The No. 16 Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to its old home court at the Bob Devaney Sports Center for the first time since March 3, 2013, when the Huskers take on Utah, Sunday.
Tip-off between the Big Red (3-0) and the Utes (1-1) is set for 1 p.m. (central) at the Devaney Center, which served as the home of the Huskers for 37 seasons from 1976-77 through 2012-13. As a special event connected with the return to the Devaney Center, Nebraska will honor its 1988 Big Eight Championship team throughout the day. The Huskers will recognize the achievements of the their first NCAA Tournament team by wearing replica 1987-88 uniforms.
Tickets for the game were not part of Nebraska’s season ticket package, but can be purchased in advance of the game at Huskers.com. They will also be available at the Devaney Center beginning two hours before tip-off on game day.
Sunday will also be Military Appreciation Day at the Devaney Center with active military members and veterans receiving up to two complimentary admissions from the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office. Tickets for active military must be acquired in advance, in person at the Ticket Office (Nov. 19-21) with the presentation of appropriate ID. More details are available on Huskers.com.
Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will call the action on the Husker Sports Radio Network. The game can be heard live in Lincoln on B107.3 FM in Lincoln, 93.3 FM in Omaha and 880 AM in Lexington. Free live audio (Huskers.com) and premium live video (HuskersNside) with the radio call also are available.
Nebraska opened a three-game Pac-12 swing by beating Washington State, 82-61, Wednesday night in Pullman. In a game with the atmosphere of a conference clash, the Huskers avenged last season’s 76-72 loss to the Cougars in Lincoln by putting all five starters in double figures. Senior Tear’a Laudermill led the Big Red with a season-high 20 points, while Hailie Sample (16 points, 9 rebounds), Emily Cady (12 points, 9 rebounds) and Brandi Jeffery (11 points, 8 rebounds) all nearly produced double-doubles.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
3 – Hailie Sample – 6-1 – Sr.- F – 10.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg
23 – Emily Cady – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 10.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg
1 – Tear’a Laudermill – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 15.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg
13 – Brandi Jeffery – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 13.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg
33 – Rachel Theriot – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 16.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Off the Bench
31 – Anya Kalenta – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 8.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
22 – Allie Havers – 6-5 – So. – C – 6.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg
5 – Natalie Romeo – 5-7 – Fr. – G – 4.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg
34 – Jasmine Cincore – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 3.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg
2 – Kaylee Page – 6-2 – Fr. – F – 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
11 – Esther Ramacieri – 5-8 – So. – G – 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
12 – Emily Wood – 5-5 – Fr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
30 – Chandler Smith – 6-0 – Fr. – G High School
50 – Darrien Washington – 6-2 – Fr. – F – High School
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
13th Season at NU (244-142); 25th Season Overall (439-282)
Utah Utes (1-1, 0-0 Pac-12)
3 – Malia Nawahine – 5-10 – So. – F – 13.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
11 – Taryn Wicijowski – 6-3 – RSr. – F – 25.0 ppg, 16.0 rpg
32 – Tanaeya Boclair – 6-0 – Fr. – F – 10.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
14 – Paige Crozon – 6-1 – So. – G – 6.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
22 – Danielle Rodriguez – 5-10 – Jr. – G – 4.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg
Off the Bench
33 – Joeseta Fatuesi – 6-4 – Fr. – C – 8.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg
5 – Cheyenne Wilson – 5-11 – Sr. – G – 5.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg
13 – Devri Owens – 5-8 – So. – G – 4.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg
10 – Nakia Arquette – 6-1 – So. – F – 2.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
1 – Gabrielle Bowie – 5-11 – Jr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
2 – Jada Matthews – 6-1 – Fr. – F – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
21 – Wendy Anae – 6-3 – So. – F – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
Head Coach: Anthony Levrets (Lafayette, 2001)
5th Season at Utah (70-67); 5th Season Overall (70-67)
NU to Honor 1988 Big Eight Champs vs. Utah at Devaney
Nebraska will honor the members of its 1988 Big Eight regular-season championship women’s basketball team when the Huskers return to the Bob Devaney Sports Center to face Utah on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. The game will mark the Huskers’ first game at the Devaney Center since moving into their new homecourt at Pinnacle Bank Arena for the start of the 2013-14 season.
Nebraska played every home game inside the Devaney Center from 1976-77 through 2012-13, winning nearly 75 percent (388-130) of its games.
The 1988 team established the early standard for success at Nebraska, running to a 22-7 record that included an 11-3 Big Eight mark under second-year coach Angela Beck. Nine of those former Huskers are expected to return to the Devaney Center Sunday.
Maurtice Ivy, the 1988 Big Eight Player of the Year and NU’s first 2,000-point scorer, headlines the group, along with Husker great Amy Stephens. A current Husker assistant, Stephens scored 1,976 points in her four-year career. CoSIDA Academic All-Americans Stephanie Bolli and Ann Halsne, who also starred in softball for the Huskers, are expected to return along with Kim Harris, Amy Kramer Bullock, Pam Fiene Dubas, Melissa Sanford and Deb Hoffman. Long-time NU assistant coach and administrator Theresa Becker is also expected to attend, while Coach Angela Beck will have a special video message.
