Huskers Clash with Cowgirls Sunday

Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-3, 2-0 Big Ten)

vs. Wyoming Cowgirls (6-3, 0-0 Mountain West)

Sunday, December 18, 2022, 2 p.m. (CT)

Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Nebraska

Tickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Live TV: Nebraska Public Media
Larry Punteney (PBP), Kara Graham (Analyst)
Live Video: B1G+
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (1:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Clash with Cowgirls in Lincoln Sunday

The Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to Pinnacle Bank Arena to take on Wyoming in a key non-conference clash on Sunday afternoon.

Tip-off between the Huskers (8-3, 2-0 Big Ten) and Cowgirls (6-3, 0-0 Mountain West) is set for 2 p.m. (CT) in Lincoln. Live statewide television coverage will be provided by Nebraska Public Media with a video stream for subscribers of B1G+. Larry Punteney and Kara Graham will be on the television call. The game also can be heard on the Huskers Radio Network with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 590 AM in Omaha, the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

Nebraska opened its five-game home stand with back-to-back wins over Wisconsin (82-54) and Samford (71-46) before taking Finals Week off from competition.

The Huskers, who will be shooting for home win No. 500 in program history, are 5-0 at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season with all five wins by double digits. Nebraska has won 22 of its last 23 at PBA with 21 wins by double figures, including last year’s 72-61 win over Wyoming (Dec. 22, 2021).

Jaz Shelley has provided a big-time offensive presence for the Huskers over the last six games, averaging 20.3 points and 5.7 assists while hitting 53.3 percent (24-45) of her three-point attempts. In the first five games this season, Shelley averaged 9.7 points and 8.0 assists while hitting just 18.5 percent (5-27) of her threes. She leads Nebraska in scoring (15.4 ppg), assists (6.7 apg), steals (1.6 spg) and three-pointers per game (2.7) this season.

Through two Big Ten games, Shelley leads the conference by averaging 30.0 points and 6.5 made threes per contest.

Preseason All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski has added 12.5 points and a team-best 9.7 rebounds through 11 games. She notched her fourth double-double of the year and 10th of her career with 16 points and 15 rebounds in the win over Samford (Dec. 10). The 6-3 center from Lincoln Pius X owns seven double-figure scoring games and six double-digit rebound games this season.

Allison Weidner produced her second double-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high five steals in the win over Samford (Dec. 10). The 5-10 sophomore from Humphrey, Neb., opened Big Ten play with 13 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and five assists in a win at No. 20 Maryland (Dec. 4). She followed with 13 points, a season-high seven assists and five rebounds in a run past Wisconsin (Dec. 7). Weidner will have her high school jersey (#2) retired by Humphrey St. Francis on Friday (Dec. 16). 

Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-3, 2-0 Big Ten)

21 – Annika Stewart – 6-3 – So. – F – 8.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg

40 – Alexis Markowski – 6-3 – So. – C/F – 12.5 ppg, 9.7 rpg

1 – Jaz Shelley – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 15.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg

3 – Allison Weidner – 5-10 – So. – G – 10.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg

42 – Maddie Krull – 5-9 – So. – G – 4.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg

Off the Bench

34 – Isabelle Bourne – 6-2 – Jr. – F – 12.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg

15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6-1 – So. – G – 5.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg

14 – Callin Hake – 5-9 – Fr. – G – 3.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg

32 – Kendall Coley – 6-2 – So. – F/G – 2.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg

2 – Trinity Brady – 5-11 – Jr. – G – 2.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg

4 – Sam Haiby – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 4.0 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 (104-87); 16th Season Overall (297-196)

Wyoming Cowgirls (6-3, 0-0 Mountain West)

4 – Grace Ellis – 6-0 – Jr. – F – 10.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg

45 – Allyson Fertig – 6-4 – So. – C – 9.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg

12 – Malene Pedersen – 5-11 – Fr. – G – 9.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg

14 – Quinn Weidemann – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 13.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg

24 – Tommi Olson – 5-6 – Gr. – G – 1.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg

Off the Bench

15 – Marta Savic – 6-1 – Jr. – F – 6.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg

5 – Tess Barnes – 6-2 – So. – G/F – 4.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg

1 – Emily Mellema – 5-11 – So. – G – 4.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg

30 – Ola Ustowska – 5-10 – Jr. – G – 3.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg

1 – Bailey Wilborn – 5-8 – So. – G – 2.8 ppg, 0.0 rpg

10 – Paula Salazar – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 2.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg

3 – Grace Moyers – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 0.8 ppg, 1.3 rpg

Head Coach: Heather Ezell (Iowa State, 2009)

First Season at Wyoming (6-3); First Season Overall (6-3)

Scouting The Wyoming Cowgirls

Coach Heather Ezell brings the Wyoming Cowgirls to Lincoln with a 6-3 record while riding a four-game winning streak. Ezell, a former starting guard at Iowa State, is in her first season leading the Cowgirls after spending 11 seasons in Laramie as an assistant coach.

