 – Fr. – G – 0.3 ppg, 0.6 rpg
11 – Esther Ramacieri – 5-8 – So. – G – 0.1 ppg, 0.5 rpg
50 – Darrien Washington – 6-2 – Fr. – F – Redshirting
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
13th Season at NU (258-146); 25th Season Overall (453-286)
#21 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (16-5, 7-3 Big Ten)
2 – Kahleah Copper – 6-1 – Jr. – F/G – 15.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg
20 – Christa Evans – 6-3 – Sr. – F/C – 0.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg
3 – Tyler Scaife – 5-9 – So. – G – 16.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg
15 – Syessence Davis – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 4.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg
44 – Betnijah Laney – 6-0 – Sr. – G/F – 15.8 ppg, 11.7 rpg
Off the Bench
4 – Briyona Canty – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 7.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg
1 – Rachel Hollivay – 6-4 – Jr. – C – 7.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg
13 – Cynthia Hernandez – 5-7 – Jr. – G – 4.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg
10 – Shrita Parker – 5-7 – Fr. – G – 2.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg
43 – Ariel Butts – 6-3 – Jr. – F/C – 1.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg
5 – Natalie Parsons – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 0.4 ppg, 0.0 rpg
33 – Alexis Alfano – 5-8 – So. – G – 0.0 ppg, 0.3 rpg
Head Coach: C. Vivian Stringer (Slippery Rock, 1971)
20th Season at Rutgers (425-211); 44th Season Overall (945-346)