The Nebraska men's basketball team looks for its third straight win on Wednesday night, as the Huskers return home to face North Dakota at Pinnacle Bank Arena to begin a three-game homestand.

Tipoff between the Huskers and Fighting Hawks is set for 6:30 p.m. and tickets are available for the matchup by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets, calling 800-8-BIGRED during business hours (Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) or at PBA beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The game will be carried on the Huskers Radio Network and streamed on B1G+ with Jessica Coody and Erick Strickland on the call. 

Nebraska (9-2) comes off its best defensive effort of the season in a 62-46 win at Kansas State on Sunday. The Huskers held Kansas State to 26.7 percent shooting, the Wildcats' lowest shooting performance since 2017, while KSU's 46 points was nearly 35 points under their season average entering the game. The 46 points allowed marked NU's best defensive effort since the 2018-19 season and its best performance in a road game in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present). 

The Huskers relied on the power game, as Juwan Gary and Rienk Mast both posted double-doubles in the win. Gary had 13 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, including 11 offensive boards, while Mast had a team-high 19 points and 12 rebounds. Brice Williams nearly gave the Huskers three players with double doubles with 10 points and nine rebounds, as Nebraska enjoyed a 57-40 advantage on the boards, including 22 offensive rebounds. 

North Dakota (8-4) comes to Lincoln riding a two-game win streak following a 79-62 win over Utah Tech on Saturday. Treysen Eaglestaff had a game-high 28 points, including six 3-pointers, while B.J. Omot added 20 points as UND used an early 11-0 run to take control and led the final 38 minutes. UND hit 12 3-pointers and enjoyed a 48-29 advantage on the glass.

About North Dakota
North Dakota comes to Lincoln with an 8-4 record following a 79-62 road win at Utah Tech on Saturday night. The 8-4 mark is the program's best start since moving to Division I level. Wednesday's game wraps up a two-game road trip before the Fighting Hawks begin Summit League play on Dec. 29.  

Head Coach Paul Sather is no stranger to the region, as he is in his fifth season in charge of the North Dakota program. Last season, UND won 13 games after winning just 15 the previous two seasons.  Prior to taking the North Dakota job, he spent nine seasons at Northern State, guiding that program to a trio of NCAA Division II Tournaments and a runner-up finish in 2018. His teams won the Northern Sun Conference title in each of the past two seasons.

The Fighting Hawks feature a trio of double-figure scorers in B.J. Omot, Treysen Eaglestaff and Tsotne Tsartsidze. Omot averages a team-high 16.2 points per game and has four 20-point games, including a 24-point effort at Iowa in the season opener. Eaglelstaff is at 15.5 ppg and also has four 20-point nights this season. He is shooting 8 percent from 3-point range and averaging nearly three 3-pointers per game.  Tsartsidze chips in 10.3 ppg on nearly 48 percent shooting. In addition, Tyree Ihenacho was ruled eligible last week, and the James Madison transfer had nine points and three rebounds in his debut. Ihenacho began his career at UND, where he was the Summit League Freshman of the Year in 2020-21.

Series History: Nebraska leads the all-time series, 3-2, in a series that dates back to 1933. North Dakota won 75-74 in the most recent meeting in 2019, as De’Sean Allen-Eikens' free throw with seven seconds left provided the winning margin. Marlon Stewart scored a game-high 23 points in the win, while Cam Mack had 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to pace four Huskers in double figures. NU is 77-11 all-time against current members of the Summit League. 

Numbers to Know
11- Juwan Gary's 11 offensive rebounds against Kansas State on Sunday were the most by a power conference player in 2023-24. According to Sports Reference, only two power conference players -  Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe (vs. Duke in 2021) and Washington's Nate Roberts (vs. Northern Illinois in 2021) - have grabbed more offensive boards in a game over the last five seasons.

12- Nebraska allowed 12 second-half points at Kansas State on Sunday, its lowest total since holding Jackson State to nine first-half points on Dec. 19, 2009. 

15 - Nebraska's win snapped Kansas State's 15-game home winning streak in non-conference games and was the Wildcats' second home loss in 23 home games dating back to the start of the 2022-23 season.

2- Number of power conference players averaging at least 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists per game this season as of Dec. 18 - Nebraska's Rienk Mast and Duke's Kyle Filipowski. 

