Story by NU Athletic Communications

The Nebraska women’s basketball team makes its first road trip of the season when the Huskers travel to Laramie to collide with Wyoming on Friday.

Tip-off between the Huskers and Cowgirls is set for 7:30 p.m. (CT) at Arena-Auditorium with a live video stream of the game provided to subscribers of the Mountain West Network with Daniel Gillman and Brian Burton on the call.

Nebraska fans can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 590 AM in Omaha, the Huskers App and Huskers.com, as Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch team up for their 23rd season together calling the action. Pregame starts at 7 p.m. (CT).

The Huskers rolled to a 90-42 win over Northwestern State in Monday’s season opener at Pinnacle Bank Arena.&nbsp;

Jaz Shelley led six Huskers in double figures with a game-high 17 points, while adding game highs of six assists and three steals.

Fellow preseason All-Big Ten performer Alexis Markowski added 13 points and eight rebounds inside, while newcomer Darian White contributed 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds from her point guard position. White was a four-year starter and three-time All-Big Sky performer at Montana State.

Two-time Missouri High School Player of the Year Natalie Potts performed well with 10 points and five rebounds as a starter in her collegiate debut.

Returning Huskers Annika Stewart (13 points, 7 rebounds) and Callin Hake (12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) rounded out the six Huskers in double figures. Hake connected on 4-of-4 three-pointers to help the Big Red knock down 10 triples on the afternoon.

While Nebraska’s offense performed well, its defense stood out through the first three quarters. The Huskers opened the game with a 16-0 run, before adding a 12-0 run to start the second quarter and a 10-0 run to open the second half. Nebraska’s starting five did not allow a point when they were on the floor together until the fourth quarter against Northwestern State.

Nebraska’s defensive success came despite the Huskers missing two of their top perimeter defenders - Allison Weidner (out for season, leg injury) and Maddie Krull (foot injury). Krull injured her left foot in practice on Saturday, Nov. 4 and was unavailable for the game with the Lady Demons.

Friday’s game will mark the third consecutive season the Huskers have played Wyoming, but the first trip for Nebraska to Laramie since March 22, 2006.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0)at Wyoming Cowgirls (1-0)Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, 7:30 p.m. (CT)Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NebraskaLive Video:&nbsp;Mountain West NetworkLive Stats:&nbsp;Huskers.com (StatBroadcast)Live Radio:&nbsp;Huskers Radio Network (7 p.m.)Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (590 AM),&nbsp;Huskers.com, Huskers App

Nebraska Cornhuskers&nbsp;(1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 13.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 13.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 17.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpgOff the Bench21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 13.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 12.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 7.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 3.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 2.0 rpgHead Coach:&nbsp;Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)Eighth Season at Nebraska (115-99);&nbsp;17th Season Overall (308-208)

Wyoming Cowgirls&nbsp;(1-0, 0-0 Mountain West)45 - Allyson Fertig - 6-4 - Jr. - C - 18.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg5 - Tess Barnes - 6-2 - Jr. - G/F - 9.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg2 - Emily Mellema - 5-11 - Jr. - G - 10.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg42 - McKinley Dickerson - 5-11 - Sr. - G - 8.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg35 - Ola Ustowska - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 2.0 rpgOff the Bench14 - Kati Ollilainen - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 14.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg15 - Marta Savic - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 8.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg12 - Malene Pedersen - 5-11 - So. - G - 6.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg11 - Madi Symons - 6-0 - Fr. - F - 2.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg3 - Grace Moyers - 5-8 - So. - G - 2.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg21 - Maren McKenna - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg1 - Bailey Wilborn - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg10 - Paula Salazar - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpgHead Coach:&nbsp;Heather Ezell (Iowa State, 2009)Second Season at Wyoming (24-11);&nbsp;Second Season Overall (24-11)

Head Coach Heather Ezell leads her second Wyoming team into Friday night’s game with Nebraska after running to a 77-60 win over North Dakota in Monday’s season opener at Arena-Auditorium in Laramie.

In her first season leading the Cowgirl program, Ezell produced a 23-11 record that included a runner-up finish at the Mountain West Conference Tournament and a trip to the second round of the Postseason WNIT, defeating Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi before falling at Kansas State.

Ezell, a former starting guard at Iowa State, spent 11 seasons in Laramie as an assistant coach before becoming Wyoming’s head coach.

On the court, the Cowgirls are led by Allyson Fertig. The 6-4 junior center from Wyoming was the 2022 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year and is a two-time all-conference honoree. She was also a member of the Mountain West All-Tournament team last season. As a sophomore, she ranked third in the conference in scoring (13.3 ppg), second in rebounding (8.7 rpg), blocks (2.0 bpg) and field goal percentage (.586). She opened the season with game highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win over North Dakota for her 20th career double-double.

None of the other four starters in Wyoming’s 2023 opening day lineup started last season against the Huskers, although nine returning Cowgirls played in last season’s game in Lincoln. In fact, eight returning Cowgirls also played against Nebraska in 2021-22, including Bailey Wilborn who faced the Huskers as a member of the Maine Black Bears to open the 2021-22 season.

Emily Mellema, a 5-11 junior guard, scored 10 points as a starter in the opener against UND after playing 18 minutes off the bench and getting four points against the Huskers in a 66-39 loss at Nebraska last year. Mellema is Wyoming’s No. 3 returning scorer from a year ago when she averaged 6.3 points per game.

Tess Barnes, a 6-2 junior, contributed nine points and three boards as a starter in this week’s opener with North Dakota, after getting two points in 21 minutes off the bench against the Big Red last season in Lincoln. She is Wyoming’s No. 4 returning scorer (4.6 ppg) from last season.

Senior Ola Ustowska earned a start on Monday night and played 10 minutes off the bench against NU last season, while fellow senior Marta Savic played 12 minutes against the Huskers a year ago while scoring eight points off the bench in this season’s opening night win. Savic is Wyoming’s No. 5 returning scorer (4.1 ppg) from last season, when she came off the bench for all 34 games.

Cowgirl McKinley Dickerson (formerly Bradshaw) rounded out the starting five against North Dakota with eight points and two rebounds. Dickerson, a 5-11 senior from Lyman, Wyo., was an All-Mountain West guard in 2022, averaging 14.9 points per game on the year. She added 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists as a junior but did not play in 2022-23. The former Wyoming Gatorade High School Player of the Year had nine points and five boards as a starter against the Huskers in a 72-61 loss in Lincoln on Dec. 22, 2021.

Malene Pedersen started and played 30 minutes while scoring five points and snagging two steals against Nebraska last season. Pedersen was Wyoming’s No. 2 scorer (11.0 ppg) while adding 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists. She made all 34 starts last season alongside Fertig and departed Cowgrils Grace Ellis and Tommi Olson. The Cowgirls also lost All-Mountain West guard and Omaha native Quinn Weidemann to graduation.

Freshman Kati Ollilainen from Finland was Wyoming’s second-leading scorer on Monday with 14 points off the bench, including two of Wyoming’s three three-pointers.

Last season, Wyoming averaged 65.6 points per game while making 44.7 percent of its shots from the field, including 32.9 percent from three-point range. The Cowgirls also hit 76.9 percent of their free throws. Wyoming owned a plus-6.0 rebound margin, but a minus-1.6 turnover margin.

Nebraska vs. Wyoming Series History

Nebraska is 9-0 all-time against Wyoming, including a 66-39 win over the Cowgirls at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln on Dec. 18, 2022. Alexis Markowski led Nebraska with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-5 three-pointers, to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Allison Weidner added 13 points and seven boards, while Maggie Mendelson contributed nine points in just nine minutes off the bench in her first career game.

Jaz Shelley pitched in nine points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Two seasons ago, Shelley produced 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in a 72-61 Nebraska win on Dec. 22, 2021. Annika Stewart led Nebraska with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting off the bench.

Prior to the recent three-game series with Wyoming, Nebraska had not faced the Cowgirls since a 72-67 Postseason WNIT win at Arena-Auditorium on March 22, 2006. Nebraska’s last regular-season meeting with the Cowgirls in Laramie came on Dec. 19, 1999, which resulted in an 89-74 Husker victory.

The only other meeting between the Huskers and Cowgirls in Laramie came with an 82-61 Nebraska victory on Jan. 29, 1984. NU is 3-0 all-time against Wyoming in Laramie.

Husker Opener Featured Life Skills Pep RallyNebraska’s regular-season opener with Northwestern State (Nov. 6, noon) included the annual Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally.

The 2023 Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which was co-sponsored by the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame, featured messages from Husker student-athletes and coaches. This year, the Huskers welcomed 2,966 students and 348 accompanying staff members from 62 schools across the state of Nebraska.

The 2023 opener marked the fifth time (2013, 2019, 2021, 2022) Pinnacle Bank Arena and Nebraska women’s basketball have teamed with the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame to host the Pep Rally for middle grades students. The students and accompanying staff were provided complimentary water from Pepsi and pizza from Nebraska Athletics.

The Sportsmanship Pep Rally began at 9:30 a.m. on the main court at Pinnacle Bank Arena and featured messages from Nebraska Head Coach Amy Williams and Husker women’s basketball players Annika Stewart and Callin Hake, along with appearances by Olympian Jordan Larson and Husker Bekka Allick (volleyball) and All-American men’s gymnast Taylor Christopulos. World champion jump roper Tori Boggs also performed at both the rally and at halftime of the men’s and women’s games. The Sportsmanship Pep Rally concluded at 10:45 a.m.

A group of Valentine Middle School students traveled nearly five hours and just over 300 miles, making the longest journey to the pep rally for the second consecutive year. A strong representation of Northeast, Southeast and Central Nebraska community schools are also attending, including 160 from Raymond Central and well over 100 each from Centennial, Fort Calhoun, Freeman, Malcolm, North Bend Central and Seward public schools.

Husker NuggetsNebraska opened the season with a 16-0 run over the first five-plus minutes in a 90-42 victory against Northwestern State (Nov. 6). The Huskers also jumped to a 14-0 lead in an exhibition win over Dakota Wesleyan (Oct. 29).

Nebraska jumped to a 46-12 halftime lead against Northwestern State. The 12 points allowed marked the second-fewest given up by the Big Red in a first half in school history, trailing only 10 points surrendered to Illinois in the first half in 2018. Nebraska’s 46 points scored exceeded any first half for the Huskers in 2022-23.

Nebraska hit 28-of-33 free throws against the Lady Demons, and the 28 makes matched NU’s season best from 2022-23.

The Huskers had six players produce double figures in points against Northwestern State, marking the first time Nebraska accomplished that feat since a 90-61 season-opening win over Oral Roberts on Dec. 4, 2020.

The Huskers have hit at least one three in 465 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 344 consecutive games.

Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 28 times in the last 74 games, including 15 times in 2022-23. The Huskers opened 2023-24 with 10 three-pointers in a win over Northwestern State (Nov. 6, 2023). Nebraska knocked down a 2022-23 season-high 14 threes in a season-opening win over Omaha (Nov. 7, 2022).&nbsp;

Through the first 20 seasons with the three-point shot in women’s basketball (1988-2007), Nebraska hit 10 threes in a game just six times (591 games).

