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NU Notes: Huskers to Battle Beavers in Sioux Falls

The Nebraska men's basketball team looks for their best start since 2008-09 on Saturday, as the Huskers travel to Sioux Falls, S.D., for a matchup with Oregon State.

Saturday, November 18th 2023, 4:24 AM MST

By NU Athletic Communications

The Nebraska men's basketball team looks for their best start since 2008-09 on Saturday, as the Huskers travel to Sioux Falls, S.D., for a matchup with Oregon State. Tipoff at the Sanford Pentagon is set for shortly after 3 p.m. and the matchup will be carried on select Husker Radio Network stations (105.3 FM in Lincoln and 105.9 FM in Omaha), on Huskers.com and on the Huskers app. The game will also be available on Peacock, NBC's streaming service. Tickets are available for the Saturday's contest by visiting Ticketmaster.com or Sanfordsports.com.

The Huskers hit the road for the first time this season looking for their first 5-0 start since the 2008-09 team opened the season with a 6-0 mark. NU's 4-0 mark is the first since 2018-19, which was also the only other time the Huskers have played at the Sanford Pentagon.

The Huskers are coming off an 84-63 win over Stony Brook on Wednesday night, as NU shot a season-high 55 percent from the field and put four players in double figures in matching its highest offensive output of the season. Juwan Gary came off the bench for 19 points and seven rebounds in his 2023-24 debut, while Brice Williams scored 16 of his 17 points in the second half and added nine rebounds. Keisei Tominaga (16) and Rienk Mast (14) also finished in double figures, as Nebraska scored 80 or more points for the third time in four games.

Oregon State comes into the matchup with a 3-0 record following an 81-71 overtime win over Appalachian State on Tuesday night. Jordan Pope had 25 points and seven rebounds, as the Beavers outscored the Mountaineers, 18-8 in OT.

Looking at Oregon State
Oregon State comes to Sioux Falls with a 3-0 record after an 81-71 overtime win over Appalachian State on Tuesday evening. The Beavers have played a pair of overtime games in the first two weeks of the season, including an 82-81 double-OT win over Troy on Nov. 10.

OSU returned a trio of starters and 10 letterwinners from an extremely young team in 2022-23 that went 11-21, including 5-15 in the Pac-12. The Beavers' top two scorers are sophomores in Jordan Pope (19.0 ppg, 42 percent from 3-point range) and Tyler Bilodeau (15.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg). In addition, K.C. Ibekwe started Oregon State's first two games and had 10 points and eight boards in the win over Appalachian State. Another sophomore who started most of last season was Michael Rataj, as the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 6.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He has not played this season because of a shin injury.

Wayne Tinkle is in his 10th year at Oregon State and guided the Beavers to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2016 and 2021), including an Elite Eight finish in 2021. He ranks third on Oregon State's career wins list while OSU's 2016 NCAA appearances was the school's first since 1990. Prior to taking the Oregon State post, he was the head coach at Montana from 2006 to 2014 and guided the program to three NAA appearances in a four-year span.

Nebraska is 4-6 all-time against Oregon State but has not played the Beavers since a 50-44 win in Lincoln on Dec. 12, 2009. Seven of the 10 meetings in the series took place between 1940 and 1969. NU is 120-123 all-time against the current members of the Pac-12 Conference.

Last Time Out:
Juwan Gary matched his career high with 19 points as Nebraska shot 66 percent in the second half en route to an 84-53 win over Stony Brook on Nov. 15.

Gary, who missed NU’s first four contests, hit 8-of-11 shots from the floor and added seven rebounds. Brice Williams scored 16 of his 17 points in the second half and added a game-high nine rebounds, as Nebraska enjoyed a 45-28 advantage on the glass. Williams scored six of his points in a 13-2 Husker spurt after Stony Brook pulled to within 64-54 with 8:30 remaining. Keisei Tominaga and Rienk Mast added 16 and 14 points, respectively, as the Huskers cracked the 80-point plateau for the third time in four games.