57 - Nebraska grabbed 57 rebounds in the win at Kansas State, its highest rebounding total since grabbing 60 rebounds against Oral Roberts on Dec. 22, 1999.

8.6 - NU ranks second in the Big Ten with 8.6 3-pointers per game as of Dec. 18.  NU has averaged more than 8.0 3-pointers/game just twice in program history (2001-02 and 2020-21).

13.7 - Nebraska leads the Big Ten and ranks 14th nationally in fewest fouls per game (13.7) entering this week's action. NU also ranked in the top 20 nationally in that category in 2022-23 (14.1, 16th). 

2 - Nebraska matched a school record with two turnovers in the win over Duquesne on Nov. 22, matching a record originally set in 2013. As of Dec. 18, it ties for the lowest total by a power conference team in 2023-24.

1.43 - Nebraska's assist-to-turnover ratio this season, which is sixth in the Big Ten as of Dec. 19. NU's best assist-to-turnover ratio in the last decade is 1.32, set in the 2018-19 season. That season, NU had 9.96 turnovers per game, the lowest average since assists were tracked in 1978-79.

Worth Noting

  • Nebraska's 9-2 record matches NU's best 11-game mark since opening the 2003-04 season with a 10-1 mark in its first 11 contests. The Huskers were also 9-2 on five other occasions (2005-06, 2007-08, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2018-19) since 2003-04.  Nebraska opened the season with seven straight wins, marking just the fifth time in program history that Nebraska opened the season with seven straight wins.
  • Nebraska held Kansas State to 46 points in holding the Wildcats to its fewest points since the 2020-01 and third-fewest total at home since Bramlage Coliseum opened in 1988.  It marked the fewest points NU allowed on the road since joining the Big Ten and was only the second time NU had held an opponent under 50 points on the road since the 2011-12 season. Nebraska allowed just 0.68 points per possession, its lowest total in the Big Ten era. 
  • C.J. Wilcher graduated over the weekend with a degree in child, youth & family studies but will go through graduation ceremonies during the spring. Wilcher, who began his collegiate career at Xavier before transferring to Nebraska before the 2021-22 season, is a three-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Roll member and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2023. He will be the fifth college graduate on the 2023-24 Husker roster, joining Josiah Allick, Jarron Coleman, Rienk Mast and Brice Williams.
  • One oddity in Sunday's win was that Nebraska got to the foul line a season-low four times compared to Kansas State's 18 attempts. It marked just the second time this year that an opponent got to the line more than Nebraska. Despite that difference on Sunday, the Huskers have been to the foul line 65 more times than its opponents, a total which ranks third in the Big Ten entering the week.  
  • The Huskers are 15-5 over the last 20 games dating back to Feb. 1, 2023. A big reason for that is NU's offense, as NU has averaged 75.3 ppg on 46 percent shooting in that stretch.  Sunday's win was only the fifth time in the last 20 games NU has been held under 70 points. NU is 2-3 in those contests. 
  • Nebraska is 20-4 under Hoiberg when scoring at least 80 points, including 15-1 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 13 games when reaching the 80-point plateau. 
  • Nebraska enters Wednesday's game ranked fourth in the Big Ten in free throw shooting at 74.2 percent.  While it is still early in the season, it is on pace to be one of NU's highest season percentages. NU has not shot over 74 percent from the foul line since the 2011-12 season where NU shot a school-record 76.6 percent. Over the last six games, Nebraska is shooting 83.8 percent (83-of-99) from the charity stripe, including the two best totals in Hoiberg's five seasons.  NU's 19-of-20 effort against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 26 was its best percentage (min. 20 att.) since going 20-of-21 (.952) against Minnesota on Nov. 26, 1995.
  • Nebraska won its first seven games by 10 or more points. It was just the second time in over 100 years - the other was from Dec. 3-30, 1990 - that the Huskers won seven straight games by double figures.
  • Nebraska's bench has provided a spark, averaging 22.5 points per game in the first 11 contests. The Huskers' leading scorer has come from the bench three times (Hoiberg-Lindenwood; Wilcher-Rider; Gary-Stony Brook) and NU has had nine double-figure efforts from its bench in 2023-24.  Juwan Gary's 20-point effort against Duquesne on Nov. 22 marked the seventh time under Fred Hoiberg that NU had a player score at least 20 points off the bench.

