The Nebraska men's basketball team looks for its fifth straight win on Tuesday night as the Huskers play host to Michigan State.  The Huskers have much to play for in the regular-season home finale. NU is 5-1 in the month of February and a win on Tuesday night would give NU six wins in February for the first time since the 1997-98 season. It would also get the Huskers closer to a potential first-round bye in next week's Big Ten Tournament in Chicago. 

Senior Night ceremonies will begin shortly after 7:30 p.m. with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. Tickets are available by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets, calling the NU Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED during business hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.) and at the Pinnacle Bank Arena Ticket Office 90 minutes before tipoff.  Tuesday's game will be carried on BTN and the Huskers Radio Network and will also be available online on the Fox Sports app.
  

Nebraska (15-14, 8-10 Big Ten) comes into Tuesday riding the conference's longest active win streak following Saturday's 78-67 win over Minnesota. Sam Griesel's 19 points led six Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska shot nearly 50 percent from the field in eclipsing the 70-point mark for the sixth straight game. Nebraska held Minnesota to 41 percent shooting and forced 19 Gopher turnovers that led to 21 Husker points.

Griesel has enjoyed an uptick in recent games, averaging 14.5 points per game on 50 percent shooting and 6.3 rebounds per game during Nebraska's four-game win streak. On the season, the fifth-year senior is averaging 11.7 points, 3.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. 

Senior Derrick Walker has continued to play at an All-Big Ten level this season, as he is averaging 13.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, ranking in the top 10 in the Big Ten in both rebounding and assists. A three-year starter at NU, he will make his 73rd start on Tuesday night. 

Michigan State (17-11, 9-8) looks to rebound from a 112-106 overtime loss to Iowa Saturday afternoon. The Spartans got 31 points from Tyson Walker, but Iowa rallied from a 11-point deficit with 55 seconds left in regulation to send the game to OT.

Worth Noting
• Nebraska enters the final week of the season with a chance to play its way into the postseason. NU's eight Big Ten wins are the most since winning 13 games in 2017-18 and NU has a chance to finish with double-digit conference wins for the third time since joining the Big Ten (also 2014 and 2018). 

• Nebraska is 5-1 this month, marking the fifth time since 2000 that Nebraska has won five February games (also 2017-18, 2013-14, 2007-08 and 2003-04). The last time Nebraska won six games in February was back in 1997-98, when NU went 6-2 in the month. With a win on Tuesday, the Huskers will finish February with a 6-1 mark, their best Feburary record percentage wise since also going 6-1 in 1935-36.

• With its revamped lineup, Nebraska's offense has been a spark down the stretch. Over the last nine games dating back to Jan. 25, the Huskers are shooting nearly 49 percent from the field, including 36 percent from 3-point range. Of the nine games in that stretch, six have been against teams that currently rank in the top-30 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency - Rutgers, Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Maryland (2x) - as of Feb. 27.

Improved Shooting

 
• Nebraska enters Tuesday's game with an 11-3 record at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season, while its six Big Ten home wins are the most since going a perfect 9-0 in 2017-18. 

• Keisei Tominaga has been one of the Big Ten's top scorers this month.  He is averaging 21.5 ppg on 55 percent shooting in six games this month.  Here's how his numbers this month compare to the top six scorers in the Big Ten entering this week's games.

Feb. Totals (Keisei + B1G Scoring Leaders)

• Tominaga saw his streak of five consecutive 20-point games end against Minnesota on Saturday, as he finished with 11 points and four steals. It was the longest streak of consecutive 20-point games since Tyronn Lue had seven straight in 1997-98.

• Nebraska has tied a school record with its four overtime games, matching a mark which has been set six other times (also 2019-20, 2007-08, 1996-97, 1986-87, 1979-80 and 1955-66). Nebraska's three OT wins this season are the most for the program since the 1986-87 team won a school-record four overtime games, including the third-place game of the NIT Tournament.

• Nebraska's offensive outburst at Rutgers on Feb. 14 was impressive considering that Rutgers came into the contest second nationally in adjusted defense by KenPom and in the top 10 nationally in both field goal defense and scoring defense. The 82 points were the most Rutgers allowed at home since 2020, while NU became the first team to shoot 50 percent against the Scarlet Knights this season (.491 by Miami). The Huskers' 69.1 effective field goal percentage was the best against Rutgers since Jan 23, 2010, when the Scarlet Knights were in the Big East. 

• Nebraska overcame a 17-point second-half deficit in the win over Wisconsin on Feb. 11. It marked the Huskers' largest comeback since 2012-13 and the second-largest comeback in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present). The Huskers also overcame a 10-point second-half deficit in last year's win over No. 10 Wisconsin in Madison. Prior to the loss to Nebraska, Wisconsin had not lost a game when leading at half since the 2021 Big Ten Tournament. 

