LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Brandi Jeffery scored a career-high 19 points and red-hot No. 16 Nebraska used a 17-0 run in the second half en route to a 100-65 win over Pepperdine on Saturday.

The Cornhuskers (1-0) took a 56-43 lead at the half before Jeffery led the game-breaking surge that produced an 81-49 lead with 10:20 to play with eight points.

Rachel Theriot added 16 points, Tear’a Laudermill and reserve Anya Kalenta, on 6-of-7 shooting, had 14 points each and Emily Cady had 12 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

Pepperdine (0-1) was led by Ea Shoushtari with 19 points.

The Cornhuskers shot 57 percent and went 20 of 27 from the foul line while Pepperdine shot 39 percent and was just 3 of 4 from the line. Nebraska also had a 45-32 rebounding advantage.

The Nebraska basketball team tips off the 119th season in program history this Sunday, Nov. 16, as the No. 21 Huskers welcome Northern Kentucky to Pinnacle Bank Arena. 

Tipoff is set for 1:05 p.m. at the Pinnacle Bank Arena and will be produced by the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network with Kent Pavelka calling the action and Matt Davison adding color commentary. The game can be heard for free on Huskers.com and available on the Huskers’ app on iOS or android devices, as well as on TuneIn Radio and on SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

A limited number of tickets for Sunday’s game are available by visiting Huskers.com, calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIG RED or visiting the Pinnacle Bank Arena box office beginning Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Live video streaming of Sunday’s game will be carried on BTN Plus with Hunter Cave and Michael Dixon on the call. For more information on how to subscribe to BTN Plus, visit btn2go.com. Sunday’s game against NKU is the Huskers’ only regular-season game on BTN Plus in 2014-15.

The Huskers open one of the most anticipated seasons in program history in 2014-15. Not only do the Huskers return all five starters from a team that went 19-13 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998, but the program is ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since the 1992-93 season.

Nebraska is led by a trio of junior returnees in All-American candidate Terran Petteway, Shavon Shields and Walter Pitchford. Petteway averaged a Big Ten-best 18.1 points per game along with 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game to earn unanimous first-team All-Big Ten honors. Shields, who averaged 12.8 points and a team-best 5.8 rebounds per game joins Petteway in giving the Huskers a pair of double-figure returnees for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign. Pitchford proved to be one of the Big Ten’s top shooters as a sophomore, as the 6-foot-10 forward shot 41 percent from 3-point range and averaged 9.3 points per game. The trio combined to average 39.3 points and 15.3 rebounds per game last season.

Nebraska returns to Pinnacle Bank Arena for the first time since an 83-61 win over Southwest Minnesota State on Nov. 6. In that game, Shavon Shields had game highs in both points (29) and rebounds (nine) to pace four Huskers in double figures. Sophomore Tai Webster, who averaged 3.9 points per game as a freshman, added 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting and a trio of 3-pointers for the Big Red.

Northern Kentucky wraps up a two-game road trip on Sunday after opening at No. 3 Wisconsin Friday night. The Norse, who went just 9-21 last season, were picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic Sun Conference and return their top six scorers this season. In addition, the Norse also regain the services of Chad Jackson, who started the previous two seasons and averaged 10.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in 2012-13.

Probable Starters

Nebraska						2013-14 stats
No.	Name	Pos	Yr.	Ht.	Wt.	G/GS	PPG	RPG	Other
0	Tai Webster	G	So.	6-4	199	32/30	3.9	2.1	2.0 apg
5	Terran Petteway	G	Jr.	6-6	215	32/32	18.1	4.8	1.6 apg
31	Shavon Shields	G/F	Jr.	6-7	221	32/32	12.8	4.8	1.6 apg
2	David Rivers	F	Sr.	6-7	200	25/14	3.9	2.9	1.0 spg
35	Walter Pitchford	F	Jr.	6-10	237	32/31	9.3	4.7	0.5 bpg
Northern Kentucky						2013-14 stats
No.	Name	Pos	Yr.	Ht.	Wt.	G/GS	PPG	RPG	Other
11	Jordan Jackson	G	Sr.	6-2	185	28/26	13.5	5.0	2.9 apg
33	Anthony Monaco	G	Jr.	6-4	180	30/16	3.1	2.9	1.4 apg
23	Todd Johnson	G	Jr.	5-9	170	23/23	8.7	3.8	2.0 apg
3	Tyler White	G	Jr.	6-3	190	28/25	10.8	2.7	2.0 apg
21	Jalen Billups	F/C	Jr.	6-6	240	30/25	9.6	5.2	1.1 bpg

3 Numbers 2 Know

28,091 – Miles that sophomore point guard Tai Webster logged over the summer playing for the New Zealand National Team, including games in New Zealand, China, South Korea, Lithuania, Serbia and Spain.

81.5 – Percent of the Huskers’ point total which is back in 2014-15. It is the first time since 2003-04 (89.9 pct.) that the Huskers have returned at least 70 percent of the previous year’s scoring total. For comparison, NU returned 49.7 percent of its points last season and just 24 percent entering 2012-13.

174 – Number of career starts at Nebraska for Husker players entering 2014-15.

Scouting Northern Kentucky
The Norse wrap up a two-game Big Ten swing on Sunday after opening the season against Wisconsin on Friday night. Dave Bezold is in his 11th season at Northern Kentucky and has guided the program from Division II to the Division I ranks. The Norse, who are eligible to compete in the Atlantic Sun Tournament for the first time this season, are in their third season in the Division I ranks and were picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic Sun in a preseason vote by both the coaches and the media. Prior to making the move, the Norse were one of the best programs in Division II, winning 20 or more games in five of its last six seasons and making the national tournament in 2011-12. NKU looks to improve after going 9-21 last year, but returns its top six scorers and 13 of its 14 players. Senior guard Jordan Jackson leads the Norse, averaging 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game as a junior. Junior guard Tyler White joined Jackson in double figures with 10.8 points per game, including 49 3-pointers. In addition to returning its top six scorers, NKU also regains the services of fifth-year senior Chad Jackson, a two-year starter who averaged 10.1 points per game in 2012-13 before redshirting last season.

