Huskers Collide with Colorado – University of Nebraska

Nebraska Cornhuskers (13-12, 9-10 Big Ten)

vs. Colorado Buffaloes (11-10, 8-8 Pac-12)

Saturday, March 20, 2021, 5 p.m. (CT)

My Town Movers Fieldhouse – Collierville, Tenn.

Live Video: FloHoops
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (4:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (1400 AM-KLIN), Omaha (CD 105.9 FM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Clash with Colorado in WNIT Second Round

The Nebraska women’s basketball team collides with historic rival Colorado in the round of 16 in the 2021 Postseason WNIT on Saturday in Memphis.

Tip-off between the Huskers (13-12, 9-10 Big Ten) and the Buffaloes (11-10, 8-8 Pac-12) is set for 5 p.m. (CT) at My Town Movers Fieldhouse in Collierville, Tenn.

A live stream of the game – and all WNIT games – will be provided to subscribers of FloHoops.  As always, Husker fans can follow Nebraska with the Husker Sports Network call of Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch across the radio network stations, the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

Nebraska advanced to the WNIT second round with a 72-46 victory over UT Martin on Friday, while Colorado moved to the round of 16 with a 68-45 win over Louisiana.

Isabelle Bourne and Ashley Scoggin each scored 13 points, while Whitney Brown added 12 points in her first career start against the OVC champion Skyhawks. Mi’Cole Cayton added her best offensive performance as a Husker with 10 points.

Nebraska made a strong argument for inclusion into the 64-team NCAA Tournament by producing a 5-5 record against AP Top 25 teams during the regular season. The only Big Ten team with more wins against the top 25 was conference regular-season and tournament champion Maryland. The No. 7 Terrapins went 8-2 against the top 25. The only other Big Ten team with five wins against the top 25 was Big Ten Tournament runner-up Iowa.

The Big Ten’s lone representative in the WNIT, Nebraska is one of eight conference teams that advanced to the postseason, joining No. 7 Maryland, No. 12 Indiana, No. 16 Michigan, No. 19 Rutgers, Iowa, Northwestern and Michigan State. 

Second-team All-Big Ten guard Sam Haiby leads the Huskers to the postseason. The 5-9 junior from Moorhead, Minn., is the only Big Ten player to rank among the top 12 in the conference in scoring (16.7 ppg), rebounding (6.8 rpg, 12th) and assists (4.4 apg). Haiby averaged 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the Big Ten Tournament and owns nine 20-point efforts on the year, including 24 points, nine boards and six assists in an 83-73 conference tournament loss to No. 7 Maryland (March 11).

Haiby became Nebraska’s 35th 1,000-point scorer in a 24-point effort vs. No. 7 Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals (March 11).

Three-time Big Ten All-Defensive selection Kate Cain leads the Big Ten as one of the best shot-blockers in conference history. The 6-5 Cain ranks No. 6 in Big Ten history and holds the Nebraska record with 352 career blocks. The No. 2 active NCAA Division I player in blocks, Cain earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades in 2021 and is the 10th Husker in history to achieve the combined milestones of 1,000 points and 750 rebounds. Cain averaged 12.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in the Big Ten Tournament. Cain (1,075) joins Haiby as 1,000-point career scorers at Nebraska.

Sophomore Isabelle Bourne joined Cain as an honorable-mention All-Big Ten pick in 2021. Bourne ranks 10th in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.8 rpg) and 23rd in scoring (13.8 ppg) while adding 2.3 assists. Bourne led NU with 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists against UT Martin (March 19).

Scouting the Colorado Buffaloes

• Fifth-year coach JR Payne brings a balanced Colorado offense and a strong defense into the WNIT. The Buffaloes (11-10, 8-8 Pac-12) have scored an average of 64.6 points while shooting 41.7 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from three-point range and 64.5 percent at the free throw line.

• Defensively, the Buffs have held opponents to just 60.5 points, while limiting them to 39.6 percent shooting, 30.6 percent from three-point range and 67.9 percent at the line.