Last Time Out
Juwan Gary and Rienk Mast combined for 32 points and 30 rebounds, as Nebraska posted an impressive 62-46 road win over Kansas State on Dec. 17.

Gary and Mast both posted double-doubles, as Nebraska overcame a 34-31 halftime deficit by holding the Wildcats to just 12 second-half points on 16 percent shooting. 

Gary had 13 of his career-high 18 rebounds in the second half, including eight offensive caroms after halftime, as Nebraska doubled up the Wildcats, 34-17, on the glass in the second half. 

Gary finished with 13 points and 18 rebounds, while Mast tallied 19 points and 12 rebounds on his way to his fourth double-double of the season. Brice Williams also nearly posted a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, as the Huskers were held to 35 percent shooting, but hit 11 3-pointers in the win. 

The Huskers set the tone from the start in the final 20 minutes, as Gary had six points and five rebounds – all on the offensive glass - in an 11-4 spurt that put Nebraska up 42-38 after Sam Hoiberg’s 3-pointer with 15:49 remaining. 

Kansas State, which saw its 15-game non-conference home win streak snapped, pulled to within 42-40 after Macaleab Rich’s basket with 14:45 left but would get no closer.  The Huskers went on a 17-1 spurt over nearly a 10-minute span behind Mast, who scored six of his 19 points in the surge that gave NU a 59-41 lead after Keisei Tominaga’s 3-pointer with 5:34 left. 

Finding Balance
Nebraska relied on its depth and balance early in the season. While the Huskers have four players averaging double figures, three others are between 5.5 and 6.4 ppg.

  • Nebraska has four players averaging double figures, which ties for the most in the Big Ten (also Michigan, Indiana and Purdue) entering this week's action. 
  • Nebraska has had nine different players reach double figures and have six different leading scorers through the first 11 games. Rienk Mast is the only player to lead NU in scoring more than twice in 2023-24.
  • No Husker averages more than 29.3 minutes per game, while eight Huskers are averaging at least 15 minutes per game. 
  • NU has gotten at least one double-figure effort from its bench in nine of 11 contests (all but the Creighton game). 

Tominaga Returns to All-Big Ten Form
Nebraska's lineup has been boosted by the return of fifth-year senior Keisei Tominaga, who missed NU's first two games with an ankle injury. He is third on the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range. 

  • Tominaga had nine points and set career highs in both assists (four) and steals (five) at Kansas State on Dec. 17. The five steals were the most by a Husker since Sam Griesel had five steals at Penn State last January. 
  • He has been in double figures five times, most recently a 15-point effort against Michigan State on Dec. 10. 
  • In a five-game stretch from Nov. 21-Dec. 3, he averaged 16.8 ppg on 58 percent shooting, including 44 percent from 3-point range over his previous five contests. 
  • He posted his 12th career 20-point game against No. 15 Creighton on Dec. 3, finishing with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting. 
  • Tominaga has a season-high 23 points versus Duquesne on Nov. 18, including 9-of-10 from the foul line. 
  • He had a perfect shooting performance against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 26, as he went 5-of-5 from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, and 4-of-4 from the foul line.   
  • Prior to Tominaga, the last player to have at least 15 points on a perfect shooting night was David Rivers at Michigan State on Jan. 13, 2013 (8-8 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-1 FT).  According to Sports Reference, only five power conference players have totaled at least 15 points on a perfect shooting night this season as of Dec. 18.

Tominaga was named to the preseason All-Big Ten team, becoming just the third Husker to receive the honor since Nebraska joined the conference in the 2011-12 season.  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. 

Gary Returns Better than Ever 
After his 2022-23 season was cut short with a left shoulder injury that required surgery, Juwan Gary has come back playing some of the best basketball of his career.  During his rehab, Gary spent extensive time working on his shooting mechanics and the work has paid off.

