2006-07 Schedule/Results Date Opponent Time/Result Nov. 1 Nebraska-Kearney (exhibition) W, 122-55 Nov. 4 Nebraska-Omaha (exhibition) W, 97-59 Nov. 10-13 Veterans Day Classic (Tempe, Ariz.) Nov. 10 at #13 Arizona State L, 60-87 Nov. 12 vs. Florida Atlantic W, 93-53 Nov. 13 vs. #18 New Mexico W, 66-59 Nov. 17 Cal State Fullerton (Read to Succeed) 7:05 p.m. Nov. 24 at UC Irvine 9 p.m. Nov. 26 at #19 USC 4 p.m. Nov. 28 Texas-Pan American 7:05 p.m. Dec. 5 Minnesota 7:05 p.m. Dec. 9 Michigan (Toys for Tots) 7:05 p.m. Dec. 16 Northwestern 4:05 p.m. Dec. 19 at Creighton (Civic Auditorium) 7:05 p.m. Dec. 21 Nicholls State 7:05 p.m. Dec. 28-29 State Farm Classic (Gainesville, Fla.) Dec. 28 vs. NC State 3:30 p.m. Dec. 29 vs. Florida/Alabama State 3:30/6 p.m. Jan. 3 at #25 Texas ^ 7 p.m. Jan. 6 #3 Oklahoma ^ 2:05 p.m. Jan. 13 at Kansas ^ 7 p.m. Jan. 17 Kansas State ^ 7:05 p.m. Jan. 20 at Missouri ^ 1 p.m. Jan. 24 at #13 Texas A&M ^ 7 p.m. Jan. 27 Kansas ^ 7:05 p.m. Jan. 31 Iowa State ^ 7:05 p.m. Feb. 3 #16 Baylor ^ (FSN) (Red Cross) 2:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at Kansas State ^ (FSN Midwest) 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at Colorado (FSN) 3 p.m. Feb. 14 Texas Tech ^ 7:05 p.m. Feb. 17 Missouri ^ 7:05 p.m. Feb. 20 at Iowa State ^ (FSN Midwest) 7 p.m. Feb. 24 at Oklahoma State ^ 7 p.m. Feb. 27 Colorado ^ (Senior Night) 7:05 p.m. March 6-10 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship (COX Convention Center - Oklahoma City, Okla.) All times listed are Central. ^- Denotes Big 12 Conference game. All Nebraska games can be heard live on the Husker Sports Network and Huskers.com. Home games in bold at the Devaney Center. 2006-07 WOMEN S BASKETBALL SID Contact: Jeff Griesch Office Phone: (402) 472-7775 Cell Phone: (402) 540-0279 Fax Number: (402) 472-2005 E-Mail: jgriesch@huskers.com This Week in Husker Women s Basketball Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-1) vs. Cal State Fullerton Titans (1-1) Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595) Lincoln, Neb. Friday, Nov. 17 7:05 p.m. Read to Succeed Book Drive Radio: Husker Sports Network (98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln/Huskers.com) Series Record: Nebraska leads, 4-2 Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 78-60, Dec. 11, 2002, Fullerton, Calif. Huskers Host Titans in Regular-Season Home Opener Fresh off one of its biggest regular-season non-conference wins in school history, the Nebraska women s basketball team will play host to Cal State Fullerton in its home opener on Friday, Nov. 17 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. with live radio coverage provided by the Husker Sports Network, including 98.1-FM KFGE in Lincoln and worldwide on Huskers.com with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action. Nebraska (2-1) returns home after a successful trip to Tempe, Ariz., for the Veterans Day Classic (Nov. 10-13). After suffering an 87-60 loss at No. 13 Arizona State in the opener, the Huskers rebounded with a 93-53 victory over Florida Atlantic before knocking off No. 18 New Mexico, 66-59, on Monday afternoon. The Huskers win over the Lobos marked Nebraska s first non-conference road win over a ranked opponent since Nov. 20, 1997, when NU upset No. 16 Western Kentucky in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT in Storrs, Conn. Kelsey Griffin earned a spot on the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament team. The 6-2 sophomore forward from Eagle River, Alaska, averaged 15.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in three contests, including her fourth career double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds in the win over New Mexico. Senior forward Jelena Spiric also claimed a spot on the all-tournament team after scoring 13 points and grabbing five rebounds against the Lobos. For the tournament, Spiric averaged 8.3 points and 4.0 boards per game. Senior guard Kiera Hardy also played a major role in the Huskers victory over New Mexico. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., scored the final eight points of the first half to turn a five-point NU deficit into a three-point halftime lead. She added eight more points in the second half to finish with 16 points and four rebounds. Hardy hit a trio of three-pointers on the day to increase her career total to 201, becoming just the 12th player in Big 12 Conference history to achieve the 200 career mark. She also moved up to ninth on NU s all-time scoring list with 1,445 points. Cal State Fullerton comes to Lincoln with a 1-1 record. After opening the season with a 69-52 win at San Jose State on Nov. 11, the Titans opened a three-game Midwest road swing with an 85-62 loss to Iowa State in Ames on Wednesday. The Titans conclude the trip at Drake on Sunday, Nov. 19. 2006-07 Nebraska Cornhuskers No. Name Pos. Ht. Cl. Hometown (High School/Other School) Worth Noting 2 Ashley Ford G 5-7 Sr. Lincoln, Neb. (Northeast/Cloud County CC) Career-high seven points with four assists against Florida Atlantic 4 Jelena Spiric F 6-0 Sr. Belgrade, Serbia (The V Belgrade/Colby CC) 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year; Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament 11 Nicole Neals G 5-6 Fr. Chandler, Ariz. (St. Mary s) 5.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.0 spg; Leads freshmen in mpg 12 TK LaFleur G 5-8 So. Houston, Texas (Warren Township, Ill.) Career highs with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists vs. Fla. Atlantic 13 Kala Kuhlmann G 5-8 Fr. Charter Oak, Iowa (Charter Oak-Ute) Iowa Female Athlete of the Year; 2,337 points 21 Kiera Hardy G 5-6 Sr. Kansas City, Mo. (O Hara) Preseason All-American; Two-Time First-Team All-Big 12; 1,445 points 22 Yvonne Turner G 5-8 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Bellevue East) WBCA High School All-American; 6 assists vs. Florida Atlantic 23 Kelsey Griffin F 6-2 So. Eagle River, Alaska (Chugiak) Dallas Morning News Big 12 Freshman of the Year; 15.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg 40 Cory Montgomery F 6-2 Fr. Cannon Falls, Minn. (Cannon Falls) 9.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, Five-Time High School Team MVP 42 Nikki Bober C 6-4 Fr. Murdock, Neb. (Elmwood-Murdock) 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in college debut vs. Fla. Atlantic 45 Chelsea Aubry F 6-2 Sr. Kitchener, Ontario (Grand River Collegiate Institute) Played for Canadian National Team at 2006 World Championships 52 Danielle Page F 6-2 Jr. Monument, Colo. (Lewis-Palmer) Recovered from late-june ACL Injury; No. 7 on NU s All-Time Block List Head Coach: Connie Yori, Fifth Year (Creighton, 1986), 260-200 (17th season overall) 65-60 (Fifth season at Nebraska) Assistant Coaches: LaKale Malone, Fourth Year (Indiana, 1999); Sunny Smallwood, Second Year (Boise State, 1983); Tory Verdi, Second Year (Keene State, 1996) Director of Operations: Angela Timmons, Fifth Year (Creighton, 2001); Administrative Assistant/Video Coordinator: Steph Clark, Third Year (Creighton, 1993)