• According to BTN research, Nebraska's comeback marked the first time since Dec. 9, 2015, that Wisconsin lost at least a 15-point lead (68-67 vs. UW-Milwaukee). 

• Tominaga became the 10th Husker in the Big Ten era (2011-present) to post a 30-point game with his effort against Penn State on Feb. 5. Tominaga had 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting, as he matched his career high with five 3-pointers. Prior to Feb. 5, no Husker had posted a 25-point game this season. 

• Nebraska has faced one of the nation's toughest schedules in 2022-23. As of Feb. 27, Nebraska's NET strength of schedule is 12th nationally.  NU's final two teams are both well inside the top 50 of the NET. 

• NU's adjusted strength of schedule is 11th in KenPom as of Feb. 27, which could mark the third time in Fred Hoiberg's four seasons that the Huskers have had a SOS in the top 10 (2019-20, 8th; 2020-21, 4th).

• Nebraska now has three Quad 1 wins (at Creighton, at Rutgers and Maryland) as well as four wins over teams in Quad 2 as of Feb. 27.

• Nebraska has nine active scholarship players available following season-ending injuries to Juwan Gary (shoulder), Emmanuel Bandoumel (knee) and Quaran McPherson (knee). In addition, Ramel Lloyd Jr. will redshirt this season.  Nebraska played just 10 games with its full starting lineup this year.  Entering the Michigan State game, NU players have missed a combined 64 games this season: Quaran McPherson (29); Juwan Gary (12); Emmanuel Bandoumel (9); Blaise Keita (7); Derrick Walker (5); and Sam Griesel (2). McPherson had season-ending knee surgery in September, while Keita, who did not play against Minnesota, is day-to-day. 

• Since the season-ending injuries to Juwan Gary and Emmanuel Bandoumel, a trio of freshmen have earned significant spots in the Husker rotation. Jamarques Lawrence, Denim Dawson and Sam Hoiberg have all seen their playing time increase dramatically over the last month. 

• Since Jan. 24, Nebraska's freshmen have accounted for 31.4 percent of the team's total minutes. It was just 11.8 of the team's minutes in the first 20 contests. 

• Injuries have forced the Huskers to shuffle during the second half of the year. NU has used nine different lineups this season, as no starter has started all 29 games this season. 

• Nebraska had started multiple freshmen in five consecutive games (Jan. 25-Feb. 8), including Denim Dawson, Jamarques Lawrence and Sam Hoiberg at Illinois on Jan. 31. That marked the first time NU started three freshmen since the 2015-16 season.

• Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, the Huskers have had 21 freshmen (true, redshirt or covid year) start at least one game, and Jarmarques Lawrence became just the second Husker to reach double figures in his first start with 12 points against Northwestern. He joined Bryce McGowens (25 vs. Western Illinois, 2021) as the only two freshmen to score double figures in their first career start since 2011-12. 

• Juwan Gary's injury against Illinois on Jan. 10 has hampered the Huskers' rebounding efforts. In Big Ten play, NU is 5-0 when out-rebounding opponents, but 3-10 in conference play when being out-rebounded.  NU had a +2.5 rebounding margin in the 17 games that Gary was in the lineup and the Huskers were on track for their first positive rebounding margin since the 2016-17 season. Since then, NU has been out-rebounded by 5.1 rebounds per game.

• Derrick Walker is averaging a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game to rank 10th in the Big Ten in rebounding as of Feb. 27. Since 2000, only five Huskers - Ed Morrow Jr. (2016-17), Aleks Maric (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08), Andrew Drevo (2002-03), Kimani Ffriend (1999-2000, 2000-01) - have averaged at least seven rebounds per game.  

• Nebraska's 63-53 win at No. 7 Creighton on Dec. 4 marked the program's fourth-ever road win over a top-10 team and marked the Huskers' first win at Creighton since the 2004 NIT. The No. 7 Bluejays were the highest ranked opponent that NU beat on the road since 1997.

• Nebraska has been the one team to keep Zach Edey in check in 2022-23, holding the national player of the year frontrunner to just 11.5 points per game in two contests. Edey's two lowest scoring percentages came in the two games against Nebraska. 

Numbers to Know 
12 - Nebraska had 12 basketball players make the NU Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll for fall GPAs above a 3.00. The group included Wilhelm Breidenbach, Henry Burt, Denim Dawson, Jeffrey Grace III, Sam Griesel, Sam Hoiberg, Cale Jacobsen, Blaise Keita, Oleg Kojenets, Jamarques Lawrence, Keisei Tominaga and C.J. Wilcher. 

74.5- Nebraska is averaging 74.5 points per game during its six games this month. In January, NU averaged 61.3 ppg in nine contests and topped 70 points just once.

.923 - Nebraska is 12-1 this season when scoring at least 70 points. The only loss was at Michigan on Feb. 8. NU has scored 70+ points in each of its last six contests.

