NU Notes: Shelley Named AP National Player of the Week
Lincoln - Jaz Shelley was named Nebraska's first Associated Press National College Women's Basketball Player of the Week on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Shelley, a 5-9 graduate guard from Moe (pronounced MO-ee), Australia produced a season-high 23 points to go with three rebounds and five assists in Nebraska's 82-79 come-from-behind upset of No. 2 Iowa in Lincoln on Sunday afternoon. She completed Nebraska's rally from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit by scoring Nebraska's final seven points. Her three-pointer with 31 seconds left gave the Huskers their first lead of the game at 78-77, before sealing the victory with four clutch free throws in the final 20 seconds. For the game, Shelley knocked down 5-of-10 three-pointers.
Shelley, who won her first career Big Ten Player-of-the-Week honor on Monday, opened the week with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists in a crucial 65-59 road win at Michigan to complete a season series sweep of the always-tough Wolverines. For the week, Shelley averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists while hitting 11-of-22 shots from the field, including 7-of-15 three-pointers. She is averaging 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and team bests of 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals on the season.
Shelley's performance led four Huskers in double figures, including a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds from Alexis Markowski, 14 points and six rebounds from Big Ten Freshman of the Week Natalie Potts and a 15-point, seven-rebound effort from fellow freshman Logan Nissley. Nebraska's win over the then-No. 2 Hawkeyes matched the highest ranked foe the Huskers have ever beaten. It also came in front of a school-record, sellout crowd of 15,042 and a FOX national TV audience of 1.772 million viewers - the most-watched women's basketball game in the history of the network.
Nebraska (16-8, 8-5 Big Ten) returns to Big Ten road action on Wednesday when the Huskers travel to Columbus to take on No. 2 Ohio State (21-3, 12-1). Tip-off between the Big Red and the Buckeyes is set for 6 p.m. (CT) with live coverage provided by Peacock.
SHELLEY, POTTS EARN BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
Nebraska women's basketball players Jaz Shelley and Natalie Potts captured Big Ten honors when the conference announced its weekly award winners on Monday, Feb. 12.
Shelley, a 5-9 graduate guard from Moe (pronounced MO-ee), Australia, earned the first Big Ten Player-of-the-Week award of her career after producing 23 points, three rebounds and five assists in Nebraska's 82-79 come-from-behind upset of No. 2 Iowa in Lincoln on Sunday afternoon.
Shelley completed Nebraska's rally from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit by scoring Nebraska's final seven points. Her three-pointer with 31 seconds left gave the Huskers their first lead of the game at 78-77, before sealing the victory with four clutch free throws in the final 20 seconds. For the game, Shelley knocked down 5-of-10 three-pointers.
Shelley opened the week with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists in a crucial 65-59 road win at Michigan to complete a season series sweep of the always-tough Wolverines. For the week, Shelley averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists while hitting 11-of-22 shots from the field, including 7-of-15 three-pointers. She is averaging 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and team bests of 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals on the season.
While Shelley completed the Husker comeback against the Hawkeyes, Natalie Potts gave the Big Red a big spark early in the fourth quarter on her way to her sixth Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award of the season. The 6-2 forward from O'Fallon, Mo., scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds in the fourth quarter to pull Nebraska within striking distance against the Hawkeyes.
Potts finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds and two assists. She opened Nebraska's 2-0 week with 12 points and three rebounds in a hard-fought road win at Michigan. For the week, Potts averaged 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds.
She currently leads all Big Ten freshmen in scoring (10.6 ppg), rebounding (5.5 rpg) and field goal percentage (.529) on the season.
Nebraska (16-8, 8-5 Big Ten) returns to Big Ten road action on Wednesday when the Huskers travel to Columbus to take on No. 2 Ohio State (21-3, 12-1). Tip-off between the Big Red and the Buckeyes is set for 6 p.m. (CT) with live coverage provided by Peacock.
LOVETT NAMED NCAA WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett (149) claimed his first career NCAA Wrestler of the Week honor, when the NCAA announced its award winners on Tuesday afternoon.