In addition to on-court recognition and HuskerVision presentations, NU will honor the Big Eight champions by donning throwback 1987-88 replica uniforms – with some added length to the shorts.
Nebraska’s white 1987-88 uniforms featured a script “Nebraska” across the jersey, with the outline of the state of Nebraska on the outside of the shorts that included a script “Huskers” and a star on Lincoln inside the state. The 1988 Huskers went a perfect 16-0 at home in their whites.
Tickets for the Utah game at the Devaney Center were not included in NU’s season-ticket package, but are available for single-game purchase at a special price of just $7 for reserved seats at Huskers.com or by calling 800-8-BIG-RED. Tickets will also be available at the Devaney Center Sunday starting at 11 a.m.
The Devaney Center was renovated and reconfigured for volleyball prior to 2013-14, reducing capacity to 7,907. The game between the Huskers and Utes will be the first college basketball game at Devaney since the renovations, but Devaney did play host to 2014 boys and girls state high school tournaments.
Huskers Continue Three-Game Pac-12 Swing with Utes
Nebraska’s Sunday clash with Utah continues a three-game stretch of facing Pac-12 Conference foes. The Huskers opened the Pac-12 swing with an 82-61 win at Washington State on Wednesday.
After the Huskers tangle with Utah on Sunday, they head to Los Angeles for a Friday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28) game with UCLA at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
Tip-off between the Huskers and Bruins is set for 3 p.m. with television coverage again provided by the Pac-12 Networks. Last season, the Huskers raced to a 77-49 win over UCLA in the first-ever regular-season basketball game (men’s or women’s) at Nebraska’s Pinnacle Bank Arena. NU ended its 2013-14 season at Pauley Pavilion, falling 80-76 to BYU in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
Huskers Have History of Home-Opening Success
Nebraska owns a history of season-opening success on the Huskers’ homecourt. Nebraska improved to 39-2 all-time in home openers, including 2-0 at Pinnacle Bank Arena, with its 100-65 victory over Pepperdine on Nov. 15, 2014. The Huskers were 35-2 all-time in season openers at the Devaney Center.
From 1981-82 through 2004-05, Nebraska won 24 straight home openers before losing to South Dakota State on Nov. 19, 2005. NU’s only other home-opening loss came to Kansas (88-56) on Nov. 21, 1980.
Nebraska has been strong in its first six home games every season. In fact, NU is 207-34 over the past 41 years in its first six home contests (.859 winning percentage), including 35-6 in the second game of the season. The Huskers stretched their Game No. 2 winning streak to 15 games with an 83-49 win over Alcorn State on Nov. 16, 2014.
Game No. 3 has traditionally provided the toughest test among the first six home contests for the Huskers, but NU has won seven straight in Game No. 3 after a 78-55 run past Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Lincoln on Nov. 21, 2013. NU improved to 34-6 all-time in game No. 4 with an 87-64 win over Southern on Nov. 24, 2013. The Big Red improved to 35-5 all-time in home Game No. 5 with a 77-42 win over UMass-Lowell on Nov. 27, 2013. The Huskers had their 16-game winning streak in home game No. 6 snapped by Washington State, 76-72, on Nov. 30, 2013.
Scouting the Utah Utes
Coach Anthony Levrets brings a talented Utah team to Lincoln to battle the Huskers Sunday. The Utes carry a 1-1 record to the Devaney Center after a 64-56 loss at Creighton on Thursday night in Omaha. The Utes trailed 23-21 at the half in a hard-fought defensive struggle.
Fifth-year senior Taryn Wicijowski led Utah with 14 points and 13 rebounds against Creighton. It was the second double-double for Wicijowski, after she opened with career highs of 36 points and 19 rebounds in a win over San Jose State. Her previous career high was 26 points set against Hawaii on Dec. 1, 2013. The 6-3 forward from Regina, Saskatchewan, missed the entire 2013-14 after suffering an ACL tear.
Wicijowski has scored more than 1,500 career points and comes to Lincoln averaging team bests of 25 points and 16 rebounds through two games. Her return has made up for the loss of WNBA Draft pick and All-Pac-12 selection Michelle Plouffe, who averaged 18.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game as a senior for the Utes last season. Plouffe poured in 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while dishing out five assists in a 75-69 loss to Nebraska last season in Salt Lake City. Plouffe, who hit all three of her three-point attempts, led a Utah offense that hit 10-of-20 three-pointers against the Huskers.
Despite Plouffe’s prolific numbers last season, the Utes struggled to a 12-19 overall record and a 4-14 conference mark to finish 11th in the Pac-12.
In addition to the return of Wicijowski, who averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2012-13, the Utes benefit from the return of Danielle Rodriguez. A 5-10 junior guard, Rodriguez averaged 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, but erupted for 16 points and five assists last season against the Big Red. Rodriguez is averaging 4.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 2014-15.
Plouffe and Rodriguez were the only two Utes to manage double figures in last season’s setback to the Huskers. Malia Nawahine, a 5-10 sophomore, pitched in three points against NU, while averaging 5.5 points and 2.8 boards per game last season. She is averaging 13.0 points and 3.0 boards this season.