13.8 - Nebraska ranks ninth nationally and second in the Big Ten with 13.8 fouls per game as of Feb. 22. Minnesota shot just 11 free throws, but were a perfect 11-of-11 from the line, as the Gophers entered the contest 14th in the Big Ten in free throw percentage.

2,186 - Combined points for Fred (1,993), Jack (125) and Sam (70) Hoiberg during their college careers. Sam went for double figures for the second time this season with 11 points in the win over Minnesota. 

About Michigan State
Under Hall of Fame Coach Tom Izzo, the Spartans have been the flagship program in the Big Ten over the last two-plus decades. Izzo is in his 28th season running the Spartan program and has taken the Spartans to eight Final Fours and 24 straight NCAA Tournaments. This season, MSU is 17-11 overall and 9-8 in the Big Ten heading into the final week of the season. The Spartans have played one of the nation's top schedules despite missing Jaden Akins and Malik Hall for significant amounts of time. MSU had won three of its last four before Saturday's overtime loss at Iowa, a game where Iowa rallied from 13 points down in the last two minutes. MSU shot nearly 60 percent from the field and 11-of-15 from 3-point range in Iowa's comeback. 

Michigan State is a balanced team with three double-figure scorers and two others averaging at least nine points per game. The backcourt of Tyson Walker (14.6 ppg, 2.8 apg) and A.J. Hoggard (12.3 ppg, 5.8 apg) is one of the Big Ten's best, while Joey Hauser (13.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg) is one of the most versatitle scoring threats in the conference. Michigan State shoots 45 percent from the floor, including nearly 39 percent from 3-point range. MSU also holds opponents to 41 percent shooting and out-rebounds foes by 3.0 per contest. 

Series History: Michigan State leads the all-time series, 22-9, in a series that dates back to February of 1920. The Huskers are 3-14 against Michigan State since joining the Big Ten, while the Spartans have won the last 10 meetings dating back to 2016. Since joining the Big Ten, NU has faced a ranked Spartan team in 11 of the 17 previous meetings. Nebraska's last win over Michigan State in Lincoln came in a 79-77 win at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Jan. 24, 2015.

Last meeting: Michigan State used a strong first-half finish to pull away from Nebraska en route to a 74-56 victory at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Jan. 3. 
The game was tied at 11 before Michigan State outscored Nebraska 28-6 over the final 12 minutes of the first half. The Spartans turned a three-point lead into a 13-point advantage with a 10-0 run. Michigan State then closed the half on a 13-0 run, stretching a nine-point lead into a 22-point halftime advantage.

 Nebraska fought back in the second half and had the lead down to 12 with just over eight minutes to play, but Michigan State put the game away with a 10-0 run.
Nebraska dominated the paint on the night, outscoring Michigan State 40-20 inside the lane. But the Spartans made six more 3-pointers than the Huskers, and Michigan State out-rebounded Nebraska by 17, leading to an 18-5 advantage in second-chance points.

Derrick Walker paced Nebraska with 15 points, while Sam Griesel and Wilhelm Breidenbach added 10 points apiece. Walker also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, and he and Griesel each dished out three assists. Tyson Walker scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Spartans.

Last Time Out
Sam Griesel's 19 points led six players in double figures as Nebraska continued its late-season surge with a 78-67 victory over Minnesota in front of a sellout crowd of 15,489 at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Feb. 25.
Griesel scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half, as Nebraska withstood a number of late Gopher rallies to improve to 15-14 overall and 8-10 in the Big Ten.

Minnesota cut a 14-point deficit to 58-52 with 7:28 remaining after Jaden Henley's 3-pointer, but Griesel's basket and two free throws by C.J. Wilcher pushed the lead back to 10 with less than five minutes remaining.  
Minnesota got to within seven four other times in the final 4:22, only to see Nebraska extend the lead. NU led 68-61with 1:29 left before a Griesel basket started a 6-0 spurt to subdue the visitors one final time.

In addition to Griesel, Wilcher finished with 12 points, while Keisei Tominaga (11), Sam Hoiberg (11), Jamarques Lawrence (11) and Derrick Walker (10) all had at least 10 points.  Nebraska, which never trailed, held Minnesota to 40.7 percent shooting and converted 19 Gopher turnovers into 21 points.  The Huskers had a season-best 13 steals, including four by Tominaga, which was a career high.

Jamison Battle and Ta'Lon Cooper led Minnesota with 12 points apiece, as the Gophers put five players in double figures.

Defensive Improvement
Nebraska has made significant improvement on the defensive end this season, which is a big reason why the Huskers have surpassed their 2021-22 win total. 