Series History: Sunday’s matchup will be the first-ever between the Huskers and Northern Kentucky. The Huskers are 5-0 all-time against current members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, including a 79-55 win over Florida Gulf Coast in the 2013-14 season opener.

Last Time Out
No. 21 Nebraska shook off a slow start in its exhibition opener and rebounded for an 83-61 win over Southwest Minnesota State on Nov. 6. The Huskers, who shot just 30 percent in the second half, rallied behind the play of sophomore Tai Webster, who scored nine of his 16 points in a 15-4 surge to open the second half.

Webster went 4-of-5 from the floor on the night, including a trio of 3-pointers as four Huskers finished in double figures. Junior Shavon Shields led all scorers with a game-high 29 points and nine rebounds, while Terran Petteway and Benny Parker added 10 points apiece for the Big Red.

The Huskers, who trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half, were down 34-30 at the break before Webster took over. The sophomore hit consecutive 3-pointers during an 8-0 Husker run to give Nebraska its first lead since the opening minutes. The 6-foot-4 sophomore then capped the run with a conventional 3-point play, putting Nebraska ahead 45-38 with 15:06 left.

Southwest Minnesota State was within 45-43 with 12:55 left, but a jumper by David Rivers and four Webster free throws capped a 6-0 spurt and put the Huskers ahead 51-43. SMSU pulled to within five at 51-46 on a Cole Martin 3-pointer, but the Huskers put the game away with a 16-3 run highlighted by eight straight points from Shields.

Exhibition Highlights
*- Nebraska improved to 53-6 all-time in exhibitions games (dating back to 1966-67) and has won 11 in a row.

*-Tai Webster’s 16 points would have been a career high, topping the 14 point effort he had against Georgia as a freshman. He also knocked down three 3-pointers, which was half of his entire 2013-14 total in 32 appearances.

*- Benny Parker had 10 points, which would have been his first career game in double figures.

*- Nebraska connected on 63 percent shooting in the second half, while its 15 assists would have been the team’s third-highest single-game total in 2013-14.

For Openers
Nebraska begins its 119th season of basketball on Sunday afternoon and here are some facts and figures about season openers for the Husker basketball program.
*- Nebraska is 79-39 (.669) all-time in season openers and have won 13 straight season openers dating back to an 87-83 setback at Oral Roberts to begin the 2000 season. Nebraska is 20-2 in its past 22 season openers dating back to the 1992-93 campaign.

*-The last time Nebraska lost a season opener at home was 1980 when NU fell to Wyoming, 62-59, in overtime. The Huskers have won 24 straight season openers at home since that loss.

*-Nebraska went 35-2 in season openers at the Devaney Center. NU’s only two home-opening losses at the Devaney Center came to Iowa in the building’s inaugural game in 1976 and to Wyoming in 1980.

*-Nebraska’s Nov. 16 opener matches the latest season-opening date since the 2005-06 season.

Opening as a Ranked Team
The Huskers open the 2014-15 season in the national rankings for the first time since the 1994-95 season, as the Huskers are 21st in both the AP and coaches polls. It marks the first time since Jan. 2, 1995, that Nebraska is nationally ranked and just the second time in AP poll history and first since 1992 that the Huskers opened the season as a ranked team. Nebraska is 34-18 when ranked all-time in program history. In addition to the AP and Coaches polls, other publications have taken notice of the Huskers as well.
Huskers will be Tested in 2014-15

Nebraska will be tested before the Big Ten season opens against Indiana on New Year’s Eve, as the Huskers host a pair of NCAA Tournament teams (Cincinnati and Creighton) as well as travel to Florida State, Rhode Island and Hawaii in non-conference action.

*-The five known opponents who Nebraska will face in December (Florida State, Creighton, Incarnate Word, Cincinnati and Hawaii) combined to post a 117-46 record in 2013-14. In additon, the Huskers could face No. 11 Wichita State, who went 35-1 last season, in the semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic.

*-Five Big Ten teams (Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan) are ranked in the AP preseason poll while four others (Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Maryland) are receiving votes.

*-With the Big Ten schedule, the Huskers will face five teams both home and away in 2014-15, and all five of those teams are ranked or receiving votes in the preseason AP poll (Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota and Wisconsin).

How The Huskers Spent the Summer
Several Husker basketball players were busy over the summer working on their game. In addition to the players who were in Lincoln, several others represented the program and their respective home countries.

*-Tai Webster: Played for the New Zealand National Team over the summer, including the FIBA World Cup in Spain. He joined the team for its pre-tournament tour, playing in 12 of 13 games before the FIBA World Cup, where he helped New Zealand reach the round of 16. He averaged 5.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game despite being the fourth-youngest player in the tournament, finishing second among all teenagers in both points per game and assists per game. Webster had eight points, seven rebounds and three assists in a win over the Ukraine and added seven points and five rebounds against Turkey. Against Team USA, he had four points and a pair of blocked shots in 15 minutes against the eventual gold medalists.

*-Leslee Smith: Represented the British Virgin Islands at the 2014 FIBA Caribbean Basketball Championships in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Smith averaged 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game before suffering a torn left ACL on July 3 against the Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands was 2-1 with Smith in action and went winless without the 6-foot-8 forward. Smith is hoping to return to action in time for Big Ten Conference action in January.

*-Terran Petteway: Competed at the Kevin Durant Skills Academy, which featured the top 15 collegiate wing players in the country, and served as a camp counselor at the adidas Nations camp.

*-Shavon Shields: Joined Petteway as a camp counselor at the adidas Nations camp, an event which featured high school, college and professional players.

Petteway Leads Husker Returnees
Junior wing Terran Petteway comes into 2014-15 as one of the Big Ten’s premier players. The 6-foot-6 junior has been featured on several lists of top players in college basketball and was a second-team preseason All-American by The Sporting News and CBSSports.com. As a sophomore, he led the Big Ten in scoring at 18.1 points per game while adding 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest, while starting all 32 contests. Not only did he lead the Huskers in scoring, but also was second on the team in rebounding and third in assists.

Nebraska has had eight All-Americans in program history, most recently Carl McPipe during the 1977-78 season.

