Huskers Meet No. 8 Michigan Tuesday

Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-1, 1-1 Big Ten)

vs. Michigan Wolverines (12-1, 3-0 Big Ten)

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022, 8 p.m. (CT)

Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Nebraska

Tickets: Huskers.com (800-8-BIG-RED)
Halftime: KC Disc Dogs
Live TV: BTN (Larry Punteney, Brenda VanLengen)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (7:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (ESPN 590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Tip Home Big Ten Play With No. 8 Wolverines

The Nebraska women’s basketball team tips off Big Ten Conference home action when the Huskers play host to No. 8/7 Michigan on Tuesday night in Lincoln.

The game between the Huskers (12-1, 1-1 Big Ten) and the Wolverines (12-1, 3-0 Big Ten) is set for 8 p.m. (CT) at Pinnacle Bank Arena with tickets available at Huskers.com, by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED or on game night at the arena box office.

Larry Punteney and Brenda VanLengen will have the television call on the Big Ten Network while Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will provide the call for the Huskers Radio Network (B107.3 FM, Lincoln; ESPN 590 AM, Omaha), Huskers.com and the Huskers App.

The Huskers will look to rebound from their first loss of the season after suffering a 72-69 setback at Michigan State (Dec. 30). Sam Haiby led Nebraska with a season-high 19 points and a career-high six steals, but the Huskers suffered through one of their worst shooting days of the season.

Haiby, a 5-9 junior guard from Moorhead, Minn., was a second-team All-Big Ten choice last season and will join Nebraska’s all-time top 10 with her next assist. She also needs 17 points to join the top 20 career scorers in Husker history.

While Nebraska had its 12-game winning streak snapped by the Spartans, the Wolverines carry a five-game winning streak to Lincoln, including back-to-back wins over top-25 foes No. 5 Baylor (74-68 OT, Dec. 19) and No. 25 Ohio State (90-71, Dec. 30).

The 2021-22 Huskers were just the second NU team to ever win 12 straight games, joining the 2009-10 Big Red that opened the season 30-0 on its way to the Big 12 championship.

Sophomore transfer Jaz Shelley leads Nebraska in scoring (13.8 ppg), rebounding (6.8 rpg), assists (4.8 apg), blocks (1.2 bpg) and steals (22) on the season.The 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia is the only Big Ten player to rank among the top 20 in the conference in all five major statistical categories.

Fellow Australian Isabelle Bourne gives Nebraska three starters averaging in double figures. The 6-2 forward from Canberra, Australia, is averaging 10.2 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Returning starters Ashley Scoggin (9.2 ppg, .444 3FG%) and Bella Cravens (7.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg) lead an experienced, talented and deep Nebraska roster.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-1, 1-1 Big Ten)

14 – Bella Cravens – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 7.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg

34 – Isabelle Bourne – 6-2 – So. – F – 10.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg

0 – Ashley Scoggin – 5-7 – RSo. – G – 9.2 ppg, 1.0 rpg

1 – Jaz Shelley – 5-9 – So. – G – 13.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg

4 – Sam Haiby – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 10.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg

Off the Bench

40 – Alexis Markowski – 6-3 – Fr. – F/C – 8.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg

21 – Annika Stewart – 6-3 – Fr. – F – 7.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg    

3 – Allison Weidner – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 4.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg

32 – Kendall Coley – 6-2 – Fr. – F/G – 3.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg

11 – Ruby Porter – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 2.8 ppg, 0.9 rpg

5 – MiCole Cayton – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 2.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg

15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6-1 – Fr. – G – 1.7 ppg, 0.5 rpg

10 – Whitney Brown – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 1.7 ppg, 0.7 rpg

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)

Sixth Season at Nebraska (84-76); 15th Season Overall (277-185)

8/7 Michigan Wolverines (12-1, 3-0 Big Ten)

00 – Naz Hillmon – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 20.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg

33 – Emily Kiser – 6-3 – Sr. – F – 10.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg

3 – Maddie Nolan – 5-11 – Jr. – G – 7.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg

23 – Danielle Rauch – 5-8 – Sr. – G – 6.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg

32 – Leigha Brown – 6-1 – Sr. – G – 15.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg

Off the Bench

5 – Laila Phelia – 6-0 – Fr. – G – 7.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg

44 – Cameron Williams – 6-3 – So. – F – 3.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg

34 – Izabel Varejao – 6-4 – Jr. – C – 2.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg

24 – Michelle Sidor – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 2.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg

10 – Jordan Hobbs – 6-3 – Fr. – G – 2.0 ppg, 0.4 rpg

30 – Elise Stuck – 6-1 – So. – G/F – 1.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg

25 – Whitney Sollom – 6-4 – So. – F – 1.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg

12 – Ari Wiggins – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 0.8 ppg, 0.9 rpg

Head Coach: Kim Barnes Arico (Montclair State, 1993)

10th Season at Michigan (205-103); 26th Season Overall (475-309)

Nebraska Numbers to Watch

• Through games Jan. 1, the Huskers ranked among the top 20 teams nationally in scoring margin (3rd, +25.7 ppg), defensive rebounds per game (3rd, 31.5 rpg), win-loss percentage (5th, .923), assists (6th, 241), scoring offense (9th, 82.4 ppg), free throw attempts (9th, 278), field goal percentage defense (10th, .334), free throws made (12th, 200), assist-to-turnover ratio (13th, 1.34), assists per game (13th, 18.5 apg), blocked shots (13th, 70), rebounds (16th, 575), rebounds per game (17th, 44.2 rpg), three-point field goals made (18th, 113) and field goal percentage (20th, .465).  

• Nebraska leads the Big Ten in scoring margin (+25.7 ppg), rebounds (44.2 rpg), defensive rebounds (31.5 rpg), field goal percentage defense (.334) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.241).

• Nebraska guard Jaz Shelley ranks among the top 20 players in the Big Ten in scoring (17th, 13.8 ppg), rebounding (10th, 6.8 rpg), assists (7th, 4.8 apg), blocked shots (8th, 1.2 bpg), steals (10th, 1.7 spg), three-point field goal percentage (2nd, .468), three-pointers made per game (5th, 2.8) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3rd, 2.7).

• Jaz Shelley is the only Big Ten player to rank among the top 20 in the conference in all five major statistical categories: scoring (17th), rebounding (10th), assists (7th), blocks (8th), steals (10th).

• Huskers Jaz Shelley (5th, 2.8 pg) and Ashley Scoggin (10th, 2.2 pg) rank among the top players in the Big Ten in three-point field goals made per game. 

• Nebraska is one of just two teams (also Abilene Christian) in the nation with two shooters (Shelley, 14th; Scoggin, 29th) ranked among the top 30 in the nation in three-point field goal percentage.

• Nebraska’s backcourt has taken care of the ball while creating opportunities. Jaz Shelley (2.7) and Sam Haiby (2.4) rank No. 3 and 6, 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 (3.3) and Allison Weidner (3.1), who don’t meet the NCAA minimums, own better assist-to-turnover ratios than Shelley (24th) and Haiby (44th), who both rank among the top 50 in the NCAA.

• The only other teams in the nation with two players ranked among the top 50 in assist-to-turnover are Ball State, BYU and Colorado.

• Nebraska ranks ninth nationally in scoring offense with 82.4 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 88 total rebounds in 360 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 15 blocked shots through 13 games. She had six blocks in 55 games over two seasons at Oregon. 

Scouting the Michigan Wolverines

• No. 9/7 Michigan comes to Lincoln Tuesday with a 12-1 record that includes a 3-0 Big Ten mark. The Wolverines are coming off a 90-71 pounding of No. 25 Ohio State in Ann Arbor (Dec. 31).

• The win over the Buckeyes was Michigan’s second straight win over a top-25 foe, joining a 74-68 overtime victory over then-No. 5 Baylor on Dec. 19. 

• Michigan’s lone loss came at current No. 3/2 Louisville (70-48) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge (Dec. 2). The Wolverines notched Power Five non-conference wins over then-No. 16 Oregon State and Mississippi State before posting double-digit wins over Wisconsin and Minnesota.

• First-team All-Big Ten forward Naz Hillmon leads Michigan in scoring and rebounding with 20.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. The 6-2 forward has hit 57 percent of her shots from the field and 73.3 percent of her free throws. She erupted for 29 points and 15 rebounds on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and an 11-of-12 effort at the free throw line in the win over the Buckeyes.

