Huskers Pack PBA on Play4Kay with Iowa

Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-12, 6-9 Big Ten)

vs. 7/7 Iowa Hawkeyes (21-5, 13-2 Big Ten)

Saturday, February 18, 2023, 1 p.m. (CT)

Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Nebraska

Tickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Live TV: BTN
Mike Hall (PBP), Christy Winters Scott (Analyst)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (12:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Special Event: Pack PBA / Play4Kay (Pink Game)

Huskers Pack PBA on Play4Kay Day against Iowa 

The Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday for its special Pack PBA event on Play4Kay Day against No. 7 Iowa.

Tip-off between the Huskers (14-12, 6-9 Big Ten) and the Hawkeyes (21-5, 13-2 Big Ten) is set for 1 p.m. (CT) with tickets for sale now at Huskers.com. Well over 11,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday’s game, promising a Pinnacle Bank Arena women’s basketball record crowd. Nebraska’s PBA record is 9,750 fans at the first game in arena history against UCLA (Nov. 8, 2013). The Nebraska women’s basketball record crowd came with 13,595 fans in a sellout at the Bob Devaney Sports Center (vs. Missouri, Feb. 27, 2010). 

Saturday’s rematch in the season series between Nebraska and Iowa will be televised live by the Big Ten Network with Mike Hall and Christy Winters Scott on the call.

The game also can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on 107.3 FM in Lincoln along with 590 AM in Omaha, Huskers.com and the Huskers App.

Saturday’s game will be Nebraska’s Pink Game to promote awareness of all forms of cancer, support cancer survivors and remember all those who have been lost. The Huskers will stand against cancer in pregame with fans invited to hold cards and write names of loved ones they are supporting or honoring.

Jaz Shelley hopes to help the Huskers snap a three-game losing streak. The 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia (pronounced MO-ee) is coming off a career-high 37-point effort at Minnesota on Wednesday. Shelley, who leads the Huskers with 13.5 points, 6.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game on the season, scored 28 points in the second half including 17 in the fourth quarter in Minneapolis. She will be recognized for scoring 1,000 career points in Saturday’s pregame ceremonies.

Shelley leads four Husker starters averaging in double figures, including 6-3 sophomore center Alexis Markowski. The Lincoln Pius X graduate is averaging a double-double with 12.3 points and a Big Ten-leading 10.2 rebounds, including 12.5 points and 12.8 boards over the last six games. The Lisa Leslie Award Top 10 contender owns 13 double-doubles on the season.

Isabelle Bourne, a 6-2 junior from Canberra, Australia, is also surging over the past six games. Bourne matched a season high with 21 points at Minnesota and is averaging 17.0 points and 6.3 rebounds over the past six games. Bourne, who has scored in double figures in six straight games, is averaging 12.2 points and 6.4 boards on the season.

Sam Haiby continues to surge for the Big Red, increasing her quickness, explosiveness and endurance after missing 10 of Nebraska’s first 11 games with an injury. The 5-9 graduate guard from Moorhead, Minn., is adding 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds over the last six games.

Maddie Krull (Omaha, Neb.) rounds out Nebraska’s starting five with 5.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists on the season. Krull has scored in double figures in five of the last 11 games, including a 13-point effort at Minnesota on Wednesday. 

Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-12, 6-9 Big Ten)

34 – Isabelle Bourne – 6-2 – Jr. – F – 12.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg

40 – Alexis Markowski – 6-3 – So. – C/F – 12.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg

1 – Jaz Shelley – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 13.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg

4 – Sam Haiby – 5-9 – Gr.- G – 10.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg

42 – Maddie Krull – 5-9 – So. – G – 5.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg

Off the Bench

21 – Annika Stewart – 6-3 – So. – F – 5.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg

14 – Callin Hake – 5-9 – Fr. – G – 4.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg

15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6-1 – So. – G – 3.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg

44 – Maggie Mendelson – 6-5 – Fr. – F/C – 2.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg

32 – Kendall Coley – 6-2 – So. – F/G – 1.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg

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

3 – Allison Weidner (Out) – 5-10 – So. – G – 10.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)

Seventh Season at Nebraska (110-96); 16th Season Overall (303-205)

7/7 Iowa Hawkeyes (21-5, 13-2 Big Ten)

14 – McKenna Warnock – 6-1 – Sr. – G/F – 11.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg

25 – Monika Czinano – 6-3 – Sr. – F/C – 17.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg

20 – Kate Martin – 6-0 – RSr. – G – 6.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg

22 – Caitlin Clark – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 27.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg

24    Gabbie Marshall    5-9    Sr.    G    4.4    1.7

Off the Bench

45 – Hannah Stuelke – 6-2 – Fr. – F – 7.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg

1 – Molly Davis – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 4.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg

3 – Sydney Affolter – 5-11 – So. – G – 2.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg

44 – Addison O’Grady – 6-4 – So. – F/C – 2.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg

2 – Taylor McCabe – 5-9 – Fr. – G – 4.3 ppg, 0.8 rpg

34 – AJ Ediger – 6-2 – So. – F – 1.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg

Head Coach: Lisa Bluder (Northern Iowa, 1983)

23rd Season at Iowa (484-247); 39th Season Overall (840-389)

Nebraska Notables

Isabelle Bourne recently became the 36th 1,000-point scorer in Nebraska history, achieving the milestone in the fourth quarter of NU’s win over Penn State (Jan. 11). She is just the 22nd player in NU history to achieve the combined career milestones of 1,000 points (1,124) and 500 rebounds (594) joining teammate Sam Haiby (1,547 points, 619 rebounds) in that prestigious group.

Sam Haiby is one of just four players in Nebraska history to rank among the school’s top 20 in points (12th, 1,547), rebounds (18th, 619) and assists (7th, 457). Haiby joins Maurtice Ivy, Anna DeForge and Emily Cady as the only other Huskers on that elite list.

Preseason All-Big Ten center and 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) is one of the Big Ten’s top rebounders, averaging 10.2 boards to go along with her 12.3 points per contest. The 6-3 center has moved into a tie with Iowa’s Caitlin Clark atop the Big Ten double-doubles list with 13 this season, which is tied for 19th nationally.

Jaz Shelley is coming off a career-high 37 points at Minnesota (Feb. 15). She opened Big Ten play with 29 points in a road upset at No. 20 Maryland (Dec. 4), before pumping in 31 points in a win over Wisconsin (Dec. 7). She also had 21 points and five assists in a loss to No. 14 Michigan (Dec. 28). She just missed a triple-double with 10 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a win over Penn State (Jan. 11).

Nebraska has knocked down 10 or more threes on 12 occasions this season and was 10-0 when hitting double-digit threes before falling 80-75 at No. 12 Michigan (11-25) and 95-92 at Minnesota (10-24). Nebraska is 31-of-70 from beyond the arc on the road the last three games, including 10-of-21 in a win at Northwestern (Feb. 6). The Huskers’ most recent double-digit effort inside Pinnacle Bank Arena came on 13-of-28 shooting against Penn State (Jan. 11). 

Kendall Moriarty put the exclamation point on the win over Penn State (Jan. 11) with a running, half-a-hook three from beyond halfcourt in the closing seconds to beat the shot clock. Moriarty’s improbable shot, which came on a Nebraska baseline inbounds play, was Scott Van Pelt’s “The Best Thing I Saw Today” on ESPN. 

Huskers Face Historic Strength of Schedule

Nebraska’s game against No. 7 Iowa Saturday will be its 11th this season against an AP Top 25 team at game time. It will tie a Nebraska school record with 11 games against AP Top 25 teams. No other Nebraska team has ever faced more than 11 AP Top 25 opponents (2000-01). 

Since entering the Big Ten (2011-12), the Huskers had never played more than eight games in a season against AP Top 25 foes prior to this season.

Nebraska’s game with Iowa will be its fifth against an AP Top 10 team this season. The Huskers have never faced more than five AP Top 10 teams in the same season.