This season, Petteway looks to become the first player since Ohio State’s Evan Turner (2009-10) to lead the Big Ten in scoring in consecutive seasons. Over the last 30 years, only three players – Turner, Purdue’s Glenn Robinson (1993-94) and Michigan’s Glen Rice (1988-89) – have accomplished the feat.

Last season, Petteway became the first player to earn unanimous first-team all-conference honors since Venson Hamilton in 1999, and also earned first-team all-district honors by the NABC (coaches) and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (writers).

Petteway finished Big Ten play as the conference scoring leader, averaging 18.6 points per game. He became the fifth Husker in the last century to lead a conference in scoring in conference games and first since former Big Eight Player of the Year Andre Smith in 1980-81. He also led the conference at 18.1 points per game in all games and became the first Husker since 1950 (first year the Big Seven Conference kept records) to ever lead the league in scoring for all games.

Petteway finished seventh on Nebraska’s single-season scoring list with 579 points, as only Dave Hoppen, Tyronn Lue, Eric Piatkowski, and Andre Smith have scored more points in a season. He also finished second on the Huskers’ single-season free throw list with 167.

Defense Keyed Second-Half Improvement
In 2013-14, the Huskers’ biggest in-season improvements came on the defensive end. The Huskers entered Big Ten play last in field goal defense and eighth in scoring defense, but dramatically improved during conference action.

Over the last 16 games of the season, NU held 10 opponents below 40 percent shooting from the field, including eight straight foes in one stretch. The eight consecutive foes under 40 percent was the longest streak by a Husker defense in at least four decades.

The Huskers finished Big Ten play second in conference games in field goal percentage (.415) and third in scoring defense (63.4).

Shields Keys Husker Attack
While Petteway has become one of the best players in the Big Ten, the emergence of junior Shavon Shields is equally vital to the Huskers attack. The 6-foot-7 wing started all 32 games and averaged 12.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game to earn honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media. As a sophomore, Shields was second on the team in scoring and led Nebraska in rebounding.
Shields is one of four returnees to rank in the top 15 in both scoring and rebounding in Big Ten play last year, joining Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin), Rayvonte Rice (Illinois) and Aaron White (Iowa).

Shields played some of his best basketball since moving to his natural wing position in February, averaging 15.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 49 percent from the field over NU’s last 12 contests. The Huskers went 8-4 over that stretch.
Shields earned Big Ten Co-Player of the Week for his efforts during the last week of the season, averaging 21.5 points per game in wins over Indiana and Wisconsin, as he had 26 points against the ninth-ranked Badgers and 17 points and eight rebounds in the win at Indiana.

His best offensive effort came against Illinois on Feb. 12, when he scored a career-high 33 points, hitting 8-of-12 shots from the field and all 15 of his free throws. Shields tied Nebraska’s single-game record for free throws without a miss and became only the 11th Big Ten player to hit at least 15 free throws without a miss and the first since 1997.

Pitchford Poses Problems for Opponents
Junior forward Walter Pitchford became one of the focal points to the Huskers’ attack in Big Ten play last season. The 6-foot-10, 237-pounder is one of the toughest matchups in college basketball, as he is a skilled shooter who hit 41 percent from 3-point range. Last season, Pitchford averaged 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while starting 31 games.

An outstanding athlete with a 42-inch vertical leap, Pitchford played some of his best basketball of the season over the Huskers’ second-half surge, averaging 11.0 points per game on 53 percent shooting over the last 14 games. Pitchford reached double figures 11 times in that stretch including a career-high 18-point effort along with five rebounds and a pair of steals in a win at No. 9 Michigan State on Feb. 16. Pitchford sparked NU’s win at Indiana with 17 points and nine rebounds, as he scored the Huskers’ first nine points and then delivered a 3-pointer with 1:55 left to give Nebraska a four-point cushion.

Newcomers Set for Husker Debuts
Newcomers Moses Abraham, Tarin Smith and Jake Hammond are set to make their Husker debuts on Sunday.

*- Abraham is a graduate transfer who spent the past four years at Georgetown. Last year, he averaged 1.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while ranking second on the team with 23 blocked shots. The 6-foot-9, 252-pound forward earned his degree from Georgetown in May and has one year of eligibility remaining. He is the first graduate transfer the Huskers have added since the rule went into effect.

*- Hammond is a 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward who averaged 26.2 points, 14.8 rebounds, 5.7 blocks and 3.1 steals per game as a senior at Comanche (Okla.) High School. He was rated as the No. 2 prospect in the state of Oklahoma by both ESPN.com and 247Sports as a senior, and was considered one of the top 150 seniors in the country by Hoop Scoop.

*- Smith was a two-year starter at St. Anthony (N.J.) High School, one of the premier high school basketball programs in the country playing for Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley. As a senior, he was a first-team all-state pick by the AP and a third-team honoree by the Newark Star-Ledger, as he averaged 15 points, four rebounds and four assists per game, as St. Anthony finished with a 25-5 record and a state runner-up finish.
Two other Husker newcomers will not suit up Thursday, as freshman B.J. Day will not play after suffering a torn ACL in practice in October, while Andrew White is sitting out the season after transferring from Kansas. White, who was a top-50 recruit coming out of high school, played two seasons at Kansas, playing behind NBA lottery picks Andrew Wiggins (2014) and Ben McLemore (2013). He was the state player of the year in Virginia in 2012, averaging 22.9 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

On the Bench
The Husker coaching and support staff has a new look this season with the hiring of Jim Molinari as an assistant coach, as well as several support staff changes. In all, the Husker coaching staff now includes a pair of coaches with over 300 wins apiece in Molinari and Head Coach Tim Miles, the reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year.

*- One of the most well-respected teachers in college basketball, Molinari brings over three decades of Division I coaching experience to Nebraska, including 20 years of head coaching experience. He is a three-time conference coach of the year during his career, while he has guided nine teams to postseason play. In addition, he has been a member of 10 NCAA Tournament staffs during his 12 seasons as a Division I assistant coach. Prior to joining the staff, he served as head coach at Western Illinois for the past six seasons. He replaced Craig Smith, who was named head coach at South Dakota in April.