Nebraska Women s Basketball Game Notes Page 2 Cal State Fullerton Nov. 17, 2006 Huskers.com Friday s Starting Lineups Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-1) No. Player Ht. Yr. Pos. PPG RPG 4 Jelena Spiric 6-0 Sr. F 8.3 4.0 23 Kelsey Griffin 6-2 So. F 15.7 8.7 45 Chelsea Aubry 6-2 Sr. F 5.7 2.7 2 Ashley Ford 5-7 Sr. G 3.0 1.0 21 Kiera Hardy 5-6 Sr. G 9.7 3.3 Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986) Fifth Season at NU (65-60); 17th Season Overall (260-200) Cal State Fullerton Titans (1-1) No. Player Ht. Yr. Pos. PPG RPG 23 Charlee Underwood 5-10 Sr. G/F 20.0 3.0 32 Ariel Adams 6-0 Sr. F 7.0 5.5 44 Toni Thomas 5-11 So. C 18.5 9.5 14 Audrey Taylor 5-5 Sr. G 7.0 4.0 22 India McDaniel 5-7 Sr. G 7.5 6.0 Head Coach: Dr. Maryalyce Jeremiah (Cedarville, 1965) 11th Season at CSF (141-151); 27th Season Overall (404-296) Inside the Numbers (NU vs. CSF) Nebraska CSF Scoring Average 73.0 65.5 Opponent Scoring Average 66.3 68.5 Scoring Margin +6.7-3.0 Field Goal Percentage 47.0% 37.1% Opponent FG Percentage 40.4% 40.4% 3FG Percentage 32.4% 37.5% Opponent 3FG Percentage 28.6% 38.5% Free Throw Percentage 68.1% 72.7% Rebound Margin +2.7 +4.0 Assists Per Game 16.0 16.0 Turnovers Per Game 22.7 15.0 Blocks Per Game 1.3 2.0 Steals Per Game 9.0 7.0 Nebraska vs. Cal State Fullerton Series History Nebraska Leads, 4-2 Date Score Site Dec. 11, 2002 W, 78-60 Devaney Center Dec. 29, 2001 W, 89-55 Fullerton, Calif. Dec. 30, 1991 W, 77-67 Malibu, Calif. Jan. 4, 1982 L, 87-91 (OT) Fullerton, Calif. Dec. 11, 1978 W, 59-48 Devaney Center Jan. 13, 1977 L, 46-63 Fullerton, Calif. Huskers Knock Off No. 18 New Mexico in Arizona Kelsey Griffin notched the fourth double-double of her career, while Kiera Hardy and Jelena Spiric each added double figures to power Nebraska to a 66-59 victory over No. 18 New Mexico at the Veterans Day Classic at Wells Fargo Arena on Monday. Griffin finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, including 11 points and nine boards in the second half to lead the Huskers. Hardy added 16 points, including an eight-point run to the close the first half and put NU in the lead. Spiric added 13 points and five rebounds in a strong effort to help the Huskers improve to 2-1 on the season with their only loss at No. 13 Arizona State on Nov. 10. Nebraska s victory over the No. 18 Lobos was the Huskers first over a top-25 team on the road in non-conference play since beating No. 16 Western Kentucky in the semifinals of the Preseason WNIT in Storrs, Conn., in 1997. Wow, what a great game. Kelsey played a great game, Jelena played a great game, Kiera played a great game - everybody played a great game for us, Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. Kiera gave us a big lift to close the first half and then we just wouldn t give in when New Mexico came back. Kelsey and Jelena played really big for us in the second half. For the game, Nebraska shot 40 percent (22-55) from the field, including 30 percent (6-20) from three-point range. NU also hit 16-of-25 free throws. The Huskers also won the battle of the boards, 44-41. NU forced 15 Lobo turnovers, but committed 18 miscues on the day. Nebraska s solid defense held New Mexico to just 35 percent (21-60) shooting from the field, including just 28.6 percent (6-21) from three-point range. The Lobos also struggled at the line, hitting just 11-of-22 free throws. Dionne Marsh led the Lobos with 16 points and six rebounds, while Brandi Kimble added 12 points and eight boards. Julie Briody contributed 11 points and six rebounds in a losing effort. Lincoln native Katie Montgomery, the nation s second-leading three-point shooter in 2005-06, connected on just 2-of-10 three-pointers on the day. Hardy sparked the Huskers late in the first half by scoring eight straight points to shoot Nebraska to a 33-30 lead. Hardy s 200th career three-pointer gave NU a 31-30 lead with just over one minute left in the opening period, after knocking down her first three-pointer of the game a minute earlier to cut into New Mexico s 30-25 lead. Hardy s landmark three-pointer made her just the 12th player in Big 12 Conference history to reach the 200 mark. Hardy also moved up to No. 9 on NU s all-time scoring list during her eight-point eruption. The 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., capped her outburst with a jumper with 32 seconds left to give the Huskers their biggest lead of the half. New Mexico s five-point lead before Hardy s streak was the Lobos largest in a game that remained a two-possession game for the first 33 minutes of action. Hardy hit her third three-pointer of the game with just under 12 minutes left in the game to push NU s lead to 46-42, before knocking down a jumper to extend NU s lead to five at 51-46 with just over eight minutes to play. Spiric made it a three-possession game for the first time by scoring four straight points to give NU a 55-48 lead with seven minutes left. The lead grew to eight points when Griffin scored four straight points to give the Huskers a 59-51 advantage with 3:24 left. Spiric pushed the NU lead to 10 points for the only time with a pair of free throws with 53 seconds left. Scouting Cal State Fullerton Cal State Fullerton heads into Friday night s matchup with the Huskers carrying a 1-1 record after an 85-62 loss to Iowa State in Ames on Wednesday night. The Titans opened the season with a 69-52 victory at San Jose State on Nov. 11. Wednesday s game at Hilton Coliseum opened a three-game Midwest road trip for the Titans, who return to Iowa to take on Drake in Des Moines on Nov. 19. Cal State Fullerton opens the season with six consecutive road games, traveling to Bozeman, Mont., for a pair of games at the Wingate Inn Thanksgiving Classic next weekend before opening its home schedule against Fresno State on Nov. 28. The undersized Titans are led by 5-10 senior swing player Charlee Underwood, who made her first appearance of the season against the Cyclones. Underwood finished with 20 points, including six three-pointers against ISU. Underwood has scored 946 points in her career and needs just three points against NU to move up to No. 17 on CSF s career scoring list. Toni Thomas, a 5-11 sophomore center, has added 18.5 points and a team-leading 9.5 rebounds per game. Nov. 14 - Tuesday Nov. 15 - Wednesday Nov. 16 - Thursday Nov. 17 - Friday Nov. 18 - Saturday Nov. 19 - Sunday Nov. 20 - Monday No Practice Practice Devaney Center 3-6 p.m. Practice Devaney Center 6-9 p.m. GAME DAY Cal State Fullerton Devaney Center 7:05 p.m. Practice Devaney Center 9 a.m.-noon No Practice Practice Mabel Lee Hall 2:45-5:45 p.m. Radio: Husker Sports Network (98.1-FM KFGE) Huskers.com
