Huskers Continue Stand with Rutgers

Nebraska Cornhuskers (15-4, 4-4 Big Ten)

vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-15, 0-10 Big Ten)

Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, 7 p.m. (CT)

Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Nebraska

Tickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Special Event: Rising Coaches DEI Alliance Equality & Inclusion Night
Live TV/Video: Nebraska Public Media/B1G+
Larry Punteney (PBP), Jami Hagedorn (Analyst)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (6:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (CD 105.9 FM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Ready for Quick Turnaround with Rutgers  

Nebraska makes a quick turnaround to take on Rutgers Tuesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. 

Tip-off between the Huskers (15-4, 4-4 Big Ten) and the Scarlet Knights (7-15, 0-10 Big Ten) is set for 7 p.m. (CT) with live statewide TV coverage provided by Nebraska Public Media with a live video stream for B1G+ subscribers. Larry Punteney and Jami Hagedorn will be on the call for NPM.

Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will provide commentary for the Huskers Radio Network (B107.3 FM, Lincoln; CD 105.9 FM, Omaha), Huskers.com and the Huskers App.

Tuesday’s game was squeezed into the schedule after the Jan. 20 contest between Nebraska and Rutgers was postponed because of health and safety protocols within the Husker program.

The game will celebrate the Rising Coaches DEI Equality and Inclusion Night. Men’s and women’s basketball staffs from around the country will wear all black on the sideline and wear the “equal sign” pin to symbolize equality. Nebraska and Rutgers players will also be wearing special warm-up shirts provided by adidas to recognize the event. The game will tip-off Nebraska’s month-long celebration of Black History Month.

Both the Huskers and Scarlet Knights are coming off Sunday afternoon games, with Nebraska rolling to an 81-66 victory over Purdue in Lincoln, while Rutgers suffered a 61-45 defeat at the hands of Michigan State at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway.

Alexis Markowski led Nebraska against Purdue with 23 points and seven rebounds to capture her fifth Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award on Monday. The 6-3 forward/center is averaging 19.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in six games as a starter and leads NU with 16.4 points per game in Big Ten play. She was the USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Jan. 11). 

Returning All-Big Ten guard Sam Haiby has scored in double figures in all seven Big Ten games she has played this season and is averaging 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists on the year.

Jaz Shelley is the only Big Ten player to rank in the conference’s top 20 in scoring (12.9 ppg), rebounding (7.6 rpg), assists (4.8 apg), blocks (1.3 bpg) and steals (1.9 spg).

Allison Weidner erupted for a career-high 14 points – all in the first half – in Nebraska’s win over Purdue Sunday. Weidner powered the Huskers to a 35-23 halftime lead.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (15-4, 4-4 Big Ten)

14 – Bella Cravens – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 7.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg

40 – Alexis Markowski – 6-3 – Fr. – F/C – 12.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg

0 – Ashley Scoggin – 5-7 – RSo. – G – 8.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg

1 – Jaz Shelley – 5-9 – So. – G – 12.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg

4 – Sam Haiby – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 11.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Off the Bench

34 – Isabelle Bourne – 6-2 – So. – F – 10.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg

21 – Annika Stewart – 6-3 – Fr. – F – 6.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg    

3 – Allison Weidner – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 6.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg

32 – Kendall Coley – 6-2 – Fr. – F/G – 3.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg

11 – Ruby Porter – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 2.8 ppg, 0.7 rpg

10 – Whitney Brown – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 2.3 ppg, 0.8 rpg

5 – MiCole Cayton – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 2.0 ppg, 1.1 rpg

15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6-1 – Fr. – G – 1.8 ppg, 0.6 rpg

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)

Sixth Season at Nebraska (87-79); 15th Season Overall (280-188)

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-15, 0-10 Big Ten)

22 – Tyia Singleton – 6-2 – RJr. – F – 5.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg

32 – Osh Brown – 6-1 – Gr. – F – 9.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg

0 – Lasha Petree – 6-0 – Sr. – G – 7.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg

3 – Shug Dickson – 5-10 – Gr. – G – 8.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg

35 – Sayawni Lassiter – 5-10 – Gr. – G – 3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Off the Bench

12 – Sakima Walker – 6-5 – So. – C – 4.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg

5 – Victoria Morris – 5-8 – Gr. – G – 3.7 ppg, 0.9 rpg

15 – Awa Sidibe – 5-11 – Jr. – G – 3.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg

14 – Jailyn Mason – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 3.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg

1 – Destiny Marshall – 6-0 – RSr. – G – 3.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg

20 – Joiya Maddox – 6-0 – RSo. – G – 2.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg

24 – Kierra Sanderlin – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 2.5 ppg, 0.1 rpg

54 – Chyna Cornwell – 6-3 – So. – F – 2.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg

11 – Stephanie Guihon – 5-6 – RSr. – G – 2.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg

10 – Erica Lafayette – 6-0 – So. – G – 0.6 ppg, 0.7 rpg

Acting Head Coach: Tim Eatman 

7th Season as a Rutgers Coach; 31st Season Overall in College Coaching

Nebraska Numbers to Watch

• Sam Haiby needs one point to match Hannah Whitish (1,228) in 19th on NU’s all-time scoring list. Haiby needs 16 points to catch Brooke Schwartz at No. 18 (1,243).