• Mya Hollingshed, a 6-3 senior, leads CU in scoring (16.4 ppg), rebounding (8.2 rpg) and blocks (25) on the season. She had 10 points and seven boards in yesterday’s win over Louisiana. Hollingshed is the only Buff to start all 21 games this season.

• Frida Formann adds 11.9 points as a dangerous three-point shooter. The 5-11 freshman from Denmark has hit 55 threes while shooting nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc. Formann scored 14 points and hit 4-of-9 threes in CU’s WNIT opening-round win over Louisiana.

• Formann’s emergence and Hollingshed’s steady play have helped the Buffs overcome the midseason loss of sophomore guard Jaylyn Sherrod (10.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.2 spg). Sherrod was lost for the season to injury following Colorado’s 77-72 upset of NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed Stanford (Jan. 17).

• After Sherrod’s injury, Colorado dropped three straight games before rebounding with four consecutive wins. However, CU’s NCAA Tournament hopes ended with a loss to Washington in the Pac-12 Tournament.

• Peanut Tuitele, a 6-1 junior forward, notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead Colorado in the win over Louisiana. Tuitele (7.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) has made 20 starts.

• Lesila Finau (5.2 ppg, 3.4), who had eight points and six assists against the Ragin Cajuns, and Tayanna Jones (4.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg) rounds out CU’s starting five. 

• The Buffs add size and depth off the bench with junior Aubrey Knight (5.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg), sophomore Charlotte Whittaker (4.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and freshman Kylee Blacksten (2.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg). Zuzanna Kulinska contributes a dangerous three-point threat (5-9, .556), while senior Addison Jank is also a regular in CU’s rotation.

Nebraska vs. Colorado Series History

• Colorado leads the all-time series with Nebraska 41-28, dating back to the earliest days in the history of the two women’s basketball programs. 

• Nebraska went 11-4 in the last 15 meetings as Big 12 Conference rivals from Jan. 4, 2004 to March 2, 2011. Colorado won both meetings with Nebraska in their final season together in the conference (2011).

• On neutral courts, Nebraska leads the all-time series 4-3, including a 67-59 win over the Buffs on March 7, 2006 at the Big 12 Tournament. Nebraska won the first three meetings in series history – all at neutral sites – beginning with a 59-53 win on Jan. 31, 1976.

• The Huskers have played a pair of overtime games against the Buffs, winning 83-75 (2OT) at the Devaney Center (Feb. 14, 1996) and 85-73 (OT) in Lincoln (Feb. 20, 1988). The 1988 Huskers won the Big Eight Conference title and advanced to their first NCAA Tournament.

Huskers All-Time in the Postseason

• Nebraska is making its sixth appearance all-time in the Postseason WNIT  (2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2016, 2021). 

• NU’s win over UT Martin (March 19) was the Huskers’ first postseason win since defeating Fresno State (74-55) in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles.

• Nebraska’s last postseason tournament appearance came in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament against Arizona State (L, 73-62, Austin, Texas, March 17, 2018).

• The Huskers went 0-1 with a loss to Northern Iowa at Pinnacle Bank Arena in the 2016 Postseason WNIT. Nebraska Coach Amy Williams led her South Dakota team to the WNIT title in 2016.

•The Huskers were WNIT eligible (17-13, 7-11 Big Ten) in 2020.

•Nebraska is 5-5 all-time in the WNIT, dating back to its inception in 1998. The Huskers also played in the 1992 NWIT in Amarillo, Texas, going 1-2.

•The Huskers are making their 21st overall postseason tournament appearance in 2021, including 14 NCAA Tournament appearances (1988, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018).

•Since 2004, Nebraska has advanced (or been eligibile) for the postseason in 15 of the last 18 seasons (2004 WNIT, 2005, WNIT, 2006 WNIT, 2007 NCAA, 2008 NCAA (2nd), 2009 WNIT, 2010 NCAA (Sweet 16), 2012 NCAA, 2013 NCAA (Sweet 16), 2014 NCAA (2nd), 2015 NCAA, 2016 WNIT, 2018 NCAA, 2020 (canceled), 2021 WNIT.