Jaz Shelley is 20 assists from joining the top 10 at Nebraska in career assists. Shelley heads to Wyoming with 372 assists in two-plus years at Nebraska. All-American and two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge ranks 10th in school history with 392.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jaz Shelley is 36 assists away from 500 in her college career. Only five Huskers in history have totaled 500 collegiate assists (Lindsey Moore, Meggan Yedsena, Rachel Theriot, Jina Johansen, Nicole Kubik).

Alexis Markowski is five rebounds away from 600 in her career.&nbsp;

Jaz Shelley needs nine three-pointers to climb to No. 5 on the Nebraska career three-point list, matching Lindsey Moore (173, 2010-13).&nbsp;

With her next double-double, Alexis Markowski will move into a tie for seventh on the Nebraska career double-doubles list with Janet Smith (22, 1979-82).

Two-time All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) was the Big Ten’s top rebounder with 322 rebounds in 2022-23. She was the only Big Ten player to average a double-double (12.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg) during regular-season conference play.

Jaz Shelley is 87 points away from becoming the 37th 1,000-point scorer in Nebraska history. Alexis Markowski is 173 points from reaching 1,000 career points.

Darian White has scored in double figures 98 times in her college career (97, Montana State; 1, Nebraska), including each of her last nine games.

Huskers Ready to Pack PBANebraska women’s basketball formally kicked off its “Pack PBA” promotion for 2023-24, when Coach Amy Williams made the official announcement about the Pack PBA game on Wednesday, Nov. 8.&nbsp;

The Huskers plan to Pack PBA when they take on defending Big Ten regular-season champion Indiana on Sunday, Jan. 7 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Sunday, Jan. 7 will be Alumni Day in Lincoln, with the Nebraska women’s basketball program honoring the 2014 Big Ten Tournament Champion Huskers on the 10th anniversary of winning the conference title. The 2014 Huskers will be welcomed back to PBA, along with the 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen Huskers.

Other special announcements connected with Pack PBA will be made in the coming weeks leading up to game between the Huskers and the Hoosiers.

Last season, Nebraska set a program home attendance record of 14,289 on Play4Kay Day in its first-ever Pack PBA game on Feb. 18, 2023.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska women’s basketball team makes its first road trip of the season when the Huskers travel to Laramie to collide with Wyoming on Friday.Tip-off between the Huskers and Cowgirls is set for 7:30 p.m. (CT) at Arena-Auditorium with a live video stream of the game provided to subscribers of the Mountain West Network with Daniel Gillman and Brian Burton on the call.Nebraska fans can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 590 AM in Omaha, the Huskers App and Huskers.com, as Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch team up for their 23rd season together calling the action. Pregame starts at 7 p.m. (CT).The Huskers rolled to a 90-42 win over Northwestern State in Monday’s season opener at Pinnacle Bank Arena.&nbsp;Jaz Shelley led six Huskers in double figures with a game-high 17 points, while adding game highs of six assists and three steals.Fellow preseason All-Big Ten performer Alexis Markowski added 13 points and eight rebounds inside, while newcomer Darian White contributed 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds from her point guard position. White was a four-year starter and three-time All-Big Sky performer at Montana State.Two-time Missouri High School Player of the Year Natalie Potts performed well with 10 points and five rebounds as a starter in her collegiate debut.Returning Huskers Annika Stewart (13 points, 7 rebounds) and Callin Hake (12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) rounded out the six Huskers in double figures. Hake connected on 4-of-4 three-pointers to help the Big Red knock down 10 triples on the afternoon.While Nebraska’s offense performed well, its defense stood out through the first three quarters. The Huskers opened the game with a 16-0 run, before adding a 12-0 run to start the second quarter and a 10-0 run to open the second half. Nebraska’s starting five did not allow a point when they were on the floor together until the fourth quarter against Northwestern State.Nebraska’s defensive success came despite the Huskers missing two of their top perimeter defenders - Allison Weidner (out for season, leg injury) and Maddie Krull (foot injury). Krull injured her left foot in practice on Saturday, Nov. 4 and was unavailable for the game with the Lady Demons.Friday’s game will mark the third consecutive season the Huskers have played Wyoming, but the first trip for Nebraska to Laramie since March 22, 2006.Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0)at Wyoming Cowgirls (1-0)Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, 7:30 p.m. (CT)Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, NebraskaLive Video:&nbsp;Mountain West NetworkLive Stats:&nbsp;Huskers.com (StatBroadcast)Live Radio:&nbsp;Huskers Radio Network (7 p.m.)Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (590 AM),&nbsp;Huskers.com, Huskers AppNebraska Cornhuskers&nbsp;(1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 13.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 13.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 17.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpgOff the Bench21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 13.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 12.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 7.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 3.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 2.0 rpgHead Coach:&nbsp;Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)Eighth Season at Nebraska (115-99);&nbsp;17th Season Overall (308-208)Wyoming Cowgirls&nbsp;(1-0, 0-0 Mountain West)45 - Allyson Fertig - 6-4 - Jr. - C - 18.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg5 - Tess Barnes - 6-2 - Jr. - G/F - 9.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg2 - Emily Mellema - 5-11 - Jr. - G - 10.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg42 - McKinley Dickerson - 5-11 - Sr. - G - 8.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg35 - Ola Ustowska - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 2.0 rpgOff the Bench14 - Kati Ollilainen - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 14.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg15 - Marta Savic - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 8.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg12 - Malene Pedersen - 5-11 - So. - G - 6.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg11 - Madi Symons - 6-0 - Fr. - F - 2.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg3 - Grace Moyers - 5-8 - So. - G - 2.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg21 - Maren McKenna - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg1 - Bailey Wilborn - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg10 - Paula Salazar - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpgHead Coach:&nbsp;Heather Ezell (Iowa State, 2009)Second Season at Wyoming (24-11);&nbsp;Second Season Overall (24-11)Scouting The Wyoming CowgirlsHead Coach Heather Ezell leads her second Wyoming team into Friday night’s game with Nebraska after running to a 77-60 win over North Dakota in Monday’s season opener at Arena-Auditorium in Laramie.In her first season leading the Cowgirl program, Ezell produced a 23-11 record that included a runner-up finish at the Mountain West Conference Tournament and a trip to the second round of the Postseason WNIT, defeating Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi before falling at Kansas State.Ezell, a former starting guard at Iowa State, spent 11 seasons in Laramie as an assistant coach before becoming Wyoming’s head coach.On the court, the Cowgirls are led by Allyson Fertig. The 6-4 junior center from Wyoming was the 2022 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year and is a two-time all-conference honoree. She was also a member of the Mountain West All-Tournament team last season. As a sophomore, she ranked third in the conference in scoring (13.3 ppg), second in rebounding (8.7 rpg), blocks (2.0 bpg) and field goal percentage (.586). She opened the season with game highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win over North Dakota for her 20th career double-double.None of the other four starters in Wyoming’s 2023 opening day lineup started last season against the Huskers, although nine returning Cowgirls played in last season’s game in Lincoln. In fact, eight returning Cowgirls also played against Nebraska in 2021-22, including Bailey Wilborn who faced the Huskers as a member of the Maine Black Bears to open the 2021-22 season.Emily Mellema, a 5-11 junior guard, scored 10 points as a starter in the opener against UND after playing 18 minutes off the bench and getting four points against the Huskers in a 66-39 loss at Nebraska last year. Mellema is Wyoming’s No. 3 returning scorer from a year ago when she averaged 6.3 points per game.Tess Barnes, a 6-2 junior, contributed nine points and three boards as a starter in this week’s opener with North Dakota, after getting two points in 21 minutes off the bench against the Big Red last season in Lincoln. She is Wyoming’s No. 4 returning scorer (4.6 ppg) from last season.Senior Ola Ustowska earned a start on Monday night and played 10 minutes off the bench against NU last season, while fellow senior Marta Savic played 12 minutes against the Huskers a year ago while scoring eight points off the bench in this season’s opening night win. Savic is Wyoming’s No. 5 returning scorer (4.1 ppg) from last season, when she came off the bench for all 34 games.Cowgirl McKinley Dickerson (formerly Bradshaw) rounded out the starting five against North Dakota with eight points and two rebounds. Dickerson, a 5-11 senior from Lyman, Wyo., was an All-Mountain West guard in 2022, averaging 14.9 points per game on the year. She added 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists as a junior but did not play in 2022-23. The former Wyoming Gatorade High School Player of the Year had nine points and five boards as a starter against the Huskers in a 72-61 loss in Lincoln on Dec. 22, 2021.Malene Pedersen started and played 30 minutes while scoring five points and snagging two steals against Nebraska last season. Pedersen was Wyoming’s No. 2 scorer (11.0 ppg) while adding 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists. She made all 34 starts last season alongside Fertig and departed Cowgrils Grace Ellis and Tommi Olson. The Cowgirls also lost All-Mountain West guard and Omaha native Quinn Weidemann to graduation.Freshman Kati Ollilainen from Finland was Wyoming’s second-leading scorer on Monday with 14 points off the bench, including two of Wyoming’s three three-pointers.Last season, Wyoming averaged 65.6 points per game while making 44.7 percent of its shots from the field, including 32.9 percent from three-point range. The Cowgirls also hit 76.9 percent of their free throws. Wyoming owned a plus-6.0 rebound margin, but a minus-1.6 turnover margin.Nebraska vs. Wyoming Series HistoryNebraska is 9-0 all-time against Wyoming, including a 66-39 win over the Cowgirls at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln on Dec. 18, 2022. Alexis Markowski led Nebraska with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-5 three-pointers, to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocks.Allison Weidner added 13 points and seven boards, while Maggie Mendelson contributed nine points in just nine minutes off the bench in her first career game.Jaz Shelley pitched in nine points, seven rebounds and five assists.Two seasons ago, Shelley produced 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in a 72-61 Nebraska win on Dec. 22, 2021. Annika Stewart led Nebraska with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting off the bench.Prior to the recent three-game series with Wyoming, Nebraska had not faced the Cowgirls since a 72-67 Postseason WNIT win at Arena-Auditorium on March 22, 2006. Nebraska’s last regular-season meeting with the Cowgirls in Laramie came on Dec. 19, 1999, which resulted in an 89-74 Husker victory.The only other meeting between the Huskers and Cowgirls in Laramie came with an 82-61 Nebraska victory on Jan. 29, 1984. NU is 3-0 all-time against Wyoming in Laramie.Husker Opener Featured Life Skills Pep RallyNebraska’s regular-season opener with Northwestern State (Nov. 6, noon) included the annual Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally.The 2023 Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which was co-sponsored by the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame, featured messages from Husker student-athletes and coaches. This year, the Huskers welcomed 2,966 students and 348 accompanying staff members from 62 schools across the state of Nebraska.The 2023 opener marked the fifth time (2013, 2019, 2021, 2022) Pinnacle Bank Arena and Nebraska women’s basketball have teamed with the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame to host the Pep Rally for middle grades students. The students and accompanying staff were provided complimentary water from Pepsi and pizza from Nebraska Athletics.The Sportsmanship Pep Rally began at 9:30 a.m. on the main court at Pinnacle Bank Arena and featured messages from Nebraska Head Coach Amy Williams and Husker women’s basketball players Annika Stewart and Callin Hake, along with appearances by Olympian Jordan Larson and Husker Bekka Allick (volleyball) and All-American men’s gymnast Taylor Christopulos. World champion jump roper Tori Boggs also performed at both the rally and at halftime of the men’s and women’s games. The Sportsmanship Pep Rally concluded at 10:45 a.m.A group of Valentine Middle School students traveled nearly five hours and just over 300 miles, making the longest journey to the pep rally for the second consecutive year. A strong representation of Northeast, Southeast and Central Nebraska community schools are also attending, including 160 from Raymond Central and well over 100 each from Centennial, Fort Calhoun, Freeman, Malcolm, North Bend Central and Seward public schools.Husker NuggetsNebraska opened the season with a 16-0 run over the first five-plus minutes in a 90-42 victory against Northwestern State (Nov. 6). The Huskers also jumped to a 14-0 lead in an exhibition win over Dakota Wesleyan (Oct. 29).Nebraska jumped to a 46-12 halftime lead against Northwestern State. The 12 points allowed marked the second-fewest given up by the Big Red in a first half in school history, trailing only 10 points surrendered to Illinois in the first half in 2018. Nebraska’s 46 points scored exceeded any first half for the Huskers in 2022-23.Nebraska hit 28-of-33 free throws against the Lady Demons, and the 28 makes matched NU’s season best from 2022-23.The Huskers had six players produce double figures in points against Northwestern State, marking the first time Nebraska accomplished that feat since a 90-61 season-opening win over Oral Roberts on Dec. 4, 2020.The Huskers have hit at least one three in 465 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 344 consecutive games.Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 28 times in the last 74 games, including 15 times in 2022-23. The Huskers opened 2023-24 with 10 three-pointers in a win over Northwestern State (Nov. 6, 2023). Nebraska knocked down a 2022-23 season-high 14 threes in a season-opening win over Omaha (Nov. 7, 2022).&nbsp;Through the first 20 seasons with the three-point shot in women’s basketball (1988-2007), Nebraska hit 10 threes in a game just six times (591 games).Husker Numbers to WatchJaz Shelley is 20 assists from joining the top 10 at Nebraska in career assists. Shelley heads to Wyoming with 372 assists in two-plus years at Nebraska. All-American and two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge ranks 10th in school history with 392.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jaz Shelley is 36 assists away from 500 in her college career. Only five Huskers in history have totaled 500 collegiate assists (Lindsey Moore, Meggan Yedsena, Rachel Theriot, Jina Johansen, Nicole Kubik).Alexis Markowski is five rebounds away from 600 in her career.&nbsp;Jaz Shelley needs nine three-pointers to climb to No. 5 on the Nebraska career three-point list, matching Lindsey Moore (173, 2010-13).&nbsp;With her next double-double, Alexis Markowski will move into a tie for seventh on the Nebraska career double-doubles list with Janet Smith (22, 1979-82).Nebraska NotablesTwo-time All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) was the Big Ten’s top rebounder with 322 rebounds in 2022-23. She was the only Big Ten player to average a double-double (12.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg) during regular-season conference play.Jaz Shelley is 87 points away from becoming the 37th 1,000-point scorer in Nebraska history. Alexis Markowski is 173 points from reaching 1,000 career points.Darian White has scored in double figures 98 times in her college career (97, Montana State; 1, Nebraska), including each of her last nine games.Huskers Ready to Pack PBANebraska women’s basketball formally kicked off its “Pack PBA” promotion for 2023-24, when Coach Amy Williams made the official announcement about the Pack PBA game on Wednesday, Nov. 8.&nbsp;The Huskers plan to Pack PBA when they take on defending Big Ten regular-season champion Indiana on Sunday, Jan. 7 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.Sunday, Jan. 7 will be Alumni Day in Lincoln, with the Nebraska women’s basketball program honoring the 2014 Big Ten Tournament Champion Huskers on the 10th anniversary of winning the conference title. The 2014 Huskers will be welcomed back to PBA, along with the 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen Huskers.Other special announcements connected with Pack PBA will be made in the coming weeks leading up to game between the Huskers and the Hoosiers.Last season, Nebraska set a program home attendance record of 14,289 on Play4Kay Day in its first-ever Pack PBA game on Feb. 18, 2023.

