Huskers Battle Bulldogs Saturday – University of Nebraska

#22/#22 Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-1)

at Drake Bulldogs (1-1)

Saturday, November 19, 2022, 2 p.m. (CT)

Knapp Center – Des Moines, Iowa

Live Video: ESPN+
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (1:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (105.9 FM)
Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Look to Bounce Back at Bulldogs 

The No. 22 Nebraska women’s basketball team looks to rebound from its first loss of the season, when the Huskers travel to Des Moines to take on Drake Saturday afternoon. Tip-off between the Big Red (2-1) and the Bulldogs (1-1) at the Knapp Center is set for 2 p.m. (CT).

A live video stream of Nebraska’s game with Drake will be available on ESPN+. Fans can listen to the call of Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the Huskers Radio Network (107.3 FM in Lincoln and 105.9 FM in Omaha), the Huskers App and on Huskers.com.

Nebraska was ranked No. 22 in both the AP and USA Today/WBCA Top 25 preseason rankings and remained at No. 22 in the first regular season rankings this week. Drake is receiving votes in this week’s AP Poll. 

The Huskers suffered their first setback in their first road game on Tuesday at No. 20 Creighton. The Bulldogs, who will play Creighton in Omaha on Dec. 10, suffered their first loss on Sunday with a 92-86 overtime setback to No. 4 Iowa at the Knapp Center.

Nebraska’s lineup, which includes Naismith Trophy candidates Alexis Markowski and Jaz Shelley, features four returning starters averaging in double figures. Sophomore Allison Weidner leads the way with 14.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, while fellow sophomore Markowski has added 11.0 points and a team-leading 8.3 boards. Juniors Isabelle Bourne (11.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Shelley (10.0 ppg, 7.3 apg) – both from Australia – complete the four returning starters for the Huskers.

Drake also features four returning starters to its lineup and all five current starters are averaging double figures through two games. Fifth-year senior Grace Berg leads the Bulldog starters with 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, while senior Maggie Bair has pitched in 15.0 points and 7.0 boards. Senior Sarah Beth Gueldner (11.0 ppg), the newcomer to the Drake starting five, and senior Megan Meyer (10.5 ppg) give the Bulldogs a load of experience. Sophomore Katie Dinnibier has added 15.0 points per game.

Naismith Trophy and Lisa Leslie Award candidate Alexis Markowski is coming off her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds at Creighton. Markowski was the 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection for 2022-23.

Naismith Trophy and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award candidate Jaz Shelley continues to show her strong all-around game, averaging 10.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and team bests of 7.3 assists and 3.3 steals. The 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia led Nebraska with 14 points at Creighton.

Isabelle Bourne (Canberra, Australia) is a two-time honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection and a three-time Nebraska team captain.

#22/#22 Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten)

34 – Isabelle Bourne – 6-2 – Jr. – F – 11.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg

40 – Alexis Markowski – 6-3 – So. – C/F – 11.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg

1 – Jaz Shelley – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 10.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg

2 – Trinity Brady – 5-11 – So. – G – 3.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg

3 – Allison Weidner – 5-10 – So. – G – 14.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg

Off the Bench

21 – Annika Stewart – 6-3 – Fr. – F – 7.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg

42 – Maddie Krull – 5-9 – So. – G – 7.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg

32 – Kendall Coley – 6-2 – Fr. – F/G – 4.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg

15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6-1 – Fr. – G – 4.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg

14 – Callin Hake – 5-9 – Fr. – G – 4.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg

4 – Sam Haiby – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg

24 – Nailah Dillard – 5-10 – Gr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg

44 – Maggie Mendelson – 6-5 – Fr. – F/C – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)

Seventh Season at Nebraska (98-85); 16th Season Overall (291-194)

Drake Bulldogs (1-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley)

43 – Grace Berg – 6-0 – RSr. – F – 19.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg

42 – Maggie Bair – 6-3 – Sr. – F – 15.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg

10 – Katie Dinnebier – 5-8 – So. – G – 15.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg

11 – Megan Meyer – 5-8 – Sr. – G – 10.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg

34 – Sarah Beth Gueldner – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 11.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Off the Bench

32 – Courtney Becker – 6-0 – Jr. – F – 4.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg

3 – Taylor McAulay – 5-11 – RJr. – G – 3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg

14 – Anna Miller – 6-3 – So. – F – 3.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg

12 – Ashley Iiams – 6-1 – So. – F – 2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg

30 – Taedyn Gray – 6-2 – Fr. – F – 0.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg

21 – Ava Hawthorne – 5-9 – Fr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg

Head Coach: Allison Pohlman (Northern Iowa, 2000)

Second Season at Creighton (21-15); Second Season Overall (21-15)

Scouting the Drake Bulldogs

Second-year head coach Allison Pohlman brings Drake into Saturday’s game with a 1-1 record that includes a solid 80-67 home win over Green Bay (Nov. 7) and a 92-86 overtime loss to No. 4 Iowa at the Knapp Center in Des Moines (Nov. 13). The Bulldogs are receiving votes in this week’s AP Poll.