Wyoming is coming off a 72-43 win over Kansas City in Laramie on Sunday, as freshman guard Malene Pedersen led the Cowgirls with 20 points and graduate guard Quinn Weidemann added 12 points. Sophomore center Allyson Fertig pitched in a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Wyoming also owns wins over New Mexico Highlands (80-24), Montana State (67-59) and UC Davis (67-48) since dropping a 67-53 decision at Pacific’s Tiger Turkey Tip-Off at Thanksgiving in Stockton, Calif.

The Cowgirls also took nationally ranked Gonzaga down to the wire in a 66-64 loss in Laramie on Nov. 15. Gonzaga knocked Nebraska out in the NCAA Tournament first round last season in Louisville and are ranked No. 23 in this week’s Associated Press Poll.

Quinn Weidemann continues to be a leader for Wyoming as a graduate student in 2022-23. The 5-9 guard out of Omaha Westside High School is averaging a team-best 13.0 points per game to go along with 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She is also Wyoming’s top threat from long range, connecting on 44.7 percent (21-47) of her three-point attempts this season. Weidemann had six points and six rebounds in last season’s 72-61 loss to Nebraska in Lincoln. The Huskers held Weidemann to just five shots in 34 minutes.

Weidemann was named to the Mountain West All-Defensive Team in 2021 and 2022 after being named the MVP of the Mountain West Tournament in 2021. She has 1,218 points, 290 rebounds and 260 assists while hitting 217 threes over 125 games in her five-year Cowgirl career.

Graduate Tommi Olson gives Wyoming more experience in the backcourt. The 5-6 guard averages just 1.6 points and 3.7 rebounds, but leads the Cowgirls with 2.7 assists per game. Olson is just 1-for-9 from three-point range this season. She was scoreless but had three assists in last season’s loss to Nebraska.

Malene Pedersen, who is the reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Week, has added a spark to the Cowgirl backcourt by averaging 9.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists. The 5-11 guard from Aabyhof, Denmark spent the 2021-22 season at Kansas State. A member of Denmark’s National Team, Pedersen did not play for the Wildcats last season as she rehabilitated

Wyoming also sports a talented inside starting duo of Grace Ellis and Allyson Fertig. Ellis, a 6-0 junior forward from Brisbane, Australia, is averaging 10.2 points and 3.2 rebounds. She has been lethal from long range, hitting 10-of-18 three-point attempts (.556). She did not score in last season’s loss to the Huskers.

Fertig, a true center, is nearly averaging a double-double with 9.9 points and 9.2 rebounds to go along with team bests of 14 blocks and nine steals this season. Fertig was the 2022 Mountain West Freshman of the Year after averaging 10.5 points and 8.7 rebounds last season. The 6-4 native of Glendo, Wyo., had 10 double-doubles last season and just missed a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds in the 72-61 loss to Nebraska at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Marta Savic, a junior from Zagreb, Croatia, has added a boost off the bench for the Cowgirls this season. The 6-1 forward has contributed 6.1 points and 4.9 rebounds.

Tess Barnes, a 6-2 sophomore guard/forward from Gisborne, Australia, has added 4.8 points and 3.0 boards. She was held scoreless in five minutes off the bench in last season’s loss to NU.

Emily Mellema, a 5-11 sophomore guard, continues to be a contributor for the Cowgirls, averaging 4.6 points and 2.2 rebounds off the bench. Mellema scored three points in eight minutes last season in Lincoln.

Ola Ustowska, a 5-10 junior, supplied the biggest help for Wyoming off the bench last season against the Huskers with 10 points, including a pair of threes. Ustowska is averaging 3.3 points per game this season. Paula Salazar, a 6-3 junior forward, managed five points against the Huskers last year and is contributing 2.0 points and 3.0 rebounds this season.

Bailey Wilborn, a 5-8 sophomore guard from Wichita, Kan., is in her first season at Wyoming but will be making her second appearance at Pinnacle Bank Arena against the Huskers. Last season, Wilborn was a true freshman guard for the Maine Black Bears, who lost 108-50 in the 2021-22 season opener at Nebraska. Wilborn had six points on a pair of threes against the Huskers in 18 minutes off the bench for the Black Bears.

Nebraska vs. Wyoming Series History

Nebraska owns an 8-0 all-time record in the series with Wyoming, including a 72-61 win last season (Dec. 22, 2021) at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Annika Stewart led three Huskers in double figures with 21 points in just 14 minutes off the bench against the Cowgirls. Stewart knocked down a trio of three-pointers and set a career high with three blocked shots while going 8-for-13 from the field overall.

