Huskers Ready for Washburn Sunday

#22/#22 Nebraska Cornhuskers 

vs. Washburn Ichabods

Sunday, October 30, 2022, 1 p.m. (CT)

Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Nebraska

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Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (12:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
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Huskers Tip Exhibition Play Sunday with Ichabods 

The Nebraska women’s basketball team opens its 2022-23 home schedule with its lone exhibition game of the season by battling Washburn on Sunday, Oct. 30 in Lincoln. Tip-off between the Huskers and the NCAA Division II Ichabods at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 1 p.m.

A live video stream of the game will be available to subscribers of B1G+, while fans can listen to the call of Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the Huskers Radio Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln, and 105.9 FM in Omaha) and on the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

The Huskers enter 2022-23 ranked No. 22 in both Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Top 25 preseason rankings.

Nebraska will be led on the court by 2022 second-team All-Big Ten selections Jaz Shelley and Alexis Markowski along with three-year captain and two-time honorable-mention All-Big Ten choice Isabelle Bourne. Shelley, one of 20 candidates for the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award presented to the nation’s best shooting guard, was also a Big Ten All-Defensive Team selection by the league media. Markowski, one of 20 candidates for the 2023 Lisa Leslie Award presented to the nation’s top center, was the 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a preseason first-team All-Big Ten choice.

The Huskers were set to return five starters from their 2022 NCAA Tournament team that finished with a 24-9 overall record and an 11-7 Big Ten mark, but graduate guard Sam Haiby suffered a torn ACL in a workout on Monday, Sept. 12. Haiby, who spent much of the offseason successfully recovering from shoulder surgery, underwent knee surgery on Thursday, Oct. 27 and is expected to miss the entire 2022-23 season.

Haiby is eligible for a medical redshirt and could return to Nebraska in 2023-24 in hopes of completing her master’s degree before pursuing a professional career. The 5-9 guard from Moorhead, Minn., is the only player in Husker history to achieve the combined career milestones of 1,000 points (1,381), 500 rebounds (532) and 400 assists (414).

While the loss of Haiby, a two-time All-Big Ten performer, came as a blow to the Big Red, the Huskers believe they still have the ingredients to make a run at a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance under seventh-year Head Coach Amy Williams.

The absence of Haiby could lead to a faster path to maturity for sophomore Allison Weidner. The 5-10 guard from Humphrey, Neb., started nine games last season, including NU’s final eight contests. In her nine starts, Weidner averaged 9.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Newcomer Maddie Krull could play a significant role. The 5-9 guard from Omaha spent two seasons starting all 60 games for a pair of NCAA Tournament teams at South Dakota. In 2021-22, the Millard South grad helped USD to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen after winning Summit League regular-season and tournament titles. She was a member of the 2021 Summit League All-Newcomer Team.

Nebraska is also excited for the return of fourth-year guard Trinity Brady. The 5-11 junior started the first two games of 2020-21 before suffering an ankle injury that kept her out for the rest of the season. She missed all of 2021-22 with injuries.

The Huskers also return experienced contributors Annika Stewart, Kendall Coley and Kendall Moriarty, while welcoming Nailah Dillard to the court. Dillard has missed the last two seasons with injuries.

#22/#22 Nebraska Cornhuskers (24-9, 11-7 Big Ten)

34 – Isabelle Bourne – 6-2 – Jr. – F – 11.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg

40 – Alexis Markowski – 6-3 – So. – C/F – 12.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg

1 – Jaz Shelley – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 13.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg

2 – Trinity Brady – 5-11 – So. – G – Injured

3 – Allison Weidner – 5-10 – So. – G – 7.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg

Off the Bench

42 – Maddie Krull (USD) – 5-9 – So. – G – 6.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg

21 – Annika Stewart – 6-3 – Fr. – F – 5.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg

32 – Kendall Coley – 6-2 – Fr. – F/G – 2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg

15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6-1 – Fr. – G – 1.5 ppg, 0.4 rpg

24 – Nailah Dillard – 5-10 – Gr. – G – Injured

14 – Callin Hake – 5-9 – Fr. – G – HS

44 – Maggie Mendelson – 6-5 – Fr. – F/C – HS

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)

Six Seasons at Nebraska (96-84); 15 Seasons Overall (289-193)

Washburn Ichabods (14-16, 11-11 MIAA)