Nebraska Women s Basketball Game Notes Page 3 Cal State Fullerton Nov. 17, 2006 Huskers.com The 2006 Big West Freshman of the Year had 24 points and 11 boards in the win over San Jose State. Ariel Adams, a 6-0 senior forward, has added 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while 5-7 senior guard India McDaniel has contributed 7.5 points and 6.0 boards per game. Audrey Taylor, a 5-5 senior guard, rounds out CSF s probable starting lineup with 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. The Titans list only three players on their roster taller than 6-0, and none of them have played this season. Dr. Maryalyce Jeremiah is in her fourth season as the head coach of the Titans since returning to the sideline in Fullerton before the 2003-04 season. Jeremiah is in her 11th season overall as the coach of the Titans, after leading the program from 1985-86 to 1991-92. She stepped away from the sideline to serve as the Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator from 1992 to 2002. She was also the chairwoman of the NCAA Division I Basketball Committee from 2000 to 2002. CSF s all-time winningest coach with a 141-151 record at the school, Jeremiah spent five years as the head coach at Indiana from 1980-81 to 1984-85. She was the Big Ten Coach of the Year for the Hoosiers in 1982-83. She went to Indiana after coaching Dayton to a combined record of 69-5 in 1978-79 and 1979-80. Her 1979-80 Dayton team posted a 36-2 record and she was named the AIAW National Coach of the Year. She began her career at her alma mater, Cedarville, as the head coach in 1969-70. Nebraska vs. Cal State Fullerton Series History Nebraska leads the all-time series with Cal State Fullerton, 4-2, including a 78-60 win over the Titans in Coach Connie Yori s first season with the Huskers in 2002-03. The win over the Titans on Dec. 11, 2002, in Lincoln, followed an 89-55 win over CSF in Fullerton on Dec. 29, 2001, in NU Coach Paul Sanderford s last season. Cal State Fullerton Coach Maryalyce Jeremiah has faced the Huskers one time. An Angela Beck-led NU team defeated the Titans 77-67 in Malibu, Calif., on Dec. 30, 1991. NU s win against CSF came the season following the Titans best year in school history. In 1990-91, Jeremiah led the Titans to a 25-8 mark and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Titans recorded a 63-46 win in the first meeting between the two teams on Jan. 13, 1977, in Fullerton. Nebraska rebounded with a 59-48 victory in Lincoln on Dec. 11, 1978, before CSF posted its only other win in the series with a 91-87 overtime victory in Fullerton on Jan. 4, 1982. Friday s game with the Titans will mark the third meeting in Lincoln, where the Huskers are a perfect 2-0 against Cal State Fullerton. Hardy Joins Big 12 s Three-Point Elite Kiera Hardy connected on 5-of-10 three-pointers in Nebraska s three-game trip to Arizona Nov. 10-13, moving herself into an elite class of shooters in Big 12 history. Hardy s second three-pointer in Nebraska s win over No. 18 New Mexico on Monday not only gave the Huskers a 31-30 lead, it was also her 200th career three-pointer, making her just the 12th player in Big 12 history to reach the 200 mark. Hardy hit one more three-pointer in the second half against the Lobos to push her school-record career total to 201. She needs just two more three-pointers to match former Colorado guard Jenny Roulier s career total of 203 from 1998-99 to 2001-02 for 11th on the all-time Big 12 charts. Hardy, who hit a school-record 85 three-pointers as a sophomore in 2004-05, and added 81 threes a year ago while leading the Big 12 with 2.53 made per game, could realistically climb to No. 2 on the all-time chart. Megan Taylor of Iowa State ranks second in league history with 287 career three-pointers as a four-year starter at Iowa State from 1998 to 2001. Laurie Koehn from Kansas State owns the Big 12 record with 392 three-pointers in her career from 2001 to 2005. Husker Pronunciation Guide Chelsea Aubry......................... O-bree Kiera Hardy....................... kee-air-uh Kala Kuhlmann.............. KAY-luh KOOL-man LaKale Malone....................... Luh-KAIL Jelena Spiric.............YELL-en-uh SPEER-itch Husker Homes The 12 members of the 2006-07 Husker women's basketball team come to Nebraska from three countries, including eight states across America. Alaska (1) Kelsey Griffin Arizona (1) Nicole Neals Colorado (1) Danielle Page Iowa (1) Kala Kuhlmann Minnesota (1) Nebraska (3) Missouri (1) Texas (1) Canada (1) Serbia (1) Cory Montgomery Nikki Bober Ashley Ford Yvonne Turner Kiera Hardy TK LaFleur Chelsea Aubry (Ontario) Jelena Spiric (Belgrade) Huskers By Class Senior (4) Chelsea Aubry Ashley Ford Kiera Hardy Jelena Spiric Junior (1) Danielle Page Sophomores (2) Kelsey Griffin TK LaFleur Freshmen (5) Nikki Bober Kala Kuhlmann Cory Montgomery Nicole Neals Yvonne Turner Huskers By Major Accounting Cory Montgomery Nebraska s 2006-07 Roster in Depth Players 2006-07 Statistics No. Player Ht. Cl. Pos. G-GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG 2 Ashley Ford 5-7 Sr. G 3-3 3.0 1.0 2.7 1.3 0.0 4 Jelena Spiric 6-0 Sr. F 3-3 8.3 4.0 2.7 0.0 0.3 11 Nicole Neals 5-6 Fr. G 3-0 5.3 1.0 0.3 1.0 0.0 12 TK LaFleur 5-8 So. G 3-0 6.7 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 13 Kala Kuhlmann 5-8 Fr. G 2-0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 21 Kiera Hardy 5-6 Sr. G 3-3 9.7 3.3 2.7 1.0 0.0 22 Yvonne Turner 5-8 Fr. G 3-0 1.7 1.7 2.0 0.7 0.3 23 Kelsey Griffin 6-2 So. F 3-3 15.7 8.7 0.7 1.7 0.3 40 Cory Montgomery 6-2 Fr. F 3-0 9.0 3.0 0.7 0.7 0.3 42 Nikki Bober 6-4 Fr. C 1-0 10.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 45 Chelsea Aubry 6-2 Sr. F 3-3 5.7 2.7 1.7 0.0 0.0 52 Danielle Page 6-2 Jr. F 3-0 4.0 4.7 0.7 1.7 0.0 Biochemistry (Graduate) Business Administration Communications Education Family and Consumer Science General Studies International Business Exercise, Nutrition, Health Promotion Jelena Spiric Nicole Neals Danielle Page Yvonne Turner Kiera Hardy Nikki Bober Kelsey Griffin Kala Kuhlmann Chelsea Aubry Ashley Ford TK LaFleur
