Huskers Continue Stand with Bulldogs

Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-3, 2-0 Big Ten)

vs. Samford Bulldogs (4-7, 0-0 SoCon)

Saturday, December 10, 2022, 6 p.m. (CT)

Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Nebraska

Tickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Doors Open: 60 Minutes Prior to Tip (Double-Header with MBB, 1:15 p.m. tip)
Live TV: Nebraska Public Media
Larry Punteney (PBP), Jami Hagedorn (Analyst)
Live Video: B1G+
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (5:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Continue Home Stand with Bulldogs

The Nebraska women’s basketball team is back for the second game in its five-game home stand when the Huskers play host to Samford on Saturday night in Lincoln.

Tip-off between the Huskers (7-3, 2-0 Big Ten) and Bulldogs (4-7, 0-0 SoCon) is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Live statewide television coverage will be provided by Nebraska Public Media with a video stream for subscribers of B1G+. Larry Punteney and Jami Hagedorn 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.

Single-game tickets are available at Huskers.com or by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8-BIG-RED. Doors at Pinnacle Bank Arena will open at 5 p.m. for the women’s game, following the Nebraska men’s basketball game with Purdue, which tips at 1:15 p.m.

Nebraska enjoyed a triumphant return home on Wednesday, improving to 2-0 in Big Ten play with an impressive 82-54 victory over Wisconsin.

Jaz Shelley erupted for 31 points, five rebounds and four assists to help Nebraska overcome three missing starters (Isabelle Bourne, Trinity Brady, Sam Haiby). Shelley, who knocked down 7-of-12 threes among her career-high 12 made fields, produced 29 or more points for the third time in the last four games for the Big Red. The 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia, matched her career-high with 32 points on 7-of-12 three-point shooting in an overtime win over Mississippi State in Puerto Rico (Nov. 26). She poured in 29 points on 6-of-10 three-point shooting in a 90-67 victory at No. 20 Maryland (Dec. 4), before Wednesday’s 31-point barrage.

Over the last five games, Shelley has averaged 21.4 points and 5.6 assists while hitting 53.7 percent (22-41) 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 (6.8 apg), steals (1.7 spg) and three-pointers per game (2.7) this season.

Preseason All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski has added 12.1 points and a team-best 9.2 rebounds through 10 games in 2022-23. Markowski managed six points and a game-high 12 rebounds in Wednesday’s win over Wisconsin. The 6-3 center from Lincoln Pius X also leads the Huskers with seven blocks and ranks second on the team with 1.5 steals per contest.

Allison Weidner produced a pair of outstanding performances to open Big Ten play. The 5-10 sophomore from Humphrey, Neb., opened with 13 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and five assists in the win at No. 20 Maryland. She followed with 13 points, a season-high seven assists and five rebounds in the run past Wisconsin. Weidner had been bothered for three games by an eye injury suffered in NU’s home win over Tarleton (Nov. 22), when she played just 59 seconds.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-3, 2-0 Big Ten)

21 – Annika Stewart – 6-3 – So. – F – 8.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg

40 – Alexis Markowski – 6-3 – So. – C/F – 12.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg

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

3 – Allison Weidner – 5-10 – So. – G – 10.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg

42 – Maddie Krull – 5-9 – So. – G – 4.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg

Off the Bench

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

15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6-1 – So. – G – 4.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg

14 – Callin Hake – 5-9 – Fr. – G – 3.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg

32 – Kendall Coley – 6-2 – So. – F/G – 3.0 ppg, 1.9 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 (103-87); 16th Season Overall (296-196)

Samford Bulldogs (4-7, 0-0 Southern)

23 – Kathleen Wheeler – 5-10 – So. – F – 4.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg

35 – Sussy Ngulefac – 6-3 – So. – C – 12.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg

4 – Sanaa Redmond – 5-6 – So. – G – 5.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg

11 – Andrea Cournoyer – 5-4 – Sr. – G – 19.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg

20 – Alyssa Tarpley – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 4.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg

Off the Bench

3 – Masyn Marchbanks – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 6.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg

44 – Emily Bowman – 6-5 – RFr. – C – 4.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg

33 – Rylie Stephens – 5-11 – Jr. – G – 4.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg

2 – Macey Lee – 6-0 – Jr. – F – 3.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg

5 – Carly Heidger – 6-3 – RFr. – G – 3.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg

21 – Nicole Azar – 5-11 – RFr. – G – 2.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg

12 – Mattie Hatcher – 5-4 – So. – G – 2.0 ppg, 0.2 rpg

32 – Kiersten Nelson – 6-1 – So. – F – 1.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg

22 – Cydney Rivera – 5-8 – Gr. – G – 0.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg

Head Coach: Carley Kuhns (Valdosta State, 2008)

Fourth Season at Samford (49-49); Seventh Season Overall (115-78)

Scouting the Samford Bulldogs

Coach Carley Kuhns brings the Samford Bulldogs to Lincoln for their first-ever meeting with the Huskers on Saturday. The 2020 and 2021 Southern Conference Coach of the Year, Kuhns is in her fourth season leading the Bulldogs.

Kuhns led Samford to SoCon regular-season titles in both 2020 and 2021 in her first two seasons at the Birmingham, Alabama school. In 2020, Samford added a SoCon Tournament title to earn an automatic bid to an NCAA Tournament that was not held. In 2021, the Bulldogs earned a trip to the Postseason WNIT in Memphis.