Rodriguez and Nawahine join Wicijowski, Tanaeya Boclair and Paige Crozon in Utah’s projected starting five. Crozon, a 6-1 sophomore guard, is averaging 6.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, but has committed nine fouls in 46 minutes so far this season. Boclair, a 6-0 freshman forward, has added 10.0 points and 3.0 rebounds, including 14 points and four boards against Creighton.
Cheyene Wilson, a 5-11 senior guard who started 21 games last year, averaged 6.9 points and 2.0 boards. She had nine points on 3-of-6 three-point shooting before fouling out against the Huskers. She is averaging 5.5 points off the bench, including 11 points in the opening-day win over San Jose State.
The Utes were dealt a blow in the offseason with a season-ending injury to sophomore Emily Potter. The 6-5 forward who averaged 10.5 points and 6.7 rebounds as a freshman last season, scored seven points and grabbed 10 boards against the Big Red.
Freshman Joeseta Fatuesi stepped up in a big way in Potter’s absence. The inaugural Pac-12 Freshman of the Week, the 6-4 center from Santa Clara, Calif., had 14 points and nine rebounds in just 14 minutes against San Jose State. Fatuesi managed two points and four rebounds in seven minutes against CU.
Nebraska vs. Utah History
Utah leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 2-1, but the Huskers battled to a 75-69 win over the Utes in Salt Lake City last season. Rachel Theriot led the Huskers with a game-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. Jordan Hooper added a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Emily Cady added 13 points and nine boards.
The Huskers overcame a 27-point, 12-rebound effort by Utah’s Michelle Plouffe. Utah won the series opener, 56-52 in Salt Lake City on Dec. 2, 1978. The Utes added a 56-44 win over the Huskers at the Oahu Classic on Nov. 24, 2007. Sunday’s meeting will be the first between the teams in Lincoln.
Husker Hot Shots – Nebraska’s Starting Five
#23, Emily Cady, 6-2, Sr., F, Seward, Neb. (10.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.7 apg)
• One of the nation’s most versatile forwards, Emily Cady earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2014. She enters the Utah game averaging 10.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and a team-leading 4.7 assists per game.
• Cady is the Big Ten Conference’s active rebound leader with 811 in her career. Through games Nov. 19, Cady had 109 more rebounds than Big Ten No. 2 Samantha Logic from Iowa. NU’s Hailie Sample ranks third in the conference with 518.
• Cady ranks fifth in Nebraska history with 23 career double-doubles, including 12 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high eight assists in NU’s season-opening win over Pepperdine, Nov. 15. She needs one more double-double to match Nafeesah Brown (1992-94) in fourth on the Husker all-time list. Cady need 17 double-doubles to tie the NU record of 40 held by Jordan Hooper (2011-14) and Kelsey Griffin (2006-10).
• In 2013-14, Cady tied Jordan Hooper for second in the Big Ten with 14 double-doubles, while ranking third in the league with 9.2 rebounds per game. Cady ranked 24th in scoring (12.7 ppg), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5-to-1), seventh in free throw percentage (.858), eighth in field goal percentage (.495) and 12th in assists (3.1 apg). In Big Ten games-only, Cady ranked third with a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio trailing only Husker point guard Rachel Theriot (2.7) and Iowa point guard Samantha Logic (2.2). Cady ranked eighth in conference play in assists (4.1 apg). She had eight double-doubles in 16 conference games.
• Cady owns 1,084 points, 811 rebounds, 233 assists and 111 steals. She is just the third player in Nebraska history with 1,000 points, 800 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 career steals, joining Maurtice Ivy and Anna DeForge.
• Cady ranks 10th in NU history with 86 career blocks. She needs two more to catch Casey Leonhardt (88, 2000-01) in ninth on the Husker career chart. Only seven Huskers have 100 career blocks.
• No player in Husker history has 1,000 points, 900 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocks.
• Cady’s 1,084 career points rank No. 23 in Husker history. She needs just five points to match Nafeesah Brown (1,089, 1992-94) in 22nd on the career scoring list. Cady is 12 points away from Ann Halsne (1,096, 1988-91) in 21st and 17 points away from joining NU’s top 20 (Yvonne Turner, 20th, 1,101, 2007-10).
• Cady ranks sixth in Nebraska history with 811 rebounds and needs 63 boards to catch Kathy Hagerstrom in fifth (874, 1980-83). Cady needs 189 boards to become the fifth Husker in history with 1,000 rebounds, joining Janet Smith (1,280), Hooper (1,110), Griffin (1,019) and Karen Jennings (1,000).
• The best passing forward in the Big Ten, Cady’s 102 assists led all conference forwards in 2013-14. Her 1.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio also led all players in the conference at the position. In Big Ten play, her 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio was better than every starting guard except first-team All-Big Ten point guards Rachel Theriot (Nebraska) and Samantha Logic (Iowa).
#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, Jr., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (16.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.0 apg)
• Rachel Theriot claimed preseason All-Big Ten honors in 2014-15 from both the conference coaches and media. Theriot was chosen the No. 13 player in the nation by ESPN in rankings announced on Nov. 5. She was named a fourth-team All-American (one of nation’s top 20 players) by College Sports Madness in preseason rankings.