 Huskers head to Wyoming for run with Cowgirls

By: Con Marshall CSC Sports Information

Both Chadron State College basketball teams will open their seasons at home in the Chicoine Center on Friday night. 

 With good reason, there’s lots of interest in both teams. Fans are wondering if the men’s team can match or even improve upon last year’s success, while they also are anxious to see how the women’s team does with a new coach at the helm.

              The Lady Eagles, now guided by Travis Brewster, will tip off their season against College of St. Mary from Omaha at 5 o’clock Friday, followed by the men’s team coached by Shane Paben going against Texas A&amp;M International from Laredo. 

              The CSC men also will be at home again at 7 o’clock Saturday to play Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville.  Ironically, after spending most of Saturday in a bus headed south, the CSC women will be playing A&amp;M International in Laredo at 1 p.m. Sunday.

              Interest in the CSC men’s team perked up last year when the Eagles had their first winning season in 21 years while finishing 19-10 overall and going 16-7 in the RMAC.  While point guard and team captain Marcus Jefferson graduated and Isaiah Wyatt, who shot 47% from 3-point range, transferred, five of the remaining mainstays have returned and Coach Paben has brought in at least a half dozen newcomers who had been solid community college players.

              It’s the same strategy he used to remake last year’s team.

              The returnees include first-team all-RMAC choice Josh Robinson, second-team all-conference pick Bryce Latimer and Porter Anderson, the college’s 6-foot-7 Homecoming king who gives the Eagles a sturdy presence down low.  The trio combined to shoot 53.3% from the field and 78% from the free throw line last winter.

              Jarrett Taylor, who was the team’s second leading 3-point marksman a year ago and is someone Paben calls a full-fledged team player, is expected to be a starter again.  The coach added that alternate center Martin Poznanovic has improved.

              It will take some time to get acquainted with the newcomers.

              The Eagles won a pair of exhibition games the last weekend of October and players such as Jalen Patterson, who scored 37 points in the two games, along former Casper College standout Dalton Peterson and highly-regarded recruits such as Trey Ballard, Raul Nunez and Julio Phillips saw considerable action.

              Paben said he has high expectations for this year’s team. He said it has more “length,” a rather new term for height, and will have excellent depth.

              “I hope we’re better, but we’ll have to wait to find out for sure,” said Paben, who is in his fourth year with the Eagles.

              This will be the third year in a row that the CSC men have opened the season against the Texas teams and they have yet to beat either of them.  In 2021-22 when the games were in Chadron, International won 82-75 and Kingsville prevailed 84-74. Last year in Texas, the games were closer but the outcomes the same. The International Dustdevils won 71-66 and the Kingsville Javelinas won 82-76 in overtime.

              International, which finished with an 18-12 record last year, does not have any of its top five scorers back, but Matt Okoye, who scored 10 points in last year’s opener has returned along with John Achebe, who was a full-time starter a year ago.

              Kingsville was 21-12 in 2022-23. It returns 5-9 guard CJ Smith, who was the team’s top scorer for the season with an 11.2 average, along with 6-7 Kavon Booker, who averaged 6.8 points and a team-high 5.3 rebounds.

              The Javelinas will play at South Dakota Mines on Friday night before visiting the Eagles.

              Not much other than the name of the head coach will have changed on the game programs for the Chadron State women’s team this winter. When Travis Brewster was named the head coach last summer it was too late for him to add recruits.

              Since arriving, he’s not complained the situation, just dedicated himself to helping the 14 players he inherited improve.  He said he’s been pleased with their work ethic and willingness to absorb his strategies.

              Noting that individual players spend 95% of their time on the floor without the ball in their hands, he said team unity and finding ways to help one another have been points of emphasis. He calls it “small ball.”

              While the Lady Eagles won just four games last winter, the cupboard was not completely bare. In particular, he is pleased that one of CSC’s all-time greats is on the roster. Shay Powers, a 5-10 junior in eligibility, has scored 899 points and grabbed 395 rebounds during the last 2 ½ seasons.  That includes the 13 games the team played in 2020-21 during the COVID pandemic and did not count as a year of eligibility.

              Last winter, Powers, who has a knack for taking the ball to the basket and either make a field goal or draw a foul, shot a school-record 55% from the field while averaging 16.5 points and 6.9 rebounds.  She was among the 10 players who earned first-team all-RMAC honors, and just the third CSC coed to receive that honor this century.

              Brewster knows Powers will be target of special defenses and is striving to find ways to take advantage of that. He said the other starters will include junior Olivia Waufle, crowned the CSC Homecoming queen about a month ago, along with Allison Olsen, Kyra Tanabe and either Megan Counts or Liberty Line, all sophomores. 

              Both Olsen and Tanabe played about 26 minutes a game last year, while Waufle averaged about 16 minutes. Junior Kadyn Comer will also see considerable action in the backcourt, the coach noted.

              Injuries left over from last year have prevented 6-footer Claudia Dollinger and promising redshirt Bria Delmont from practicing so far, but it’s hoped they’ll be available by January.

              The Eagles have not played their Friday night opponent, College of St. Mary in Omaha, since joining the RMAC in 1990, but trail 13-4 in the all-time series. The Flames are an NAIA team and have already played three games—defeating Waldorf College of Iowa 67-63 and losing to York College 69-37 and to Peru State 84-46.  Their top player apparently is sophomore Sidney Anderson, who scored 78 points in the three games.

              Once the Eagles have arrived in Larado, they’ll encounter former teammate Samiyah Worrell, who played the last two years at CSC, graduated in May and is using her “COVID season” to play for Texas A&amp;M International.  She was Chadron State’s second-leading scorer behind Powers both seasons, averaging 11.8 and 10.1 points, respectively.

              Last year, after Worrell received honorable mention all-RMAC, former Coach Janet Raymer noted that Worrell “can take over a game.” She was the team’s leading 3-point shooter both seasons.  Last winter she was 39 of 143 (27.3%) from behind the arc.

              The Lady Dustdevils also have Rai Brown in their lineup. A year ago when International thumped the Eagles 73-46 in Chadron, Brown scored a game-high 22 points and averaged 19.2 for the season.