The game with Iowa on Saturday will be Nebraska’s ninth this season against a current NCAA NET Top 16 opponent.

Scouting the No. 7 Iowa Hawkeyes

Coach Lisa Bluder brings one of her most talented and experienced Hawkeye teams into Saturday’s game with Nebraska. Iowa is 21-5 overall and 13-2 in the Big Ten, trying to keep pace with No. 2 Indiana in the conference regular-season title race. The Hawkeyes have won 10 of their last 11 games with their lone loss coming at Indiana, 87-78 (Feb. 9). Iowa closes the regular season at home against the Hoosiers (Feb. 26).

Iowa’s starting five has combined to play more than 570 games with more than 450 starts as Hawkeyes entering Saturday’s game. They have combined for more than 7,000 points, 2,500 rebounds and 1,500 assists together.

As a comparison, Nebraska’s starting five have made 296 starts in 384 combined games as Huskers.

National Player-of-the-Year candidate Caitlin Clark leads the Hawkeyes with 27.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 8.3 assists. In the first meeting with Nebraska this season, Clark had 33 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in an 80-76 victory (Jan. 28). Clark has started 88 games as a Hawkeye and owns 2,370 points and 687 assists. She scored a season-high 45 against NC State (Dec. 1) and followed her performance against Nebraska with 42 points against Maryland (Feb. 2).

Fellow National Player-of-the-Year candidate Monika Czinano has added 17.7 points and 6.3 rebounds on the season. One of the most efficient scorers in the country, Czinano is hitting 66.9 percent of her shots from the field after an 8-for-11 effort Wednesday against Wisconsin. Since Jan. 1, Czinano is shooting 70.2 percent (92-131) from the field, including a 7-for-10 effort in the first meeting with Nebraska when she finished with 17 points and seven rebounds. A fifth-year player, Czinano has started 115 of 150 games and has totaled 2,224 points and 705 rebounds.

Senior guard McKenna Warnock gives the Hawkeyes a talented and versatile third option on the offensive end while providing a solid defensive presence. Warnock is averaging 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds this season. Warnock did not play in the first meeting with Nebraska because of an injury. Warnock has started 83 games as a Hawkeye and owns 1,161 points and 683 rebounds in her career.

Kate Martin has made 88 starts in her career and is averaging 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds this year. The gritty, scrappy guard has scored 676 points, grabbed 446 rebounds and dished out 334 assists in 112 games in her four-year career.

Senior guard Gabbie Marshall rounds out one of the most experienced lineups in Big Ten history. The defensive specialist has started 87 games among her 116 games in an Iowa uniform. She has totaled 740 points, 184 rebounds and 198 assists.

Senior guard Molly Davis started her second straight game in place of the injured Warnock in the win over Nebraska (Jan. 28). Davis is averaging 4.8 points on the season after transferring from Central Michigan where she was a three-year starter.

Freshman Hannah Stuelke, a 6-2 forward, has been Iowa’s most productive player off the bench with 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Over the last six games, Stuelke is averaging 10.5 points, beginning with a 12-point performance against Nebraska.

Sydney Affolter, a 5-11 sophomore, adds versatile off the bench with 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in Iowa’s regular eight-player rotation.

Iowa possesses one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, averaging 88.6 points while shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three-point range. Iowa carries a plus-18.3 scoring margin, a plus-7.4 rebound margin and a plus-0.6 turnover margin. The Hawkeyes are averaging 91.4 points on 54 percent shooting in Big Ten play, including 38.6 percent from three-point range. They own a plus-9.5 rebound margin in league action.

Nebraska vs. Iowa Series History

Iowa leads the all-time series with Nebraska 21-15, including seven straight wins. The Hawkeyes worked their way to an 80-76 win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City (Jan. 28). Caitlin Clark led the Hawkeyes with 33 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.

Iowa notched three wins over the Huskers last season, including a 93-83 win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa also eliminated NU from the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis (83-66).