*- Other changes on the staff included moving Teddy Owens to director of basketball operations and the hiring of Brett Sapp (administrative coordinator) and Ali Farokhmanesh (graduate manager).

Going Bald for #AveryStrong
During the Huskers’ media day, a pair of Huskers shaved their heads in support of a good cause. Juniors Shavon Shields and Walter Pitchford went bald as a show of support to Avery Harriman, the son of Husker assistant coach Chris Harriman. Avery is in his third battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and underwent a Stem Cell Transplant in September. To learn more about Avery’s fight and for updates on his progress, visit Facebook.com/AveryStrong100.

A Hot Ticket 
Nebraska basketball has become one of the toughest tickets in the Big Ten since the program moved into Pinnacle Bank Arena last season. The Huskers established a school record for average attendance with 15,419 fans per game, breaking the previous mark of 13,357 set in 1992-93.

*- Nebraska ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 13th nationally. In all, seven of the top 17 nationally in average attendance are in the Big Ten. 

*- Nebraska averaged 5,067 more fans per game than in 2012-13, the largest single-season increase in college basketball in seven years. It is only the eighth time since 2000 that a school has increased its attendance average by at least 5,000 fans per game from the previous season. 

*- The Huskers rewarded the fans by going 15-1 in the first season at Pinnacle Bank Arena, its best home mark since the 1982-83 campaign.

*- For the 2014-15 season, ticket renewals were above 97 percent while the Red Zone season tickets were completely sold out in May.

Quick Notes
*- Under Tim Miles, one major emphasis is taking care of the basketball, and the Huskers have been solid at that over the last two years. NU’s two lowest turnover averages in school history have come under Tim Miles, as NU finished 10th nationally with 10.7 turnovers per game in 2012-13 and averaged 10.9 turnovers per game last season.

*- Terran Petteway’s 18.1 ppg scoring average is the highest by a Husker returnee since Aleks Maric averaged 18.5 ppg as a junior. Since World War II, only six returnees have averaged more points per game than Petteway’s sophomore season (Aleks Maric, Tyronn Lue, Dave Hoppen, Andre Smith, Jerry Fort and Stu Lantz).

*- With the return of Petteway and junior wing Shavon Shields (12.8 ppg), Nebraska welcomes back a pair of double-figure scorers for the first time since the 2003-04 season and for only the third time since 2000. 

*- Nebraska and Duke are the only programs currently ranked in the top 25 in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball.

Senior Smarts
All five members of the Husker senior class are on track to receive their degree during the 2014-15 season. Trevor Menke and Moses Abraham both graduated in May and are working on master’s degrees. In addition, Leslee Smith and Kye Kurkowski will both graduate this December with degrees in sociology and agricultural engineering, respectively. David Rivers is on track to graduate in May with a degree in ethnic studies and will graduate in four years.

Huskers Announce Fall Signees
University of Nebraska men’s basketball coach Tim Miles announced on Nov. 12 that three high school seniors have signed National Letters-of-Intent to join the Husker basketball program. The three-member class consists of guard Glynn Watson Jr. (Bellwood, Ill.) and forwards Michael Jacobson (Waukee, Iowa) and Edward Morrow Jr. (Chicago, Ill.). The trio all signed with the Huskers on Wednesday, the opening day of the fall signing period.

The class comes in as one of the most highly regarded in program history, as all three players are ranked among the top 200 players in the country by at least one recruiting service. Illinois natives Edward Morrow Jr. (No. 62) and Glynn Watson Jr. (No. 66) are both rated among the top 100 players by ESPN.com, marking the first time that Nebraska has signed a top 100 player out of high school going back to the mid-1990s. The three-member class has been ranked as high as 23rd nationally by 247Sports and 28th by Rivals.

“I’m extremely excited about our recruiting class,” Miles said. “When you look at these three young guys and the addition of Andrew White, I believe the future of Husker basketball is in good hands. These are guys who are driven to win, highly competitive and very talented, and they want to be at Nebraska and help build a winner. That is exactly what you want as a coach.”

Up Next
The Huskers host Central Arkansas on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Tipoff at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 7:05 p.m. and a limited number of tickets are available at Huskers.com or calling 800-8-BIGRED.

Lincoln – The Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball programs will join the annual U.S. Marines Toys for Tots Drive this Sunday, Nov. 16. The Husker men will host Northern Kentucky at 1 p.m., while the Husker women face Alcorn State at 5 p.m.

Husker fans are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys to the game, and cash donations for the cause will also be accepted. The Marines will be stationed near entrances throughout Pinnacle Bank Arena during both games to accept donations that will brighten the holiday season for needy children.

The Husker basketball Toys for Tots collection will be one of three co-sponsored by the Nebraska Athletic Department at Husker events during the month of November. The other events include the football game against Minnesota at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, and the Husker volleyball Senior Night matchup against Michigan at the Devaney Center on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m.

Toys for Tots Drive Events
Sunday, Nov. 16
Men’s Basketball vs. Northern Kentucky – 1 p.m. (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
Women’s Basketball vs. Alcorn State – 5 p.m. (Pinnacle Bank Arena)

Saturday, Nov. 22
Football vs. Minnesota – TBA (Memorial Stadium)
Volleyball vs. Michigan – 7 p.m. (Bob Devaney Sports Center)

The No. 16 Nebraska women’s basketball opens the 2014-15 regular season with back-to-back home games against Pepperdine (Saturday, 11 a.m.) and Alcorn State (Sunday, 5 p.m.) at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Tickets for both games can be purchased by visiting Huskers.com or by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED. Tickets also will be available at the Pinnacle Bank Arena Box Office before the game. Reserved seats are just $10, while adult general admission tickets are just $5. Youth and seniors receive discounted rates, while UNL students with ID are admitted free.

A live premium video stream of Nebraska’s opener with Pepperdine will be available from BTN Plus, while Sunday’s game against Alcorn State will be streamed live to HuskersNside subscribers. Free live audio of both games will be available at Huskers.com, featuring the Husker Sports Network radio broadcast of Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch.

The games can be heard over the air on 107.3 FM in Lincoln, 93.3 FM (Pepperdine) and 1110 KFAB (Alcorn State) in Omaha, and other stations across the network.