The Post Falls, Idaho, native and NCAA All-American improved to 20-0 on the season and 11-0 in dual competition with his recent victory over Michigan’s No. 6 Austin Gomez, 11-4. Lovett came out hot with seven points in Period 1. After choosing to start on top in Period 2, Lovett tacked on another two points with a nearfall and clocked over four minutes of riding time. A takedown for Gomez in Period 3 wasn’t enough, as Lovett, the top-ranked wrestler at 149, took the decision and the fourth-straight Top 10 win for the Huskers.
This is the first weekly honor for the Huskers since Peyton Robb garnered the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week award on Dec. 19. 2023.
Up next, the Huskers are set to face No. 1 Penn State in University Park, Pa., on Sunday, Feb. 18. Action is set for 3 p.m. (CT) and will air on BTN.
VAVROVA NAMED SLOVAKIAN WOMEN'S GOLFER OF THE YEAR
Nebraska senior Michaela Vavrova captured her second consecutive Slovakian Women's Golfer-of-the-Year award, when the Slovak Golf Association announced its annual honor recently.
The first Slovakian women's golfer in Husker history, Vavrova helped Nebraska to NCAA Regional berths in 2021 and 2023, before posting a career-best 72.92 stroke average through 12 rounds during the fall of 2023. She opened the fall of 2023 with a career-best 205 (-11) to tie for fifth at the Sam Golden Invitational (Sept. 11-12).
Vavrova won her first Slovakian Golfer-of-the-Year honor in 2022 after producing Slovakia's top individual performance at the Women's Amateur Team Championships in late August of 2022. She was a two-time Slovakian U18 Junior Champion and has been a member of the Slovak Elite National Team since 2021.
DAVIS AWARDED BIG TEN CO-SPECIALIST OF THE WEEK HONORS
For the second time this season, Nebraska gymnastics senior Kinsey Davis was named a Big Ten Co-Specialist of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday.
The Huntersville, N.C., native scored a 9.975 on bars, which tied her career high and won her the event title against Maryland. She contributed to a season-best team score of 49.425 in the event.
Davis is currently tied for 30th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten with a bars average of 9.888.
The Huskers will be at home to face off against Penn State at 7 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, Feb. 17. Fans can follow along with live results here and the meet will be streamed on B1G+. Tickets are available at https://huskers.com/tickets.
Big Ten Weekly Awards
Co-Gymnasts of the Week - Mia Takekawa, Illinois / Sierra Brooks, Michigan
Co-Event Specialists of the Week - Mya Hooten, Minnesota / Kinsey Davis, Nebraska
Freshman of the Week - Eva Volpe, Iowa
MONDI DUBBED BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Nebraska’s Chase Mondi was awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, announced by the Big Ten Conference Monday afternoon following his performance against Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 10.
Mondi competed on both vault and floor in his third appearance as an NCAA collegiate athlete in his debut Husker season. On the floor exercise, the Lawrence, Kan. native underlined the event taking second overall, tying his career-best score in his rookie season (13.90). On vault, Mondi took sixth position (14.60) and helped the Huskers match the current team record for the vault set back in 2018 at 73.200 in the top-five conference clash.
Notably, Mondi is currently ranked 12th in the NCAA on vault based on a three-score average of 14.567. The rookie also sits in 26th position in the nation on floor (13.50).
The last Husker to win Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades was Travis Wong on March 21, 2022.
Moving into week six, Nebraska is ranked No. 5 in the NCAA with a score of 405.083 based on a three-score average. In the Big Ten conference, NU claims the third position rank, following Illinois in first (412.383) and Michigan in second (410.183).
Michigan's Paul Juda earned Big Ten Gymnast of the Week after an explosive performance this past Saturday where the senior claimed six individual event titles, except on still rings.
Illinois’ Brandon Dang collected Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week after earning the event title on pommel horse (14.95).
The Big Red returns to competition this Saturday, Feb. 17 in their home territory at the Bob Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb. The Huskers will host a tri-meet with Army and Greenville. The meet will be livestreamed beginning at 1 p.m. (CT) on BTN+ for subscribers. Fans can follow @HuskerMGym on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for live updates during the meet.