22 – Abby Oliver – 5-10 – Jr. – F – 9.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg

34 – Lauren Cassaday – 5-10 – So. – F – 4.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg

1 – Mackenzie Gamble – 5-7 – So. – G – 4.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg

3 – Aubree Dewey – 5-7 – So. – G – 3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg

30 – Macy Doebele – 5-11 – Jr. – G – 7.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg

Off the Bench

11 – Emma Chapman – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 1.2 ppg, 0.8 rpg

14 – Lakyn Schieferecke – 5-10 – So. – G – 0.4 ppg, 0.6 rpg

21 – Austin Broadie – 6-0 – So. – F – 0.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg

2 – Maddie Hutley – 5-6 – So. – G – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg

4 – Jaden Newfarmer – 5-9 – So. – G – 3.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg

5 – Gabi Artis – 5-10 – Fr. – G – HS

10 – Lizzy Sanders – 6-1 – Fr. – F – HS

23 – Natalia Figueroa – 5-11 – Fr. – G – HS

25 – Amaya Davison – 5-7 – Fr. – G – HS

32 – Yiibari Nwidadah – 6-2 – Fr. – C – HS

Head Coach: Lora Westling (Washburn, 2005)

First Season at Washburn (0-0); Seventh Season Overall (77-78)

Scouting the Washburn Ichabods

First-year head coach Lora Westling brings Washburn to Lincoln as the preseason pick to finish 10th in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).

The Ichabods return 10 players from last year’s team that finished ninth in the MIAA standings after going 14-16 overall and 11-11 in the MIAA under long-time head coach Ron McHenry, who was the leader of the Ichabods for 22 seasons.

Westling helped Washburn win the 2005 NCAA Division II title while playing for McHenry.

The Ichabods will be looking to replace leading scorer and three-point shooter Hunter Bentley, who averaged 14.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and team-bests of 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals while knocking down 51 three-pointers (.347).

Abby Oliver, Washburn’s second-leading scorer last season, returns after averaging 9.0 points per game. The 5-10 senior forward added 4.6 rebounds per game and led the Ichabods on the season with 30 blocked shots.

Macy Doebele, a 5-11 junior guard, also returns as Washburn’s No. 3 scorer last season. Doebele produced 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

The Ichabods return a third starter in 5-7 sophomore guard Mackenzie Gamble, who averaged 4.5 points and 1.9 boards. Gamble is also Washburn’s top returning three-point shooter with 29 triples last season (.298).

Lauren Cassaday, a 5-10 sophomore forward who started 21 games a year ago, gives Washburn four returning starters. She averaged 4.0 points and 3.4 rebounds.

Other returners for Washburn include Aubree Dewey (3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Emma Chapman, Jaden Newfarmer, Lakyn Schieferecke, Austin Broadie, and Maddie Hutley.

The Ichabods add five freshmen in Gabi Artis, Amaya Davison, Natalia Figueroa, Yiibari Nwidadah and Lizzy Sanders.

Nebraska has played Washburn just once in school history, an 83-64 win over the Ichabods at the Devaney Center on Nov. 23, 1985.

Huskers Compete in Closed Scrimmage with UMKC

Isabelle Bourne led four Huskers in double figures with a game-high 20 points, while Jaz Shelley added a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 11 assists as Nebraska worked its way to an 87-60 win over Kansas City in a closed scrimmage at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Allison Weidner, who added a strong effort with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists, put up a strong second quarter, while Annika Stewart came off the bench to round out the Huskers in double digits with 11 points and eight rebounds, including a strong fourth quarter.

Alexis Markowski threatened a double-double of her own with seven points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Trinity Brady returned to action for the first time since Dec. 6, 2020, to score eight points on perfect 3-for-3 shooting in a start. Nailah Dillard also made her first appearance in a Nebraska uniform since transferring to the Huskers prior to the 2020-21 season. She managed three points and a rebound. 

As a team, Nebraska hit 51.6 percent (32-62) of its shots from the field against a scrappy, hard-working Kansas City squad led by first-year head coach Dionnah Jackson-Durrett. The Huskers also knocked down 9-of-25 threes (.360), and out-rebounded the Roos, 49-32.

Opener with Omaha to Feature Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally

Nebraska’s regular-season opener with Omaha is set for Monday, Nov. 7 at noon, and will include the annual Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally.