Last season, Samford finished with a 13-17 overall record that included a 7-7 SoCon mark. The Bulldogs return three starters from last year’s team, including SoCon Player-of-the-Year candidate Andrea Cournoyer. The 5-4 senior guard is averaging 19.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and a team-leading 3.3 assists while hitting a sizzling 43.1 percent (28-65) of her three-pointers this season. A two-time first-team All-SoCon selection, Cournoyer averaged 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a team-leading 2.7 steals last season. The 2020-21 SoCon Player of the Year, Cournoyer averaged 18.4 points per game as a sophomore in leading Samford to the regular-season conference title. She spent her first two collegiate seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Sophomore Sussy Ngulefac also returns to the Samford starting five. As a freshman in 2021-22, the 6-3 center averaged 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while hitting 63.9 percent of her field goal attempts. This season, Ngulefac has contributed 12.2 points and 5.1 rebounds while making 68.4 percent of her attempts.

Another sophomore, Sanaa Redmond, has added 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists early this season. The 5-6 guard averaged 4.9 points and a team-best 2.7 assists last year while starting 20 of Samford’s 30 games.

Sophomore Kathleen Wheeler has climbed into a starting role this season after coming off the bench in 24 contests as a true freshman in 2021-22. The 5-10 forward is averaging 4.5 points and 3.3 rebounds while hitting 48.8 percent of her field goal attempts this season. True freshman Alyssa Tarpley completes a youthful Bulldog starting five. The 5-10 guard from Gunter, Texas is averaging 4.8 points and 2.9 rebounds while hitting 36.6 percent of her three-point tries.

Samford has received consistent contributions off the bench from Emily Bowman (4.3 ppg 2.3 rpg), Rylie Stephens (4.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and Macey Lee (3.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg) through 11 games, while Carly Heidger (3.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg), Masyn Marchbanks (6.1 ppg) and Kiersten Nelson (1.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg) have also been regular contributors.

As a team, Samford is averaging 67.9 points, while hitting 45.9 percent of its field goal attempts. The Bulldogs have shot a strong 34.5 percent (71-206) from three-point range but have connected on just 62.1 percent of their free throws. Samford carries a minus-1.9 rebound margin and a minus-3.7 turnover margin.

Nebraska vs. Samford Series History

Nebraska’s meeting with Samford will be the first in history between the two schools. Samford, which is located in Birmingham, Alabama, was founded in 1841 but its first season with women’s basketball came in 1997-98.

Samford plays out of the Southern Conference, which includes East Tennessee State, Wofford, Chattanooga, Furman, UNC Greensboro, Western Carolina and Mercer.

Nebraska is just 2-1 all-time against the SoCon with the last meeting in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, when the Huskers defeated Chattanooga, 73-59, at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas. The Huskers went on to the 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen by knocking off home-standing Texas A&M two nights later.

The first meeting with a current SoCon member also came against Chattanooga on Nov. 21, 1979, when the Huskers lost to the Mocs, 79-64 in Chattanooga.

Nebraska opened the 2003-04 regular-season with a 104-46 win over Wofford (Nov. 21, 2003) at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Huskers Win with Eight Active Against Badgers

Jaz Shelley erupted for 31 points to lead the short-handed Huskers to an 82-54 win over Wisconsin at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Wednesday. 

Playing without injured starters Isabelle Bourne, Trinity Brady and Sam Haiby, the Huskers improved to 2-0 in Big Ten play behind a 15-0 run to end the first quarter. Shelley, who finished 7-of-12 from three-point range on the night, scored 13 points in the quarter including a half-court buzzer-beater to close out the run. She scored NU’s final eight points of the period. Shelley added five rebounds and four assists in another outstanding all-around effort. 

Allison Weidner contributed 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting while dishing out seven assists. 

Annika Stewart, who made her first career start in place of the injured Isabelle Bourne, pitched in 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting while grabbing six rebounds. 

Kendall Moriarty contributed a career-high nine points off the bench including a pair of threes, as Nebraska knocked down 13-of-28 triples on the night. 

Alexis Markowski added six points and a game-high 12 rebounds. 

All eight players available to the Huskers scored at least three points in the game, including six from Kendall Coley, four from Maddie Krull and three from Callin Hake.

Isabelle Bourne, a 6-2 junior forward from Canberra, Australia, missed Wednesday’s game 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., missed both of Nebraska’s Big Ten games after leaving the game early in the first half against No. 9 Virginia Tech (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 nine of NU’s first 10 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 five games.

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 has been even better to open Big Ten play the last two contests. 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 on Wednesday 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.

Williams Shoots for 200th NCAA D-I Win

Amy Williams takes aim at her 200th career NCAA Division I victory against Samford on Saturday. The seventh-year Husker head coach enters the game with 199 Division I wins.

Williams is also closing in on her 300th victory as a collegiate head coach. She enters Saturday’s contest with Samford owning 296 wins.

Williams claimed her 100th win as Nebraska’s head coach when the Huskers defeated preseason Southland Conference favorite Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 73-44, in the Puerto Rico Clasico  at Roberto Clemente Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 25.

Williams became the third Nebraska women’s basketball coach in history to reach the 100-win mark, joining Connie Yori (280) and Angela Beck (191).

Husker Numbers to Watch

Allison Weidner needs two assists to reach 100 in her career.

Kendall Moriarty needs 10 points to reach 100 in her young Husker career. Moriarty has already matched her season point total (45) from a year ago while more than doubling her season rebound total (27-12). She also has more steals (4-3), has doubled her three-pointers made (6-3) and more than tripled her made free throws (7-2) while playing 88 fewer minutes than last season.

Jaz Shelley is three games away from 100 in her college career (42 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 one win from her 200th career victory as an NCAA Division I head coach. She has 103 victories at Nebraska, after notching 96 wins at South Dakota (2012-16).

Williams is four wins away from the 300th of her collegiate head coaching career, including 97 victories at Rogers State (NAIA, 2007-12).

Nebraska is two home victories away from 500 in program history. The Huskers enter the Samford game with 498 all-time home wins.