The Huskers have opened with a pair of solid exhibition wins over NCAA Division II top-10 opponents Wayne State (84-43) and Concordia-St. Paul (78-46). Nebraska returns four All-Big Ten starters who led the Big Red to a 26-7 record, a Big Ten Tournament title and the NCAA Tournament second round.

Honorable-mention AP All-American and first-team All-Big Ten point guard Rachel Theriot rejoins seniors Emily Cady (second-team All-Big Ten), Tear’a Laudermill (second-team All-Big Ten) and Hailie Sample (Big Ten All-Defensive) in 2014-15. Theriot, a 6-0 junior from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, claimed preseason first-team All-Big Ten honors after averaging 14.1 points and 7.1 assists per game as a sophomore. She averaged 18.7 points and a tournament-record 10.0 assists as the 2014 Big Ten Tournament MVP.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (26-7, 12-4 Big Ten)
3 – Hailie Sample – 6-1 – Sr. – F – 6.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg
23 – Emily Cady – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 12.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg
1 – Tear’a Laudermill – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 11.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg
13 – Brandi Jeffery – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 3.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg
33 – Rachel Theriot – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 14.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Off the Bench
22 – Allie Havers – 6-5 – So. – C – 3.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg
11 – Esther Ramacieri – 5-8 – So. – G – 0.2 ppg, 0.5 rpg
31 – Anya Kalenta – 6-3 – Jr. – F – JUCO
2 – Kaylee Page – 6-2 – Fr. – F – High School
5 – Natalie Romeo – 5-7 – Fr. – G – High School
12 – Emily Wood – 5-5 – Fr. – G – High School
30 – Chandler Smith – 6-0 – Fr. – G – High School
34 – Jasmine Cincore – 5-8 – Fr. – G – High School
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
13th Season at NU (241-142); 25th Season Overall (436-282)

Pepperdine Waves (6-25, 1-17 WCC)
24 – Krista Pettepier – 6-2 – So. – F – 2013-14 Redshirt
51 – Keitra Wallace – 5-11 – Jr. – G/F – 12.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg
10 – Bria Richardson – 5-8 – Sr. – G – 16.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg
11 – Ea Shoushtari – 5-8 – Sr. – G – 12.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg
22 – Allie Green – 5-10 – So. – G – 11.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Off the Bench
25 – Tessa Emerson – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 6.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg
44 – Kelsey Brockway – 6-1 – Jr. – F – 4.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg
2 – Layana White – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 2013-14 Redshirt
42 – Haley Videckis – 6-0 – So. – F – 2013-14 Redshirt
0 – Kameron Johnston – 5-8 – Fr. – G – High School
1 – Whitney Williams – 5-8 – So. – G – High School
3 – Kim Jacobs – 5-10 – Fr. – G – High School
14 – Devin Stanback – 6-3 – Fr. – C – High School
30 – Olivia Ogwumike – 5-11 – Fr. – G – High School
Head Coach: Ryan Weisenberg (Cal Poly, 1997)
2nd Season at Pepperdine (6-25); 2nd Season Overall (6-25)

Alcorn State Braves (8-22, 7-11 SWAC)
3 – Henrietta Wells – 6-2 – So. – F – 2.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg
32 – Angelica Wilson-Reid – 6-0 – So. – F – 7.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg
11 – Jasmine Cunningham – 5-8 – So. – G – 2.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg
20 – Olivia Brown – 5-7 – Jr. – G – JUCO
21 – Ashton McNichols – 5-6 – Sr. – G – 8.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg
Off the Bench
10 – Lindsey Littlejohn – 5-10 – Jr. – G – 2.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg
14 – Shaqueria Dubose – 5-4 – Fr. – G – High School
15 – Ather Cep – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 1.5 ppg, 0.8 rpg
22 – Lauren Turner – 5-9 – Fr. – G – High School
23 – Zhane Stigler – 5-8 – Fr. – G – High School
24 – Jazmin Strane – 6-0 – Jr. – G – JUCO
30 – Dayshanay Russell – 6-1 – Jr. – F – JUCO
44 – Misha Jones 6-4 Sr. F 3.4 4.1
Head Coach: Tonya Edwards (Tennessee, 1990)
7th Season at Alcorn (50-129); 7th Season Overall (50-129)

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 100 games over the past three years, 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, returning starters Cady, Sample and Laudermill and three-year contributor Jeffery 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 open 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.

Nebraska Opened Basketball Season with Big Red Tip-Off
The Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball programs hit the floor for the first time together on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at Big Red Tip-Off at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The fun family-friendly event included 15-minute scrimmages by both the men’s and women’s teams and a head-to-head three-point contest between the two programs.

Nebraska women’s basketball Coach Connie Yori and men’s basketball Coach Tim Miles both addressed the thousands of fans who filled the arena for the free event.

The two teams wrapped up the night with an autograph session at the arena.

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 their final exhibition game with Concordia-St. Paul on Sunday, Nov. 9, 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 Thursday, 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.

Scouting the Pepperdine Waves
Coach Ryan Weisenberg brings an experienced Pepperdine team to Lincoln for the 2014-15 season opener. The Waves return five starters from Weisenberg’s first Pepperdine squad that struggled to a 6-25 overall record last season, including a 1-17 mark and a 10th-place finish in the West Coast Conference.

Although they struggled to find wins last season, Pepperdine’s starting five were balanced and productive. Senior Bria Richardson averaged a team-best 16.9 points to go along with 3.7 rebounds per game. The 5-8 guard from Hawthorne, Calif., hit nearly 45 percent of her three-pointers, dished out 3.6 assists and notched 2.6 steals per game. Richardson started all 17 games she played before being sidelined by injury.

Fellow senior Ea Shoushtari gives the Waves an experienced backcourt. The 5-8 guard added 12.0 points and 6.7 rebounds while leading the team with 95 assists (3.1 apg). Shoushtari also hit a team-best 59 threes (.324) while playing a team-high 35.1 minutes per contest.