• Theriot has produced double figures in all three games this season, averaging 16.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. She has hit 62.5 percent (20-32) of her field goals, including both of her three-point attempts. She is also 6-for-6 at the free throw line. She owns a 12-to-6 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Theriot earned honorable-mention All-America accolades from the Associated Press as a sophomore. She joined Jordan Hooper (2nd Team) on the AP All-America squad, marking the second straight season the Huskers had produced a pair of All-Americans (Hooper, Lindsey Moore, HM, 2013).
• Theriot earned first-team All-Big Ten honors after ranking second among the Huskers with 15.6 points per game in conference play. She also averaged a team-best 7.3 assists in Big Ten action, which ranked second in the league. Overall, Theriot finished her sophomore season with 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.
• Theriot ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten and fifth nationally with 7.1 assists per game, including 7.3 assists per game in Big Ten play. She led the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7-to-1) and ranked 17th nationally.
• Theriot finished with a Nebraska single-season record 234 assists in 2013-14, smashing the previous mark of 195 set by Meggan Yedsena (1991-92) and matched by Lindsey Moore (2012-13).
• Theriot’s 347 career assists rank eighth in Husker history. She needs 45 assists to catch Anna DeForge in seventh (392) on the career chart and 97 assists to join Nebraska’s career top five.
• Theriot produced four points-assists double-doubles in 2013-14, including 10 points and 12 assists in the Big Red’s first-round NCAA Tournament win over Fresno State. Her 12 assists were the most by a Husker in history in an NCAA Tournament game. It was the fifth time in 2013-14 she dished out 11 or more assists in a game. No other Husker has distributed 11 or more assists more than four times in a career.
• Theriot 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. She 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 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 opponent came with 16 from Maggie Acuna of 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, and the most in the last 37 seasons, covering nearly 1,200 games. Theriot’s 18 assists were the most in an NCAA Division I game in 2013-14.
• Over the final 15 games of 2013-14, Theriot produced six double-digit assist games. In the first 1,203 games in Nebraska history, every other Husker had combined to produce just 41 double-digit assist games.
• Theriot shot 50 percent from the field and 50 percent (25-50) from three-point range in Big Ten play as a sophomore. Her three-point shooting percentage led the Big Ten.
• Theriot finished with 25 double-figure scoring efforts in 2013-14. She now owns 33 in her career. She had a career-high 33 points in an overtime win over Minnesota (Jan. 16). She had 28 points at Utah (Nov. 15), when she added seven rebounds. She posted all six 20-point scoring games of her career in 2013-14.
• In Big Ten play, Theriot led the league with 39.5 minutes per game and her 1,204 minutes were the most played by a Husker in a season in school history, surpassing Lindsey Moore’s 1,170 in 34 games in 2012-13. Theriot went the distance 13 times in 33 games in 2013-14, including the full 45 minutes in both of NU’s overtime wins over Minnesota (Jan. 16) and Wisconsin (Feb. 5).
#1, Tear’a Laudermill, 5-9, Sr., G, Moreno Valley, Calif. (15.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.0 apg)
• Tear’a Laudermill emerged as a rising star for the Huskers to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior. She finished the season with career-best averages of 11.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while her 62 three-pointers ranked as the 10th-best season total in NU history.
• Laudermill is continuing to grow her game as a senior, ranking second among the Huskers in scoring with 15.3 points per game. She has hit 43.2 percent of her shots from the field, including 43.8 percent of her three-pointers, while knocking down 87.5 percent of her free throws.
• Laudermill is Nebraska’s No. 1 active career three-point shooter with 106 makes, which ranks 10th on the Husker career list. She needs four threes to catch Kaitlyn Burke (2008-12) in ninth with 110.
• Laudermill notched her sixth career 20-point game with 20 points, including a trio of three-pointers, in NU’s 82-61 win at Washington State on Wednesday.
• She has produced double digits in 16 of her last 20 games, after managing double figures in just 11 of her first 77. She owns 27 career double-figure scoring games.
• Laudermill averaged 15.2 points per game over the last 17 contests of 2013-14, including the first five 20-point games of her career. She closed the season with 22 points against BYU, including 12 points in the final 2:30. She added 20 points in NU’s Big Ten semifinal win over No. 19 Michigan State and a career-high 27 points in the Big Red’s home win over No. 8 Penn State on Feb. 24.
• Laudermill tied a school record with seven threes in Nebraska’s 94-74 win over No. 8 Penn State Feb. 24, 2014. She hit her first six threes in the first half and closed the night 7-of-10 to lead Nebraska to one of the best three-point shooting nights (16-22, .727) in school history.
• Laudermill averaged 13.5 points in 2014 Big Ten play, while shooting a sizzling 44.3 percent from three-point range, which ranked fourth in Big Ten games-only. Her 2.4 three-pointers per game also tied for fifth in league action. She led the Big Red with 21 steals in conference action.
#3, Hailie Sample, 6-0, Sr., F, Flower Mound, Texas (10.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 1.0 spg)
• Hailie Sample earned a spot on the 2014 Big Ten All-Defensive Team. She was Nebraska’s Defensive MVP in 2013-14.