  • He leads Nebraska in scoring (14.5 ppg) and field goal percentage (.544) since returning to action on Nov. 15. He also tops NU in steals (1.4 spg) and is second in rebounds (6.7 rpg). 
  • Gary already has seven double-figure games in his first eight contests after having just nine last year and just 20 in 75 career games entering 2023-24.
  • Gary was dominant in NU's win at Kansas State on Dec. 17 with 13 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in 30 minutes of work. His 18 boards shattered his previous career high of 11 set three other times, while his 11 offensive boards were the second-highest total by a Division I player this season.  
  • He recorded his second career 20-point game against Michigan State, hitting 8-of-11 shots from the field and adding three rebounds and three steals in NU's win over the Spartans. He moved into the starting lineup for the first time this year as Josiah Allick missed the game with an injury. 
  • His performance against MSU marked the third time in seven games that he tied or eclipsed his career high in points. 
  • Gary collected his first double-double off the bench against Oregon State with 12 points and 10 boards in just 21 minutes of work. 

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 13.0 points per game while leading the Huskers in rebounding (9.9 rpg) and assists (3.0 apg).  Mast currently ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding and 13th in assists.  The 6-foot-10 forward has been in double figures eight times, highlighted by a 20-point, 16-rebound effort against Florida A&M and 19 points and 12 rebounds against Kansas State. He leads NU with four double-doubles and has 24 for his career.
  • Williams has started all 11 contests and is second in scoring at 13.6 points per game to rank 22nd in the Big Ten. Williams, who is third on the team in assists per game (2.3 apg) is shooting 44 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and nearly 85 percent from the foul line.  The 6-foot-7 guard has been in double figures eight times this season, highlighted by a 25-point effort in the win against Oregon State on Nov. 17 and had 18 points, six rebounds and four assists at Minnesota on Dec. 6.  Williams is 49 points away from the 1,000-point plateau for his career.
  • Allick has been a presence inside, averaging 6.4 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game.  Allick has three double-figure efforts this season, including 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists vs. Duquesne. He missed the Michigan State game because of an injury, but returned to action in Sunday's win over Kansas State.
  • Coleman has come off the bench in nine contests and is fourth on the team in assists at 2.2 per game while posting a 1.8-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. 

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 and Duke's Kyle Filipowski are the only two power conference players averaging 10.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as of Dec. 18.

HUSKERS SET FOR ROAD BATTLE AT KANSAS

The Nebraska women’s basketball team faces Kansas for the third time in the past year when the Huskers take on the Jayhawks in Lawrence on Wednesday night.
 
Tip-off between the old Big Eight/Big 12 rivals at historic Allen Fieldhouse is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) with a live video stream available to subscribers of ESPN+.
 
Nebraska fans can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including B107.3 FM 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. Pregame starts at 6 p.m. (CT). 
 
NCAA NET No. 19 Nebraska is riding a five-game winning streak after rolling to a 76-51 win over 2023 SWAC Champion and NCAA Tournament qualifier Southern in Lincoln on Sunday. Alexis Markowski led three Huskers in double figures with a game-high 21 points. Although the two-time Lisa Leslie Award candidate had her string of five consecutive double-doubles snapped, Markowski extended her streak of 11 straight games scoring in double figures while becoming the 38th player in NU history to score 1,000 career points. Markowski leads the Big Ten in rebounding (9.7) and ranks fifth in scoring (17.2 ppg). She also leads the league with six double-doubles.
 
Two-time Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award candidate Jaz Shelley added 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in a strong effort. The 5-9 guard from Moe (pronounced MOE-ee), Australia, is the first Husker in history to record multiple career triple-doubles after getting 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a win over UNCW (Dec. 5). Shelley ranks fourth on Nebraska’s career three-point list with 184, after hitting three threes in the win over Southern to move past current WNBA player and 14-year international pro Yvonne Turner.
 
Three-time Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week Natalie Potts leads all Big Ten freshmen in both scoring (11.3 ppg) and rebounding (5.7 rpg). The two-time Missouri MaxPreps High School Player of the Year out of Incarnate Word Academy has hit 75.8 percent (44-58) of her two-point field goal attempts. Fellow freshmen Logan Nissley (7.2 ppg), who scored 14 points in the win over Southern, and Jessica Petrie (5.8 ppg) have made significant contributions early in their Husker careers. 
 
Darian White, a four-year starter and three-time All-Big Sky performer at Montana State before transferring to Nebraska as a graduate student, gives Nebraska another potent weapon. The 5-6 guard is averaging 9.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists, which ranks eighth in the Big Ten. 
 