Sophomore Allie Green also returns to the Wave backcourt. The 5-10 guard contributed 11.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while hitting 25 threes last season. Keitra Wallace, a 5-11 junior, added 12.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season. A slasher, Wallace hit just eight threes on the year but attempted a team-best 196 free throws.

The Waves add another experienced starter in Tessa Emerson. The 6-2 senior forward/center averaged 6.0 points and and 2.8 rebounds per game while making 21 starts. Kelsey Brockway, a 6-1 junior forward, added 4.5 points and 4.3 boards per game last year, while earning 17 starts.

While Emerson and Brockway return inside, sophomore Krista Pettepier earned a start in Pepperdine’s exhibition win over Cal State Dominguez Hills on Nov. 8. The 6-2 forward from Ankeny, Iowa – the same hometown as Nebraska Head Coach Connie Yori – sat out as a transfer to Pepperdine last year after playing her freshman season at Pittsburgh. Pettepier had a game-high 14 rebounds in the Waves’ 79-68 win over CSU Dominguez Hills.

Richards led Pepperdine against CSU Dominguez Hills with 21 points, five assists and four steals, while Wallace added 18 points and eight boards. Green contributed a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards, while Shoushtari rounded out the starting five with nine points and five assists.

Kim Jacobs, a 5-10 freshman guard, was the only newcomer to play in the exhibition. Jacobs hit all four of her shots from the field, including a pair of threes to finish with 11 points in 13 minutes.

The Waves’ class of newcomers is highly regarded, led by Devin Stanback from Chaminade High School in California. The 6-3 freshman was a finalist for Ms. Basketball in California and a second-team All-CIF pick. She had 27 points and 10 rebounds in a state championship game win over power Archbishop Mitty.

Stanback is one of four freshmen on the Pepperdine roster, including Jacobs, Kameron Johnston and Olivia Ogwumike, the younger sister of WNBA All-Stars Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike. The Waves also gain the services of Pac-12 transfers Layana White (Arizona) and Haley Videckis (Arizona State) who redshirted last season with the Waves.

Last year, the Waves averaged just 64.4 points, while surrendering 75.6 points per game. Pepperdine hit just 38.3 percent of its shots from the floor, including 32.6 percent of its threes. The Waves were outrebounded by an average of six boards per contest and were a minus-0.8 in turnovers per game. They were a solid 70.2 percent at the free throw line.

Nebraska vs. Pepperdine History
Nebraska will meet Pepperdine for the first time since Nov. 27, 1993, when the two teams go head-to-head Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Huskers own a 2-1 lead in the series, including a 68-50 win over the Waves at the Devaney Center in the last meeting.

NU defeated Pepperdine 102-89 in Malibu in the first meeting on Jan. 11, 1984, before dropping a 65-63 decision to the Waves in California on Dec. 28, 1991.

Scouting Alcorn State Lady Braves
Nebraska will face Alcorn State for the first time in school history when the two teams meet on Sunday at 5 p.m. The Lady Braves open their season with a Saturday afternoon contest at Nebraska-Omaha before coming to Lincoln.

In her seventh season, Coach Tonya Edwards guides an experienced group of four returning starters for Alcorn State. The Lady Braves will be led by senior guard Ashton McNichols, who averaged 8.6 points and 3.8 boards per game last season. Sophomore Jasmine Cunningham, another returning starter, added 2.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Inside, sophomore forward Angelica Wilson-Reid averaged 7.0 points and a team-best 6.3 rebounds per game last season, while fellow sophomore Henrietta Wells contributed 2.8 points and 3.7 boards.

Those four returning starters are likely to be joined in the starting five by junior college transfer Olivia Brown, who averaged 13 points per game as a guard at Eastern Oklahoma State last season. Freshman Shaqueria Dubose, who averaged 19 points per game at Houston Eisenhower High School last season, could also draw a start. Junior guard Lindsey Littlejohn, who is Alcorn State’s top returning three-point shooter, could also contend for a starting role.

Although Alcorn State returns solid production from a team that went 8-22 overall and 7-11 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference last season, the Lady Braves must replace sisters Tierro and Kierro Frost. Tierro averaged 18.1 points per game and hit a team-high 35 threes. She also attempted 240 free throws last season. Kierro pitched in 5.3 points per contest.

Husker Hot Shots – Nebraska’s Starting Five

#23, Emily Cady, 6-2, Sr., F, Seward, Neb. (12.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3.1 apg)
• One of the Big Ten’s most versatile forwards, Emily Cady earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2014. She joined Hailie Sample in sharing Nebraska’s Kathy Branchaud Most Improved Rebounder Award for the second straight season, while Cady also claimed the team’s Husker Award.

• Cady produced double-doubles in both of NU’s exhibition wins, averaging 15 points, 12 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 20.5 minutes per game.

• 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. She ranked 24th overall 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 her 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio trailing only Husker point guard Rachel Theriot (2.7) and Iowa point guard Samantha Logic (2.2). Cady also ranked eighth in conference play in assists (4.1 apg). She had eight double-doubles in 16 conference games.

• Cady enters her senior season with 1,054 points, 787 rebounds, 219 assists and 109 steals. She is just the third player in Nebraska history with 1,000 points, 700 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 career steals, joining Maurtice Ivy and Anna DeForge.

• Cady ranks 10th in NU history with 85 career blocks. She needs three 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 enters her senior season in 2014-15 tied for fifth with Janet Smith (1979-82) with 22 career double-doubles. Cady notched 14 double-doubles as a junior and needs 18 double-doubles as a senior to match the Husker record of 40 held by Jordan Hooper (2011-14) and Kelsey Griffin (2006-10).

• Cady’s 1,054 career points rank No. 25 in Husker history. She is just 47 points away from joining NU’s top 20, and 230 points away from the No. 15 spot on the Husker career list (Janet Smith, 1,284).

• Cady enters her senior season ranked seventh all-time at Nebraska with 787 rebounds. She has averaged nearly 263 rebounds per season in her first three years on the court and needs 213 boards to become the fifth Husker in history with 1,000 rebounds, joining 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 (14.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 7.1 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 averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in a pair of Nebraska exhibition wins to open 2014-15.

• 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 335 career assists rank ninth in Husker history. She needs 109 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.