Nebraska Women s Basketball Game Notes Page 4 Cal State Fullerton Nov. 17, 2006 Huskers.com Nebraska Quick Facts Institution...University of Nebraska Location...Lincoln, Neb. Population... 235,594 Founded... 1869 Nickname... Cornhuskers, Huskers Colors...Scarlet and Cream Home Arena...Bob Devaney Sports Center Capacity... 13,595 Conference...Big 12 Athletic Director... Steve Pederson 2006-07 Overall Record...2-1 Home Record...0-0 Away Record...0-1 Neutral Record...2-0 2005-06 Overall Record...19-13 Home Record...11-4 Away Record...6-7 Neutral Record...2-2 Head Coach...Connie Yori Alma Mater/Year...Creighton/1986 Record at Nebraska...Fifth season (65-60) Career Record...260-200 (17th season) NCAA Div. I Record...235-175 (15th season) Home Record...42-22 Big 12 Conference Record...24-40 Big 12 Home Record...15-17 Assistant Coaches... LaKale Malone...Sunny Smallwood, Tory Verdi Director of Operations... Angela Timmons Administrative Assistant...Steph Clark Graduate Assistant Manager...Tia Davis Strength Coach...Rusty Ruffcorn Athletic Trainer... Dawn Wedeking Basketball Office Phone... (402) 472-6462 Basketball Office Fax... (402) 472-0849 Women s Basketball Contact...Jeff Griesch Media Relations Office Phone... (402) 472-2263 Griesch s Direct Line... (402) 472-7775 Griesch s Cell Phone... (402) 540-0279 Griesch s Home Phone... (402) 328-8992 Griesch s E-mail... jgriesch@huskers.com Media Relations Fax... (402) 472-2005 Best Time to Contact Yori...Through Griesch Starters Returning/Lost...4/2 Letterwinners Returning/Lost...7/6 Newcomers... 5 Nebraska Women s Basketball Radio and Television Shows The Nebraska Women s Basketball Show with Coach Connie Yori and host Jeff Griesch, will air first on WOWT, Channel 6 in Omaha on Sunday nights and on Monday evenings on KOLN/KGIN Channels 10/11 in Lincoln and Grand Island. Coach Yori s radio show with host Matt Coatney will tip off on the Husker Sports Network on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. Hardy smashed Nebraska s three-point record with six three-pointers against Texas on Jan. 18. She finished the night with 158 threes in 75 games, shooting past current WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge s previous mark of 155 three-pointers in 117 career games. With seven three-pointers against Iowa on March 21, 2005, Hardy shares Nebraska s single-game record and has hit six or more three-pointers in a game on five occasions. Along with her prowess as a three-point shooter, Hardy is also one of the most prolific scorers in Nebraska history. Her 16-point performance against New Mexico increased her career total to 1,445 points to move into the No. 9 spot on the Huskers all-time list. Hardy needs 96 points to move into a tie for No. 8 on NU s career scoring list with Angie Miller, who produced 1,541 points from 1983-84 to 1986-87. Hardy scored a career-high 37 points in Nebraska s 103-99 triple overtime victory over eventual national champion Baylor on Jan. 12, 2005. It is one of three 30-point performances in Hardy s career. She has scored 20 or more points on 27 occasions in her 94-game career. Griffin Gets Sophomore Season Off to Strong Start After a record-breaking start to her Nebraska career in 2005-06, Kelsey Griffin produced an award-winning opening weekend to her sophomore season. The 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, earned a spot on the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament team by averaging 15.7 points and 8.7 rebounds to lead the Huskers to a 2-1 record that included a 66-59 win over No. 18 New Mexico on Nov. 13. In the win over the Lobos, Griffin produced her fourth career double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, including 11 points and nine boards in the second half alone. Griffin s effort allowed the Huskers to post their first road win over a top-25 non-conference opponent in nearly a decade. Griffin led the Huskers in scoring in two of three games at the Veterans Day Classic and produced Nebraska s top individual rebounding total in all three contests. She scored 17 points and grabbed seven boards in just 23 minutes against No. 13 Arizona State in the season opener, before adding 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting and seven rebounds in just 13 minutes in a romp past Florida Atlantic. Griffin is shooting a sizzling 70.8 percent (17-24) from the field, while connecting on 65 percent (13-20) of her free throw attempts. She added five steals and a block in the first three games. She has 471 points in 35 career games, and needs just 29 more points to reach the 500-point mark in her career. The Dallas Morning News 2006 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Griffin was one five players chosen to the coaches Big 12 All-Rookie team a year ago. She averaged 13.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game as a true freshman, despite being limited by illness during Nebraska s final nine games of the season. She also managed to battle through her condition to start all 32 games for the Huskers, becoming the first NU freshman since Meggan Yedsena in 1990-91 to start every game of her rookie campaign. Griffin is just the fourth Husker freshman in history to start every game in her first year. She finished the year with 424 points, to rank as the fourth-best total by a freshman in school history. Her 54.1 field goal percentage ranked third among all freshmen in school history, while her 121 made free throws set NU s freshman record. Griffin produced one of the best rookie performances in Nebraska history with 31 points and 14 rebounds in a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 27, 2005. She also tied the school record with 18 free throw attempts against the Islanders. She added 28 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high three blocked shots at Kansas State on Feb. 4. The 2005 Gatorade Alaska High School Player of the Year put up an even better performance in Nebraska s exhibition opener against Nebraska-Kearney to open her sophomore campaign on Nov. 1. Griffin poured in 35 points on 14-of-16 shooting from the field and pulled down 13 rebounds in just 22 minutes of action. Spiric Off to Solid Start in Senior Season Jelena Spiric made a successful return to the court at the Veterans Day Classic Nov. 10-13, after missing the entire 2005-06 