• She is the Big Ten’s No. 3 active career rebounder with 518, trailing only teammate Emily Cady (811) and Iowa’s Samantha Logic (702).
• Sample has started 103 consecutive games alongside Cady since the first games of their freshman season in 2011-12.
• Sample is averaging career bests of 10.3 points and 7.7 rebounds while adding 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steal per game through three contests. She is coming off a season-high 16 points to go along with nine rebounds and a career-high matching three steals at Washington State Wednesday.
• She is shooting a staggering 80 percent (12-15) from the field. Entering her senior season, Sample was a 41.6 percent shooter from the floor.
• She produced her third career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the 2014 NCAA second-round game against BYU on March 24. It was her second career double-double in the NCAA Tournament and her second double-double in a three-game span, joining 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament Championship Game win over No. 23 Iowa on March 9, 2014.
• Sample averaged 7.5 points and a team-leading 10.0 rebounds in the 2014 Big Ten Tournament. Her 30 total rebounds and 16 offensive boards led the tournament.
• Sample’s 15 rebounds in the 2014 Big Ten Championship Game were a Nebraska Big Ten Tournament record and tied Nafeesah Brown (vs. Kansas, 1993, Big Eight) for the second-highest rebounding total ever by a Husker in a conference tournament game. Only Shelly Block (16 vs. Oklahoma State, 1987, Big Eight) pulled down more boards in a league tournament game than Sample.
• In the 2014 NCAA Tournament, Sample averaged 8.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game to push her season averages to 6.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She ranked 15th overall in the Big Ten in rebounding (6.4 rpg), while ranking seventh in the Big Ten on the offensive glass (2.5 rpg).
• Sample owns 16 career double-digit scoring games, including nine in 2013-14. She also owns six career double-figure rebound games, including three in 2013-14.
• Sample is tied for No. 23 on the Nebraska career rebound list with 518. She needs 21 rebounds to catch Chelsea Aubry (539, 2004-07) in 22nd on the NU all-time list. Sample is 24 away from 21st (Diane DelVigna, 542, 1979-80) and 27 away from No. 20 (Ann Halsne, 545, 1988-91).
#13, Brandi Jeffery, 5-7, Sr., G, Vacherie, La. (13.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.0 spg)
• Brandi Jeffery has her senior season off to a flying start with three consecutive double-figure scoring performances. In addition to career-best scoring numbers, Jeffery is putting up career-best rebounding marks. She is averaging 13.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal through four games.
• Jeffery erupted for career highs with 19 points and eight rebounds in the season-opening victory over Pepperdine on Nov. 15. Her previous career scoring high came with 12 points against both Florida State and Mississippi Valley State in November of 2011.
• She added back-to-back 11-point efforts on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. In Wednesday night’s win at Washington State, she matched her career high for the second time in three games with eight rebounds, while adding a pair of steals.
• For the season, Jeffery is shooting 66.7 percent from the field (14-21), including 54.5 percent (6-11) from three-point range. Jeffery has hit a pair of threes in each of NU’s three games.
• Jeffery’s regular-season start in 2014-15, mirrored her production in a pair of exhibition wins, when she averaged 11.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 4.0 steals in 24.5 minutes per game. She hit 9-of-17 field goals, including 2-of-6 threes in exhibition play.
• She entered her senior season with career averages of 3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.
• Jeffery has played in 98 career games with 12 career starts for the Huskers. All 12 starts have come in non-conference play over the last three seasons.
• One of four seniors on the roster, including Emily Cady, Hailie Sample and Tear’a Laudermill, Jeffery has helped the Huskers to a 78-25 record and three NCAA Tournaments.
• Jeffery owns 102 career assists, including seven this season. She reached the 200 career rebound mark (202) with eight boards Wednesday at Washington State. She needs 13 points to reach 400 in her career. She owns 53 career three-pointers.
Husker Starters Running on High Efficiency
Nebraska’s starting five have been playing remarkably efficient basketball through the first three games of the season. The Big Red starters have played just 65.5 percent (393/600) of Nebraska’s minutes through the first three games and have scored 69.8 percent (185/265) of NU’s points.
The Husker starters have combined to shoot 58.7 percent (71-121) from the field, including 51.5 percent (17-33) from three-point range. NU’s starters are also hitting 74 percent (37-50) of their free throws, while dishing out 38 assists against just 32 turnovers.
All five Husker starters are averaging double figures and producing 65 of NU’s 88.3 points per game.
As a comparison, Utah’s starters have demonstrated a high level of efficiency through two games, hitting 47.9 percent (45-94) of their shots, including 10-of-20 three-pointers and 15-of-16 free throws (.810). However, the Ute starters have just 22 assists against 27 turnovers while averaging a combined 58.5 points per game despite already playing an overtime period this season.
Husker Seniors Begin Pursuit of Fourth Straight NCAA Bid
Nebraska’s four-player senior class of Emily Cady, Hailie Sample, Tear’a Laudermill and Brandi Jeffery form the heart of the Husker lineup in 2014-15, after helping the Big Red to the most successful three-year stretch in school history.
Cady and Sample have started all 103 games in their careers, helping the Huskers to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and 25 wins per season. NU’s .750 winning percentage over the past three years represents the most successful stretch in school history.