• Bella Cravens is expected to play in her 100th collegiate game on Tuesday, including her 40th as a Husker.

• Through games Jan. 30, the Huskers ranked among the top 25 teams nationally in scoring margin (7th, +19.8), scoring offense (7th, 81.2 ppg), three-point field goal percentage (11th, .370), assists per game (11th, 18.0 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (12th, 1.27), defensive rebounds per game (13th, 29.9 rpg), field goal percentage (15th, .462), rebounds per game (18th, 42.9 rpg), three-point field goals made per game (18th, 8.9 pg), assists (21st, 342), three-point field goals made (23rd, 169) and blocked shots per game (24th, 4.9 bpg).  

• Nebraska leads the Big Ten in scoring margin (+19.8 ppg), total rebounds (42.9 rpg), field goal percentage defense (.364) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.264).

• Alexis Markowski has hit 80 percent (12-15) of her three-point attempts as a starter.

• Nebraska guard Jaz Shelley ranks among the top 20 players in the Big Ten in scoring (16th, 12.9 ppg), rebounding (9th, 7.6 rpg), assists (7th, 4.8 apg), blocked shots (4th, 1.3 bpg), steals (6th, 1.9 spg), three-point field goal percentage (7th, .420), three-pointers made per game (9th, 2.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (5th, 2.0).

• Jaz Shelley is the only Big Ten player to rank among the top 20 in the conference in all five major statistical categories: scoring (16th), rebounding (9th), assists (7th), blocks (4th), steals (6th).

• Huskers Jaz Shelley (9th, 2.3 pg) and Ashley Scoggin (13th, 2.2 pg) rank among the top players in the Big Ten in three-point field goals made per game. 

• Nebraska is the only team in the nation with two shooters (Scoggin, 15th; Shelley, 27th) ranked among the top 30 in three-point field goal percentage.

• Nebraska’s backcourt has taken care of the ball while creating opportunities. Jaz Shelley (2.0) and Sam Haiby (1.9) rank No. 5 and No. 9, respectively in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio based on the NCAA minimum of 3.0 assists per game. Husker reserves Ruby Porter (2.9) and Allison Weidner (2.1), who don’t meet the NCAA minimums, own better assist-to-turnover ratios.

• Nebraska ranks seventh nationally in scoring offense with 81.2 points per game. The only time in the last 25 years NU has averaged more than 75 points per game in a season came in 2009-10 (77.4 ppg). That Husker team went unbeaten in the regular season, won the Big 12 regular-season title and advanced to Nebraska’s first NCAA Sweet Sixteen as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.    

• Sophomore point guard Jaz Shelley has pulled down 136 total rebounds in 522 minutes this season. In two seasons (971 minutes) at Oregon (2019-20, 2020-21), the 5-9 Shelley totaled 70 rebounds.

• Jaz Shelley leads Nebraska with 23 blocked shots in 18 games. She had six blocks in 55 games over two seasons at Oregon.

• In 19 games in 2021-22, Nebraska has far surpassed its season steals total (120, 26 games) from a year ago. The Huskers own 149 steals this season.

• Nebraska’s minus-21 foul disparity (28-7) at Iowa (Jan. 16) marked the largest foul differential in program history (by NU or opponent) in 1,448 games over 48 seasons. It marked the first time in history that a Husker team held a negative foul differential of greater than 17. Prior to the game, NU held a positive foul differential of 2.1 through 16 games this season.

• Nebraska is averaging an impressive 86.7 points per game through 12 games at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season. Rutgers, which is 0-6 in true road games this season, is averaging just 53.5 points in those contests. The Scarlet Knights are holding home teams to just 64.3 points per game. 

Scouting The Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Rutgers comes to Lincoln Tuesday on an eight-game losing streak after suffering a 61-45 loss to Michigan State on Sunday in Piscataway. It marked the fourth time in the last seven games and ninth time in 22 games this season that Rutgers was held to fewer than 50 points.

• The Scarlet Knights are led by acting head coach Tim Eatman, who has been on Hall of Fame Head Coach C. Vivian Stringer’s staff at Rutgers for the past seven seasons. Stringer has taken a leave of absence from coaching this season for personal reasons, and Eatman has led the Scarlet Knights to a 7-15 overall record and an 0-10 Big Ten mark.