Leading 36-28 at the break, the Huskers hit eight of their first 10 shots from the field in the second half to push the margin to 53-51 after a C.J. Wilcher basket. The Seawolves responded with a 7-0 run of its own to get within 56-49 and forced a Husker timeout. The Seawolves were within 59-52, but the Huskers took control with a 13-2 spurt to build a 72-54 lead after a Jamarques Lawrence basket with 6:37 left.

Postgame Notes vs. Stony Brook

Nebraska improved to 4-0 for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
Juwan Gary led Nebraska with 19 points, matching his collegiate career high. He also had 19 points against Houston (12/11/21) and at Florida (1/5/22) at Alabama.
Gary became the fourth different Husker to lead NU in scoring this year.
Brice Williams posted season bests in points (17), rebounds (nine) and assists (four), as his four assists tied a career high.
Nebraska shot a season-high 55 percent, including 65.5 percent in the second half. It is the first time NU shot 50 percent or better this season.
Worth Noting

Nebraska's 4-0 start is the fourth time in the last 12 seasons that NU has opened 4-0 (also 2018-19, 2016-17 and 2012-13).
The Huskers are 10-3 over the last 13 games dating back to Feb. 1. A big reason for that is NU's offense, as NU has averaged 75.6 ppg on 48 percent shooting in that stretch. For the first 23 games last year until Feb. 1, NU was at 65.4 ppg. NU has scored 70+ points in 11 of the past 13 games after reaching that mark just seven times in the first 23 games of last season.

Offensive Improvement

Category

No.

B1G Rk.

Points per Game

54.8

2nd

FG Pct. Defense

.328

1st

Opponent 3-Pt Pct.

.220

3rd

Rebounding Margin

+13.5

1at

Nebraska's bench has provided a spark early on, averaging 28.0 points per game in the first four contests. The Huskers' leading scorer has come from the bench in three of the four games (Hoiberg-Lindenwood; Wilcher-Rider; Gary-Stony Brook), and NU has had at least one double-figure effort from its bench in the first four contests.
Rienk Mast now has 22 career double-doubles entering Saturday's game with Oregon State. The 6-foot-10 forward is 22nd nationally among all active players and trails only Zach Edey (41) among current Big Ten players. Mast's two double-doubles tie for the Big Ten lead and is fifth nationally as of Nov. 16.
Nebraska is 17-4 under Hoiberg when scoring at least 80 points including 12-1 over the last three seasons. The only loss was a 104-100 quadruple overtime game at North Carolina State on Dec. 1, 2021. NU has won its last 10 games when reaching the 80-point plateau.
Nebraska has regained its top two returning scorers this week, as Keisei Tominaga (13.1 ppg in 2022-23) returned from an ankle injury on Monday and Juwan Gary (9.6 ppg, 6.5 pg) made his 2023-24 debut on Wednesday vs. Stony Brook. Tominaga missed NU's first two games, while Gary, who had off-season shoulder surgery had not played since suffering the injury on Jan. 10, 2023.
Finding Balance
Nebraska relied on its depth and balance early in the season. While the Huskers have four players averaging double figures, five others are at between 5.0 and 8.5 ppg after four games.

Nebraska has had eight different players reach double figures in the first three contests and have had a different leading scorer in each of the first four games.
The Huskers have had a different player lead the team in assists in each of the first four games, while Rienk Mast is the only play to top NU in rebounds more than once.
No Husker averages more than 27 minutes per game, while 20 players are averaging at least double figures in minutes. Despite the number of different lineups NU has been forced to use, the Huskers have had at least eight players play double-figure minutes in each of the first four games.
NU has gotten at least one double-figure effort from its bench in each of the first four contests. The Huskers have gotten nearly 36 percent of their scoring from the bench over the first four contests.
Seven of the 12 players who played in the season opener were making their Husker debut. In fact, junior C.J. Wilcher was the only player who appeared in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 openers.
Mast's Massive Night
Rienk Mast put together a strong performance in Nebraska's win against Florida A&M on Nov. 9. The 6-foot-10 forward had game highs of 20 points and 16 rebounds for his first double-double as a Husker.