In 2014-15, the seniors will try to become the first class in school history to compete in four consecutive NCAA tournaments.
Big Red Begins Season at No. 16 in AP, Coaches Polls
The Huskers opened the 2014-15 season at No. 16 in both the Associated Press Preseason Poll and the USA Today Coaches Preseason Top 25. Nebraska closed the 2013-14 campaign at No. 13 in the AP rankings, which did not include NCAA Tournament results.
NU, which went 26-7 last season and 12-4 in the Big Ten before winning its first Big Ten Tournament title, ended the season at No. 17 in the final USA Today Coaches Top 25. Both Nebraska’s final AP and Coaches Top 25 rankings were the second-best year-end rankings in school history. The Huskers have finished the season in the AP Top 25 four times in the past five years.
The Huskers finished No. 19 in the official NCAA RPI, which was its third-best RPI finish in history – all in the last five seasons.
Before Nebraska Coach Connie Yori came to Nebraska for the 2002-03 season, the Huskers had never finished a season ranked in the top 25 in either of the major polls or the RPI.
Husker Season Ticket Sales Reach Another All-Time High
Nebraska’s second season inside the spectacular Pinnacle Bank Arena promises to be packed with action from start to finish, and Husker women’s basketball fans are showing that they want to see it all in person this season.
Heading into the regular season, Nebraska had sold a school-record 3,909 season tickets for the 2014-15 campaign.
In their first season at Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013-14, Nebraska shattered its previous season ticket sales record with more than 3,700. The previous record came in 2010-11, when NU sold approximately 2,700 season tickets.
Last season, Nebraska ranked No. 11 nationally with an average home attendance of 6,161 fans per game. The Huskers ranked No. 8 nationally in total attendance with 110,892 fans flocking to the arena to watch the Big Red roll to a 16-2 home record.
Theriot Claims Preseason All-Big Ten Honors
Nebraska junior Rachel Theriot captured preseason first-team All-Big Ten team announced at Big Ten Conference Women’s Basketball Media Day on Oct. 16.
Theriot, a 6-0 point guard from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, joined senior point guards Rachel Banham (Minnesota) and Samantha Logic (Iowa) on the five-player honor squads of both the conference coaches and media. Michigan State sophomore Aerial Powers and Northwestern sophomore Nia Coffey rounded out the coaches top five. Sophomores Amanda Zahui from Minnesota and Lexie Brown from Maryland, along with junior Ameryst Alston from Ohio State claimed spots on the media’s six-player team.
As a team, Nebraska was picked No. 3 in the conference by the media, trailing Maryland and Michigan State. Iowa earned the No. 3 spot ahead of the Huskers in the coaches ranking of the top three teams.
Big Red, Big Picture
• Nebraska’s No. 13 final national ranking in 2014 the Associated Press Poll was the second-highest final ranking in school history, trailing only NU’s No. 4 AP finish in 2010. The AP produces its final ranking at the end of the regular season and does not do another poll during or after the NCAA Tournament.
• Nebraska was ranked No. 19 in the final regular-season NCAA RPI heading into the NCAA Tournament.
• Nebraska’s 2014-15 recruiting class is ranked No. 8 nationally by ESPN – the best class in school history. The 2013-14 recruiting class was ranked No. 9 nationally by ESPN. They are the two best classes in school history.
• Nebraska’s No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament marked the second-best seed the Huskers ever earned in the Big Dance, trailing only NU’s No. 1 seed in 2010.
• Nebraska retired 2010 All-American Kelsey Griffin’s jersey at the Michigan game (Jan. 29). The 2010 Senior CLASS Award winner and Nebraska Female Student-Athlete of the Year had her number raised at Pinnacle Bank Arena, but not permanently retired. Current Husker Emily Cady shares Griffin’s No. 23. Griffin, a five-year WNBA veteran, made a return trip to Lincoln from her club team in Australia.
• NU has earned NCAA Tournament trips six of the past eight seasons (2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014).
• The Huskers have advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 twice in the last five seasons (2010, 2013).
• Coach Connie Yori is the winningest coach in Husker history (243 victories) and has won conference coach-of-the-year honors in the Big Ten (2013, 2014), Big 12 (2012) and Missouri Valley (2002). She was the national coach-of-the-year in 2010.
Nebraska Posts Perfect GSR for 10th Straight Season
Nebraska Coach Connie Yori would be the first to say that nobody’s perfect. However, in the eyes of the NCAA’s Division I Graduation Success Rate (GSR), that’s exactly what her Husker program has been for 10 consecutive years. Nebraska is the only program among the 14 Big Ten Conference schools to accomplish the perfect score for 10 straight years.
The NCAA announced the release of its annual Graduation Success Rate report on Tuesday, Oct. 28, and Nebraska was a national leader in women’s basketball for the 10th straight season, dating back to to 2004-05.
Yori, who is entering her 13th season at Nebraska, joined Coach Robin Krapfl’s women’s golf program, Coach Scott Jacobson’s women’s tennis program and Coach John Cook’s volleyball program as Nebraska teams who have produced perfect 100 percent rates each of the last 10 years.