White and Shelley, who ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 4.9 assists per game, have both recorded five or more assists in four consecutive games for Nebraska. Over the last four contests, Shelley is averaging 8.3 assists while White is contributing 5.8 assists per contest.
 
Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-2, 1-0 Big Ten)
at Kansas Jayhawks (6-4, 0-0 Big 12)
Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, 6:30 p.m. (CT)
Allen Fieldhouse - Lawrence, Kansas
Live Video: ESPN+ (subscription)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (6 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
B107.3 FM (Lincoln), 105.9 FM (Omaha), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Live Stats: Huskers.com
 
Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-2, 1-0 Big Ten - NCAA NET 19)
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 11.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 17.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg
0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 9.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 13.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg
42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 2.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Off the Bench
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 7.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 7.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 5.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 3.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 2.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Eighth Season at Nebraska (123-101); 17th Season Overall (316-210)
 
Kansas Jayhawks (6-4, 0-0 Big 12 - NCAA NET 48)
1 - Taiyanna Jackson - 6-6 - 5th - C - 13.2 ppg, 9.9 rpg
0 - Wyvette Mayberry - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 9.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg
13 - Holly Kersgieter - 5-11 - 5th - G - 10.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg
15 - Zakiyah Franklin - 5-8 - 5th - G - 10.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg
12 - S’Mya Nichols - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 14.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg
Off the Bench
5 - Ryan Cobbins - 6-0 - 5th - G/F - 4.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg
6 - Laia Conesa - 5-11 - Fr. - G - 3.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
32 - Skyler Gill - 5-10 - Jr. - G/F - 2.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg
7 - Paris Gaines - 6-3 - Fr. - C - 2.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg
23 - Zsofia Telegdy - 6-3 - So. - F - 1.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg
25 - McKenzie Smith - 6-0 - Fr. - G/F - 1.6 ppg, 0.6 rpg
14 - Danai Papadopoulou - 6-4 - Jr. - C - 1.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Head Coach: Brandon Schneider (Wayland Baptist, 1995)
Ninth Season at Kansas (113-140); 26th Season Overall (514-278)
 
Scouting The Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Coach Brandon Schneider leads the Jayhawks into Wednesday’s game with a 6-4 record after KU notched its third straight win with a 69-48 victory over Central Arkansas at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday. KU started the streak with a 79-57 win over Houston Christian (Dec. 6), before running to a 76-56 victory at Wichita State (Dec. 10).
 
The Jayhawks played a tough early season schedule that included a 71-63 loss to UConn (Nov. 25) and a 59-58 loss to Virginia Tech (Nov. 24) in the Cayman Islands after suffering a 91-85 setback at Penn State (Nov. 13). They also dropped a 63-52 decision at Texas A&M (Dec. 3).
 
The defending WNIT champions, Kansas is pursuing a third consecutive 20-win season after finishing with a 25-11 mark that included six straight home wins in the WNIT. KU finished 9-9 in the Big 12 last season and closed the year at No. 30 in the NCAA NET rankings. 
 
KU features an experienced starting five led by 6-6 super-senior Taiyanna Jackson. The Lisa Leslie Award candidate has averaged 13.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks this season. She averaged 15.2 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks as a first-team All-Big 12 choice last year. She is two-time member of the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. She was also one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year award. In two games against NU last year, Jackson totaled 34 points and 33 rebounds.
 
Super-senior Zakiyah Franklin adds 10.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists. The 5-8 senior guard from Lakeland, Fla., has spent more time on the court in a Jayhawks uniform than any other player in school history. She hit a scorching 49.5 percent (48-97) of her three-pointers while leading KU with team bests of 15.7 points and 3.1 assists per game last year. She also hit nearly 88 percent of her free throws. This season, Franklin has hit just 33.3 percent (12-36) from long range. The first-team All-Big 12 guard led Kansas with 27 points last year in a triple-overtime loss at Nebraska.
 
A third fifth-year senior, Holly Kersgieter has contributed 10.7 points and 4.9 rebounds early this season. The 5-11 guard from Sand Springs, Okla., has hit a team-best 20 three-pointers while shooting at a 42.6 percent clip. An honorable-mention All-Big 12 choice in 2023, Kersgieter averaged 13.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and a team-best 2.0 steals last season.
 