He became the first Husker in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present) to have a game with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds, and the first Husker to do so since All-Big 12 performer Aleks Maric in 2008.
Since 1990, only six Huskers have had games with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds. That list includes Aleks Maric, Kimani Ffriend, Venson Hamilton, Mikki Moore and Eric Piatkowski.
Mast’s 16 rebounds were 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.
Mast is averaging 14.8 ppg while topping the Huskers in both rebounding (10.8 rpg) and assists (3.0 apg).
New Faces, New Roles
Nebraska made a big splash in the transfer portal, adding five players to the roster, and their impact is already being felt during the early portion of the season. The group of Josiah Allick (New Mexico), Jarron Coleman (Bradley), Rienk Mast (Bradley), Ahron Ulis (Iowa) and Brice Williams (Charlotte) combined for more than 4,300 points, 2,100 rebounds and 800 assists entering this year.

Mast is averaging 14.8 points per game while leading the Huskers in both rebounds (10.8 rpg) and assists (3.0 apg). He is one of three power conference players as of Nov. 16 averaging at least 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Mast currently ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding and 18th in scoring. The 6-foot-10 forward has been in double figures in all four contests - the only Husker to do so - including a 20-point, 16-rebound effort against Florida A&M.
Allick has been a force inside, averaging 6.5 points per game on 50 percent shooting and 6.5 rebounds per game. He is second on the team and 15th in the Big Ten in rebounds and is a big reason why the Huskers lead the conference in rebound margin. He is fourth in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds (3.25) as of Nov. 16. Allick has two double-figure efforts in the first three games, including 11 points and eight boards against Lindenwood.
Williams has started all four contests and is third on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (6.0 rpg) while shooting 34 percent from 3-point range. The 6-foot-7 guard has been in double figures three times this season, highlighted by a 17-point, nine-rebound, four-assist effort against Stony Brook on Nov. 15.
Coleman has come off the bench in all four contests and is second on the team with 2.8 assists per game while also adding 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per outing. He has nearly a 1.6-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Improved Board Work
One of the areas where Nebraska has made significant improvement is on the boards. The additions of Rienk Mast, Josiah Allick and Brice Williams along with the return of Juwan Gary have made the Huskers formidable on the glass.

Nebraska has a +13.5 rebound margin through four games to lead the Big Ten. Last season the Huskers were 11th in rebounding margin (-1.0)
NU had a positive rebound margin (+3.1) prior to Juwan Gary's season-ending injury last January. Gary was second on the team in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and 15th in the Big Ten in that category on Jan. 10. Over the final 16 games of the 2022-23 season, NU was outrebounded by 5.1 rebounds per game.
Mast (MVC) and Allick (Mountain West) both ranked second in their respective conferences in 2022-23 in rebounding, while Williams was 15th in Conference USA. In addition, Mast led the MVC in rebounding during the 2021-22 season.
The last time NU has out-rebounded four straight opponents by at least 10 boards was the first four games of the 2004-05 season.
Tominaga Named Preseason All-Big Ten
Nebraska senior guard Keisei Tominaga was honored as one of 10 players selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team. The 10-member team included four unanimous selections: Terrence Shannon (Illinois), Jahmir Young (Maryland), Boo Buie (Northwestern) and Zach Edey (Purdue). Edey, the reigning national player of the year, was tabbed as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.

Tominaga became just the third Husker to be named preseason All-Big Ten since Nebraska joined the conference in 2011-12, joining James Palmer Jr. (2018) and Terran Petteway (2014). Last season, he averaged 13.1 points per game on 53 percent shooting, including 40 percent from 3-point range, while appearing in all 32 contests. Tominaga led the Huskers in 3-pointers with 66 and was one of only six players nationally to average double figures and shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 85 percent from the foul line.