              Last weekend, International won all three games by wide margins while participating in a classic at Simon Fraser University in Canada. The Dustdevils defeated Alaska-Fairbanks 83-47, Central Washington 82-64 and Simon Frasier 82-75.  Brown scored 26 points against Central Washington.  Two other players tallied 20 and 25 points in the third game.  Worrall scored 11 points twice and 10 once.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669215382104.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By: Con Marshall CSC Sports InformationBoth Chadron State College basketball teams will open their seasons at home in the Chicoine Center on Friday night. With good reason, there’s lots of interest in both teams. Fans are wondering if the men’s team can match or even improve upon last year’s success, while they also are anxious to see how the women’s team does with a new coach at the helm. The Lady Eagles, now guided by Travis Brewster, will tip off their season against College of St. Mary from Omaha at 5 o’clock Friday, followed by the men’s team coached by Shane Paben going against Texas A&amp;M International from Laredo. The CSC men also will be at home again at 7 o’clock Saturday to play Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville. Ironically, after spending most of Saturday in a bus headed south, the CSC women will be playing A&amp;M International in Laredo at 1 p.m. Sunday. Interest in the CSC men’s team perked up last year when the Eagles had their first winning season in 21 years while finishing 19-10 overall and going 16-7 in the RMAC. While point guard and team captain Marcus Jefferson graduated and Isaiah Wyatt, who shot 47% from 3-point range, transferred, five of the remaining mainstays have returned and Coach Paben has brought in at least a half dozen newcomers who had been solid community college players. It’s the same strategy he used to remake last year’s team. The returnees include first-team all-RMAC choice Josh Robinson, second-team all-conference pick Bryce Latimer and Porter Anderson, the college’s 6-foot-7 Homecoming king who gives the Eagles a sturdy presence down low. The trio combined to shoot 53.3% from the field and 78% from the free throw line last winter. Jarrett Taylor, who was the team’s second leading 3-point marksman a year ago and is someone Paben calls a full-fledged team player, is expected to be a starter again. The coach added that alternate center Martin Poznanovic has improved. It will take some time to get acquainted with the newcomers. The Eagles won a pair of exhibition games the last weekend of October and players such as Jalen Patterson, who scored 37 points in the two games, along former Casper College standout Dalton Peterson and highly-regarded recruits such as Trey Ballard, Raul Nunez and Julio Phillips saw considerable action. Paben said he has high expectations for this year’s team. He said it has more “length,” a rather new term for height, and will have excellent depth. “I hope we’re better, but we’ll have to wait to find out for sure,” said Paben, who is in his fourth year with the Eagles. This will be the third year in a row that the CSC men have opened the season against the Texas teams and they have yet to beat either of them. In 2021-22 when the games were in Chadron, International won 82-75 and Kingsville prevailed 84-74. Last year in Texas, the games were closer but the outcomes the same. The International Dustdevils won 71-66 and the Kingsville Javelinas won 82-76 in overtime. International, which finished with an 18-12 record last year, does not have any of its top five scorers back, but Matt Okoye, who scored 10 points in last year’s opener has returned along with John Achebe, who was a full-time starter a year ago. Kingsville was 21-12 in 2022-23. It returns 5-9 guard CJ Smith, who was the team’s top scorer for the season with an 11.2 average, along with 6-7 Kavon Booker, who averaged 6.8 points and a team-high 5.3 rebounds. The Javelinas will play at South Dakota Mines on Friday night before visiting the Eagles. Not much other than the name of the head coach will have changed on the game programs for the Chadron State women’s team this winter. When Travis Brewster was named the head coach last summer it was too late for him to add recruits. Since arriving, he’s not complained the situation, just dedicated himself to helping the 14 players he inherited improve. He said he’s been pleased with their work ethic and willingness to absorb his strategies. Noting that individual players spend 95% of their time on the floor without the ball in their hands, he said team unity and finding ways to help one another have been points of emphasis. He calls it “small ball.” While the Lady Eagles won just four games last winter, the cupboard was not completely bare. In particular, he is pleased that one of CSC’s all-time greats is on the roster. Shay Powers, a 5-10 junior in eligibility, has scored 899 points and grabbed 395 rebounds during the last 2 ½ seasons. That includes the 13 games the team played in 2020-21 during the COVID pandemic and did not count as a year of eligibility. Last winter, Powers, who has a knack for taking the ball to the basket and either make a field goal or draw a foul, shot a school-record 55% from the field while averaging 16.5 points and 6.9 rebounds. She was among the 10 players who earned first-team all-RMAC honors, and just the third CSC coed to receive that honor this century. Brewster knows Powers will be target of special defenses and is striving to find ways to take advantage of that. He said the other starters will include junior Olivia Waufle, crowned the CSC Homecoming queen about a month ago, along with Allison Olsen, Kyra Tanabe and either Megan Counts or Liberty Line, all sophomores. Both Olsen and Tanabe played about 26 minutes a game last year, while Waufle averaged about 16 minutes. Junior Kadyn Comer will also see considerable action in the backcourt, the coach noted. Injuries left over from last year have prevented 6-footer Claudia Dollinger and promising redshirt Bria Delmont from practicing so far, but it’s hoped they’ll be available by January. The Eagles have not played their Friday night opponent, College of St. Mary in Omaha, since joining the RMAC in 1990, but trail 13-4 in the all-time series. The Flames are an NAIA team and have already played three games—defeating Waldorf College of Iowa 67-63 and losing to York College 69-37 and to Peru State 84-46. Their top player apparently is sophomore Sidney Anderson, who scored 78 points in the three games. Once the Eagles have arrived in Larado, they’ll encounter former teammate Samiyah Worrell, who played the last two years at CSC, graduated in May and is using her “COVID season” to play for Texas A&amp;M International. She was Chadron State’s second-leading scorer behind Powers both seasons, averaging 11.8 and 10.1 points, respectively. Last year, after Worrell received honorable mention all-RMAC, former Coach Janet Raymer noted that Worrell “can take over a game.” She was the team’s leading 3-point shooter both seasons. Last winter she was 39 of 143 (27.3%) from behind the arc. The Lady Dustdevils also have Rai Brown in their lineup. A year ago when International thumped the Eagles 73-46 in Chadron, Brown scored a game-high 22 points and averaged 19.2 for the season. Last weekend, International won all three games by wide margins while participating in a classic at Simon Fraser University in Canada. The Dustdevils defeated Alaska-Fairbanks 83-47, Central Washington 82-64 and Simon Frasier 82-75. Brown scored 26 points against Central Washington. Two other players tallied 20 and 25 points in the third game. Worrall scored 11 points twice and 10 once.

Eagles back on the basketball court for season opening games Friday

MNAC 2023 All-Conference Volleyball selections

The 22nd-ranked Western Colorado Mountaineers won the tie breaker to get past the Nebraska Kearney “B” team,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/seasons/LoadBalance.jsp?seasonId=170449138&amp;pageName=DualMatches.jsp&amp;dualId=7429187132" target="_blank">22-21</a>, Thursday night in Gunnison.

This was the regular season opener for UNK. It’s a busy weekend for the Lopers as the 18th-ranked varsity is in California to dual San Francisco State (Sat.) and Division I Stanford (Sun.) with younger team members headed to Mitchell, S.D., Saturday for the Dakota Wesleyan Open.

To edge the Lopers, WCU (1-1) scored more points in matches not decided by fall (two), 61-59. Each team also had a tech fall and each won five matches.

UNK tied things up at 20 after redshirt sophomore heavyweight&nbsp;Jake Boley&nbsp;(Colorado Springs) stuck Tommy Tatham in 1:26 and redshirt freshman&nbsp;Tre Daro&nbsp;(David City) had four points in the third period to win at 197 pounds, 11-8.

The Lopers got out to an 11-3 lead as redshirt sophomores&nbsp;Bishop Murray&nbsp;(Topeka, Kan.) and&nbsp;Brody Arrants&nbsp;(Grand Island) had wins by decision with redshirt sophomore&nbsp;Daniel DeRosier&nbsp;(Bellevue East) racking up nine third period points to have a 16-0 tech fall in 6:39. &nbsp;

The Mountaineers moved ahead 20-14 after getting wins from nationally-ranked Patrick Allis (133 1bs.) and Cole Hernandez (174 lbs.) with Ryan Wilson (157 lbs.) and Cole Gray (184 lbs.) rallying from first period deficits to win by decision.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe 22nd-ranked Western Colorado Mountaineers won the tie breaker to get past the Nebraska Kearney “B” team,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/seasons/LoadBalance.jsp?seasonId=170449138&amp;pageName=DualMatches.jsp&amp;dualId=7429187132" target="_blank">22-21</a>, Thursday night in Gunnison.This was the regular season opener for UNK. It’s a busy weekend for the Lopers as the 18th-ranked varsity is in California to dual San Francisco State (Sat.) and Division I Stanford (Sun.) with younger team members headed to Mitchell, S.D., Saturday for the Dakota Wesleyan Open.To edge the Lopers, WCU (1-1) scored more points in matches not decided by fall (two), 61-59. Each team also had a tech fall and each won five matches.UNK tied things up at 20 after redshirt sophomore heavyweight&nbsp;Jake Boley&nbsp;(Colorado Springs) stuck Tommy Tatham in 1:26 and redshirt freshman&nbsp;Tre Daro&nbsp;(David City) had four points in the third period to win at 197 pounds, 11-8.The Lopers got out to an 11-3 lead as redshirt sophomores&nbsp;Bishop Murray&nbsp;(Topeka, Kan.) and&nbsp;Brody Arrants&nbsp;(Grand Island) had wins by decision with redshirt sophomore&nbsp;Daniel DeRosier&nbsp;(Bellevue East) racking up nine third period points to have a 16-0 tech fall in 6:39. &nbsp;The Mountaineers moved ahead 20-14 after getting wins from nationally-ranked Patrick Allis (133 1bs.) and Cole Hernandez (174 lbs.) with Ryan Wilson (157 lbs.) and Cole Gray (184 lbs.) rallying from first period deficits to win by decision.

Busy opening weekend for the Lopers

*-Rienk Mast collected his 19th career double-double with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Mast nearly had a double-double in the first half alone with 12 points and eight rebounds. Prior to tonight, the last Husker to have at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a game was Aleks Maric, who had 32 points and 16 rebounds against Missouri on Feb. 13, 2008.&nbsp; Mast had Nebraska’s first double-double since Sam Griesel (16/12) against Minnesota (3/8/23),

*-Mast’s 16 rebounds was the most by a Husker since Yvan Ouedraogo had 19 rebounds against Northwestern on March 1, 2020, and the second-highest rebound total in Hoiberg’s four-plus seasons at Nebraska.

*-Nebraska’s 55 rebounds was the most since also collecting 55 against Doane on Dec. 17, 2020. It was the most against a Division I team since having 55 vs. Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 6, 2018.

*-Nebraska has had double-figure scoring runs in each of its first two games (10-0 vs. Lindenwood; 12-0 vs. FAMU)

*-Nebraska had double-digit 3-pointers for the second straight game, the first time it happened since March 4-7, 2001 (at Iowa, at Northwestern)

*-In all, 64 of Nebraska’s 81 points were scored by first-year Huskers, as well as 30 points scored by players coming off the bench

*-Freshman Eli Rice reached double figures for the first time in his career with 16 points, including 11 in the first half

*-Jamarques Lawrence set a career high with three steals, topping his previous best of two set a pair of times in 2022-23. He also tied a career high with four assists (at Iowa, 3/5/23)

*-Sam Hoiberg had a career high four steals, as his previous best was two set on four occasions.

*-Nebraska’s 25 free throws were the most since also making 25 against Maryland on Feb. 18, 2022.

On the physicality and emphasis on rebounds

‘Yeah I thought the defensive edge was really good tonight. It is what we really stress the last couple of days in practice was the physicality. I thought we got beat to some 50-50 balls in the opener and gave up way too many offensive rebounds. From that standpoint,&nbsp;I was very pleased. Offensively we obviously weren’t very good tonight.&nbsp;Turning the ball over 18 times shooting 41 percent. In the first half I thought we took way too many contested shots in the paint. We do a drill every day where we drive it into the paint and come to a two-foot jump stop and kick it to the guy pulling up behind. We weren’t talking on it. We were trying to go up and finish over length. It wasn’t working. In the second half, it was a big point of emphasis at halftime to play under control and then we had layups and wide-open plays at the rim and now we decide to start kicking them out. We should have to be better. We have to be more efficient in the paint. We still score 81 points, missing 11 free throws,&nbsp;shooting 41 percent and turning the ball over 18 times. We have a chance to be a very good offensive team, a very good team overall if we can take what we did on the defensive end tonight and then take care of the basketball and get a quality possession every time down. We have a chance to be very good if we can figure that out which is going to be a big part of practice the next few days. We have a huge week ahead. Three tough games and we need to have two quality days of work on Saturday and Sunday.”&nbsp;

“That’s pretty good company. Aleks Maric was a monster. Rienk was the guy that really got it going early for us. I thought our guys did a good job finding him. Josiah (Allick) was just a read on his part where he curled, Rienk’s guy was in the paint to pop him out for an open three after he just made one. I love to see that when guys make a shot and have a conscious effort of finding that guy the next time down. Rienk was phenomenal tonight. I thought he did rush a couple in the paint that he could have kicked out but overall yeah with 20 points and 16 rebounds in 27 minutes is a pretty darn good night.”