Nebraska won the first eight games in the series with Iowa upon joining the Big Ten (2011-12 to 2013-14). The Huskers capped that three-year run with a 72-65 win over the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis (March 9, 2014).

The win by the Huskers in the 2014 Big Ten Championship Game marked the third consecutive season that Nebraska eliminated the Hawkeyes from the conference tournament.

Iowa won the next five meetings and is 7-3 over the past 10 contests.

The Huskers are 6-8 all-time against Iowa in Lincoln, dating back to a 67-66 win over the Hawkeyes at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Dec. 22, 1979.

The Huskers are 4-10 all-time against the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. 

Nebraska is 5-3 all-time against Iowa on neutral courts dating back to the first meeting in the series, a 71-63 Husker win at the Jennies’ Classic in Warrensburg, Mo.

Husker Numbers to Watch

Sam Haiby needs eight rebounds to match Cory Montgomery at No. 17 (627, 2007-10) on Nebraska’s career rebounding list. 

Isabelle Bourne needs nine points to match Tear’a Laudermill at No. 22 (1,133, 2012-15) on Nebraska’s career scoring list. 

Alexis Markowski’s 13 double-doubles this season are tied for the seventh most by a Husker in a season in school history. Her next double-double will move her into a tie for fourth on NU’s season double-double list with 14 (Jordan Hooper, 2011-12 & 2013-14; Emily Cady, 2013-14).

Alexis Markowski needs one more double-double to become just the 10th Husker in history to amass 20 or more career double-doubles.

Jaz Shelley (326) needs one assist to move into a sole possession of 12th on Nebraska’s career assist list with Kathy Hawkins (326, 1976-77).

Jaz Shelley (166) is three assists from tying Meggan Yedsena (169, 1992-93 & 1993-94) for ninth on the Nebraska single-season assist chart. 

Injuries Altering Nebraska’s Season

While Nebraska is trying to stay in the hunt for a second straight NCAA Tournament bid (NET No. 49), the Huskers have had their journey through the season challenged with several injuries to key players.

Despite Nebraska returning five starters (Isabelle Bourne, Alexis Markowski, Jaz Shelley, Allison Weidner, Sam Haiby) from last year’s team that went 24-9 overall and 11-7 in the Big Ten, Haiby missed 10 of the first 11 games this season with a leg injury suffered in practice (Sept. 12).

Trinity Brady, a fourth-year guard, started the first eight games in place of Haiby, before Brady suffered a concussion in the first half of a loss at No. 9 Virginia Tech (Dec. 1). Brady has missed the last 18 games.

Despite the loss of Brady and the absence of Haiby, Nebraska notched an impressive 90-67 road win at No. 20 Maryland (Dec. 4) in the first start by Maddie Krull as a Husker.

However, prior to Nebraska’s next game with Wisconsin (Dec. 7), the Huskers lost Isabelle Bourne to an upper body injury suffered in practice. Bourne missed three games, as Annika Stewart made the first three starts of her career. Nebraska went 3-0 with wins over Wisconsin, Samford and Wyoming.

Bourne returned to the starting lineup for a 3OT win over Kansas (Dec. 21), but Allison Weidner suffered a season-ending leg injury early in the fourth quarter of the victory over the Jayhawks. Weidner has missed Nebraska’s last 13 games and underwent season-ending surgery (Jan. 10).

Weidner’s injury hastened the return of Sam Haiby to the starting lineup for Nebraska’s Big Ten loss to No. 14 Michigan (Dec. 28).

Nebraska was forced to make another adjustment to its starting five in a win at Purdue (Jan. 18), when Maddie Krull missed a start because of illness. Freshman Callin Hake made her first career start and played well with eight points and three rebounds. Krull also played huge off the bench, overcoming illness for one of her best performances of the season, finishing with 15 points in the victory over the Boilermakers.

The only two Huskers to start all 26 contests this season are Jaz Shelley and Alexis Markowski, despite Markowski battling multiple nagging injuries from preseason to the present. Shelley ranks second in the Big Ten with 35.5 minutes played per game.