Senior Wyvette Mayberry gives KU more returning experience. The returning starter is averaging 9.8 points and 2.6 assists. She averaged 11.4 points and 3.0 assists in her first year on the court at KU last year, after spending her first two seasons at Tulsa. She was a second-team All-AAC pick in 2022 after earning a spot on the AAC All-Freshman Team in 2021. In two games against Nebraska last season, Mayberry totaled just two points.
 
The newcomer to the KU lineup is freshman S’Mya Nichols. The 6-0 guard from Overland Park was a five-star recruit and is a contender for Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors, averaging team bests of 14.1 points and 2.8 assists this season. Nichols has hit 49.5 percent of her shots, including 44.4 percent (12-27) of her three-pointers.
 
Nichols replaces Chandler Prater, who transferred to Oklahoma State, in the KU starting five. Prater averaged 9.5 points and 6.0 rebounds last year, but had 14 points and 16 rebounds in the WNIT win over the Huskers.
 
The Jayhawks also feature a new set of reserves led by Alabama transfer Ryan Cobbins. The 6-0 fifth-year wing who started her career at North Dakota State has averaged 4.9 points and 4.6 rebounds with one start in place of Taiyanna Jackson.
 
Junior transfer Skyler Gill (2.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg) from North Alabama has seen significant time in all 10 games, while freshmen McKenzie Smith and Paris Gaines have had their first tastes of action.
 
Returning post players Zsofia Telegdy (1.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg) and Danai Papadopoulou (1.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg) round out the regular KU contributors.
 
Kansas has averaged 70.7 points while allowing 60.8 points per game. KU is shooting 44.5 percent, including an improved 35.8 percent from three-point range. KU has hit 68.9 percent of its free throws, but Jackson has hit just 40.5 percent (15-37). Defensively, the Jayhawks have held opponents to 38.9 percent field goal shooting, including 33.1 percent from long range. KU owns a plus-0.1 rebound margin and a plus-2.9 turnover margin. Last season, KU carried a dominant plus-6.6 rebound margin but took a minus-0.6 turnover margin. Prater had 209 rebounds and 100 turnovers last season.
 
Nebraska vs. Kansas Series History
The most frequent opponent in Nebraska women’s basketball history, Kansas owns a 51-34 lead in the all-time series with the Huskers.
 
Although the series is in KU’s favor, Nebraska has dominated since Coach Amy Williams’ senior season as a guard for the Huskers in 1997-98. Beginning with an 84-69 win in Lincoln on Feb. 11, 1998, Nebraska has gone 24-11 against Kansas in the last 35 meetings, including 15-1 in Lincoln.
 
Before Nebraska’s 1998 win, KU won 40 of the first 50 meetings between the two schools.
 
The two teams split a pair of close contests last season, including an 85-79 triple-overtime win by the Huskers in Lincoln (Dec. 21, 2022). The rematch occurred in the WNIT Super 16, when Kansas battled its way to a 64-55 win (March 23, 2023). The Huskers played that game without starting guards Sam Haiby (foot injury vs. Missouri State) and Allison Weidner (knee injury vs. Kansas). In the regular-season meeting in Lincoln, Jaz Shelley led Nebraska with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Haiby had 12 points, five boards and three assists off the bench in place of Weidner, who suffered her injury early in the fourth quarter. Alexis Markowski notched a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Maggie Mendelson added a major lift off the bench with nine points and nine rebounds. NU went 10-for-26 from long range while KU hit 5-of-17 three-point attempts.
 
Zakiyah Franklin led KU with 27 points in 54 minutes, while Taiyanna Jackson contributed 18 points and 21 rebounds. Holly Kersgieter also notched a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
 
In the WNIT in Lawrence, Jackson had 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Kersgieter contributed 14 points. Chandler Prater, who transferred to Oklahoma State this season, was a key for KU with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Issie Bourne led NU with 17 points, while Jaz Shelley had 12 points and nine assists. The Huskers went just 6-for-26 from three-point range, while KU went 4-for-24.
 
Nebraska and Kansas have played five times since the Huskers exited the Big 12 Conference for the Big Ten at the start of the 2011-12 season, including a 57-49 Jayhawk win over an injury-riddled Nebraska team in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Little Rock, Ark. (March 18, 2012).
 