During Big Ten play, he led NU in scoring at 14.2 ppg to rank 15th in the conference while also ranking among Big Ten leaders in field goal percentage (.512, seventh) and 3-pointers per game (2.3, sixth) as he shot 41 percent from beyond the arc. He had seven of his nine 20-point games during Big Ten contests, including a career-high 30-point effort against Penn State, and added 23 points in NU’s loss to Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament.

Tominaga returned on Monday against Rider and had nine points, including back-to-back 3-pointers after Rider pulled to within a point. His two 3-pointers started a 17-0 spurt that put the game away. He followed up with a 16-point effort in Wednesday's win over Stony Brook.

HUSKERS COLLIDE WITH NO. 22 CREIGHTON SUNDAY

The Nebraska women’s basketball team is back in action at home on Sunday afternoon when the Huskers play host to their annual clash with Creighton.

Tip-off between the Huskers (3-0) and the No. 22/24 Bluejays (2-1) is set for 1 p.m. (CT) at Pinnacle Bank Arena with tickets on sale now at Huskers.com.

Fans unable to attend the game in person can watch live on the Big Ten Network with Larry Punteney and Meghan McKeown on the call.

Nebraska fans can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including 1400 AM in Lincoln and 105.9 FM 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 12:30 p.m. (CT).

The Huskers improved to 3-0 with a 79-32 win over Alcorn State on Tuesday night. The Big Red won despite Maddie Krull and Annika Stewart missing the game with lower leg injuries, and Wooden Award and Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award candidate Jaz Shelley playing less than three minutes before leaving with a lower leg injury of her own. All three players are day-to-day. Shelley was averaging team bests of 16.0 points, 6.5 assists and 3.0 steals to go along with 4.5 rebounds through Nebraska’s first two games.

Alexis Markowski led the Huskers with a game-high 20 points to go along with nine rebounds. The Lisa Leslie Award candidate leads Nebraska with 16.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

Natalie Potts completed a sensational first week of her college career with a career-high 15 points in a win at Wyoming (Nov. 10). The two-time Missouri High School Player of the Year averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors (Nov. 13), before adding seven points and game and career highs of 11 rebounds and three blocks in the win over Alcorn State on Tuesday. Potts is averaging 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks through the first three games of her college career.

Darian White, a four-year starter and three-time All-Big Sky performer at Montana State before transferring to Nebraska as a graduate student, has been outstanding early. The 5-6 point guard is averaging 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals.

Through three games, Nebraska has shown explosive offense and shutdown defense. At Wyoming, the Huskers produced an 18-0 first-half run and a decisive 19-2 second-half surge to power their way to victory. In the opener, Nebraska produced runs of 16-0, 12-0 and 10-0. Against Alcorn State, NU used back-to-back 16-0 runs in the first half to build a 49-15 halftime lead.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
vs. 22/24 Creighton Bluejays (2-1, 0-0 BIG EAST)
Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, 1 p.m. (CT)
Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, Nebraska
Tickets: Huskers.com/Tickets - 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Live TV: BTN (Larry Punteney & Meghan McKeown)
Live Stats: Huskers.com (StatBroadcast)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (12:30 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (1400 AM), Omaha (105.9 FM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 10.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 16.7 ppg, 10.0 rpg
0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 10.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 11.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 1.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Off the Bench
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 10.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 9.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 5.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 4.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 1.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Eighth Season at Nebraska (117-99); 17th Season Overall (310-208)

Creighton Bluejays (2-1, 0-0 BIG EAST)
14 - Mallory Brake - 6-0 - Sr. - F - 4.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
31 - Emma Ronsiek - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 15.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg
15 - Lauren Jensen - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 18.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg
21 - Molly Mogensen - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 6.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg
30 - Morgan Maly - 6-1 - Sr. - G/F - 15.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg
Off the Bench
2 - Kennedy Townsend - 5-10 - So. - G - 3.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg
32 - McKayla Miller - 6-1 - Fr. - G - 3.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg
12 - Jayme Horan - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 2.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
11 - Kiani Lockett - 5-8 - So. - G - 2.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg
23 - Brittany Harshaw - 6-1 - RFr. - G - 0.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg
4 - Lexi Unruh - 6-1 - RFr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Head Coach: Jim Flanery (Creighton, 1987)
22nd Season at Creighton (403-263); 22nd Season Overall (403-263)

Scouting The Creighton Bluejays
Coach Jim Flanery is in his 22nd season at the helm of Creighton and has the Bluejays in the top 25 in both national polls.