On the injuries and how they’ve impacted the team

“It’s giving guys great opportunities to go out there and play extended minutes. It’s given Eli (Rice) a chance to get out there and show what he can do. I talk to the guys all the time about taking advantage when it presents itself. With Keisei (Tominaga) being out of the lineup, we have been able to play some different combinations out there, obviously starting big. Juwan (Gary) hopefully we’ll be getting him back sometime next week and have a full team out there. Then we’re gonna have some decisions to make on who’s gonna be in the rotation. You can’t play 12 guys. It doesn’t work that way. I think we use the example of Jamarques (Lawrence) and Sam (Hoiberg). A year ago they didn’t play a lot early in the season. Sam didn’t play at all. And now obviously he’s a very important guy on the floor on both ends. He knows what we needs to do defensively and offensively for the most part, he does his job. When those guys get back, I’m excited. It’s gonna have to be a group that goes out there and continues to play unselfishly but getting Keisei back is going to be very important to us.”

Nebraska Forward Rienk Mast&nbsp;

On last game’s performance and improvement&nbsp;

“The last game we weren’t too happy with the way we boxed out so that was a big emphasis in practice these last couple of days. I think we did a lot better overall with everyone being more physical and just crashing harder and putting effort into rebounding. You see that once we put effort into it we can do it. We got to sustain it through the next couple of days.”

“Getting everyone back. We hope Keisei (Tominaga) will be back soon. Not rushing him but it’s looking good. He’s already moving better doing parts in practice. Getting everybody back together. We have a lot of veteran guys. You see the potential. I think today you saw potential. We beat this team pretty handily,&nbsp;and we still had&nbsp;18 turnovers and shot 41 percent from the field. Not a great game on our part,&nbsp;but we see the potential once we have Keisei back.”&nbsp;

Nebraska Guard Brice Williams

On being veterans in college basketball and how long it takes teams to mesh

“It varies between different teams but when you play together you start to learn each other’s tendencies: where you like the ball and what they’re good at. When you get out there on the court you just try to do what you’re good at. You don’t try to do too much or not enough. It will happen quick just because of the way we play is really very free-flowing. It’s not anybody being asked to do anything they can’t do. It will happen pretty fast once you get out there.”

Florida A&amp;M Head Coach Robert McCullum

On defending Nebraska’s three’s point attack

“We talked about the same emphasis, running them off the line, playing with great awareness, I think we did a better job of contesting (in the second half), and some of them they got some open looks and just missed.”

“We’ve got older players, but we also have eight new players. We’re still trying to gel and establish the chemistry that we need.”

“I like the fact that we did a better job taking care of the ball. In the first half we had ten turnovers, and we only had four the second half. We liked the number of shot attempts that we got. We had a couple of players that played poorly against Creighton that I thought played better, so we’re able to see some players do some things that boost their confidence and help us get better as we progress through the season.”

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska Notes*-Rienk Mast collected his 19th career double-double with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Mast nearly had a double-double in the first half alone with 12 points and eight rebounds. Prior to tonight, the last Husker to have at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a game was Aleks Maric, who had 32 points and 16 rebounds against Missouri on Feb. 13, 2008.&nbsp; Mast had Nebraska’s first double-double since Sam Griesel (16/12) against Minnesota (3/8/23),*-Mast’s 16 rebounds was the most by a Husker since Yvan Ouedraogo had 19 rebounds against Northwestern on March 1, 2020, and the second-highest rebound total in Hoiberg’s four-plus seasons at Nebraska.*-Nebraska’s 55 rebounds was the most since also collecting 55 against Doane on Dec. 17, 2020. It was the most against a Division I team since having 55 vs. Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 6, 2018.*-Nebraska has had double-figure scoring runs in each of its first two games (10-0 vs. Lindenwood; 12-0 vs. FAMU)*-Nebraska had double-digit 3-pointers for the second straight game, the first time it happened since March 4-7, 2001 (at Iowa, at Northwestern)*-In all, 64 of Nebraska’s 81 points were scored by first-year Huskers, as well as 30 points scored by players coming off the bench*-Freshman Eli Rice reached double figures for the first time in his career with 16 points, including 11 in the first half*-Jamarques Lawrence set a career high with three steals, topping his previous best of two set a pair of times in 2022-23. He also tied a career high with four assists (at Iowa, 3/5/23)*-Sam Hoiberg had a career high four steals, as his previous best was two set on four occasions.*-Nebraska’s 25 free throws were the most since also making 25 against Maryland on Feb. 18, 2022.Head Coach Fred HoibergOn the physicality and emphasis on rebounds‘Yeah I thought the defensive edge was really good tonight. It is what we really stress the last couple of days in practice was the physicality. I thought we got beat to some 50-50 balls in the opener and gave up way too many offensive rebounds. From that standpoint,&nbsp;I was very pleased. Offensively we obviously weren’t very good tonight.&nbsp;Turning the ball over 18 times shooting 41 percent. In the first half I thought we took way too many contested shots in the paint. We do a drill every day where we drive it into the paint and come to a two-foot jump stop and kick it to the guy pulling up behind. We weren’t talking on it. We were trying to go up and finish over length. It wasn’t working. In the second half, it was a big point of emphasis at halftime to play under control and then we had layups and wide-open plays at the rim and now we decide to start kicking them out. We should have to be better. We have to be more efficient in the paint. We still score 81 points, missing 11 free throws,&nbsp;shooting 41 percent and turning the ball over 18 times. We have a chance to be a very good offensive team, a very good team overall if we can take what we did on the defensive end tonight and then take care of the basketball and get a quality possession every time down. We have a chance to be very good if we can figure that out which is going to be a big part of practice the next few days. We have a huge week ahead. Three tough games and we need to have two quality days of work on Saturday and Sunday.”&nbsp;On Rienk Mast’s performance“That’s pretty good company. Aleks Maric was a monster. Rienk was the guy that really got it going early for us. I thought our guys did a good job finding him. Josiah (Allick) was just a read on his part where he curled, Rienk’s guy was in the paint to pop him out for an open three after he just made one. I love to see that when guys make a shot and have a conscious effort of finding that guy the next time down. Rienk was phenomenal tonight. I thought he did rush a couple in the paint that he could have kicked out but overall yeah with 20 points and 16 rebounds in 27 minutes is a pretty darn good night.”On the injuries and how they’ve impacted the team“It’s giving guys great opportunities to go out there and play extended minutes. It’s given Eli (Rice) a chance to get out there and show what he can do. I talk to the guys all the time about taking advantage when it presents itself. With Keisei (Tominaga) being out of the lineup, we have been able to play some different combinations out there, obviously starting big. Juwan (Gary) hopefully we’ll be getting him back sometime next week and have a full team out there. Then we’re gonna have some decisions to make on who’s gonna be in the rotation. You can’t play 12 guys. It doesn’t work that way. I think we use the example of Jamarques (Lawrence) and Sam (Hoiberg). A year ago they didn’t play a lot early in the season. Sam didn’t play at all. And now obviously he’s a very important guy on the floor on both ends. He knows what we needs to do defensively and offensively for the most part, he does his job. When those guys get back, I’m excited. It’s gonna have to be a group that goes out there and continues to play unselfishly but getting Keisei back is going to be very important to us.”Nebraska Forward Rienk Mast&nbsp;On last game’s performance and improvement&nbsp;“The last game we weren’t too happy with the way we boxed out so that was a big emphasis in practice these last couple of days. I think we did a lot better overall with everyone being more physical and just crashing harder and putting effort into rebounding. You see that once we put effort into it we can do it. We got to sustain it through the next couple of days.”On how the team operates“Getting everyone back. We hope Keisei (Tominaga) will be back soon. Not rushing him but it’s looking good. He’s already moving better doing parts in practice. Getting everybody back together. We have a lot of veteran guys. You see the potential. I think today you saw potential. We beat this team pretty handily,&nbsp;and we still had&nbsp;18 turnovers and shot 41 percent from the field. Not a great game on our part,&nbsp;but we see the potential once we have Keisei back.”&nbsp;Nebraska Guard Brice WilliamsOn being veterans in college basketball and how long it takes teams to mesh“It varies between different teams but when you play together you start to learn each other’s tendencies: where you like the ball and what they’re good at. When you get out there on the court you just try to do what you’re good at. You don’t try to do too much or not enough. It will happen quick just because of the way we play is really very free-flowing. It’s not anybody being asked to do anything they can’t do. It will happen pretty fast once you get out there.”Florida A&amp;M Head Coach Robert McCullumOn defending Nebraska’s three’s point attack“We talked about the same emphasis, running them off the line, playing with great awareness, I think we did a better job of contesting (in the second half), and some of them they got some open looks and just missed.”On having experienced players“We’ve got older players, but we also have eight new players. We’re still trying to gel and establish the chemistry that we need.”On bright spots“I like the fact that we did a better job taking care of the ball. In the first half we had ten turnovers, and we only had four the second half. We liked the number of shot attempts that we got. We had a couple of players that played poorly against Creighton that I thought played better, so we’re able to see some players do some things that boost their confidence and help us get better as we progress through the season.”

Husker Basketball post game notes

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;

The No. 10 Nebraska rifle team (3-3) will travel to Morgantown, W.V., to take on No. 2 West Virginia, No. 6 Murray State and No. 7 Air Force this weekend.

The teams will compete in the smallbore on Saturday and the air rifle on Sunday. Both days are set to start at 7:30 a.m. (CT) and fans can follow along with live results&nbsp;<a href="https://results.megalink.no/#!/" target="_blank">here</a>.

“The Fall Classic will be structured like the NCAA Championships,” Head Coach Mindy Miles said. “Morgantown will host the NCAAs so this weekend’s match will give the team a chance to dry run for the championships.”

Most recently, the Huskers faced off against No. 18 The Citadel on Nov. 4, and won by a score of 4,704-4,632. There, four Nebraska athletes finished in the top five overall.

NU is 3-3 on the season so far with wins coming against No. 7 Air Force, No. 11 Ohio State and the No. 18 Bulldogs. They have shot program-bests in both the team aggregate (4,728, at Air Force) and air rifle (2,384, at Air Force).&nbsp;

Four team members – senior Cecelia Ossi, junior Mackenzie Strauch, sophomore Tori Watts and freshman Charlie Mick – have shot a career best in at least one event this season. The Fall Classic is the last match of the fall portion of the Huskers’ season.&nbsp;

“I frequently tell the team that we need to find how to be consistent,” Miles said. “We fluctuate a lot with our team scores and it makes it hard to gain confidence for them. We have seen a lot of improvements in practice and I believe where the problem lies is when we change to a match, where pressure is added. They have done a good job of posting personal bests, but they haven't quite gotten it all together, minus our appearance at USAFA.”