Nebraska was one of five Big Ten women’s basketball programs to post 100 percent rates in 2013-14, joining Penn State, Purdue, Michigan and Illinois. All 14 Big Ten women’s programs posted GSR rates above 80 percent last season.
Huskers Seek Seventh NCAA Bid in Last Nine Years
Nebraska made its 12th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its sixth in the last eight seasons in 2014. The 2014 Huskers also became the first Nebraska team in history to advance to the NCAA second round in back-to-back seasons, after a 2014 first-round win over Fresno State.
Over the past six years, the Huskers have produced six NCAA Tournament wins under Coach Connie Yori, after the program notched just two NCAA wins in the first 25 years of the NCAA Tournament.
Nebraska’s No. 4 seed was its second-highest in school history, trailing only the No. 1 seed the Huskers earned on their way to their first NCAA Sweet 16 in 2010. NU earned its second NCAA Sweet 16 spot as a No. 6 seed in 2013, following wins over No. 11 seed Chattanooga and third-seeded Texas A&M in College Station in 2013.
The Huskers notched their first NCAA Tournament win under Coach Yori with a 61-58 victory over Xavier at College Park, Md., in 2008.
Yori Claims Back-to-Back Big Ten Coaching Honors
Nebraska’s Connie Yori was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in voting by conference coaches for the second straight season in 2014. Yori captured her third conference coach-of-the-year award in the last five seasons and her second in the Big Ten. Yori led the 2013-14 Huskers to their second straight unbeaten February, while finishing 12-4 in the Big Ten for the second consecutive year. The Huskers then ran to the Big Ten Tournament title for the first conference tournament title in school history. Nebraska went 1-1 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament to finish with a 26-7 overall mark.
The 2014 Huskers opened Big Ten play with a 3-3 mark that included a two-point loss to Purdue and a four-point road loss at Northwestern, before rallying for nine straight wins. The Huskers played their final regular-season game for a share of the Big Ten title for the second straight year, after competing for the Big Ten Tournament title in Indianpolis in 2012.
Yori captured Big 12 Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2010 on her way to WBCA, AP, USBWA, Naismith and Kay Yow National Coach-of-the-Year awards. She led the Huskers to the 2010 NCAA Sweet 16 after capturing the Big 12 regular-season title with a perfect 16-0 record. The 2009-10 Huskers, which featured first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin and first-team All-Big 12 picks Cory Montgomery and Yvonne Turner, finished with a 32-2 overall record.
Before becoming Nebraska’s head coach in 2002-03, Yori claimed Missouri Valley Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors in her final season at Creighton in 2002. In Yori’s first 12 seasons as NU’s coach, her Huskers have earned a total of 37 all-conference awards (12 first team, 4 second team, 11 honorable mention, 5 freshmen, 5 defensive). Jordan Hooper earned Nebraska’s first Big Ten Player-of-the-Year award in 2014, becoming Yori’s second conference player of the year in the last five seasons at Nebraska. Kelsey Griffin claimed Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors in 2010.
Talented Young Huskers Challenged to Fill Hooper’s Spot
When Nebraska took the floor in the regular season opener against Pepperdine on Nov. 15, it marked the first time since 2010 that Jordan Hooper was not in the starting lineup for the Big Red.
Hooper, a three-time first-team All-Big Ten forward and a 2014 first-team WBCA All-American, started 131 consecutive games for the Huskers from 2010-11 through 2013-14.
Hooper finished her Husker career ranked No. 2 in career points (2,357) and rebounds (1,110) while setting the school record with 295 career three-pointers. Hooper averaged 18.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and and 2.3 threes per game in her career. As a senior in 2013-14, Hooper averaged 20.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.4 threes per contest.
NU Nuggets: Huskers at a Glance
#31, Anya Kalenta, 6-3, Jr., F, Minsk, Belarus (8.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
• Anya Kalenta has her NCAA Division I basketball career off to an impressive start by averaging 8.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game to help the Huskers to a 3-0 start.
• She averaged 12.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in a pair of wins on opening weekend. She established career highs with 14 points and eight rebounds against Pepperdine on Nov. 15. The 6-3 forward went 2-for-2 from three-point range against Alcorn State on Nov. 16.
• Kalenta suffered a broken nose in preseason practice on Oct. 29 and underwent surgery Oct. 30. She was hit by an unintentional elbow from Darrien Washington. Kalenta wore a protective mask in both exhibition games and against Pepperdine.
• She 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.
• Kalenta 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.
• She hit 51.1 percent of field goals, including 41 percent of her three-pointers last season. The 6-3 Kalenta hit 32 threes on the season.
• Kalenta was a member of the Belarus U-20 National Team at the 2013 European Championships.
#22, Allie Havers, 6-5, So., C, Paw Paw, Mich. (6.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg)
• One of the tallest Nebraska women’s basketball players in history, Allie Havers is one of the most improved Huskers on the 2014-15 team. She is averaging 6.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.0 block in 21 minutes per game off the bench to help the Huskers to a 3-0 start.
• She is coming off her best game of the young season with eight points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench in Nebraska’s 82-61 win at Washington State on Wednesday night.
• Havers was NU’s top post off the bench as a true freshman in 2013-14, averaging 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds while playing in all 33 games. She averaged just over 10 minutes per contest.