• Eatman served as the acting head coach for Rutgers at Pinnacle Bank Arena against the Huskers in a 65-54 loss to NU on Jan. 16, 2016. He also served two stints as an assistant coach at Kansas under Marian Washington (1996-98 and 2002-04). He was the interim head coach at Boston College (2011-12), and was the head coach at Illinois-Chicago (1998-2002).

• First-year Scarlet Knight Osh Brown leads Rutgers in scoring (9.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 rpg). The 6-1 graduate transfer from Ball State is the NCAA Division active leader in total rebounds and double-doubles. Brown will be playing her 138th career game on Tuesday. She owns 1,702 points and 1,305 rebounds with 56 career double-doubles, including seven this season. 

• Brown is the only Scarlet Knight to start every game this season.

• Graduate Shug Dickson adds 8.7 points per game in the Rutgers backcourt. Dickson spent two-plus seasons at Tulsa before transferring to Texas Tech. She never played in Lubbock and transferred to Missouri in 2020-21. She has played 15 games with 11 starts this season.

• Another graduate transfer, Sayawni Lassiter, came to Rutgers from Florida State. The 5-10 guard is averaging 3.0 points per game. Lassiter has played in all 22 games with 12 starts.

• Overall, the Scarlet Knights feature eight first-year transfers into the program, including 2019-20 NJCAA National Player of the Year Awa Sidibe, who was a teammate of Nebraska’s Ashley Scoggin at Salt Lake City CC. Sidibe (3.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg) has appeared in 21 games with three starts.

• Other transfers include Lasha Petree (First-team All-MVC, Bradley), Victoria Morris (Two-time, second-team All-CUSA, Old Dominion), Jailyn Mason (Arkansas) and Destiny Marshall (Jacksonville). Petree has played in 21 games with 16 starts and led Rutgers with 15 points against Michigan State.

• Tyia Singleton (5.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Sakima Walker (4.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg) are the top two returning players from last year’s Rutgers team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament before finishing with a 14-5 overall record that included a 10-3 Big Ten mark. Singleton has played in all 22 games with 20 starts, while Walker has appeared in 17 games with two starts.

• Other returners include Chyna Cornwell (2.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg), Joiya Maddox (2.9 ppg), Stephanie Guihon (2.1 ppg) and Erica Lafayette.

• Overall, 13 Scarlet Knights have started at least one game. Rutgers is shooting 39.9 percent from the field, including 27.4 percent from three-point range. The Scarlet Knights are averaging just 3.9 threes per game, while hitting just 65.3 percent of their free throws. Rutgers has managed just 56.1 points per game, but has held the opposition to just 59.0 points per contest. The Scarlet Knights have out-rebounded opponents (36.5-30.5, +6.0 rpg) but carry a minus-3.1 turnover margin.

Nebraska vs. Rutgers Series History

• Rutgers leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 6-4, including a 78-62 win over the Huskers at Jersey Mike’s Arena (the RAC) in Piscataway Feb. 7, 2021 in the last meeting between the two teams.

• Nebraska defeated Rutgers in the last meeting at Pinnacle Bank Arena (53-50, Jan. 3, 2021). The Huskers are 3-1 all-time against Rutgers at Pinnacle Bank Arena, and 1-4 in Piscataway, dating back to the first meeting between the two teams (Feb. 5, 2015). The No. 21 Scarlet Knights earned a hard-fought 46-43 victory over the No. 19 Huskers. 

• Rutgers eliminated Nebraska from the 2016 Big Ten Tournament with a 66-63 win in Indianapolis (March 3, 2016). 

• The largest margin of victory in the 10 games in the series is 16 points (78-62 Rutgers win, Feb. 7, 2021, Piscataway). Six of the 10 meetings have been decided by two possessions (6 points) or less. Rutgers also became the first team in the series to reach 70 points in a game.

Nebraska Streaks

• Sam Haiby has produced double figures in her last 12 Big Ten games, including all seven contests she has played in this season.

• Alexis Markowski has produced double figures in seven straight games.

• Ashley Scoggin has started a team-best 45 consecutive games.

• The Huskers have knocked down at least one three in 417 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two three-pointers in 296 consecutive games.

Deep Bench Boosts Big Red

• The Husker bench has outscored opponent reserves 551-270 (+14.8 ppg) through 19 games, including a 410-206 edge (+17.0 ppg) in 12 games at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

• A total of 10 Huskers are averaging better than 10.0 points per 40 minutes, including two Huskers (Alexis Markowski, 28.3 pp40, 15.3 rp40 and Annika Stewart, 23.9 pp40; 9.7 rp40) who are averaging better than 20 points per 40 minutes. 

• No Husker ranks among the top 25 players in the conference in minutes per game. Jaz Shelley leads Nebraska with 29.0 minutes per game, while Ashley Owusu from Maryland ranks 25th in the conference (30.6 mpg).