Nebraska has already competed against WVU this year, and lost by scores of 4,748-4,699 and 4,732-4,722 on Oct. 28 and 29. The Mountaineers are undefeated on the season and average an aggregate score of 4,744.17. They have wins against No. 1 TCU, No. 8 Memphis, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 12 Akron.

The Racers have grabbed wins against No. 11 Ohio State, No. 19 UT Martin and UTEP and lost to No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 15 Morehead State. They have an average aggregate score of 4,690 this season. NU has not faced Murray State this season.

NU defeated the Falcons earlier this year, behind program-record aggregate (4,728) and air rifle (2,384) scores and numerous personal bests. Air Force has defeated No. 13 Navy, No. 14 Army and UTEP and has taken losses against the Huskers and No. 1 TCU. They average an aggregate score of 4,717.80.

Up next, Nebraska will take a break for the winter and return to action at Kentucky on Jan. 14.

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;The No. 10 Nebraska rifle team (3-3) will travel to Morgantown, W.V., to take on No. 2 West Virginia, No. 6 Murray State and No. 7 Air Force this weekend.The teams will compete in the smallbore on Saturday and the air rifle on Sunday. Both days are set to start at 7:30 a.m. (CT) and fans can follow along with live results&nbsp;<a href="https://results.megalink.no/#!/" target="_blank">here</a>.“The Fall Classic will be structured like the NCAA Championships,” Head Coach Mindy Miles said. “Morgantown will host the NCAAs so this weekend’s match will give the team a chance to dry run for the championships.”Most recently, the Huskers faced off against No. 18 The Citadel on Nov. 4, and won by a score of 4,704-4,632. There, four Nebraska athletes finished in the top five overall.NU is 3-3 on the season so far with wins coming against No. 7 Air Force, No. 11 Ohio State and the No. 18 Bulldogs. They have shot program-bests in both the team aggregate (4,728, at Air Force) and air rifle (2,384, at Air Force).&nbsp;Four team members – senior Cecelia Ossi, junior Mackenzie Strauch, sophomore Tori Watts and freshman Charlie Mick – have shot a career best in at least one event this season. The Fall Classic is the last match of the fall portion of the Huskers’ season.&nbsp;“I frequently tell the team that we need to find how to be consistent,” Miles said. “We fluctuate a lot with our team scores and it makes it hard to gain confidence for them. We have seen a lot of improvements in practice and I believe where the problem lies is when we change to a match, where pressure is added. They have done a good job of posting personal bests, but they haven't quite gotten it all together, minus our appearance at USAFA.”Nebraska has already competed against WVU this year, and lost by scores of 4,748-4,699 and 4,732-4,722 on Oct. 28 and 29. The Mountaineers are undefeated on the season and average an aggregate score of 4,744.17. They have wins against No. 1 TCU, No. 8 Memphis, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 12 Akron.The Racers have grabbed wins against No. 11 Ohio State, No. 19 UT Martin and UTEP and lost to No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 15 Morehead State. They have an average aggregate score of 4,690 this season. NU has not faced Murray State this season.NU defeated the Falcons earlier this year, behind program-record aggregate (4,728) and air rifle (2,384) scores and numerous personal bests. Air Force has defeated No. 13 Navy, No. 14 Army and UTEP and has taken losses against the Huskers and No. 1 TCU. They average an aggregate score of 4,717.80.Up next, Nebraska will take a break for the winter and return to action at Kentucky on Jan. 14.

Huskers travel to fall classic to face three Top-10 teams

The No. 9 Nebraska wrestling team looks to continue its early-season success this week when Campbell visits the Devaney Center on Friday night. The dual, which will be streamed on Big Ten Plus, marks the second-straight season the teams have squared off against one another on the mat. The Huskers defeated the Camels 37-6 on the road in 2022-23. &nbsp;

Last Time Out:&nbsp;The Huskers dominated North Dakota State, recording five bonus-point victories to defeat NDSU (0-1, 0-0 Big 12) 31-12 on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;

Up Next: The Huskers will travel to Annapolis, Md., for the Navy Classic on Nov. 18. &nbsp;

No. 9 Nebraska’s Projected Lineup:125:&nbsp;#13 Caleb Smith Gr. • High Point, N.C. (1-0)133:&nbsp;#31 Jacob Van Dee RFr. • Union City, Pa. (1-0)-OR-&nbsp;Kyle Burwick Sr. • Hettinger, N.D. (0-0)141:&nbsp;#4 Brock Hardy So. • Brigham City, Utah (0-0)149:&nbsp;#1 Ridge Lovett RJr. • Post Falls, Idaho (1-0)157:&nbsp;#3 Peyton Robb Sr. • Owatonna, Minn. (1-0)165:&nbsp;#14 Antrell Taylor RFr. • Millard, Neb. (1-0-OR-&nbsp;Bubba Wilson Jr. • Manhattan, Kan. (0-0)174:&nbsp;Elise Brown Ton So. • Allen, Texas (0-1)184:&nbsp;#9 Lenny Pinto So. • Stroudsburg, Pa. (1-0)197:&nbsp;#7 Silas Allred So. • Muncie, Ind. (1-0)HWT:&nbsp;Harley Andrews RFr. • Wichita, Kan. (0-1)&nbsp;

Campbell’s Projected Lineup:125:&nbsp;Anthony Molton RSr. • Crest Hill, Ill. (0-0)-OR-&nbsp;Cooper Shore Fr. • Saint Paris, Ohio (0-0)-OR-&nbsp;Zander Phaturos So. • Waynesburg, Pa. (0-1)133:&nbsp;#12 Dom Zaccone RSr. • Orland Park, Ill. (1-0)141:&nbsp;Shannon Hanna Gr. • Lakeland, Fla. (2-2)-OR-&nbsp;Chris Rivera RJr. • Orlando, Fla. (1-0)149:&nbsp;Justin Rivera RJr. • Orlando, Fla. (2-3)157:&nbsp;#33 Troy Nation Gr. • Land O’ Lakes, Fla. (0-0)-OR-&nbsp;Hagen Heistand So. • Dow City, Iowa (6-1)165:&nbsp;Dom Baker So. • New Kent, Va. (4-1)174:&nbsp;#24 Austin Murphy Gr. • Cincinnati, Ohio (4-1)184:&nbsp;#24 Caleb Hopkins Gr. • Palmer, Alaska (3-2)197:&nbsp;#26 Levi Hopkins RSr. • Palmer, Alaska (4-1)HWT:&nbsp;#15 Taye Ghadiali RSr. • Warren, Mich. (5-0)&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe No. 9 Nebraska wrestling team looks to continue its early-season success this week when Campbell visits the Devaney Center on Friday night. The dual, which will be streamed on Big Ten Plus, marks the second-straight season the teams have squared off against one another on the mat. The Huskers defeated the Camels 37-6 on the road in 2022-23. &nbsp;Last Time Out:&nbsp;The Huskers dominated North Dakota State, recording five bonus-point victories to defeat NDSU (0-1, 0-0 Big 12) 31-12 on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;Up Next: The Huskers will travel to Annapolis, Md., for the Navy Classic on Nov. 18. &nbsp;No. 9 Nebraska’s Projected Lineup:125:&nbsp;#13 Caleb Smith Gr. • High Point, N.C. (1-0)133:&nbsp;#31 Jacob Van Dee RFr. • Union City, Pa. (1-0)-OR-&nbsp;Kyle Burwick Sr. • Hettinger, N.D. (0-0)141:&nbsp;#4 Brock Hardy So. • Brigham City, Utah (0-0)149:&nbsp;#1 Ridge Lovett RJr. • Post Falls, Idaho (1-0)157:&nbsp;#3 Peyton Robb Sr. • Owatonna, Minn. (1-0)165:&nbsp;#14 Antrell Taylor RFr. • Millard, Neb. (1-0-OR-&nbsp;Bubba Wilson Jr. • Manhattan, Kan. (0-0)174:&nbsp;Elise Brown Ton So. • Allen, Texas (0-1)184:&nbsp;#9 Lenny Pinto So. • Stroudsburg, Pa. (1-0)197:&nbsp;#7 Silas Allred So. • Muncie, Ind. (1-0)HWT:&nbsp;Harley Andrews RFr. • Wichita, Kan. (0-1)&nbsp;Campbell’s Projected Lineup:125:&nbsp;Anthony Molton RSr. • Crest Hill, Ill. (0-0)-OR-&nbsp;Cooper Shore Fr. • Saint Paris, Ohio (0-0)-OR-&nbsp;Zander Phaturos So. • Waynesburg, Pa. (0-1)133:&nbsp;#12 Dom Zaccone RSr. • Orland Park, Ill. (1-0)141:&nbsp;Shannon Hanna Gr. • Lakeland, Fla. (2-2)-OR-&nbsp;Chris Rivera RJr. • Orlando, Fla. (1-0)149:&nbsp;Justin Rivera RJr. • Orlando, Fla. (2-3)157:&nbsp;#33 Troy Nation Gr. • Land O’ Lakes, Fla. (0-0)-OR-&nbsp;Hagen Heistand So. • Dow City, Iowa (6-1)165:&nbsp;Dom Baker So. • New Kent, Va. (4-1)174:&nbsp;#24 Austin Murphy Gr. • Cincinnati, Ohio (4-1)184:&nbsp;#24 Caleb Hopkins Gr. • Palmer, Alaska (3-2)197:&nbsp;#26 Levi Hopkins RSr. • Palmer, Alaska (4-1)HWT:&nbsp;#15 Taye Ghadiali RSr. • Warren, Mich. (5-0)&nbsp;

NU welcomes Campbell on Friday night 

Story by UNK Athletic Communications

Nebraska Kearney head wrestling coach&nbsp;Dalton Jensen&nbsp;announced today that&nbsp;Cadyn Coyle&nbsp;of Bennington will hit the mats for the Lopers next season.

UNK has just five seniors on this year’s team in All-Americans Billy Higgins (184 lbs.) and Nick James (141 lbs.), national qualifier John Burger (149 lbs.) and brothers Jacari (184 lbs.) and Jacobi (174 lbs.) Deal.

Coyle was the 2023 Class B state champion at 113 pounds, helping the Badgers finish as state runners up. As a sophomore, Bennington won its first state title in 15 years with Coyle the runner up at 106 pounds. Out of the high school season, Coyle was a 2023 Fargo Junior Greco-Roman National Champion.

"We are beyond excited to have Cadyn join the Loper Wrestling Family,” said Jensen. “He comes from a rich wrestling family and has proven success on the national stage.&nbsp; His passion for the sport paired with his work ethic shows great potential for his future."

UNK begins its 2023-24 season tonight with a “B” team at Western Colorado and other non-varsity members headed to the Dakota Wesleyan Open on Saturday. The Loper varsity, ranked 18th&nbsp;in Division II, duals San Francisco State (Sat.) and Stanford (Sun.) this weekend in California.