Creighton entered the week at No. 22 in the AP Poll and No. 24 in the USA Today/WBCA Top 25 before suffering a 65-53 loss to Green Bay in front of 1,027 fans at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha on Thursday night.

The Jays are one of the most veteran teams in the country with five seniors who all played together at Creighton last season for a team that went 22-9 and 15-5 in the BIG EAST for a team that qualified for the 2023 NCAA Tournament, losing to Mississippi State, 81-66, in the round of 64. All five seniors were sophomore contributors on the 2022 Creighton team that advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.

The Jays return four starters from last year’s squad, led by Lauren Jensen. The 5-10 guard averaged a team-best 16.1 points and a team-leading 3.5 assists per game as a junior. She ranked second on the squad with 68 three-pointers (.347). She enters Sunday’s game as CU’s leading scorer again at 18.3 points per game after game highs of 21 points and four steals in the loss to Green Bay.

Morgan Maly (Crete, Neb.) ranked second on the team with 14.6 points while leading the Jays with 6.2 rebounds a year ago. The 6-1 guard/forward from Crete, Neb., also led CU with 69 three-pointers (.348). This season she is averaging 15.0 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds. Maly averaged 20 points through the first two games before being held to five points on 2-of-10 shooting in the loss to Green Bay. Maly (1-8) and Jensen (1-6) went a combined 2-for-14 from three-point range, as Creighton hit just 6-of-26 threes against the Phoenix.

Talented forward Emma Ronsiek adds another dangerous weapon in the Creighton lineup. The 6-1 senior was CU’s No. 3 scorer and No. 2 rebounder with 13.2 points and 5.3 boards per game a year ago, while hitting 38.4 percent (48-125) of her three-point attempts. She has opened 2023-24 by averaging 15.3 points and 4.3 boards per game. She had 15 points and six boards in the loss to Green Bay, but also had a game-high five turnovers.

Molly Mogenson is Creighton’s fourth returning starter after averaging 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and a team-best 3.5 assists as a junior. Mogenson, who led the Jays with a then-career-high 22 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting in Creighton’s win over Nebraska last season in Omaha, is averaging 6.3 points and 2.7 rebounds through three games this season. She was held to four points and three boards against Green Bay, but also led CU with a game-high six assists.

Mallory Brake is new to the CU starting five this year after playing in all 31 games off the bench a year ago. The 6-0 forward averaged 2.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game last season. She has managed 4.0 points and 5.0 boards so far this season, but was held to just two points in 15 minutes while committing four fouls in the loss to Green Bay.

Creighton is looking for replacements for graduate student Rachael Saunders (7.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Carly Bachelor (5.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg) from a year ago with returning contributors Kennedy Townsend, Jayme Horan and Kiani Lockett. Bachelor scored 15 points as a starter in last year’s win over Nebraska, but Saunders did not play. Townsend, a 5-10 sophomore, has managed 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds early this season but did not score in last year’s win over NU. The senior Horan has pitched in 2.7 points and 4.0 boards and scored six points last year against the Big Red. Lockett has added 2.0 points and 1.7 rebounds, but did not play last season against Nebraska.

Freshman McKayla Miller (3.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg) and redshirt freshmen Brittany Harshaw and Lexi Unruh also have seen limited time early this season for Creighton.