Isabelle Bourne pitched in 13 points in just 17 minutes as a starter, while Jaz Shelley produced a double-double with 12 points and game highs of 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Alexis Markowski was limited to three points and six rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench.

The Huskers are 3-0 all-time against Wyoming in Lincoln and 3-0 in Laramie with the last meeting at Arena-Auditorium coming in the Postseason WNIT on March 22, 2006.

The first meeting between Nebraska and Wyoming came at the AIAW Regional Tournament in Boulder, Colo., on Nov. 18, 1976. The Huskers won 81-35 under Head Coach George Nicodemus.

Nebraska added another neutral site win over Wyoming in California with a 94-73 victory on Nov. 21, 1981 under Head Coach Colleen Matsuhara.

Six of Nebraska’s eight wins in the series have come by double digits.

Shelley Named to Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll

Jaz Shelley averaged 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists to help Nebraska to a 2-0 week, while earning an individual spot on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll for women’s basketball players on Monday, Dec. 12.

Shelley opened the week with 31 points on 7-of-12 three-point shooting to help the Huskers to an 82-54 run past Wisconsin. She added 15 points and a game-high six assists in Saturday’s win over visiting Samford.

Shelley’s play helped Nebraska overcome the absence of three missing starters (Isabelle Bourne, Trinity Brady, Sam Haiby) in the wins over the Badgers and the Bulldogs.

Shelley On Top of Big Ten Stats

Jaz Shelley leads the Big Ten Conference in scoring (30.0 ppg) and three-pointers (13) through two games.

Shelley opened Big Ten play with 29 points on 6-of-10 three-point shooting in Nebraska’s historic 90-67 upset of No. 20 Maryland in College Park (Dec. 4).

The 5-9 shooting guard from Moe, Australia added 31 points on 7-of-12 three-point shooting in Nebraska’s 82-54 home win over Wisconsin (Dec. 7).

No other Big Ten player made more than eight threes through the first two conference games.

While Shelley went 13-for-22 from beyond the arc, fellow conference sharp shooters Caitlin Clark (6-14) from Iowa and Taylor Mikesell (8-21) from Ohio State combined to go 14-for-35 (.400) to lead both of their teams to 2-0 starts.

Huskers Win with Eight Against Badgers, Bulldogs

Nebraska received big contributions from a thin lineup in last week’s home wins over Wisconsin and Samford at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Playing without injured starters Isabelle Bourne, Trinity Brady and Sam Haiby, the Huskers got a 31-point performance from Jaz Shelley to run past Wisconsin (Dec. 7) and improve to 2-0 in Big Ten play. Shelley hit 7-of-12 threes, including a half-court, buzzer-beating bomb to close the first quarter and cap a 15-0 Husker run.

Shelley added 15 points and six assists, including 10 points in the fourth quarter, to help Nebraska overcome the lowest-scoring first half by both teams in the history of Husker women’s basketball in a 71-46 win over Samford (Dec. 10). After trailing 16-15 at halftime, the Huskers outscored the Bulldogs 56-30 in the second half by connecting on 10-of-17 second-half threes.

Allison Weidner enjoyed strong performances in both wins. In the victory over Samford, the sophomore from Humphrey, Neb., notched her second double-double of the year with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high five steals. In the win over Wisconsin, Weidner contributed 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting while dishing out a team-high seven assists.

For the week, Weidner averaged 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals while hitting 58.8 percent (10-17) of her shots, including 50 percent (3-6) of her threes.

Alexis Markowski added a pair of huge games on the glass while averaging a double-double in the two Husker wins. The 6-3 center from Lincoln notched her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in the win over Samford. For the week, she averaged 11.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steal. 

Kendall Moriarty put together a breakout week by averaging 10.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists while connecting on 54.5 percent (6-11) of her shots from the floor, including 5-of-8 threes (.625). She also hit 3-of-4 free throws (.750). Moriarty scored a career-high 11 points on a career-best 3-for-3 three-point shooting against Samford, just days after going for a then-career-high nine points and a pair of threes in the win over Wisconsin.

Annika Stewart was solid in making her first two career starts, averaging 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. In the win over Wisconsin, Stewart scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and grabbed six rebounds before adding eight points and five boards against Samford.

Isabelle Bourne, a 6-2 junior forward from Canberra, Australia, missed the Wisconsin and Samford games with an upper body injury suffered in practice on Tuesday (Dec. 6). Her status is day-to-day. Bourne is averaging 12.0 points and 7.4 rebounds. In her last three games, Bourne averaged 17.0 points and 7.7 rebounds for the Huskers.

Trinity Brady, a 5-11 guard from Indianapolis, Ind., has missed the last three games after leaving the Virginia Tech contest early in the first half (Dec. 1). Brady was hit in the temple by an elbow and did not return. She is day-to-day.