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsNebraska Kearney head wrestling coach&nbsp;Dalton Jensen&nbsp;announced today that&nbsp;Cadyn Coyle&nbsp;of Bennington will hit the mats for the Lopers next season.UNK has just five seniors on this year’s team in All-Americans Billy Higgins (184 lbs.) and Nick James (141 lbs.), national qualifier John Burger (149 lbs.) and brothers Jacari (184 lbs.) and Jacobi (174 lbs.) Deal.Coyle was the 2023 Class B state champion at 113 pounds, helping the Badgers finish as state runners up. As a sophomore, Bennington won its first state title in 15 years with Coyle the runner up at 106 pounds. Out of the high school season, Coyle was a 2023 Fargo Junior Greco-Roman National Champion."We are beyond excited to have Cadyn join the Loper Wrestling Family,” said Jensen. “He comes from a rich wrestling family and has proven success on the national stage.&nbsp; His passion for the sport paired with his work ethic shows great potential for his future."UNK begins its 2023-24 season tonight with a “B” team at Western Colorado and other non-varsity members headed to the Dakota Wesleyan Open on Saturday. The Loper varsity, ranked 18th&nbsp;in Division II, duals San Francisco State (Sat.) and Stanford (Sun.) this weekend in California.

UNK adds two-time state finalist to lower weights; busy opening weekend

The five-seeded Nebraska soccer team (14-3-3, 7-1-2 Big Ten) opens its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history by hosting South Dakota State on Friday at Barbara Hibner Stadium, starting at 7:05 p.m. (CT). It marks the second meeting between the two teams this season, as NU hosted SDSU in an exhibition match to start the season, winning 2-1.&nbsp;

The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available on Huskers.com &nbsp;

Last Time Out:&nbsp;Despite outshooting the Badgers 15-10, the Huskers saw their Big Ten Tournament run come to an end in the semifinals as the Huskers fell to #12 Wisconsin 3-1 at Lower.com Field on Thursday afternoon.&nbsp;

Up Next:&nbsp;The winner of the first-round match between Nebraska and SDSU will face the winner of the match between fourth-seeded Xavier or Tennessee in the second round.&nbsp;

Nebraska’s NCAA Tournament History&nbsp;

Individual Milestones and Records to Watch&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe five-seeded Nebraska soccer team (14-3-3, 7-1-2 Big Ten) opens its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history by hosting South Dakota State on Friday at Barbara Hibner Stadium, starting at 7:05 p.m. (CT). It marks the second meeting between the two teams this season, as NU hosted SDSU in an exhibition match to start the season, winning 2-1.&nbsp;The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available on Huskers.com &nbsp;Last Time Out:&nbsp;Despite outshooting the Badgers 15-10, the Huskers saw their Big Ten Tournament run come to an end in the semifinals as the Huskers fell to #12 Wisconsin 3-1 at Lower.com Field on Thursday afternoon.&nbsp;Up Next:&nbsp;The winner of the first-round match between Nebraska and SDSU will face the winner of the match between fourth-seeded Xavier or Tennessee in the second round.&nbsp;Nebraska’s NCAA Tournament History&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Nebraska is making its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, and first since 2016 when the Huskers also hosted SDSU in the first round.&nbsp;</li><li>Nebraska holds a 17-12 record all-time in the NCAA Tournament.&nbsp;</li><li>NU has made it to the Sweet 16 on eight occasions and twice advanced to the Elite Eight.&nbsp;</li><li>Nebraska made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1996, which began a span of 10 consecutive appearances through the 2005 season. NU’s 12th appearance was in 2016.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Individual Milestones and Records to Watch&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Dale, a senior from Billingham, England, earned four Big Ten Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors this season (second-most in Big Ten history), and she became the first Nebraska women’s soccer player to claim Big Ten Forward-of-the-Year honors. She leads the country in total goals (25), game-winning goals (8), goals per game (1.25), while also leading the conference in shots (120), shots on goal (61) and points (54). Dale’s total goals and points are the most in the Big Ten since 2001 (Christie Welsh, Penn State, 25 goals, 68 points).&nbsp;</li><li>Dale, who has tallied 10 braces this season, is third on Nebraska’s season goal scored list. She trails only Kim Engesser, who scored 27 goals in 1998 and 26 goals in 1997. Additionally, she is tied for first in the Huskers record books in game-winning goals and her total shots this season place her at the top of the list. &nbsp;</li><li>Gretna’s Sarah Weber joins Dale as a first-team All-Big Ten honoree as Weber captured her second-straight first-team All-Big Ten status. She ranks second in the conference in shots (83), points (31) and shots on goal (33), and third in goals (12). Nationally, Weber is ninth in shots per game (4.37) and tied for 15th in total points. &nbsp;</li><li>This season marks the first time since 2010 that the Huskers have had two players with 12 or more goals on the season. &nbsp;</li><li>Junior midfielder Florence Belzile, a three-time member of the Top Drawer Soccer team, has a team-high 16 assists on the season, good for first in the conference and second nationally. Also, she is ninth in the conference standings with 22 points. In the Husker record books, her assists on the season place her tied for eighth with Husker greats Jenny Benson (1996) and Brittany Timko (2004).&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

Huskers host Jackrabbits in NCAA first round 

The Nebraska softball team signed four players to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. The group includes two in-state players and two players from California.

Nebraska’s signing class features Natalia Hill (Norwalk, Calif.), Nessa McMillen (Blair, Neb.), Macie Vickers (Escalon, Calif.) and Kennadi Williams (Lincoln, Neb.). All four players will join Nebraska next fall.

“We are proud to announce another high character, high achievement-oriented group of student-athletes to represent the University of Nebraska and our softball program,” Head Coach Rhonda Revelle said. “The 2024 class is athletic with a combination of speed and power offensively, while also displaying versatility on defense as they all play multiple positions.&nbsp;

“It is a great day to be a Husker as we welcome this competitive group of scholar-athletes to the Red Team.”

Natalia Hill, Utility, Norwalk, Calif. (Gahr HS/Briggs Softball Club – Bengals)

Natalia Hill was one of the nation’s top recruits while starring for Gahr High School and the Briggs Softball Club in California. Hill was ranked among the top 50 overall recruits in the country and was invited to play in the Minority Prospects All-American Game.

Hill has been a starter every season for Gahr High School in Cerritos, Calif., with her senior season still to come this spring. As a sophomore, she was named the team’s defensive player of the year and was a first-team all-league selection. She repeated as a first-team all-league player as a junior and was also Gahr’s Most Valuable Player. She earned recognition at the state level with an appointment to the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass team as a junior, when she was also an all-area selection and a member of the All-CIF Southern Section Division I team.

Hill has excelled in the classroom as an honor roll member since the 7th grade and as a four-year Scholar Athlete of the Quarter recipient.

Hill has also enjoyed success for the Briggs Softball Club – Bengals. She helped her team to a title at the 2023 PGF Shootout championship, hitting a home run in the semifinal game. Hill was invited to play in the All-Star Jennie Finch Classic in 2023, when she helped her team to a tournament title. She also participated for Team Spain at the 2023 International Challenge, where she earned a spot on the All World team.

Coach Revelle on Natalia:&nbsp;“Nat has an incredible softball IQ that impressed us the first time we spoke with her.&nbsp;On the field, Nat is dynamic with her leadership, voice and level of play.&nbsp;An intense competitor, Nat&nbsp;has a contagious energy and a winning attitude, and we could not be more grateful that Nat is a Husker.”

Hill on Nebraska:&nbsp;“During my recruitment&nbsp;process I was looking for a school that felt like a second home.&nbsp;As soon as I stepped onto the Nebraska campus, I felt that. Considering&nbsp;that I will be moving far away from California, having support like I get from Nebraska is a big thing I am grateful for.&nbsp; Seeing how well the athletes are treated, how welcoming the people were, how competitive&nbsp;and positive the softball team is, and being high on academics made it a no doubter. On top of that being able to play for one of the most experienced and knowledgeable coaching staffs in the country is truly a blessing.”

Nessa McMillen, Utility, Blair, Neb. (Blair HS/Aces)

Nessa McMillen was a four-year starter for Blair High School. She was a four-time all-conference selection who hit above .400 in each of her four seasons. McMillen was also an all-state selection each of her first three seasons with all-state honors still to be announced for her senior year.

As a freshman, she was Blair’s offensive MVP while earning honorable-mention all-state accolades. She hit .419 with 39 hits, 12 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 30 RBIs and eight stolen bases, leading the team in each category. In her sophomore season, McMillen was Blair’ offensive and defensive MVP and a second-team all-state selection. She tied the Nebraska all-class record with three home runs against Norris while leading Blair with a .469 average, 45 hits, 15 doubles, five home runs and 38 RBIs.

In her junior season, McMillen was a first-team all-state pick who helped Blair to a third-place finish at the state tournament. She led the team with a .451 average, 41 hits, 14 doubles, four triples, 40 runs and 28 RBIs. As a senior, McMillen led Blair to a runner-up finish, when McMillen had three hits and scored three runs in the state championship game. She broke the school record by scoring 63 runs and producing 59 RBIs while batting .538 with 57 hits, including 14 doubles, three triples and 13 home runs.

McMillen plays her club ball for the Kansas City Aces. She helped the Aces to a runner-up national finish at the 2023 Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series.

Coach Revelle on Nessa:&nbsp;“Nessa is another homegrown Husker who is very athletic and can impact the game with her speed or with her power.&nbsp;Nessa’s versatility will be so valuable to our team, as she can play many positions at a high level.&nbsp;We are absolutely thrilled that Nessa has chosen to stay home and wear red.”

McMillen on Nebraska:&nbsp;“I chose Nebraska because it made me feel the most welcomed and at home. The softball girls are truly amazing people, and I could see myself fitting in. The coaches made me feel like I was very valued from the first phone call. They care about me as a person even more than a player. On top of that, Nebraska athletes get the best of the best. They are given so many resources that other schools cannot provide. Women’s sports are also on the uprise in Nebraska. The engineering program was by far the best, and I knew they would ensure that I succeed after my time at Nebraska. Nebraska fans are amazing and continue to support game after game. Lastly, it’s close enough to home where I can still see my family a lot. Being able to represent my home state is something I’ve been so grateful for. I can’t wait to officially become a Husker.”

Macie Vickers, Catcher, Escalon, Calif. (Escalon HS/Love The Game – Henderson)

Macie Vickers is a talented athlete for Escalon High School in California. In addition to being a catcher for the softball team, Vickers also played volleyball and basketball, and she served as a captain for all three teams. Vickers played her club softball for LTG – Henderson.

On the softball diamond, Vickers will serve as a captain for the third time this spring for Escalon. A four-year member of the varsity team, Vickers has been an all-league selection in each of her first three seasons. She is also Escalon’s two-time offensive player of the year and an all-district selection. As a junior, Vickers was the Trans Valley League Offensive Player of the Year and an all-state nominee. She also made the watch list for the 2023 PGF Futures All-American Game.

Outside of softball, Vickers was captain of the Escalon volleyball and basketball teams. She was an all-league selection on the volleyball court and helped her team to back-to-back section championships. In basketball, Vickers was a four-year member of the varsity team and three-year captain. A two-time team MVP, Vickers was the 2022 league MVP and was named to the all-district team.

Coach Revelle on Macie:&nbsp;“Macie is a multi-sport athlete who has been a leader on every team she has ever played on, which as a catcher is an integral part of being excellent at her position.&nbsp;Macie has the ability to be an impact player both offensively and defensively.&nbsp;We are excited to have Macie don the scarlet and cream.”