As a team, Creighton has outscored its first three opponents 69.7-57.3 (+12.3) points while posting a 37.0-32.0 (+5.0) edge on the glass. CU also owns an 18.3-12.7 (+5.7) edge in turnover margin. Creighton has hit just 27.8 percent (22-79) of its three-point attempts, while opponents have hit 28.3 percent (13-46) from long range. CU is an outstanding free throw shooting team (.761), after shooting 75 percent as a team a year ago.

Nebraska vs. Creighton Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Creighton 31-17, but the No. 20 Jays ran to a 77-51 win over the No. 22 Huskers last season at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha (Nov. 15, 2022) in the first meeting between ranked teams in the history of the series.

Sunday’s meeting will mark the second straight game in the series that Creighton has been ranked in the top 25 - the first two times in history. Nebraska has been in the top 25 on nine occasions at game time in the series since 1992-93.

Nebraska owns a 21-3 all-time record against CU in Lincoln, including a 67-62 victory over the Jays in the last meeting in Lincoln (Nov. 17, 2021).

Last season, Nebraska trailed 22-11 at the end of the first quarter and fell behind 45-28 at halftime. The Huskers hit just 31 percent (18-58) from the field, including 5-of-18 three-pointers. Jaz Shelley led Nebraska with 14 points, while Alexis Markowski added a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Molly Mogensen led Creighton with a then-career-high 22 points, including 19 in the first half. Morgan Maly added 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Carly Bachelor contributed 15 points, six boards and a game-high four steals. Lauren Jensen pitched in 13 points and a game-high seven assists for CU. The Jays hit 11-of-24 threes in last year’s victory.

During the last seven games in the series, the Jays are 74-of-199 (.372) from three-point range, while Nebraska is just 26-of-114 (.228). CU is averaging 10.6 made threes per game during the stretch, while NU is averaging 3.7.

Nebraska has not made more than five threes in a game against Creighton since a 75-67 Husker win in Omaha on Nov. 17, 2008 when the Big Red went 9-for-21. On the flip side, Creighton has made at least five threes every game against Nebraska since going 4-for-13 at the Civic Auditorium in Omaha on Dec. 3, 2000. Creighton won that game, 66-57. NU went 5-for-10.

In the last 28 meetings combined, Nebraska has hit 93-of-339 (.274) for an average of just 3.3 made threes per game. Creighton has hit 209-of-631 (.331) for an average of 7.5 made threes in the same 28 games. Nebraska owns an 18-10 series edge during that span.
Husker Nuggets
• Jaz Shelley was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List on Tuesday, Nov. 14.

• Nebraska signee Britt Prince (Elkhorn North) was named to the Naismith Trophy High School Girl’s Player of the Year Top 50 on Thursday, Nov. 16.

• Nebraska used back-to-back 16-0 runs in the first half to build a 49-15 halftime lead in a 79-32 win over Alcorn State Tuesday.

• Alexis Markowski led three Huskers in double figures with a Nebraska season-high 20 points to go along with nine rebounds. Callin Hake added a season-high 14 points to go along with career highs of seven rebounds and three steals off the bench, while Logan Nissley pitched in a career-high 10 points.

• Nebraska has allowed an average of just 18.3 first-half points through its first three games, including 12 to Northwestern State, 15 to Alcorn State and 28 at Wyoming.

• 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 467 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 346 consecutive games.

• Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 28 times in the last 76 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).

• 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).

Potts Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week
Two-time Missouri MaxPreps High School Player of the Year Natalie Potts has made an instant impact on Nebraska’s lineup. The 6-2 forward from O’Fallon, Mo., averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors (Nov. 13).

In Nebraska’s 71-52 road win at Wyoming, Potts was a catalyst at both ends of the court, erupting for 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, while adding two steals and a blocked shot. Potts was a menace defensively, creating easy offensive opportunities with deflections at the front of Nebraska’s press to help turn an early Husker deficit into a double-digit road victory over the Cowgirls.

In her regular-season collegiate debut, Potts added 10 points, five rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block while hitting 5-of-7 shots from the field in a 90-42 win over Northwestern State (Nov. 6).

Through three games, Potts has hit 12-of-13 (.923) two-point field goal attempts and 2-of-5 (.400) three-point tries.