Nebraska owns a 10-game home winning streak in the series, beginning with a 59-48 victory over the Jayhawks at the Devaney Center on Feb. 7, 2004.
 
NU is 22-14 all-time against Kansas in Lincoln, with the first 34 meetings at the Devaney Center.
 
White Shines in Starting Role for Huskers
Nebraska has received an immediate boost in the backcourt from three-time first-team All-Big Sky guard Darian White.
 
Through 11 games, White is averaging 9.5 points and 5.8 rebounds while ranking eighth in the Big Ten with 4.5 assists. She scored a season-high 16 points against TCU (Nov. 25).
 
The 5-6 graduate student transferred into the Husker program during the summer after averaging 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals over 120 starts in four seasons at Montana State. 
 
The No. 2 scorer in Montana State history, White finished with 1,716 points, 612 rebounds, 449 assists and 260 steals.
 
White was the 2022 Big Sky Tournament MVP, leading the Bobcats to the conference title and a trip to the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
 
She was also a two-time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year (2021, 2022) and the 2020 Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
 
White was the 2019 Idaho Gatorade High School Player of the Year and joins three-time North Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year Logan Nissley, two-time Missouri MaxPreps Player of the Year Natalie Potts and Australian National Program forward Jessica Petrie in Nebraska’s group of four newcomers for 2023-24.
 
White produced her first Husker double-double with season highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds against No. 22 Creighton (Nov. 19).
 
In her Nebraska regular-season debut, White scored 13 points, including six in a 16-0 run to start the game, while adding game highs of nine rebounds and three steals to go along with four assists in Nebraska’s 90-42 win over Northwestern State (Nov. 6).
 
She was strong in all phases of her first road game as a Husker, contributing 11 points, four rebounds and two assists in a 71-52 victory at Wyoming.
 
White had 11 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals in a season-low 20 minutes in the win over UNCW (Dec. 5). 
 
She made her Big Ten debut with nine points, six rebounds, five assists and her first blocked shot of the season in an 80-74 win at NCAA NET No. 8 Michigan State (Dec. 9).
 
White took the court for the first time at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Nebraska’s exhibition win over Dakota Wesleyan (Oct. 29), producing 13 points, seven rebounds and game highs of eight assists and four steals.
 
Potts Claims Three Big Ten Freshman Awards
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., claimed her third Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award (Dec. 11) over the first five weeks of the season after averaging 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and an assist in two Husker wins.
 
Potts capped Nebraska’s four-game winning streak with her fourth straight double-figure scoring effort by getting 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks in the win over NCAA Net No. 8 Michigan State (Dec. 9). She opened the week with 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in just 21 minutes in a win over UNCW (Dec. 5). 
 
She won her second Big Ten Freshman award (Nov. 22) after averaging 14.0 points in two games at the St. Pete Showcase. Potts opened the week with a career-high 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field, including a three-pointer, in a 75-61 win over Lamar.
 
She opened another strong week by notching her first double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in a win over Florida Atlantic (Nov. 29). She followed with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in a win over Georgia Tech (Dec. 2).
 
Potts averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block to earn her first Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award (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).
 
She backed up her opening-week efforts by averaging 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in her second week. Potts capped the week with a then-career-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting against No. 22 Creighton (Nov. 19), after getting seven points and career highs of 11 rebounds and three blocks in a win over Alcorn State (Nov. 14).
 
Potts, who is averaging 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds through 11 games, leads all Big Ten freshman in scoring and rebounding, while ranking 24th overall in the league on the glass.
 
Through 11 games, Potts has hit 44-of-58 (.759) two-point field goal attempts. She owns eight double-figure scoring efforts on the season. 
 
Husker Numbers to Watch
•Darian White is two assists away from 500 in her career. Jaz Shelley reached the 500 mark in her college career by notching nine assists at Michigan State (Dec. 9). Shelley has pushed her total to 512. Only five previous Huskers in history had totaled 500 collegiate assists (Lindsey Moore, Meggan Yedsena, Rachel Theriot, Jina Johansen, Nicole Kubik). 
 
•Alexis Markowski is six rebounds away from 700 in her career and just 56 rebounds from 750, which would move her into a tie for No. 10 on the Nebraska career rebound list.
 