Vickers on Nebraska:&nbsp;“I chose Nebraska because it felt like a home away from home. The second I stepped off the plane in Lincoln I knew this is where I wanted to spend the next four years. I loved how close the team was and how welcoming they were. When looking for a college I want it to resemble my hometown and that’s exactly what Nebraska did. It gave me the small-town feel and the whole community comes together to support athletics. By the end of my first visit the coaches made not only me but my parents feel as if we were joining a new family. I always try to pray and get clarity and see what God wants for my future and from day one I felt that’s where God wanted me.”

Kennadi Williams, Utility, Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest HS)

Kennadi Williams will play two sports at Nebraska, as she will be a member of the Husker women’s basketball team in addition to playing on the softball team. Williams starred in both sports for Lincoln Southwest High School.

On the softball diamond, Williams led all of Class A in runs scored as a senior, when she was named Lincoln Southwest’s team captain and best offensive player. Williams helped the Silver Hawks to the state semifinals in her senior season. She missed her junior season while recovering from an injury, but Williams was a key part of Southwest’s 2021 state championship team. That season, she hit .362 as the starting shortstop with six home runs, seven doubles and 29 RBIs. She was named the team’s most improved player and best defensive player. Williams was an honorable-mention all-state selection as a sophomore, while accolades from her senior season have yet to be announced.

On the basketball court, Williams was limited to late-season action in her junior campaign as she recovered from an injury. As a sophomore, Williams averaged 11.9 points, 3.2 assists and 3.0 steals per contest while earning second-team Super-State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star. Her play helped Southwest to a state runner-up finish.

Williams also played soccer for Lincoln Southwest. As a sophomore, Williams helped Southwest qualify for state in all three sports.

Kennadi is the daughter of Nebraska women’s basketball head coach Amy Williams. Amy (Gusso) Williams also played basketball for Nebraska from 1994 to 1998. Kennadi’s father, Lloyd, was also a college basketball player at UT San Antonio.

Coach Revelle on Kennadi:&nbsp;“Kennadi is an amazing competitor who only knows how to play the game one way—all out.&nbsp;In addition to being a gifted athlete, Kennadi has outstanding speed and is a constant threat on the base paths. We are anxious to have Kennadi join the Husker family and wear the jersey from the only school she has dreamed of playing for—Nebraska.”

Williams on Nebraska:&nbsp;“I chose Nebraska because I was given the opportunity to play both softball and basketball, along with the amazing coaching staff and players that have been really supportive and positive throughout this whole experience!”

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska softball team signed four players to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. The group includes two in-state players and two players from California.Nebraska’s signing class features Natalia Hill (Norwalk, Calif.), Nessa McMillen (Blair, Neb.), Macie Vickers (Escalon, Calif.) and Kennadi Williams (Lincoln, Neb.). All four players will join Nebraska next fall.“We are proud to announce another high character, high achievement-oriented group of student-athletes to represent the University of Nebraska and our softball program,” Head Coach Rhonda Revelle said. “The 2024 class is athletic with a combination of speed and power offensively, while also displaying versatility on defense as they all play multiple positions.&nbsp;“It is a great day to be a Husker as we welcome this competitive group of scholar-athletes to the Red Team.”Nebraska Softball Signing Class<ul>
 <li>Natalia Hill&nbsp;(Norwalk, Calif.)</li><li>Nessa McMillen&nbsp;(Blair, Neb.)</li><li>Macie Vickers&nbsp;(Escalon, Calif.)</li><li>Kennadi Williams&nbsp;(Lincoln, Neb.)</li>
 </ul>Natalia Hill, Utility, Norwalk, Calif. (Gahr HS/Briggs Softball Club – Bengals)Natalia Hill was one of the nation’s top recruits while starring for Gahr High School and the Briggs Softball Club in California. Hill was ranked among the top 50 overall recruits in the country and was invited to play in the Minority Prospects All-American Game.Hill has been a starter every season for Gahr High School in Cerritos, Calif., with her senior season still to come this spring. As a sophomore, she was named the team’s defensive player of the year and was a first-team all-league selection. She repeated as a first-team all-league player as a junior and was also Gahr’s Most Valuable Player. She earned recognition at the state level with an appointment to the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass team as a junior, when she was also an all-area selection and a member of the All-CIF Southern Section Division I team.Hill has excelled in the classroom as an honor roll member since the 7th grade and as a four-year Scholar Athlete of the Quarter recipient.Hill has also enjoyed success for the Briggs Softball Club – Bengals. She helped her team to a title at the 2023 PGF Shootout championship, hitting a home run in the semifinal game. Hill was invited to play in the All-Star Jennie Finch Classic in 2023, when she helped her team to a tournament title. She also participated for Team Spain at the 2023 International Challenge, where she earned a spot on the All World team.Coach Revelle on Natalia:&nbsp;“Nat has an incredible softball IQ that impressed us the first time we spoke with her.&nbsp;On the field, Nat is dynamic with her leadership, voice and level of play.&nbsp;An intense competitor, Nat&nbsp;has a contagious energy and a winning attitude, and we could not be more grateful that Nat is a Husker.”Hill on Nebraska:&nbsp;“During my recruitment&nbsp;process I was looking for a school that felt like a second home.&nbsp;As soon as I stepped onto the Nebraska campus, I felt that. Considering&nbsp;that I will be moving far away from California, having support like I get from Nebraska is a big thing I am grateful for.&nbsp; Seeing how well the athletes are treated, how welcoming the people were, how competitive&nbsp;and positive the softball team is, and being high on academics made it a no doubter. On top of that being able to play for one of the most experienced and knowledgeable coaching staffs in the country is truly a blessing.”Nessa McMillen, Utility, Blair, Neb. (Blair HS/Aces)Nessa McMillen was a four-year starter for Blair High School. She was a four-time all-conference selection who hit above .400 in each of her four seasons. McMillen was also an all-state selection each of her first three seasons with all-state honors still to be announced for her senior year.As a freshman, she was Blair’s offensive MVP while earning honorable-mention all-state accolades. She hit .419 with 39 hits, 12 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 30 RBIs and eight stolen bases, leading the team in each category. In her sophomore season, McMillen was Blair’ offensive and defensive MVP and a second-team all-state selection. She tied the Nebraska all-class record with three home runs against Norris while leading Blair with a .469 average, 45 hits, 15 doubles, five home runs and 38 RBIs.In her junior season, McMillen was a first-team all-state pick who helped Blair to a third-place finish at the state tournament. She led the team with a .451 average, 41 hits, 14 doubles, four triples, 40 runs and 28 RBIs. As a senior, McMillen led Blair to a runner-up finish, when McMillen had three hits and scored three runs in the state championship game. She broke the school record by scoring 63 runs and producing 59 RBIs while batting .538 with 57 hits, including 14 doubles, three triples and 13 home runs.McMillen plays her club ball for the Kansas City Aces. She helped the Aces to a runner-up national finish at the 2023 Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series.Coach Revelle on Nessa:&nbsp;“Nessa is another homegrown Husker who is very athletic and can impact the game with her speed or with her power.&nbsp;Nessa’s versatility will be so valuable to our team, as she can play many positions at a high level.&nbsp;We are absolutely thrilled that Nessa has chosen to stay home and wear red.”McMillen on Nebraska:&nbsp;“I chose Nebraska because it made me feel the most welcomed and at home. The softball girls are truly amazing people, and I could see myself fitting in. The coaches made me feel like I was very valued from the first phone call. They care about me as a person even more than a player. On top of that, Nebraska athletes get the best of the best. They are given so many resources that other schools cannot provide. Women’s sports are also on the uprise in Nebraska. The engineering program was by far the best, and I knew they would ensure that I succeed after my time at Nebraska. Nebraska fans are amazing and continue to support game after game. Lastly, it’s close enough to home where I can still see my family a lot. Being able to represent my home state is something I’ve been so grateful for. I can’t wait to officially become a Husker.”Macie Vickers, Catcher, Escalon, Calif. (Escalon HS/Love The Game – Henderson)Macie Vickers is a talented athlete for Escalon High School in California. In addition to being a catcher for the softball team, Vickers also played volleyball and basketball, and she served as a captain for all three teams. Vickers played her club softball for LTG – Henderson.On the softball diamond, Vickers will serve as a captain for the third time this spring for Escalon. A four-year member of the varsity team, Vickers has been an all-league selection in each of her first three seasons. She is also Escalon’s two-time offensive player of the year and an all-district selection. As a junior, Vickers was the Trans Valley League Offensive Player of the Year and an all-state nominee. She also made the watch list for the 2023 PGF Futures All-American Game.Outside of softball, Vickers was captain of the Escalon volleyball and basketball teams. She was an all-league selection on the volleyball court and helped her team to back-to-back section championships. In basketball, Vickers was a four-year member of the varsity team and three-year captain. A two-time team MVP, Vickers was the 2022 league MVP and was named to the all-district team.Coach Revelle on Macie:&nbsp;“Macie is a multi-sport athlete who has been a leader on every team she has ever played on, which as a catcher is an integral part of being excellent at her position.&nbsp;Macie has the ability to be an impact player both offensively and defensively.&nbsp;We are excited to have Macie don the scarlet and cream.”Vickers on Nebraska:&nbsp;“I chose Nebraska because it felt like a home away from home. The second I stepped off the plane in Lincoln I knew this is where I wanted to spend the next four years. I loved how close the team was and how welcoming they were. When looking for a college I want it to resemble my hometown and that’s exactly what Nebraska did. It gave me the small-town feel and the whole community comes together to support athletics. By the end of my first visit the coaches made not only me but my parents feel as if we were joining a new family. I always try to pray and get clarity and see what God wants for my future and from day one I felt that’s where God wanted me.”Kennadi Williams, Utility, Lincoln, Neb. (Southwest HS)Kennadi Williams will play two sports at Nebraska, as she will be a member of the Husker women’s basketball team in addition to playing on the softball team. Williams starred in both sports for Lincoln Southwest High School.On the softball diamond, Williams led all of Class A in runs scored as a senior, when she was named Lincoln Southwest’s team captain and best offensive player. Williams helped the Silver Hawks to the state semifinals in her senior season. She missed her junior season while recovering from an injury, but Williams was a key part of Southwest’s 2021 state championship team. That season, she hit .362 as the starting shortstop with six home runs, seven doubles and 29 RBIs. She was named the team’s most improved player and best defensive player. Williams was an honorable-mention all-state selection as a sophomore, while accolades from her senior season have yet to be announced.On the basketball court, Williams was limited to late-season action in her junior campaign as she recovered from an injury. As a sophomore, Williams averaged 11.9 points, 3.2 assists and 3.0 steals per contest while earning second-team Super-State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star. Her play helped Southwest to a state runner-up finish.Williams also played soccer for Lincoln Southwest. As a sophomore, Williams helped Southwest qualify for state in all three sports.Kennadi is the daughter of Nebraska women’s basketball head coach Amy Williams. Amy (Gusso) Williams also played basketball for Nebraska from 1994 to 1998. Kennadi’s father, Lloyd, was also a college basketball player at UT San Antonio.Coach Revelle on Kennadi:&nbsp;“Kennadi is an amazing competitor who only knows how to play the game one way—all out.&nbsp;In addition to being a gifted athlete, Kennadi has outstanding speed and is a constant threat on the base paths. We are anxious to have Kennadi join the Husker family and wear the jersey from the only school she has dreamed of playing for—Nebraska.”Williams on Nebraska:&nbsp;“I chose Nebraska because I was given the opportunity to play both softball and basketball, along with the amazing coaching staff and players that have been really supportive and positive throughout this whole experience!”