• Nebraska has climbed from No. 178 to No. 57 nationally in defensive efficiency in KenPom. NU was 35th in defensive efficiency on Jan. 21 when Emmanuel Bandoumel suffered his season-ending injury.
• The jump is more impressive when you consider that Nebraska has played 12 games against teams currently in the top 50 nationally in offensive efficiency as of Feb. 27.
• NU's 9.5 points per game decrease from last season is fifth nationally and second to Oregon State among power conference programs.
• Nebraska has held 15 opponents to 1.0 point per possession or less. 
• In the overtime loss to No. 4 Purdue on Dec. 10, Nebraska held the Boilermakers to 0.99 points per possession. Purdue is 10th nationally in offensive efficiency as of Feb. 26.
• Nebraska held Iowa, which is currently fith in offensive efficiency, to 0.76 per possession and just 26 percent shooting on Dec. 29.
• In NU's win at No. 7 Creighton on Dec. 4, the Huskers limited the Bluejays to 0.73 points per possession, the Huskers' best performance in a road game in over a decade. 

Hometown Kid Making Good
Sam Griesel has enjoyed quite the homecoming, averaging 11.7 points, 3.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game from his point guard spot. Griesel spent the last four seasons at North Dakota State, earning All-Summit League honors in 2021 and 2022 before returning to Lincoln for his senior year. 

• Griesel comes off a 19-point effort in Saturday's win over Minnesota.
• He ranks eighth in the Big Ten in assists and in the top 15 in steals, minutes and assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Griesel had his third double-double of 2022-23 at Rutgers on Feb. 14 with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
• He has 16 double-figure games this season, including seven straight games from Dec. 20 to Jan. 21.
• Griesel had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 40 minutes in the Feb. 11 win over Wisconsin.
• Griesel had 21 points at Illinois on Jan. 31, his second 20-point game of 2022-23.
• The senior came up big in the win at Minnesota with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, while going 6-of-6 from the foul line.
• Griesel collected his second double-double in the win over Iowa with 12 points and team highs in rebounds (10) and assists (five).
• The Huskers' first scholarship recruit from Lincoln since Jake Muhleisen in the early 2000s, Griesel keyed NU's win at No. 7 Creighton with 18 points, a season-high 12 rebounds and seven assists. 
• Against Maine, Griesel scored a season-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds while also chipping in 18 points in the win over Omaha. 

Walker Puts Together Strong Senior Season
Derrick Walker has made the most of his super senior season. The 6-foot-9 forward has been a force, averaging 13.9 points on 59 percent shooting, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. The 6-foot-9 senior forward was NU's only returning starter entering 2022-23 and has 17 double-figure efforts this season. 

• He is one of just 15 players nationally averaging at least 13 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as of Feb. 26. 
• Walker has a team-high three double-doubles (Memphis, Florida State and No. 4 Purdue) and six for his career.
• He is bidding to join a small list of Big Ten players who averaged at least 14 points,  seven rebounds and three assists per game since 2000.
• Walker is second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.587), a total which ranks 31st nationally as of Feb. 26. 
• His playmaking ability has been evident in recent weeks. He has five or more assists on seven occasions, including a career-high eight assists at Michigan on Feb. 8.
• He picked up his fifth 20-point game of the year in NU's OT win over Maryland with 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots. 
• Walker had a strong performance at No. 3 Purdue with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists, while helping limit Zach Edey to 12 points on seven shots.
• Walker had one of the finest games of his career in NU's OT win at Minnesota on Jan. 7 with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He set or tied personal bests in both points and assists.
• His most recent double-double was a 14-point, 10-rebound effort against No. 4 Purdue on Dec. 10.  He also helped limit Zach Edey to a season-low 11 points.
• He keyed NU's win over No. 7 Creighton with a career-high 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting and eight rebounds against Ryan Kalkbrenner, the reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Walker's efforts helped NU enjoy a 46-16 advantage in points in the paint. 
• Walker posted his first career 20-point game in a win over Florida State on Nov. 27, with 20 points on 10-of-12 shooting and matched his career high with 13 rebounds. 
• Walker averaged 9.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg in 2022, breaking NU's single-season field goal percentage mark by shooting 68.3 percent from the field.

Tominaga Sparks Huskers Attack
Whether starting or off the bench, Keisei Tominaga has been a spark for the Huskers' attack this season.  The 6-foot-2 guard is second on the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game while averaging 24 minutes per contest. 