•Annika Stewart is four points away from 500 in her career.
 
• Maddie Krull is 11 points away from 700 in her career.
 
• Darian White is 24 rebounds away from 700 in her career.
 
• Jaz Shelley is 26 rebounds away from 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.
 
• Alexis Markowski is No. 5 on Nebraska’s career double-doubles list (27) after notching her sixth double-double of the season in the win at Michigan State (Dec. 9). She needs six double-doubles to catch Emily Cady at No. 4 (33). The Husker record for career double-doubles is 40 by first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (2011-14).
 
• Darian White is 180 points away from 2,000 in her college career.
 
• Natalie Potts reached 100 career points in her eighth career game. She is in line with some of the best Husker freshmen in recent history in the pace of reaching the 100-point mark, including Jordan Hooper (6th game), Kelsey Griffin (7th), Kate Cain (10th), Sam Haiby (10th), Alexis Markowski (12th), Emily Cady (14th), Isabelle Bourne (20th).
 
• Darian White has scored in double figures 102 times in her college career (97, Montana State; 5, Nebraska). She scored a season-high 16 points against unbeaten TCU (Nov. 25).

Husker Nuggets
• Natalie Potts earned her third Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award (Dec. 11) in five weeks. She won the first weekly honor (Nov. 13) before adding her second award (Nov. 27). Potts leads Big Ten freshmen in both scoring (11.3 ppg) and rebounding (24th, 5.7 rpg).

• Alexis Markowski was named to the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll three of the first four weeks of the 2023-24 season. She also earned a spot on the St. Pete Showcase All-Tournament Team after averaging 15.0 points and 9.5 rebounds over two games in Florida.

• Markowski leads the Big Ten in rebounding (9.7 rpg) while ranking fifth in scoring (17.2 ppg) and sixth in field goal percentage (.530).

• Jaz Shelley earned a spot on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll (Dec. 11) after averaging 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10.0 assists (Dec. 4-10). Nebraska put a player on the honor roll in four of the first five weeks this season.

• The Huskers had seven players produce double figures in points against UNCW, which is believed to be the first time that has been accomplished in school history. It is the second time this season the Huskers have had six players score in double figures in a game (Northwestern State, Nov. 6).

• The Huskers have hit at least one three in 475 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 354 consecutive games.

• Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 33 times in the last 83 games, including six times in 2023-24. The Huskers hit a season-high 16 threes against UNCW (Dec. 5). NU hit 10 threes vs. Northwestern State (Nov. 6), Florida Atlantic (Nov. 29), Georgia Tech (Dec. 2) and Michigan State (Dec. 9), before knocking down 12 vs. Southern (Dec. 17).

• 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).

ROBB TABBED BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK

Nebraska’s Peyton Robb (157) claimed his first Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honor of his career, when the conference announced its award winners on Tuesday afternoon. 

The Owatonna, Minn., native recorded a top 25 win this past weekend as he defeated SDSU’s #16 Cael Swensen by decision, 6-0. Robb tallied an early takedown, an escape, a stall point and the riding time point to earn his thirteenth-straight victory and remain undefeated. 

Robb, who is currently the third ranked wrestler in the nation, is tied for the team-lead with 13 dual points and has team-high nine bonus-point victories on the season. 

This is the first weekly honor this year for the Huskers, as the team’s most recent award was Silas Allred (197) in February of 2023. 

Up next, the Huskers host Wyoming and Northern Iowa for a triangular on Saturday, Jan. 6. Action will be streamed on Big Ten Plus and will begin with a neutral dual between Wyoming and Northern Iowa at 12 p.m. (CT) before the Huskers wrestle the Cowboys and the Panthers after, with rolling starts.

2023-24 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
Nov. 8: Rocco Welsh, Fr., OSU
Nov. 14: Shayne Van Ness, So., PSU/Dean Hamiti, Jr., WIS
Nov. 22: Beau Bartlett, Sr., PSU/Yaraslau Slavikouski, Gr., RU
Nov. 29: Gabe Arnold, Fr., IOWA
Dec. 6: Jesse Mendez, So., OSU
Dec. 12: John Poznanski, Jr., RU
Dec. 19: Peyton Robb, Sr., NEB