season with a knee injury. The 6-0 senior from Belgrade, Serbia, earned a spot on the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament team with her 13-point, five-rebound performance in the Huskers 66-59 win over No. 18 New Mexico on Monday. For the tournament, Spiric averaged 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. She hit 62.5 percent (10-16) of her shots from the field. Spiric suffered a torn right ACL in practice on Oct. 18, 2005, just days after the start of fall practice. Spiric s injury sidelined her for the duration of her second season at Nebraska. An outstanding student and experienced international player, Spiric considered returning to Europe to pursue a professional career after earning her bachelor s degree as a biochemistry major in May of 2006. Spiric chose to return for her final season at Nebraska, and the Huskers are planning to make it a memorable one for the 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Spiric entered her final season at Nebraska in the best playing condition of her career and it showed in the Huskers 122-55 exhibition-opening win over Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 1. Spiric poured in 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, including a 2-for-4 night from three-point range, while adding four rebounds, four assists and three steals for the Huskers. She added 13 points and six boards in a 97-59 win over UNO.
Nebraska Women s Basketball Game Notes Page 5 Cal State Fullerton Nov. 17, 2006 Huskers.com As a junior in 2004-05, Spiric averaged 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on the year, but increased her averages to 9.3 points and 4.6 boards per game in conference action. Spiric was slowed at the start of her Nebraska career after suffering a torn left ACL in the final game of her junior college career at Colby Community College. Spiric earned NJCAA first-team All-America honors in her only season at Colby, averaging 15.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game. She opened her collegiate career at NCAA Division II UMass-Lowell, averaging 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game for the River Hawks as a freshman in 2002-03. Aubry, Ford Add Leadership to Husker Lineup Senior forward Chelsea Aubry and senior point guard Ashley Ford have been vocal leaders for the Huskers at both ends of the court for the Huskers at the start of 2006-07. Aubry, perhaps Nebraska s most experienced player with 61 career starts, is averaging 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. She played her best game of the young season with six points and seven rebounds in Nebraska s 66-59 win over No. 18 New Mexico on Nov. 13. The 6-2 forward has returned to her natural power forward position this season after unselfishly moving to the three spot last year to compensate for the loss of Jelena Spiric to a knee injury. Aubry s numbers suffered last season as she adjusted to the wing, but her role as a leader on the team became even more recognizable. In NU s three games in Arizona, Aubry showed her unselfishness on defense by stepping in to take repeated charges as one of the Huskers best interior defenders and rebounders. A three-year captain, Aubry played for the Canadian National Team at the 2006 World Championships in Brazil, after helping the Canadians earn a spot in the World Championship the previous summer. A member of Nebraska s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and an academic All-Big 12 performer in the classroom, Aubry participated in the NCAA Leadership Conference in 2005. Despite being NU s most inexperienced senior, Ford has also taken on a major leadership role for the Huskers this season. The 5-7 guard from Lincoln Northeast High School started NU s first three games and averaged 3.0 points, 1.0 rebound, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Ford has also proven herself as one of Nebraska s best all-around defenders, not only putting solid pressure on the ball, but hawking the passing lanes and stepping in to take repeated charges on defense. Page Making Miraculous Return from Knee Injury Junior Danielle Page has made a remarkably fast recovery from an ACL injury in mid-june and returned to a full practice schedule on Monday, Oct. 30. Page who underwent surgery on her right knee on June 29, spent an efficient four months rehabilitating her knee and has looked strong in practice. The 6-2 forward from Monument, Colo., has continued to increase her activity in practice and was given the green light for full participation before NU s final exhibition game against UNO. Although she was not expected to be ready for a full return until the start of the Big 12 Conference season in January, Page saw game action in Nebraska s exhibition finale against Nebraska-Omaha. Page showed no ill-effects of her injury. In fact, Page showed the exceptional lateral quickness that made her one of Nebraska s top shot-blockers in school history. She also connected on three mid-range jumpshots on her way to scoring 10 points. She added seven rebounds, one block, one steal and one assist in just 15 minutes of action off the bench. Page made major contributions to open the regular season by averaging 4.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game in NU s three games at the Veterans Day Classic in Arizona. She has averaged 14.3 minutes per game off the bench. Last season, Page averaged 15.6 minutes per contest, while contributing 4.3 points and 3.6 boards per game. A dominant defender in the post, Page is one of the leading shot-blockers in Nebraska history, ranking No. 7 on the Husker career block chart with 69 in her first two seasons. She has added 54 steals and 168 defensive rebounds in her career, making her one of NU s top all-around defensive players. LaFleur Making Greater Impact as Sophomore Sophomore TK LaFleur will see significant minutes this season after surging down the stretch in her freshman campaign. The 5-8 guard from Houston averaged 7.