• Tominaga leads the Huskers in both 3-pointers (59) and 3-point percentage (.401), as he ranks fifth in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game.
• Since moving into the starting lineup on Jan. 18, he is averaging 17.2 points per game on 52 percent shooting, including 41 percent from 3-point range. Tominaga has six 20-point games in that span, including a 30-point effort against Penn State on Feb. 5.
• He has a team-high 19 double figure games, including seven 20-point games. 
• Tominaga had 20 points and a season-high four boards in 42 minutes of work in NU's OT win over Maryland.
• He torched a Rutgers defense which led the Big Ten in scoring defense with 22 points.
• Tominaga scored 17 of his game-high 22 points against Wisconsin after halftime, including 12 points in Nebraska's 20-2 spurt to erase a 17-point second half deficit.
• Tominaga kept the Huskers in the game at Michigan with 24 points, including four 3-pointers, while hitting 10 of-16 shots from the field. 
• He starred in Nebraska's win over Penn State on Feb. 5, scoring a career-high 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting. He also matched his career high in 3-pointers with five in the 72-63 win.
• He enjoyed one of his best efforts of the year in NU's 65-62 loss to No. 4 Purdue on Dec. 10 with 19 points, including four 3-pointers. He sent the game to OT with a 3-pointer with 9.1 seconds left in regulation. 
• Of Tominaga's 23 career double-figure games at Nebraska, 12 have come off the bench, including 23-point efforts against Boston College on Nov. 29 and against South Dakota last season.
• Over the summer, Tominaga was with the Japanese National Team, making his debut in the FIBA World Cup Asia qualifier in early July and then starred for Japan in the 2022 Asia Cup. In seven games with the Senior National Team, Tominaga averaged 15.9 points per game while shooting 39.3 percent from the 3-point line. His best performance came against Australia in the Asia Cup quarterfinals, when he poured in 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting, including 8-of-15 from 3-point range. 

Huskers Set for First Session of Big Ten Championships

The Nebraska women's gymnastics team will compete during Session I of the Big Ten Championships announced the conference Tuesday morning.

The Huskers will take on Penn State, Rutgers, Minnesota, Maryland and Illinois during the afternoon session which is set to begin at 11 a.m. (CT). 

The 2023 Big Ten Championships are hosted by the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City, Iowa at the Xtream Arena. 

Fans can find more information at the 2023 Big Ten Championship Central.

Huskers Set Season Highs against No. 4 Michigan

The Nebraska women's gymnastics team tallied two season-event highs on pace to a 196.850 as the Huskers fell to No. 4 Michigan, who earned a 198.275. 

NU recorded four 9.900s or higher on floor, notching a 49.500 on the event, which marked the 10th-best floor score in school history.

Individually, seven Huskers combined for 11 new season-best scores. 

Rotation One 
The Huskers started the night on vault, earning a team score of 48.925. Sophia McClelland, Martina Comin and Kinsey Davis all notched a 9.800. Emma Spence followed with a 9.775 while Ayzhia Hall earned a 9.750. Katie Kuenemann rounded out the rotation with a 9.700.

The Wolverines competed on uneven bars on rotation one, earning a 49.600. Carly Bauman led Michigan with a 9.950, enough to win the event title. 

Rotation Two 
During rotation two, NU competed on uneven bars, finishing with a team score of 49.175. McClelland and Davis both tallied a 9.875. Genesis Gibson matched her personal best with a 9.825 while Spence, Clara Colombo and Emma Simpton each earned a 9.800. 

Michigan finished rotation two on vault with a team score of 49.450. Natalie Wojcik, Abby Heiskell and Kaylen Morgan all notched a 9.900, claiming a share of the event title. 

Rotation Three
The Big Red competed on balance beam for rotation three, scoring a season-best 49.250 as a team. Spence led the Huskers with a 9.875 followed by Colombo, Simpton and McClelland each earning a 9.850. Allie Gard tallied a 9.825 while Hall finished the rotation with a 9.650.

Gabby Wilson led the Wolverines on floor with a 9.950, while Michigan finished with a 49.600. 

Rotation Four 
Four scores of 9.900 or higher highlighted the final rotation on floor as the Huskers notched a 49.500, the 10th-best floor score in school history. Senior Kylie Piringer led NU with a 9.925 while Comin, McClelland and Spence all earned a 9.900. Halle Rourke added a 9.875 while Katie Kuenemann finished with a 9.625. 

Michigan finished the meet on balance beam, earning a 49.625. Sierra Brooks and Nicoletta Koulos claimed the beam title with a scorer of 9.950. 

All-Around
McClelland had a career-best 39.425 in the all-around, finishing in fourth. Spence earned a 39.350, finishing in fifth. 

Sierra Brooks claimed the all-around title with a 39.675 for Michigan. 

Up Next
The Huskers return to action on Friday, March 3 in Logan, Utah to face Utah State and Alaska. The meet is set to begin at 8 p.m. (CT) and can be watched live at utahstateaggie.com/watch.

Huskers Take Team Title at Westbrook

Michaela Vavrova fired a career-best 66 (-6) in the final round to fuel all five Huskers to top-25 individual finishes, as the Nebraska women's golf team stormed to the Westbrook Spring Invitational title in Peoria, Ariz., Monday.
 
The career-best 66 for the junior from Bojnice, Slovakia included four birdies and an eagle on No. 5, vaulting Vavrova from a tie for 50th after the first 36 holes into a tie for 20th with a career-best tournament total of 216 (E).