• In Nebraska’s final 11 games of 2013-14, Theriot averaged 17.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. She produced four 20-point efforts and three double-digit assist marks during the stretch. She also had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.5-to-1 (90-26).

• 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, pushing her career total to 30. 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. (11.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.2 spg)
• 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.

• She averaged 10.5 points, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in Nebraska’s exhibition wins.

• Over the last 17 games of 2013-14, Laudermill scored in double figures 13 times after managing double digits 11 times in her first 77 games, including just four times in her first two seasons at NU. She produced 20 double-digit games in 2013-14 to push her career total to 24.

• 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. 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 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.

• Laudermill is Nebraska’s No. 1 active career three-point shooter with 99 makes, which ranks 10th on the Husker career list. Her 62 threes in 2013-14 ranked third by a junior in school history trailing only Jordan Hooper (2012-13) and Kiera Hardy (2005-06), who share the junior single-season record with 81.

#3, Hailie Sample, 6-0, Sr., F, Flower Mound, Texas (6.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)
• Hailie Sample earned a spot on the 2014 Big Ten All-Defensive Team. She was Nebraska’s Defensive MVP in 2013-14 and joined Emily Cady as the Kathy Branchaud Most Improved Rebounder Award winner for the second straight season.

• Sample enters her senior season having started 100 consecutive games alongside Cady.

• Sample averaged 5.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.5 steals in NU’s two exhibition wins.

• She produced her third career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the 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.

• Sample averaged 7.5 points and a team-leading 10.0 rebounds in the Big Ten Tournament. Her 30 total rebounds and 16 offensive boards led the tournament.

• Sample’s 15 rebounds in the 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 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 produced double figures in points nine times in 2013-14, and enters her senior season with 15 career double-digit scoring games. She also owns six career double-figure rebound games, including three in 2013-14.

• Sample enters her senior season ranked No. 26 on the Nebraska career rebound list with 495.

#13, Brandi Jeffery, 5-7, Sr., G, Vacherie, La. (3.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.3 apg)
• Jeffery enters her senior season with 95 career games played and nine career starts. One of four seniors on the roster, including Emily Cady, Hailie Sample and Tear’a Laudermill, Jeffery has helped the Huskers to a 75-25 record and three NCAA Tournaments over the past three seasons.

• Off to a strong start in 2014-15, Jeffery is averaging 11.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 4.0 steals in 24.5 minutes in a pair of exhibition starts.

• She hit 9-of-17 field goals, including 2-of-6 threes in exhibition play.

• Jeffery needs just five assists to reach 100 for her career.

• She owns 47 career three-pointers.

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 2013-14 recruiting class is ranked No. 9 nationally by ESPN.

• 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 (241 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.

Lincoln – University of Nebraska men’s basketball coach Tim Miles announced Wednesday evening that three high school seniors have signed National Letters-of-Intent to join the Husker basketball program.

The three-member class consists of guard Glynn Watson Jr. (Dellwood, Ill.) and forwards Michael Jacobson (Waukee, Iowa) and Edward Morrow Jr. (Chicago, Ill.). The trio all signed with the Huskerson Wednesday, the opening day of the fall signing period.

The class comes in as one of the most highly regarded in program history, as all three players are ranked among the top 200 players in the country by at least one recruiting service. Illinois natives Edward Morrow Jr. (No. 62) and Glynn Watson Jr. (No. 66) are both rated among the top 100 players by ESPN.com, marking the first time that Nebraska has signed a top 100 player out of high school going back to the mid-1990s.

For Tim Miles, this year’s recruiting class is another important step for building the Husker basketball program, as Nebraska looks to continue momentum after reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and selling out the first season at Pinnacle Bank Arena. All three members of the class are from the Midwest, and Nebraska’s move into the Big Ten has brought more exposure to the program in the region. The three signees will join transfer Kansas transfer Andrew White, who was a top-50 player coming out of high school, as newcomers on the 2015-16 Nebraska roster, as the Huskers look to replace a trio of seniors.

“I’m extremely excited about our recruiting class,” Miles said. “When you look at these three young guys and the addition of Andrew White, I believe the future of Husker basketball is in good hands. These are guys who are driven to win, highly competitive and very talented, and they want to be at Nebraska and help build a winner. That is exactly what you want as a coach.”

The No. 21 Huskers open the 2014-15 season against Northern Kentucky on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m.

Player                               Pos.      Ht.          Wt.         Hometown                   High School
Michael Jacobson          F            6-8          220         Waukee, Iowa               Waukee High School
Edward Morrow Jr.        F            6-7          215         Chicago, Ill.                    Simeon Career Academy
Glynn Watson Jr.            G           5-11        160         Dellwood, Ill.                 Saint Joseph High School

Michael Jacobson
Michael Jacobson comes to Nebraska from Waukee, Iowa, where he is one of the top prospects in the Midwest in the class of 2015. A three-year starter for Head Coach Justin Ohl at Waukee High School, Jacobson is ranked among the top 200 players in the nation by some recruiting services and is rated the top player in the state of Iowa by 247Sports. He is a consensus three-star selection by Rivals, Scout and 247Sports. As a junior, he earned second-team all-state honors from the Des Moines Register and first-team All-Central Iowa Metropolitan League accolades, averaging 17.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. A very smooth shooter for his size, Jacobson also shot 81.4 percent from the foul line and averaged nearly a 3-pointer per game that season.  As a sophomore, he was a Class 4A all-state pick, averaging 14.6 points and 10.5 rebounds while totaling more than 70 blocked shots. Over the summer, he played for the MoKan Elite program for Coach Rodney Perry and is one of five players from the program signing Division I scholarships during the fall signing period. Jacobson was recruited by Iowa, Iowa State, Harvard, Princeton, and UTEP among others and also by Iowa State in football before selecting Nebraska. He is the starting tight end at Waukee High School which has advanced to the semifinals of the Class 4A playoffs in 2014. An exceptional student, Jacobson has a 3.96 GPA entering his senior season.  Michael is the son of Bill and Katie Jacobson. His father, Bill, played college basketball at the University of Nebraska at Omaha for four seasons (1983-86), helping the Mavericks to a pair of Division II playoff appearances during his career. The elder Jacobson was also a three-time Academic North Central Conference selection at UNO.