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in NU s final 10 games and had an excellent offseason. LaFleur provides the Huskers with an athletic presence on the wing, along with solid defensive skills, while she continues to expand her offensive game. She demonstrated her improvements with the best performance of her career in Nebraska s 93-53 win over Florida Atlantic on Nov. 12 at the Veterans Day Classic in Tempe, Ariz. LaFleur tied her career highs with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists against the Owls. She scored 12 points and pulled down four boards in the first half alone to power the Huskers to a 30-point halftime lead. In three tournament games, LaFleur averaged 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists to help the Huskers to a 2-1 record. She hit 7-of-15 field goal attempts, including 2-of-4 attempts from three-point range. Although she did not earn a start in her freshman season, LaFleur averaged nearly 17 minutes per game off the bench, including 21 minutes per contest during the final 10 games. She averaged 5.4 points per game on the year, while ranking third on the team with 20 made three-pointers (32.3 percent). Head Coach Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986) (65-60, 5th Season at NU) (260-200, 17th Season) NCAA Division III Season School Won Lost Pct. 1990-91 Loras College 10 15.400 1991-92 Loras College 15 10.600 Totals 2 seasons 25 25.500 NCAA Division I 1992-93 Creighton 20 8.714 1993-94 Creighton 24 7.774 1994-95 Creighton 18 9.667 1995-96 Creighton 15 13.536 1996-97 Creighton 8 19.296 1997-98 Creighton 16 12.571 1998-99 Creighton 16 14.533 1999-00 Creighton 12 15.444 2000-01 Creighton 17 11.607 2001-02 Creighton 24 7.774 2002-03 Nebraska 8 20.286 2003-04 Nebraska 18 12.600 2004-05 Nebraska 18 14.563 2005-06 Nebraska 19 13.594 2006-07 Nebraska 2 1.667 Div. I Totals 15th season 235 175.573 Overall 17th season 260 200.565 Yori in the Postseason Year (Tournament) Results 2006 (WNIT) L, at Kansas State, 63-77 W, at Wyoming, 72-67 W, Drake, 62-59 2005 (WNIT) L, Iowa, 67-71 W, Marquette, 66-57 2004 (WNIT) L, Oregon State, 67-75 W, Drake, 73-60 2002 (NCAA) L, Fla. International, 58-73 1999 (WNIT) L, at Kansas State, 60-71 1994 (NCAA) W, Bowling Green, 84-73 L, Texas Tech, 65-75 Preseason Big 12 Conference Team First-Place Votes Points 1. Oklahoma 11 121 2. Texas A&M 1 107 3. Texas 101 4. Baylor 94 5. Iowa State 68 6. Nebraska 66 7. Kansas State 57 Texas Tech 57 9. Missouri 43 10. Kansas 36 11. Colorado 26 12. Oklahoma State 16 Preseason All-Big 12 Team Player of the Year: Courtney Paris, Oklahoma, 6-4, So., C Newcomer of the Year: Bernice Mosby, Baylor, 6-0, Sr., G Freshman of the Year: Brittainey Raven, Texas, 6-0, Fr., G First Team Lyndsey Medders 5-9 Sr. G Iowa State Kiera Hardy 5-6 Sr. G Nebraska Courtney Paris 6-4 So. C Oklahoma Tiffany Jackson 6-3 Sr. F Texas Morenike Atunrase 5-10 Jr. G/F Texas A&M
Nebraska Women s Basketball Game Notes Page 6 Cal State Fullerton Nov. 17, 2006 Huskers.com Nebraska Individual Career Highs Scoring Points Kiera Hardy (vs. Baylor, 1/12/05) 37 Kelsey Griffin (vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 11/27/05) 31 Chelsea Aubry (at Texas A&M, 2/16/05) 20 Jelena Spiric (vs. Baylor, 1/12/05) 19 TK LaFleur (vs. Fla. Atlantic, 11/12/06; Texas St., 12/20/05) 16 Cory Montgomery (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 16 Danielle Page (vs. Oklahoma, 2/6/05) 15 Nikki Bober (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 10 Nicole Neals (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 8 Ashley Ford (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 7 Yvonne Turner (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 3 Kala Kuhlmann (at Arizona State, 11/10/06) 2 Rebounding Rebounds Kelsey Griffin (vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 11/27/05) 14 Chelsea Aubry (vs. GSU., 12/29/05; vs. OU, 2/6/05) 11 Danielle Page (vs. Kansas, 1/29/05) 11 Kiera Hardy (vs. Kansas, 2/7/04) 9 Jelena Spiric (vs. Baylor, 1/12/05) 9 TK LaFleur (vs. Fla. Atlantic, 11/12/06; vs. Okla. St., 2/21/06) 6 Cory Montgomery (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 5 Yvonne Turner (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 5 Ashley Ford (vs. Iowa State, 2/1/06; vs. Creighton, 11/21/05) 4 Nicole Neals (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 3 Nikki Bober (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 2 Assists Assists Kiera Hardy (vs. Colorado, 1/28/06) 9 Jelena Spiric (vs. Memphis, 12/30/04) 6 Yvonne Turner (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 6 Chelsea Aubry (at Northwestern, 12/10/05) 4 Ashley Ford (Three Times, vs. Fla. Atlantic, 11/12/06) 4 TK LaFleur (vs. Fla. Atlantic, 11/12/06; vs. Grambling St., 12/29/05) 4 Danielle Page (at Oklahoma State, 2/1/05) 4 Kelsey Griffin (at Texas Tech, 1/21/06; at Mich., 12/17/05) 3 Cory Montgomery (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 2 Nicole Neals (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 1 Steals Steals Kiera Hardy (at Missouri, 1/14/04) 6 Jelena Spiric (vs. Kansas State, 2/23/05) 5 Chelsea Aubry (vs. Grambling State, 12/29/05) 4 Kelsey Griffin (vs. Iowa State, 2/1/06) 4 TK LaFleur (vs. Texas Southern, 12/7/05) 3 Danielle Page (Five Times, Kansas State, 2/18/06) 3 Ashley Ford (Three Times, vs. New Mexico, 11/13/06) 2 Cory Montgomery (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 2 Nicole Neals (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 2 Yvonne Turner (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 2 Blocked Shots Blocks Danielle Page (vs. Iowa State, 2/12/05) 5 Kelsey Griffin (at Kansas State, 2/4/06) 3 Chelsea Aubry (Three Times, at Colorado, 3/2/05) 2 Kiera Hardy (at Creighton, 12/18/04; vs. Princeton, 11/23/03) 1 TK LaFleur (Three Times, vs. Oklahoma State, 2/21/06) 1 Cory Montgomery (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 1 Jelena Spiric (Four Times, vs. New Mexico, 11/13/06) 1 Yvonne Turner (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 1 Minutes Played Minutes Kiera Hardy (vs. Baylor, 1/12/05) 52 Jelena Spiric (vs. Baylor, 1/12/05) 44 Danielle Page (vs. Baylor, 1/12/05) 39 Chelsea Aubry (Three Times, vs. Iowa State 2/1/06) 35 Kelsey Griffin (at Kansas State, 2/4/06) 33 TK LaFleur (vs. Texas A&M, 3/8/06) 26 Nicole Neals (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 25 Ashley Ford (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 23 Yvonne Turner (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 23 Cory Montgomery (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 22 Nikki Bober (vs. Florida Atlantic, 11/12/06) 14 Kala Kuhlmann (at Arizona State, 11/10/06) 11 Husker Freshmen Contribute in Arizona Nebraska s five-player freshman class made significant contributions while gaining meaningful experience during the Huskers season-opening tournament in Arizona. Cory Montgomery, a 6-2 forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., made major contributions in all three games for the Huskers, averaging 9.