Vavrova's fabulous final round was far from the lone highlight for the Huskers who captured their second tournament championship of the season with three-round team total of 843 (-21) on the par-72, 6,248-yard layout at the Westbrook Village Golf Club. The Big Red closed with a final-round 277 (-11) to hold off No. 24 Ohio State. The Buckeyes finished second, while No. 44 Denver, Kansas and Rutgers rounded out the top five teams in the 14-team tournament field that featured 12 top-100 programs.

Freshman Kelli Ann Strand (Challis, Idaho) continued her outstanding play by leading the Huskers throughout the tournament. She closed with a final-round 69 (-3) to take fifth individually with a 54-hole score of 209 (-7). Strand has opened the spring with six consecutive rounds better than par in her first two tournaments and owns 14 rounds better than par already this season. It was Strand's second straight top-10 finish of the spring and fifth of the season.

Sophomore Miu Takahashi (Nasu-Machi, Japan) remained on the heels of Strand throughout the tournament, contributing a final-round 70 (-2) to finish in a tie for eighth at 212 (-4) for the tournament. It was Takahashi's second straight top-10 finish to open the spring and fourth top-10 performance of the season.

Graduate student Megan Whittaker (Elkhorn, Neb.) also continued her impressive play with a final-round 72 (E) to finish in a tie for 11th with a three-round total of 213 (-3).

Junior Lindsey Thiele (Wahoo, Neb.) rounded out the five top-25 individual finishers in Nebraska's five-count-for lineup with a three-round total of 217 (+1) in a tie for 25th. Thiele closed the tournament with a final-round 74.

The impressive performances from top to bottom in the Husker lineup allowed Nebraska to claim its second tournament title of the season - both in tournaments hosted by the University of Wisconsin. Nebraska won the 13-team Badger Invitational in Madison (Sept. 18-20). NU's win at Westbrook also gave the Huskers five top-two team finishes in seven tournaments in 2022-23, including runner-up showings at the Green Wave Classic (Sept. 12-13), the Dale McNamara Invitational (Oct. 10-11) and the FAU Paradise Invitational (Feb. 6-7).

"I am really proud of these young women," Nebraska Coach Jeanne Sutherland said. "They have bought into all we're asking of them. I am so impressed with how they all contribute and support each other. They pull for each other and play for the team, which makes it all a lot of fun!"
 
Nebraska will try to continue its winning ways in two weeks at the Briar's Creek Invitational at John's Island, S.C. (March 13-14).

Westbrook Spring Invitational
Feb. 26-27, 2023
Peoria, Arizona (Westbrook Village GC)
Par 72, 6,248 Yards

Final Team Standings
1. (49) Nebraska - 286-280-277=843 (-21)
2. (24) Ohio State - 286-288-276=850 (-14)
3. (44) Denver - 287-287-280=854 (-10)  
4. (92) Kansas - 294-286-279=859 (-9)
5. (110) Rutgers - 293-288-280=861 (-3)
T6. (54) UNLV - 296-283-283=862 (-2)
T6. (52)Oklahoma - 294-293-275=862 (-2)
T6. (59) Minnesota - 296-280-286=862 (-2)
9. (36) College of Charleston - 291-289-288=868 (+4)
10. (73) Penn State - 291-293-287=871 (+7)
11. (92) Kansas State - 296-291-286=873 (+9)
12. (106) Iowa - 293-298-288=879 (+15)
13. (77) Missouri - 298-294-297=889 (+25)
14. (71) Wisconsin - 300-302-291=893 (+29)

Final Individual Results
T1. Alyson Bean, Denver - 69-73-65=207 (-9)
T1. Caley McGinty, Ohio State - 70-70-67=207 (-9)
T3. Kary Hollenbaugh, Ohio State - 70-71-67=208 (-8)
T3. Jordan Rothman, Kansas - 69-72-67=208 (-8)
5. Kelli Ann Strand, Nebraska - 71-69-69+209 (-7)
6. Mariana Mesones, Minnesota - 73-67-70=210 (-6)
7. Emma Carpenter, Minnesota - 71-69-71=211 (-5)
T8. Miu Takahashi, Nebraska - 71-71-70=212 (-4)
T8. Leigha Devine, Rutgers - 73-71-68=212 (-4)
T8. Veronica Joels, UNLV - 70-71-71=212 (-4)

Nebraska Individuals
T5. Kelli Ann Strand - 71-69-69=209 (-7)
T8. Miu Takahashi - 71-71-70=212 (-4)
T11. Megan Whittaker - 70-71-72=213 (-3)
T20. Michaela Vavrova - 76-74-66=216 (E)
T25. Lindsey Thiele - 74-69-74=217 (+1)
*T73. Andrea Velez - 76-79-75=230 (+14)
*competed as an individual outside the Nebraska lineup

Harness Earns Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Honors

Junior right-hander Sarah Harness was named the Big Ten Co-Pitcher of the Week the conference announced Monday afternoon. This marks Harness' first career Big Ten pitcher-of-the-week honor. 