The 2022 Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which is co-sponsored by the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame, features positive messages from Husker student-athletes, coaches and athletic administrators. This year, the Huskers are expecting more than 2,000 students and nearly 200 accompanying staff members from 40 schools across the state of Nebraska.

The 2022 opener marks the fourth time (2013, 2019, 2021) that Pinnacle Bank Arena and Nebraska women’s basketball have teamed with the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame to host the Pep Rally for 6th through 8th grade students. The students and accompanying staff are provided complimentary water from Pepsi and pizza from Nebraska Athletics.

The Sportsmanship Pep Rally is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on the main court at Pinnacle Bank Arena and features messages from Nebraska Head Coach Amy Williams and Husker women’s basketball players Jaz Shelley and Maddie Krull, along with appearances by Huskers Travis Vokolek (Football), Passmore Mudundulu and Mikey Hoffer (Track & Field), Ally Batenhorst and Lexi Rodriguez (Volleyball), Mya Felder and Sydney Gray (Softball) and a special performances by Champions Forever/Spintacular. The Sportsmanship Pep Rally is expected to conclude at 10:45 a.m.

Valentine Middle School students will be making the longest journey to Lincoln, nearly five hours and just over 300 miles, while Chambers students will travel nearly 190 miles to the Star City for the Sportsmanship Pep Rally. A strong representation of Northeast, Southeast and Central Nebraska community schools will also be on hand.

As of Oct. 14, Nebraska had sold 3,410 tickets for the game with Omaha, which will be added to the 2,256 students (2,058) and accompanying staff members (198), which could push attendance to at least 5,666 with three weeks of ticket sales remaining.

The largest opening day crowd (9,750) in school history came with the first game ever at Pinnacle Bank Arena against UCLA on Nov. 8, 2013. The No. 2 opening-day crowd came with 5,584 fans in the final season opener in the history of the Devaney Center on Nov. 9, 2012 (North Carolina A&T).

The previous largest crowd associated with the Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally at Pinnacle Bank Arena came with 5,250 for the opener against Alabama A&M on Nov. 6, 2019, which was the third-largest opening day crowd in Nebraska women’s basketball history. 

Last season, with the first game in the return of fans after COVID-19, the Sportsmanship Pep Rally game against Maine attracted 4,476 fans.

Nebraska by the Numbers

Nebraska’s three wins over top-10 opponents in 2021-22 marked just the second time in school history the Huskers posted multiple wins over top-10 teams in the same season, joining the 2009-10 campaign when NU also recorded three top-10 victories.

The Huskers ranked among the top 25 teams nationally in 10 statistical categories, including scoring offense (10th, 77.8), assists per game (12th, 17.4 apg), assists (13th, 574), assist-to-turnover ratio (13th, 1.24), three-point field goals made (15th, 279), scoring margin (18th, +13.5 ppg), three-point field goal percentage (20th, .357), three-point field goals made per game (21st, 8.5 pg), total rebounds (24th, 1,380) and rebounds per game (24th, 41.8 rpg). The Big Red also ranked 26th in three-point field goal attempts (781), 27th in field goal percentage (.445), 28th in defensive rebounds per game (28.7 rpg) and 35th in rebound margin (+6.3 rpg).

Nebraska led the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (.385), three-point field goals made per game (8.5) and team rebounding average (41.8 rpg), while ranking second in the Big Ten in scoring margin (+13.5 ppg), three-point field goal percentage defense (.278), offensive rebounds (13.1 rpg), defensive rebounds (28.7 rpg), assists (17.4 apg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.24).

Nebraska’s 2,568 points in 2021-22 marked the No. 3 total in school history trailing only 2,801 (1979-80, 40 games) and 2,632 (2009-10). NU’s 77.8 points per game marked its highest scoring average since 1987-88 (82.4 ppg).

Nebraska’s minus-21 foul disparity (28-7) at Iowa (Jan. 16, 2022) marked the largest foul differential in program history (by NU or opponent) in 1,461 games over 48 seasons. It marked the first time in history that a Husker team held a negative foul differential of greater than 17. In NU’s other 32 games in 2021-22, the Huskers posted a positive foul differential of +1.5 per game.

NU hit a school-record 279 threes in 2021-22, surpassing the previous mark of 250 (2017-18).