Pohlmann, who spent 14 years as an assistant coach at Drake before moving into the top spot with the departure of Jennie Baranczyk to Oklahoma prior to last season, led the Bulldogs to a 20-14 record a year ago. Drake notched two wins in the Postseason WNIT before falling to South Dakota State in Brookings. The Bulldogs went 9-9 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Drake’s 2021-22 season included an 89-68 loss at Nebraska on Dec. 19. The Huskers improved to 11-0 with win, getting 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench from Alexis Markowski. Sam Haiby added 15 points, three rebounds and a team-high four assists. Allison Weidner added 10 points, five boards and three assists off the bench.

Former Iowa Hawkeye Megan Meyer led Drake with 16 points, while Maggie Bair added 14 points and four rebounds. Grace Berg contributed 11 points and six assists, while Anna Miller came off the bench with 10 points and five rebounds.

Drake returns four of its five starters from last season and all five of its starters this season enter the Nebraska game averaging double figures in scoring.

Berg, a 6-0 redshirt senior forward, leads the Bulldogs in scoring (19.0 ppg) while ranking second on the team in rebounding (8.0 rpg). She is also tied for the team lead with 3.5 assists and leads the team with 2.0 steals per contest. Berg had 18 points and nine rebounds in the loss to Iowa.

Bair, a 6-3 senior forward, has added 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in just 18 minutes per game through two contests. She had 13 points and six boards in just 19 minutes in the overtime loss to Iowa. Bair and Berg have combined to hit 24-of-43 (.558) shots from the field, including 5-of-10 (.500) threes, while going 15-for-21 (.714) at the line. 

Meyer (10.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg) and Katie Dinnebier (15.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.5 apg) return to Drake’s starting backcourt. Dinnebier, a 5-8 sophomore, is the only non-senior in the Bulldog starting five. She led Drake with 24 points, four assists and two steals in the loss to Iowa.    Meyer, a 5-8 guard, was the only Bulldog to start all 34 games and led Drake with 72 three-pointers (.336) a year ago. She had 11 points and four rebounds in the loss to her former teammates on Sunday.

Sarah Beth Gueldner, a 5-9 senior guard, is the newcomer to the Drake starting lineup. Gueldner played in 31 games off the bench for the Bulldogs last year, averaging 4.0 points and 1.1 rebounds. Through two games as a starter this year, Gueldner is averaging 11.0 points and 2.0 rebounds. She leads Drake with six three-pointers (.462), including 4-of-8 shooting to finish with 12 points and four boards in the loss to Iowa.

Although Drake must compensate for the loss of starter Maddie Petersen (7.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.7 apg), the Bulldogs have an experienced reliable bench. 

Courtney Becker, a 6-0 junior forward, has averaged 4.0 points and 6.0 rebounds early this season after averaging 4.1 points and 4.5 rebounds while playing in all 34 games last season.

Anna Miller, a 6-3 sophomore forward, also played all 34 games for the Bulldogs last season, including a pair of starts. She averaged 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds while leading Drake with 50 blocks on the season. She has managed 3.0 points and a team-best 9.0 rebounds this year, while ranking eighth nationally with 3.5 blocks per contest.

Taylor McAulay, a 5-11 redshirt junior guard, has contributed 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds this season after missing all of last season to injury. She played four games as a true freshman and competed in 18 games in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.

As a team, Drake is averaging 83 points per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, including 33.3 percent from three-point range. The Bulldogs have also hit 70.7 percent of their free throws. They own a plus-7.5 rebound margin but a minus-6.5 turnover margin while committing 18 turnovers per game. Opponents have scored 79.5 points per game, while hitting 40.4 percent of their shots, including 30.2 percent of their threes. 

     

Nebraska vs. Drake Series History

Nebraska owns a 12-10 lead in the all-time series with Drake, including last season’s 89-68 win in Lincoln (Dec. 19, 2021).

Drake owns a 7-6 edge against the Huskers in Lincoln, dating back to the first meeting between the teams on March 1, 1980, which the Bulldogs won 71-65. Drake also defeated NU 83-77 on Nov. 7, 2018, at Pinnacle Bank Arena, snapping Nebraska’s 12-game win streak in home season openers.

The Big Red carry a 5-3 series lead at the Knapp Center, including an 89-84 double-overtime victory over the Bulldogs on Dec. 9, 2017.

Nebraska also owns a 64-63 win over Drake in the only neutral site meeting between the teams, which came on March 8, 1980. Although it was technically a neutral site game, it was also played in Des Moines.