Harness was honored after posting a 2-0 record last weekend, starting two games and holding opponents scoreless through 11.0 innings. She gave up only one hit while striking out 12 over the weekend. 

Harness opened the weekend with a win at New Mexico State. Against the Aggies, Harness fired the 40th no-hitter in school history and the first since 2016. She was just one out away from the fourth perfect game in program history, as the Aggies' only base runner reached on a two-out error in the bottom of the seventh inning. 

In the final game of the weekend, Harness pitched 4.0 innings against New Mexico. The Bowling Green, Mo., native combined with Kaylin Kinney to shut out the Lobos.

Harness is the second Husker to be named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week this season as Courtney Wallace received the honors after the first week of competition. 

Alongside Harness, Maryland's Trin Schlotterbeck was the Co-Pitcher of the Week. Minnesota's Taylor Krapf was recognized as the Big Ten Player of the Week and Rutgers' Ryann Orange was honored as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Shelley Named to Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll

Nebraska's Jaz Shelley claimed her third spot of the season and fifth of her two-year career on the Big Ten Women's Basketball Weekly Honor Roll, when the conference announced its awards on Monday.

Shelley closed the regular season with her fourth double-double of the year by putting up 19 points and pulling down a career-high 13 rebounds in Nebraska's 80-64 victory over Northwestern at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday. Shelley added six assists and three steals in an outstanding all-around effort.

The 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia opened a 2-0 week for Nebraska by erupting for 26 points, including six three-pointers, to go with five rebounds and six assists in a 90-57 win over No. 25 Illinois. The Husker victory in Champaign represented the largest victory margin in school history over an AP Top 25 opponent. 

For the week, Shelley averaged 22.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals. She hit 13-of-28 shots from the field, including 8-of-19 three-pointers, while knocking down 11-of-12 free throws. She increased her team-leading season averages to 14.3 points, 6.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game, while adding 4.8 rebounds.

Earlier this season, Shelley earned spots on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll (Dec. 12, Dec. 27). Last season, Shelley earned weekly honor roll recognition for her performance Nov. 22 and Nov. 29, 2021.

Shelley leads the Huskers to the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis this week. No. 8 seed Nebraska will take on No. 9 seed Michigan State at the Target Center on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. (CT). The game will be televised live by the Big Ten Network and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network stations, the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

NU Claims Four Top Two Preliminary Seeds

Seven Nebraska wrestlers received top 10 seeds in the preliminary seeding for this weekend's 2023 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, the Big Ten Conference announced Monday afternoon. The two-day championship event is set to begin Saturday, March 4 in Ann Arbor, Mich., and will be carried on the Big Ten Network.

Pre-seeds are determined by a vote from conference coaches as they rank 14 wrestlers in all 10 weight classes. Additionally, Nebraska received four top two pre-seeds.

After wrapping up an undefeated regular season, Peyton Robb grabs the top spot at 157. Mikey Labriola (174) who is also undefeated on the year, along with Liam Cronin (125) and Silas Allred (197) join Robb at No. 2. Making their Big Ten Championship debuts, Brock Hardy (141) is third in the seeding, while Lenny Pinto (184) is seventh. Rounding out the top-seeded group is Bubba Wilson (165) in 10th.

Dayne Morton (149) received an 11th-place seed, two-time NCAA qualifier Kyle Burwick (133) is 12th and Austin Emerson (285) is 14th.

Last season at the Big Ten Championships, the Nebraska wrestling team finished seventh with 75.5 points for the program's 10th top-seven finish at the event. The Huskers were led by a second-place finish from Eric Schultz (197), and the Huskers clinched seven automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.

The Big Ten Network will offer live linear and streaming coverage of the championships. Session I begins Saturday, March 4 at 9 a.m. (CT) and Session II semifinals start at 6:30 p.m. (CT). The championship coverage continues Sunday 12 p.m. (CT) with consolation matches on B1G+ and returns to BTN at 3:30 p.m. (CT) for the final bouts. Additional mat coverage can be streamed on B1G+ (subscription required) for every session.

2023 Big Ten Wrestling Championships – Pre-Seeds

125 lbs.

1. Spencer Lee (IOWA)
2. Liam Cronin (NEB)
3. Matt Ramos (PUR)
4. Eric Barnett (WIS)
5. Patrick McKee (MINN)
6. Michael DeAugustino (NU)
7. Malik Heinselman (OSU)
8. Braxton Brown (MD)
9. Dean Peterson (RU)
10. Jack Medley (MICH)
11. Gary Steen (PSU)
12. Tristan Lujan (MSU)
13. Jacob Moran (IND)
14. Maximo Renteria (ILL)

133 lbs.