Brady started Nebraska’s first eight games in place of two-time All-Big Ten guard Sam Haiby, who has missed 10 of NU’s first 11 games this season with a leg injury. Haiby, who owns 1,381 points, 536 rebounds and 415 assists in her career, played six minutes and grabbed four rebounds in Nebraska’s home win over Tarleton (Nov. 22). She has not played in NU’s past six games.

Husker Nuggets

The Huskers have hit at least one three in 442 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 321 consecutive games.

Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 19 times in the last 50 games, including seven times in 2022-23. NU opened 2022-23 by hitting 14-of-34 threes in a win over Omaha (Nov. 7), before going 10-for-27 in a win over Houston Christian (Nov. 11). The Huskers added 11-for-28 long-range shooting in a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in Puerto Rico (Nov. 25), before knocking down 12-of-30 in a win over Mississippi State (Nov. 26). The Huskers hit 12-of-25 threes in a win at No. 20 Maryland (Dec. 4) and added 13-of-28 shooting in a win over Wisconsin (Dec. 7). NU knocked down double-digit threes for the third straight game on 11-of-29 shooting against Samford. The Huskers hit 10-of-17 threes in the second half alone to produce a third consecutive double-digit three-point performance for the first time in school history.

Shelley Sizzling Since Thanksgiving

Jaz Shelley has caught fire from long range since celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday in Puerto Rico with her teammates. The 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia averaged 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists while connecting on 9-of-15 three-pointers (.600) at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, leading the Huskers to a 2-0 record with wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Mississippi State. In the overtime win over Mississippi State, Shelley erupted for 14 points in less than two minutes of overtime, including four threes on four straight possessions to shoot NU to a 73-65 victory.

Shelley was even better to open Big Ten play (at Maryland, Dec. 4; Wisconsin, Dec. 7). She is averaging 30.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists while knocking down 13-of-22 threes (.591). 

Shelley scored 29 points at Maryland (Dec. 4), including 22 in an 11-minute span that turned a 36-25 second-quarter deficit into a 60-56 lead at the end of the third period. Her performance helped the Huskers to their first-ever win over the Terrapins. She went 6-of-10 from long range against the Terps.

She followed with a 31-point eruption in an 82-54 run past Wisconsin (Dec. 7) when she hit 7-of-12 threes. Shelley, who scored 13 in the first quarter, notched NU’s final eight points of the period including a half-court buzzer-beater. Shelley, who scored 10 points in Nebraska’s 15-0 run to close the first quarter, helped turn a 10-9 NU deficit into a 24-10 lead after one quarter.

Husker Numbers to Watch

Nebraska is one home victory away from 500 in program history. The Huskers enter the Wyoming game with 499 all-time home wins.

Allison Weidner needs one assist to reach 100 in her career. She also needs nine rebounds to achieve 200 in her young career.

Kendall Moriarty, who reached 100 career points with a career-high 11 in the win over Samford (Dec. 10), has already surpassed her season point total (56-45) from a year ago while tripling her three-point total (9-3) and more than doubling her season rebound total (29-12). She also has more steals (4-3) and more than quadrupled her made free throws (9-2) while playing 63 fewer minutes than last season.

Annika Stewart is six points away from 400 in her career.

Jaz Shelley is two games away from 100 in her college career (43 at Nebraska/55 at Oregon).

Isabelle Bourne is 49 points away from 1,000 in her career. She is six games away from her 100th career game as a Husker. Her older sister, Callie, recently reached the 1,000-point mark in her fifth season at Idaho State, achieving the milestone at San Diego (Nov. 25) in career game No. 118.

Nebraska’s Amy Williams is three wins away from the 300th of her collegiate head coaching career, including 97 victories at Rogers State (NAIA, 2007-12), 96 at South Dakota (2013-16) and 104 at Nebraska (2016-present).

Weidner’s High School Jersey Retired Friday

The No. 3 all-time scorer in Nebraska high school girls basketball history, Allison Weidner will have her No. 2 jersey retired by Humphrey St. Francis High School on Friday, Dec. 16.

The girls varsity game is expected to start at approximately 5:30 p.m. with Weidner’s jersey retirement ceremony occurring at halftime.

Weidner finished her high school basketball career with 2,282 points, 741 assists and 629 steals.

The four-time first-team Class D2 All-State selection for Coach Bryan Reichmuth was a two-time first-team all-class, all-state selection. As a senior in 2020-21, Weidner led the state in scoring (25.0 ppg) while also leading the state in assists (6.4 apg). Her 6.4 steals per game ranked second in the state, and she added 7.0 rebounds per game. She scored 71 points over three state tournament games to lead Humphrey St. Francis to the 2021 Class D2 state championship.

A remarkable all-around athlete, Weidner was named the Lincoln Journal Star’s High School Girls Athlete of the Year across all sports in 2021. She was an eight-time Nebraska track and field state champion.