• Preseason first-team All-Big Ten guard Leigha Brown has added 15.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists this season. She had 24 points, five boards and seven assists in the win over Ohio State. Brown spent her first two seasons at Nebraska and was the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year in 2019-20 before earning second-team All-Big Ten honors for the Wolverines last season.

• The Wolverines suffered a setback with an injury to All-Big Ten guard Amy Dilk just 42 seconds into their season-opening overtime win over IUPUI on Nov. 9. Dilk averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists a year ago after earning second-team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore in 2019-20.

• But Michigan has gained production in a big way from senior Emily Kiser. The 6-3 forward is one of just two Wolverines (also Danielle Rauch) to start all 13 games this season, and Kiser is averaging 10.5 points and 8.4 rebounds. She pumped in 18 points and matched Hillmon with 15 rebounds in the win over Ohio State. Rauch, a 5-8 senior guard, has pitched in 6.6 points, 3.5 boards and 2.3 assists. Rauch has also hit 40 percent (16-40) of her three-point attempts.

• Third-year guard Maddie Nolan has made nine starts and is averaging 7.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists, while knocking down a team-best 24 three-pointers (.421).

• Freshman Laila Phelia, who was the USBWA National Freshman of the Week following her 12-point, five-rebound performance in Michigan’s overtime win over Baylor, has made four starts and is averaging 7.6 points and 3.0 rebounds. She missed the Ohio State game because of COVID protocols.

• Caroline Williams, a 6-3 sophomore, and 6-4 Izabel Varejao, spell Kiser and Hillmon inside. Williams is averaging 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds, while Varejao contributes 2.3 points and 1.1 boards. 

• Coach Kim Barnes Arico is in her 10th season leading Michigan and her 26th year as a head coach. The Wolverines finished 16-6 and 9-4 in the Big Ten last year while advancing to their first-ever NCAA Sweet Sixteen, before losing to No. 5 Baylor, 78-75 in overtime in San Antonio.

• Michigan is averaging 73.5 points and hitting 45.3 percent of its field goal attempts, including 30.6 percent of its threes, while making just 4.6 threes per game. The Wolverines own a Big Ten-best plus-9.2 (40.3-31.1) team rebounding margin and a plus-1.8 turnover margin. Michigan is surrendering just 59.2 points per game while holding opponents to 38.4 percent shooting.

• The Wolverines win at the free throw line, outscoring opponents by 6.6 points per game.

Nebraska vs. Michigan Series History

• Nebraska owns a 14-7 edge in the all-time series with Michigan,but the Wolverines have won back-to-back games, including a 64-62 victory last season in Ann Arbor (Jan. 7).

• Sam Haiby led the Huskers with 27 points and nine rebounds, while Bella Cravens added 10 points and six boards, but Michigan’s Naz Hillmon had 35 points and 22 rebounds. Amy Dilk added 11 points and eight boards for the Wolverines. Leigha Brown did not play because of illness.

• Each of the last four games in the series have been decided by six points or less, including a 74-71 win by the Huskers in the last meeting at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Jan. 19, 2020.

• Nebraska is 7-3 all-time against Michigan in Lincoln. The Huskers are 7-4 all-time against the Wolverines away from home, including 6-3 in Ann Arbor and 1-1 at the Big Ten Tournament.

• The series has been evenly matched as Big Ten foes, with Nebraska owning an 8-7 edge since joining the conference in 2011-12. 

• Nebraska was 6-0 against Michigan as non-conference foes dating back to the first meeting between the two teams on Nov. 28, 1980 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln. The Huskers won 118-92 in the highest scoring game in Nebraska women’s basketball history.

Nebraska Streaks

• The Huskers own a nine-game home winning streak, dating back to an 87-72 victory over Penn State in last year’s regular-season home finale at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Feb. 21, 2021. 

• The last time Nebraska had a nine-game home winning streak came in 2015-16.

• Nebraska’s game with Michigan will be the third of seven straight games against 2021 NCAA Tournament qualifiers for the Huskers. It will be fourth of eight consecutive games versus 2021 postseason tournament qualifiers.

• The Huskers have knocked down at least one three in 411 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two three-pointers in 290 consecutive games.