• She played a huge role in Nebraska’s 2014 Big Ten Tournament title. In a Big Ten semifinal win over No. 19 Michigan State on March 8, Havers entered the game early in the first half after All-American Jordan Hooper was whistled for her second foul. Havers took the floor with NU trailing 16-13. She ignited a massive surge, dishing out three assists in her first three minutes to spark a 26-3 eruption that gave the Big Red a 39-19 lead with seven minutes left in the half. She later scored six straight points to send Nebraska to the locker room with a 50-27 lead. Havers finished with career highs of 17 points, three assists and three blocks to go along with one steal in just 19 minutes.
#5, Natalie Romeo, 5-7, Fr., G, Martinez, Calif. (4.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 2.0 apg)
• Nebraska’s top guard off the bench this season, freshman Natalie Romeo is averaging 4.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists to help the Huskers to a 3-0 start.
• Romeo saw extensive playing time on opening weekend (Nov. 15-16), averaging 6.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 20.0 minutes per game in wins over Pepperdine and Alcorn State.
• Romeo earned first-team All-California Elite honors from Cal-Hi Sports in 2014.
• She was a two-time first-team All-California Division II pick at Carondelet High School.
• Romeo was rated as the No. 55 Player in the Nation by ESPN (No. 12 Point Guard) and the No. 27 Player in the Nation (No. 6 Point Guard) by Full Court Press.
• She averaged 19.8 points, 7.8 assists and 5.6 steals as a senior at Carondelet High School. Romeo finished her four-year high school career with 2,151 points, 552 rebounds, 735 assists and 613 steals and finished No. 2 on Carondelet’s all-time scoring list behind Stanford All-American Jayne Appel.
#34, Jasmine Cincore, 5-8, Fr., G, Arlington, Tenn. (3.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 0.3 apg, 0.3 spg)
• Jasmine Cincore has seen action in all three contests, averaging 3.3 points in just 6.0 minutes per game to help the Huskers to a 3-0 start.
• Cincore played well on opening weekend (Nov. 15-16), averaging 4.5 points in 8.5 minutes per game in wins over Pepperdine and Alcorn State. She hit 3-of-6 shots from the floor and 3-of-5 free throws.
• She was a two-time Tennessee Class 2-AA Player of the Year in 2013 and 2014.
• Cincore earned first-team all-class, All-Tennessee honors from USA Today in 2014.
• She averaged 15.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 steals as a senior at Briarcrest Christian.
#2, Kaylee Page, 6-2, Fr., F, Alma, Kan. (0.7 ppg, 0.7 rpg)
• Kaylee Page scored her first points with a pair of free throws in NU’s win over Alcorn State on Nov. 16. She added a rebound and an assist against the Lady Braves. She has seen action in all three games.
• Page was the 2014 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and the two-time Kansas Class 4A Player of the Year (2013, 2014) while playing for her father, Jim, at Wamego High School. She was ranked as the No. 42 Player in the Nation by ESPN (2014), and the No. 18 Shooting Guard in the Nation by ESPN (2014).
• She averaged 18.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 3.2 assists over her four-year career. She hit 35.3 percent of her threes, connecting on 181 threes in her 93-game career. Page finished with 1,755 points, 771 rebounds, 293 assists, 167 steals and 355 blocks.
#11, Esther Ramacieri, 5-8, So., G, Repentigny, Quebec, Canada (0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
• Esther Ramacieri saw action in both games on Nebraska’s opening weekend, grabbing two rebounds in NU’s win over Alcorn State.
• Ramacieri competed in 17 games for the Huskers as a true freshman, including five regular-season Big Ten contests. She was a reserve in the backcourt and at power forward.
• 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, Fr., G, Salina, Kan. (0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
• Emily Wood walked on to the Nebraska program after being recruited by Harvard, Dartmouth, Washburn and Western Illinois. She grabbed one rebound against both Pepperdine and Alcorn State.
• She 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.
• Wood played on the MOKAN Eclipse club team coached by Doug Finch, who is the father of Nebraska assistant coach Dayna Finch. Doug Finch is also the head boys coach at Salina Central.
#30, Chandler Smith, 6-0, Fr., G, Brewster, Wash. (Brewster)
• Chandler Smith was impressive in preseason practice but has been sidelined for nearly a month by a stress fracture in her leg. She hopes to return in the non-conference season.
• Smith was the two-time Washington Class 1A Player of the Year (2013, 2014)
• She earned a spot on the Washington all-class, all-state team in 2014.
• Smith was rated as the No. 62 Player in the Nation (No. 18 Wing) by ESPN (2014)
#50, Darrien Washington, 6-2, Fr., F, Oakland, Calif. (Skyline)
• Darrien Washington saw playing time in Nebraska’s exhibition games but could be a candidate for a redshirt in 2014-15. Washington did not play in NU’s regular-season opening weekend.
• Washington was a two-time first-team All-Oakland selection (2013, 2014).
• She averaged 16.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.1 blocks for Oakland Skyline High School as a senior.
• Washington produced 1,181 points and nearly 1,000 rebounds in her high school career.
• Washington was a club teammate of Natalie Romeo on the Cal Stars Elite.