Miles on Michael Jacobson:
“Michael is a highly-skilled player who played for a premier AAU program with the MoKan Elite. He is well prepared by his high school coach Justin Ohl, who was a college player and coach. Michael has 3-point range, makes free throws and has a knack for rebounding and steals. He has great size and could be taller than we thought. His dad played basketball at UNO, so the Nebraska connection continues with the Jacobson family, and we are happy to have Michael join us.”

Edward Morrow Jr.
Edward Morrow Jr. is one of two highly regarded signees from the state of Illinois in Nebraska’s fall signing class. He hails from national power Simeon Career Academy in Chicago where he plays for Coach Robert Smith. The 6-foot-7 forward is one of the top players in the class of 2014, checking in at No. 62 nationally on ESPN’s top 100 list and is the highest-rated high school recruit Nebraska has signed in nearly two decades. He is considered a four-star recruit by Rivals and is rated among the nation’s top 150 players by the site. He was selected to for the Lebron James Skills Academy, which featured 80 of the top high school players in the nation, in the summer of 2014.  Simeon returns four starters, including three players expected to sign with Big Ten programs this week, and enters the 2014-15 season ranked 12th in USA Today Super 25 Preseason Poll. As a junior, Morrow helped the school go 23-4 in his first season as a starter, averaging 17 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots per game. Despite being undersized in the post, he turned in a 24-point effort on Jahlil Okafor, the No. 1 player in the 2014 class, and had 22 points against Cliff Alexander, who was the No. 3 player in the 2014 class.  For his efforts, he was a second-team All-City honoree by the Chicago Sun Times and a second-team all-state pick by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette. As a sophomore, he came off the bench and played a significant role for a team which went 30-3, won its fourth consecutive Class 4A state title and finished fifth in the country. He played behind five senior starters in 2012-13, including Milwaukee Bucks rookie Jabari Parker.  Morrow played for the Mac Irvin Fire AAU program and Coach Mike Irvin, averaging 14.1 points on 68 percent shooting, 7.6 rebounds and 1.8 rebounds per game in the Nike EYBL last summer. Morrow also helped lead the Mac Irvin Fire to the Las Vegas Classic in July of 2014, as the program featured six Division I signees. Edward, who selected Nebraska over Iowa, is the son of Ed Sr. and Nafeesah Brown, as both of his parents were student-athletes at Nebraska. Ed Sr. played football for Tom Osborne and was a member of the Huskers’ 1994 national title team, while Nafeesah played three seasons for the Husker women’s basketball program, totaling 1,089 points and 574 rebounds. As a senior, she averaged 20.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game to earn first-team All-Big Eight honors.

Miles on Edward Morrow Jr.:
“The Morrow legacy continues and we are truly excited about that. Nafeesah and Ed Sr. were both student-athletes at Nebraska, and Nafeesah had an outstanding basketball career for the Huskers. Edward has such a great motor and a high ceiling. He is only going to improve and get better and better. He is a young guy who is dying to get better. He makes such an impact on the game, not only with his athleticism and his ability, but has a strong willpower. He runs the floor and rebounds, guards the opponent’s best player and make plays on the glass and in transition. I’m excited to have him in our program and help him become the player he wants to be. Being a part of Simeon Career Academy and being coached by Robert Smith and playing for the Mac Irvin Fire means he is among the elite. Simeon is one of the best high school basketball programs in the country, and Coach Smith will have him ready to play at this level.”

Glynn Watson Jr.
One of the nation’s top senior point guards, Glynn Watson Jr. hails from Dellwood, Ill., where he plays for legendary high school coach Gene Pingatore at Saint Joseph High School in Westchester, Ill. A consensus four-star prospect, Watson is ranked among the top 100 players in the country by every recruiting service and is ranked as high as 63rd nationally by Scout.com, which also ranks him as the sixth-best point guard in the class of 2015, and No. 66 on ESPN.com’s top-100 seniors. Watson earned an invitation to the USA men’s U18 National Team training camp in the summer of 2014. He joins fellow Big Ten signee Jordan Ash (Northwestern) in the St. Joseph backcourt in 2014-15 that is among the best in the state of Illinois. Watson, who is considered one of the top five players in the state of Illinois, earned third-team Class 3A all-state honors from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and all-state special mention by the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette during his junior season. A first-team all-Catholic League pick, Watson averaged 15 points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals per game, while leading St. Joseph to a 25-8 record and the Class 3A Sectional semifinals in 2013-14. As a sophomore, he garnered honorable-mention Chicago Catholic League honors in his first season as a starter, helping St. Joseph to an 18-13 record and a sectional finals appearance. Watson also played for the Illinois Wolves and Head Coach Mike Mullins. He continues a tradition of strong guard play in his family as older brothers, Demetri and DeAndre McCamey, both also starred at St. Joseph. Demetri was a three-time All-Big Ten pick, earning first-team honors in 2009-10 before playing in Australia.  St. Joseph High School has the distinction of being the only school which has produced a pair of 1,000-point scorers for Nebraska, as Clifford Scales (1988-91) and Carl Hayes (1990-92) both played for Pingatore as he begins his 44th season at the school. The pair both scored 1,136 points at Nebraska and played major roles in the Huskers’ school-record 26-win team in 1990-91. Watson also looked at Creighton, Maryland, Purdue, Tennessee and West Virginia before choosing Nebraska. Glynn is the son of Glynn Watson Sr. and Sabrina Watson.

Miles on Glynn Watson Jr.:
“Glynn is a true difference maker. He is a playmaking point guard who knows how to make winning plays. He made numerous game-winning shots in high-level events on the summer circuit and really impressed me. Defensively, he has great hands and quickness. Offensively, he makes shots, makes plays and really has a knack to make his teammates better. Glynn played for the legendary Gene Pingatore at Saint Joseph High School, the same school that produced Isiah Thomas, Demetri McCamey and many other point guards. Playing at St. Joseph and for the Illinois Wolves program, we know he will be well prepared when he comes to Nebraska.”