Husker Numbers to Watch
• Darian White has scored in double figures 99 times in her college career (97, Montana State; 2, Nebraska). She will be shooting for her 100th game in double figures against Creighton.
• Jaz Shelley is 13 assists from joining the top 10 at Nebraska in career assists. Shelley heads into the Creighton game with 379 assists in two-plus years at Nebraska. All-American and two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge ranks 10th in school history with 392.
• Jaz Shelley is 29 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).
• Jaz Shelley needs eight three-pointers to climb to No. 5 on the Nebraska career three-point list, matching Lindsey Moore (173, 2010-13).
• Alexis Markowski needs two double-doubles to climb into a tie for sixth in Nebraska history with Nafeesah Brown (24, 1992-94). Markowski is currently tied for seventh with Janet Smith (22, 1979-82).
• Annika Stewart needs four points to reach 500 in her career.

Nebraska Notables
• 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 69 points away from becoming the 37th 1,000-point scorer in Nebraska history. Alexis Markowski is 136 points from reaching 1,000 career points.
• Darian White is 254 points away from 2,000 in her college career.

PRINCE NAMED TO NAISMITH TROPHY HIGH SCHOOL TOP 50

Nebraska women's basketball signee Britt Prince was included in the 2023-24 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Girl's High School Player of the Year Preseason 50, when the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced its watch list for the national award on Thursday, Nov. 16.

Prince, a senior at Elkhorn North High School, signed her National Letter of Intent to be a Husker on Nov. 8. Through her first three high school seasons, the 2023 Nebraska Gatorade and MaxPreps High School Player of the Year totaled 1,790 points, 574 rebounds, 362 assists and 276 steals. Prince averaged 24.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists while hitting 59 percent of her shots from the floor, including 46 percent of her three-pointers, and 92 percent of her free throws while playing for her mother and coach Ann Prince at Elkhorn North.

An adidas All-American and a Max Preps Junior Second-Team All-American in 2023, Prince is a three-time Super State and All-Nebraska selection while leading the Wolves to three consecutive Class B state championships. At the 2023 state tournament, Prince totaled 84 points on 29-of-40 shooting, including 10-of-14 from long range. She was also a perfect 16-for-16 at the free throw line. During the regular season, Prince recorded a triple-double with 33 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over Hastings.

She averaged 23.4 points per game as a freshman and 24.1 points per game as a sophomore.

A talented all-around athlete, the 5-11 Prince finished fifth at the state cross country championships as a freshman, before winning state titles as a member of the 4x400 relay team on the track as both a freshman and sophomore. She also won state gold in the 800-meter run as a sophomore, after taking silver in the event as a freshman. She added another relay gold in the 4x800 relay as a sophomore after taking silver as a freshman.

An Academic All-State selection in both cross country and basketball in 2023, Prince is a member of National Honor Society and the Honor Roll at Elkhorn North.

CLAIRMONT CAPTURES PLATFORM TITLE AT MIZZOU INVITE

The Husker divers capped off a successful week at the Mizzou Invitational on Friday.

Sophomore Kelsey Clairmont qualified for finals in all three events and secured a platform win with a zone-qualifying score of 250.85 during her first time competing in the event this season. She added ninth-place finals finishes on the three meter (265.30) and one meter (247.90).

Abby Baxter added a second-place finish on the one-meter (300.75) after posting a finals-qualifying score of 267.50 in the prelims. Baxter also placed fourth overall on the three meter (304.30).

Freshman Antonina Harned posted a sixth-place finish in one-meter prelims (263.35) to earn a spot in the final, where she logged an eighth-place finish (248.60). Harned also finished tenth on the three-meter (258.10).

Ellee Delcamp added a 15th-place finish on the one-meter (234.25) and a 20th-place finish on the three-meter (216.70) in the prelims.

The Huskers return to the pool Nov. 30-Dec. 2 for the Hawkeye Invitational in Iowa City, Iowa.