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game off the bench. Montgomery established a career high with 16 points in the Huskers 93-53 win over Florida Atlantic on Nov. 12. She added six points against No. 13 Arizona State and five first-half points in a 66-59 win over No. 18 New Mexico on Nov. 13. Montgomery was a five-year varsity MVP at Cannon Falls and one of the top-10 players in the state of Minnesota a year ago. She scored 2,238 points, grabbed 1,240 rebounds, blocked 387 shots and dished out 261 assists to establish school records in all four categories. Nicole Neals, a native of Chandler, Ariz., also helped the Huskers in Tempe. Neals averaged 5.3 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.0 steal per game, while averaging nearly 20 minutes per contest. Neals also led the Huskers with a game-high 16 points, including a 4-for-4 shooting effort from three-point range in the exhibition win over Nebraska- Omaha on Nov. 4. WBCA High School All-American Yvonne Turner dished out six assists in the win over Florida Atlantic and averaged 1.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. Turner saw action in all three games in Arizona. The Omaha native led Bellevue East to a state title a year ago. Her progress was slowed in the offseason by a left foot injury that forced her into a walking boot for eight weeks. Freshman center Nikki Bober enjoyed a solid debut by scoring double figures with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field in NU s win over Florida Atlantic. The tallest player on the Husker roster, the 6-4 post player from Elmwood-Murdock averaged 17 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a senior, after rebounding from a seasonending knee injury early in her junior season. Des Moines Register Iowa Female Athlete-of-the-Year Kala Kuhlmann played 11 solid minutes off the bench against No. 13 Arizona State on Nov. 10, before missing the win over Florida Atlantic with an illness. She played just one minute against New Mexico while continuing to overcome illness in Arizona. Kuhlmann finished her career as the fourth-leading scorer in Iowa High School history with 2,337 points. As a sophomore at Charter Oak-Ute, Kuhlmann led the state by averaging 28 points per game. Huskers Tackle Challenging 2006-07 Schedule After playing 16 games against teams that advanced to postseason play in 2005-06, Nebraska will face an even more challenging road during the 2006-07 campaign. Nebraska s regular-season schedule could include as many as 18 games against 2006 postseason qualifiers with as many as seven non-conference games against some of the nation s best teams. Among the Huskers eight road non-conference games this season, as many as six could come against 2006 NCAA teams. The Huskers dove headfirst into the postseason-caliber action with three games against 2006 NCAA Tournament qualifiers on the road in the opening weekend of the season. Nebraska fell to No. 13 Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz, on Nov. 10, before rebounding with a 93-53 win over 2006 NCAA qualifier Florida Atlantic in the second game of the Veterans Day Classic on Nov. 12. The Huskers faced their third straight 2006 NCAA Tournament squad when they knocked off No. 18 New Mexico, 66-59, in Tempe on Nov. 13. The victory marked Nebraska s first non-conference road win since defeating No. 16 Western Kentucky on Nov. 20, 1997. On Nov. 26, the Huskers will likely face a third top-25 squad at USC. The Women of Troy joined Arizona State and New Mexico in advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago. The Huskers will welcome 2006 NCAA qualifier Minnesota to the Devaney Center on Dec. 5. The Golden Gophers will be the only NCAA team that ventures to Lincoln during the non-conference season. The game with Minnesota will also be the second of six straight contests NU will play in Nebraska from the week after Thanksgiving through Christmas. The Huskers will get ready for Big 12 play by facing 2006 NCAA qualifier NC State at the State Farm Classic in Gainesville, Fla., on Dec. 28. If the Huskers can get past the Wolfpack, they could see the hosts from Florida in the championship game on Dec. 29. The Gators earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament last year and have received preseason top-25 consideration. While the Huskers could play seven of their first 14 games against 2006 postseason qualifiers, their 16-game Big 12 Conference schedule will only offer more challenges with 11 games against postseason competition. Nebraska opens the Big 12 slate at Texas, a perennial national power that did not advance to postseason play in 2006. The Huskers play their Big 12 home opener against defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma on Jan. 6. The home game with the Sooners will start a stretch of nine consecutive games against 2006 postseason clubs for the Huskers. The nine-game stretch will include a game with 2005 NCAA and Big 12 champion Baylor at the Devaney Center on Feb. 3, along with road contests at 2006 NCAA qualifiers Missouri (Jan. 20) and Texas A&M (Jan. 24). Big 12 North series with 2006 WNIT champion Kansas State and WNIT qualifier Kansas will be completed during the run, while the Huskers will also face WNIT qualifier Iowa State at home on Jan. 31. If Nebraska can capitalize on its opportunities during the first 10 games of the Big 12 schedule, the Huskers could have a chance to build momentum heading into the postseason with four of their last six league games coming against teams that did not advance to postseason play a year ago.
Nebraska Women s Basketball Game Notes Page 7 Cal State Fullerton Nov. 17, 2006 Huskers.com The Huskers will honor their four-player senior class on Feb. 27 in the regular-season finale against Colorado, before heading to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at the COX Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., March 6-10. Huskers Sixth in Preseason Big 12 Poll The Nebraska women s basketball team was tabbed as the No. 6 team in the Big 12 by the league coaches, the conference office announced in its preseason poll on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Defending conference champion Oklahoma was picked to win its second consecutive conference title in 2006-07. The Sooners received all 11 possible first-place votes for a total of 121 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Texas A&M was selected second (107 points), followed by Texas in third (101 points), Baylor fourth (94 points) and Iowa State fifth (68 points), with the Huskers just two points behind the Cyclones in sixth with 66 points. The second tier of conference teams opened with a tie for seventh between Kansas State and Texas Tech with 57 points. Missouri (ninth, 43 points), Kansas (10th, 36 points), Colorado (11th, 26 points) and Oklahoma State (12th, 16 points) rounded out the preseason ballot. Oklahoma is ranked as high as second nationally in preseason publications, while Texas A&M, Baylor, Iowa State, Texas, Kansas State and Texas Tech have also received recognition in preseason polls. Nebraska has received votes in several preseason publications. Baylor and Oklahoma advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2005-06 and were joined in the NCAA Tournament by Texas A&M and Missouri. Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Nebraska competed in the WNIT. Yori Leading New Growth in Nebraska Program Now in her fifth season at Nebraska, Coach Connie Yori hopes to have the Huskers heading into the growth stage of what began as a major rebuilding project in 2002. Yori arrived in Lincoln on June 24, 2002, and was left with only a handful of healthy scholarship players and three consecutive losing seasons behind the existing players. After a challenging first season, Yori guided the Huskers to one of the nation s top turnarounds in 2003-04. Nebraska finished the season with an 18-12 record and the Huskers 10-game improvement tied for the ninthbest swing in NCAA Division I women s basketball in 2003-04. More impressively, NU s final record came against a powerful schedule that included 19 games against teams that advanced to postseason play. The Huskers raced to a 10-1 non-conference record that included victories over No. 13 Ohio State and eventual WNIT champion Creighton, before notching one of the biggest wins in school history with an 81-63 victory over No. 9 Kansas State in league play. The Huskers finished with a 7-9 record in the Big 12 to finish in a tie for seventh place. NU may have been a two-point loss to Missouri or three-point loss to No. 13 Colorado away from earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000. The Huskers made their first postseason appearance since 2000 and played host to a postseason tournament game for the first time since 1993. Nebraska notched just the second home postseason victory in school history with a first-round WNIT win over Drake, before hosting just the third postseason game in school history in the second round against Oregon State. Nebraska continued the momentum in 2004-05 by replacing four senior starters from 2003-04 and finishing with an 18-14 overall mark and its second straight postseason bid. The Huskers 8-8 Big 12 mark was their best finish since 2000, and included the biggest victory in school history, a 103-99 triple overtime win over eventual national champion and then-no. 2 Baylor on Jan. 12, 2005. The Huskers also won their first Big 12 Tournament game since the 2000 campaign and continued their climb in the classroom as well. NU posted a team GPA of better than 3.0 during the spring 2005 semester, as 10 Huskers earned spots on the Big 12 Commissioner s Academic Honor. Nebraska kept building in 2005-06 by winning two postseason games for the first time in school history. NU s 19-13 record also marked the Huskers most victories since the 1998-99 campaign. The Huskers finished with an 8-8 league mark for the second straight year and won a game in the Big 12 Championship for the second consecutive season. Perhaps most impressively, the Huskers went 5-0 in regular-season rematches with Big 12 North Division opponents and completed the first three-game sweep of Colorado in school history. Overall, Nebraska posted a 7-3 regular-season mark against Big 12 North foes. The 2002 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Yori led Creighton to a 24-7 overall mark and a 16-2 MVC record in 2001-02 to capture the league s regular-season and tournament titles. Yori s success at CU in 2001-02 capped a 170-115 career mark at Creighton. Her teams made two trips to the NCAA Tournament in 1994 and 2002. Before taking over the top job with the Bluejays, Yori led NCAA Division III Loras College to a 25-25 record in two seasons from 1990 to 1992. She also served as an assistant coach at Creighton from 1986 to 1989. Yori was one of the top players in Creighton history, and she still owns the school record for career scoring average at 20.3 points per game. She ranks as CU s No. 3 all-time leading scorer with 2,010 points, and she had her No. 25 jersey retired. She was inducted into the Creighton Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. A native of Ankeny, Iowa, the 43-year-old Yori is married to Kirk Helms, and the couple had their first child, Lukas, in early July of 2004. Associated Press Top 25 First Regular-Season Poll (Nov. 14, 2006) 1-Maryland (2-0) (46)... 1,245 2-North Carolina (2-0) (1)... 1,171 3-Oklahoma (1-0) (3)... 1,155 4-Stanford (1-0)... 1,076 5-Tennessee (1-0)... 1,065 6-Duke (1-0)... 973 7-Ohio State (1-0)... 957 8-Connecticut (0-0)... 910 9-Georgia (1-0)... 856 10-LSU (1-0)... 784 11-Arizona State (2-0)... 706 12-Purdue (2-0)... 669 13-Texas A&M (1-0)... 630 14-Rutgers (0-1)... 526 15-Vanderbilt (1-0)... 517 16-Baylor (2-0)... 400 17-Michigan State (0-0)... 378 18-California (1-0)... 317 19-USC (1-0)... 304 20-UCLA (1-0)... 211 21-Kentucky (1-1)... 190 22-BYU (1-0)... 187 23-DePaul (0-1)... 183 23-New Mexico (1-2)... 183 25-Texas (2-0)... 125 Other Nebraska opponents receiving votes 35-Texas Tech (1-0)... 17 35-NC State (2-0)... 17 37-Iowa State (0-0)... 13 Note: Nebraska 2006-07 opponents in bold. USA Today/ESPN Top 25 First Regular-Season Poll (Nov. 14, 2006) 1-Maryland (2-0) (28)... 770 2-North Carolina (2-0)(1)... 730 3-Oklahoma (1-0) (1)... 714 4-Tennessee (1-0) (1)... 675 5-Duke (1-0)... 633 6-Ohio State (1-0)... 614 7-Connecticut (1-0)... 576 8-Georgia (1-0)... 558 9-LSU (2-0)... 507 10-Stanford (1-1)... 503 11-Arizona State (3-0)... 447 12-Rutgers (0-1)... 395 13-Purdue (2-0)... 389 14-Texas A&M (1-0)... 378 15-Vanderbilt (1-0)... 318 16-Baylor (2-0)... 266 17-Michigan State (0-0)... 235 18-BYU (2-0)... 219 19-California (1-0)... 184 20-USC (1-0)... 182 21-UCLA (1-0)... 130 22-DePaul (0-1)... 89 23-Washington (0-0)... 87 24-Kentucky (1-1)... 68 25-George Washington (2-0)... 65 37-Nebraska (2-1)... 7 Other Nebraska opponents receiving votes 28-Texas (2-0)... 37 29-New Mexico (1-2)... 28 32-NC State (2-0)... 17 36-Texas Tech (1-0)... 8 42-Florida (1-1)... 5 Note: Nebraska 2006-07 opponents in bold.