1. Roman Bravo-Young (PSU)
2. Jesse Mendez (OSU)
3. Lucas Byrd (ILL)
4. Chris Cannon (NU)
5. Dylan Ragusin (MICH)
6. Aaron Nagao (MINN)
7. Joe Heilmann (RU)
8. Brody Teske (IOWA)
9. RayVon Foley (MSU)
10. Taylor LaMont (WIS)
11. Henry Porter (IND)
12. Kyle Burwick (NEB)
13. Dustin Norris (PUR)
14. Jackson Cockrell (MD)

141 lbs.

1. Real Woods (IOWA)
2. Beau Bartlett (PSU)
3. Brock Hardy (NEB)
4. Frankie Tal Shahar (NU)
5. Jakob Bergeland (MINN)
6. Danny Pucino (ILL)
7. Joseph Olivieri (RU)
8. Parker Filius (PUR)
9. Dylan D'Emilio (OSU)
10. Cole Mattin (MICH)
11. Joseph Zargo (WIS)
12. Jordan Hamdan (MSU)
13. Cayden Rooks (IND)
14. Kal Miller (MD)

149 lbs.

1. Sammy Sasso (OSU)
2. Austin Gomez (WIS)
3. Yahya Thomas (NU)
4. Max Murin (IOWA)
5. Shayne Van Ness (PSU)
6. Michael Blockhus (MINN)
7. Graham Rooks (IND)
8. Ethen Miller (MD)
9. Chance Lamer (MICH)
10. Tony White (RU)
11. Dayne Morton (NEB)
12. Jake Harrier (ILL)
13. Peyton Omania (MSU)
14. Jaden Reynolds (PUR)

157 lbs.

1. Peyton Robb (NEB)
2. Levi Haines (PSU)
3. Kendall Coleman (PUR)
4. Chase Saldate (MSU)
5. Cobe Siebrecht (IOWA)
6. Will Lewan (MICH)
7. Michael Carr (ILL)
8. Trevor Chumbley (NU)
9. Garrett Model (WIS)
10. Derek Gilcher (IND)
11. Brayton Lee (MINN)
12. Paddy Gallagher (OSU)
13. Andrew Clark (RU)
14. Michael North (MD)

165 lbs.

1. Dean Hamiti (WIS)
2. Cameron Amine (MICH)
3. Patrick Kennedy (IOWA)
4. Alex Facundo (PSU)
5. Carson Kharchla (OSU)
6. Caleb Fish (MSU)
7. Maxx Mayfield (NU)
8. Danny Braunagel (ILL)
9. Andrew Sparks
10. Bubba Wilson (NEB)
11. Nick South (IND)
12. Robert Kanniard (RU)
13. Stony Buell (PUR)
14. John Martin Best (MD)

174 lbs.

1. Carter Starocci (PSU)
2. Mikey Labriola (NEB)
3. Ethan Smith (OSU)
4. Bailee O'Reilly (MINN)
5. Edmond Ruth (ILL)
6. DJ Washington (IND)
7. Nelson Brands (IOWA)
8. Troy Fisher (NU)
9. Max Maylor (MICH)
10. Jackson Turley (RU)
11. Ceasar Garza (MSU)
12. Dominic Solis (MD)
13. Josh Otto (WIS)
14. Cooper Noehre (PUR)

184 lbs.

1. Aaron Brooks (PSU)
2. Kaleb Romero (OSU)
3. Isaiah Salazar (MINN)
4. Matt Finesilver (MICH)
5. Abe Assad (IOWA)
6. Layne Malczewski (MSU)
7. Lenny Pinto (NEB)
8. Brian Soldano (RU)
9. Dylan Connell (ILL)
10. Tyler Dow (WIS)
11. Evan Bates (NU)
12. Ben Vanadia (PUR)
13. Clayton Fielden (IND)
14. Kevin Makosy (MD)

197 lbs.

1. Max Dean (PSU)
2. Silas Allred (NEB)
3. Zac Braunagel (ILL)
4. Cameron Caffey (MSU)
5. Jacob Warner (IOWA)
6. Jaxon Smith (MD)
7. Gavin Hoffman (OSU)
8. Braxton Amos (WIS)
9. Michial Foy (MINN)
10. Nick Willham (IND)
11. Billy Janzer (RU)
12. Andrew Davison (NU)
13. Brendin Yatooma (MICH)
14. Hayden Filipovich (PUR)

285 lbs.

1. Mason Parris (MICH)
2. Greg Kerkvliet (PSU)
3. Tony Cassioppi (IOWA)
4. Lucas Davison (NU)
5. Trent Hillger (WIS)
6. Boone McDermott (RU)
7. Tate Orndoff (OSU)
8. Jacob Bullock (IND)
9. Jaron Smith (MD)
10. Hayden Copass (PUR)
11. Garrett Joles (MINN)
12. Ryan Vasbinder (MINN)
13. Matt Wroblewski (ILL)
14. Austin Emerson (NEB)