Two of the Big Ten’s hottest teams go head-to-head Monday night, when No. 16 Nebraska clashes with No. 20 Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in a rematch of the 2014 Big Ten Championship Game.
Tip-off between the Huskers (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten) and the Hawkeyes (15-3, 6-1 Big Ten) in Iowa City is set for 8 p.m. (central) with live national TV coverage from the Big Ten Network, with Eric Collins and Mary Murphy calling the action. Live radio coverage will be provided by the Husker Sports Network, with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the call on stations across the network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln, 93.3 FM in Omaha and 880 AM in Lexington. Free live audio also will be available on Huskers.com.
Nebraska, which won the 2014 Big Ten Tournament title with a 72-65 win over the Hawkeyes in Indianapolis, storms into Iowa riding a five-game winning streak. The Huskers ran to an impressive 89-72 win at Wisconsin on Thursday night. The Big Red’s last three wins have been by double digits. Although senior starter Brandi Jeffery missed her first game of the season with a minor knee injury, the Huskers erupted for 53 first-half points against the Badgers. Jeffery is day-to-day and could return against Iowa.
Despite Jeffery’s injury, the Huskers are the healthiest they have been all season, and Nebraska’s young players are providing their most significant contributions of the year. Freshman guard Natalie Romeo started in place of Jeffery, producing nine points. In her first career start against Penn State on Jan. 15, Romeo connected on six threes to finish with a game-high 18 points. Fellow freshmen Chandler Smith and Jasmine Cincore have also provided significant contributions off the bench the past week.
All-American Rachel Theriot continues to lead the Huskers. The 6-0 point guard is averaging 17.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Senior starters Emily Cady (12.7 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.1 apg), Tear’a Laudermill (12.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.6 apg) and Hailie Sample (7.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.7 apg) fired on all cylinders at Wisconsin, combining for 53 points on 22-of-35 shooting (.629), including 7-of-14 threes.
The experienced Hawkeyes, who join Nebraska in returning four starters from last season, are flying high. Iowa owns a four-game winning streak that includes a 76-70 home win over Michigan on Thursday to improve to 11-0 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season. Iowa has won nine of its last 10 overall.
#16 Nebraska Cornhuskers (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten)
3 – Hailie Sample – 6-1 – Sr. – F – 7.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg
23 – Emily Cady – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 12.7 ppg, 9.7 rpg
1 – Tear’a Laudermill – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 12.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg
13 – Brandi Jeffery – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 8.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg
33 – Rachel Theriot – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 17.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg
Off the Bench
5 – Natalie Romeo – 5-7 – Fr. – G – 6.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
31 – Anya Kalenta – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 5.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg
22 – Allie Havers – 6-5 – So. – C – 4.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg
30 – Chandler Smith – 6-0 – Fr. – G – 2.5 ppg. 1.0 rpg
34 – Jasmine Cincore – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 2.1 ppg, 0.3 rpg
12 – Emily Wood – 5-5 – Fr. – G – 0.3 ppg, 0.6 rpg
11 – Esther Ramacieri – 5-8 – So. – G – 0.1 ppg, 0.6 rpg
50 – Darrien Washington – 6-2 – Fr. – F – Redshirting
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
13th Season at NU (256-145); 25th Season Overall (451-285)
#20 Iowa Hawkeyes (15-3, 6-1 Big Ten)
2 – Ally Disterhoft – 6-0 – So. – G/F – 14.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg
51 – Bethany Doolittle – 6-4 – Sr. – C – 11.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg
21 – Melissa Dixon – 5-8 – Sr. – G – 15.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg
22 – Samantha Logic – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 10.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg
15 – Whitney Jennings – 5-5 – Fr. – G – 9.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg
Off the Bench
25 – Kali Peschel – 6-1 – Jr. – G – 4.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg
1 – Alexa Kastanek – 5-10 – So. – G – 3.1 ppg, 0.9 rpg
23 – Christina Buttenham – 6-0 – Fr. – F – 3.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg
4 – Chase Coley – 6-3 – Fr. – F – 2.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg
3 – Claire Till – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 1.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg
34 – Carly Mohns – 6-1 – Fr. – F – 0.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Head Coach: Lisa Bluder (Northern Iowa, 1983)
15th Season at Iowa (293-169); 31st Season Overall (649-311)
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 25, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:
