Huskers Shoot for 20th Win

Nebraska Cornhuskers (19-7, 8-7 Big Ten)

vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-15, 5-10 Big Ten)

Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, 2 p.m. (CT)

Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Nebraska

Special Event: Play4Kay – Pink Game
Live Video: B1G+
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (1:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (ESPN 590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Shoot for 15th Home Win in Pink Game

The Nebraska women’s basketball team takes aim at its 20th win of the season and 15th victory at Pinnacle Bank Arena when the Huskers play host to Minnesota in the annual Pink Game on Sunday.

Tip-off between the Huskers (19-7, 8-7 Big Ten) and the Golden Gophers (12-15, 5-10 Big Ten) is set for 2 p.m. (CT) p.m.  Live video will be provided to subscribers of B1G+, while Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch describe the action on the Huskers Radio Network (B107.3 FM, Lincoln; ESPN 590 AM, Omaha), the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

Nebraska will be recognizing survivors and supporting those in their current battles with cancer while raising awareness of all types of the disease as part of Play4Kay Day at PBA.   

The Huskers hope to bounce back from an 83-76 loss at Penn State on Thursday. Nebraska led 68-55 with 7:35 left, before the Lady Lions responded with a 15-0 run in the next 90 seconds. It marked NU’s first loss of the season when leading after three quarters. Nebraska was a perfect 19-0 when leading after three periods.

Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year front-runner Alexis Markowski continued her impressive season by leading the Huskers with 23 points and seven rebounds. Markowski, who is averaging 17.2 points and 8.9 rebounds the past 13 games as a starter, leads all Big Ten freshmen in scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg).

Markowski, a six-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, is the only Power Five freshman to average at least 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. The only other Big Ten freshman averaging double-figure points is Michigan State’s Matilda Ekh (12.2 ppg). Markowski owns five 20-point games and three 15-rebound efforts in the Big Ten. Three of her five double-doubles this year have come in February (Rutgers, Ohio State, Indiana).

Despite the loss, Nebraska showed its balance at Penn State by placing five in double figures for the second straight game. Isabelle Bourne had 15 points for her sixth straight double-digit effort.

Jaz Shelley had 10 points, five rebounds and five assists at PSU and continues to be the only Big Ten player to rank among the top 20 in the league in scoring (18th, 12.2 ppg), rebounding (10th, 7.1 rpg), assists (6th, 4.8 apg), steals (8th, 1.8 spg) and blocked shots (2nd, 1.2 bpg).

Sam Haiby added 11 points, five rebounds and six assists at Penn State.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (19-7, 8-7 Big Ten)

34 – Isabelle Bourne – 6-2 – So.- F – 10.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg

40 – Alexis Markowski – 6-3 – Fr. – F/C – 12.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg

1 – Jaz Shelley – 5-9 – So. – G – 12.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg

3 – Allison Weidner – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 6.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg

4 – Sam Haiby – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 10.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg

Off the Bench

14 – Bella Cravens – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 6.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg

21 – Annika Stewart – 6-3 – Fr. – F – 5.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg

32 – Kendall Coley – 6-2 – Fr. – F/G – 2.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg

11 – Ruby Porter – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 2.4 ppg, 1.0 rpg

10 – Whitney Brown – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 2.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg

5 – MiCole Cayton – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 1.9 ppg, 0.9 rpg

15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6-1 – Fr. – G – 1.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)

Sixth Season at Nebraska (91-82); 15th Season Overall (284-191)

Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-15, 5-10 Big Ten)

12 – Laura Bagwell Katalinich – 6-0 – Gr. – F – 4.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg

54 – Alanna Micheaux – 6-2 – Fr. – F – 5.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg

3 – Deja Winters – 5-11 – Gr. – G – 12.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg

13 – Gadiva Hubbard – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 6.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg

14 – Sara Scalia – 5-10 – Jr. – G – 17.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Off the Bench

30 – Kadi Sissoko – 6-2 – RJr. – F – 9.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg

1 – Alexia Smith – 5-8 – So. – G – 3.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg

35 – Bailey Helgren – 6-5 – Gr. – C – 1.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg

21 – Caroline Strande – 5-11 – So. – G – 1.4 ppg, 0.4 rpg

10 – Erin Hedman – 6-3 – So. – F – 1.0 ppg, 0.8 rpg

25 – Klarke Sconiers – 6-2 – Jr. – C – 1.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg

15 – Kayla Mershon – 6-3 – Sr. – F – 0.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg

5 – Maggie Czinano – 6-0 – Fr. – G – 0.2 ppg, 0.5 rpg

Head Coach: Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota, 2004)

Fourth Season at Minnesota (57-54); Fourth Season Overall (57-54)

Nebraska Numbers to Watch

• Nebraska will be shooting for its second 20-win season under Coach Amy Williams, joining the 2017-18 squad that finished with 21 victories. NU has a total of 17 20-win seasons in program history.

• Nebraska is 14-1 at Pinnacle Bank Arena with a pair of wins over top-10 foes (No. 5 Indiana, Feb. 14; No. 8 Michigan, Jan. 4). It marks NU’s most home wins since going 15-4 at PBA in 2015-16. The school record for home wins in a season is 16 (3 times, 1997-98, 2009-10, 2013-14).

• Nebraska’s two wins over top-10 opponents represent the second time in school history that the Huskers have posted multiple wins over top-10 teams in the same season, joining the 2009-10 campaign when NU recorded three top-10 victories.

• Through games Feb. 17, the Huskers ranked among the top 25 teams nationally in assists (6th, 454), total rebounds (8th, 1,124), scoring offense (11th, 78.2), scoring margin (13th, +15.7), assists per game (14th, 17.5 apg), rebounds per game (14th, 43.2 rpg), three-point field goals made (16th, 218), assist-to-turnover ratio (16th, 1.20), defensive rebounds per game (19th, 29.5 rpg), three-point field goal percentage defense (23rd, .268 rpg) and three-point field goal attempts (24th, 628).

• Nebraska leads the Big Ten in scoring margin (+15.7 ppg), total rebounds (43.2 rpg), field goal percentage defense (.372) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.268).

• Alexis Markowski is a six-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and the USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week (Jan. 11).

• Alexis Markowski ranks second among all Power Five conference freshmen in points (336) while leading all Power Five freshmen in rebounds (199). She is the only Power Five freshman averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

• Nebraska guard Jaz Shelley is the only player to rank among the top 20 players in the Big Ten in scoring (18th, 12.2 ppg), rebounding (10th, 7.1 rpg), assists (6th, 4.8 apg), blocked shots (2nd, 1.2 bpg) and steals (8th, 1.8 spg).

• Nebraska ranks 11th nationally in scoring offense with 78.2 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 178 total rebounds in 749 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 30 blocked shots in 25 games. She had six blocks in 55 games over two seasons at Oregon.

• In 26 games in 2021-22, Nebraska has far surpassed its season steals total (120, 26 games) from a year ago. The Huskers own 195 steals this season. The last time NU had 200 steals in a season came with 221 in 2018-19.

• 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 1,454 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 25 games this season, the Huskers own a positive foul differential of +1.6.

• Nebraska has hit 218 threes this season, which is tied for sixth in school history. NU’s record for made threes came with 250 (2017-18) when the Huskers earned their last NCAA Tournament bid.

Scouting The Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Head coach Lindsay Whalen leads her fourth Minnesota team to Nebraska with a 12-15 overall record that includes a 5-10 Big Ten mark. The Golden Gophers are coming off a 79-61 home loss to Rutgers on Thursday. Minnesota went just 8-for-34 (.235) from inside the arc in the loss, while going 8-for-20 (.400) from three-point range and 21-of-24 (.875) at the free throw line. The Gophers got out-rebounded 44-28 by the Scarlet Knights.

• Minnesota is led by junior guard Sara Scalia, who is averaging 17.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists. She scored 20 points and hit 4-of-7 threes in a 70-67 loss to Nebraska to open Big Ten play (Dec. 6).

• The Gophers were hit with the departure of second-team All-Big Ten guard Jasmine Powell in late-January. Powell was averaging 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and a team-leading 5.7 assists. However, Powell did not play in the first meeting with NU. Minnesota is 3-3 without her, including road losses at top-25 Indiana (80-70) and Iowa (88-78). With Powell, the Gophers lost 105-49 to Iowa on Jan. 20.

• Deja Winters gives Minnesota a second starter averaging double figures with 12.1 points and 3.4 rebounds. Winters, a 5-11 guard, leads the Gophers with 27 blocks and 44 steals. She has been a knock-down three-point shooter, connecting on 42.9 percent (69-161) of her threes. A two-time transfer from North Carolina A&T and Seton Hall, Winters has hit 11-of-21 threes the past three games and has made 33 consecutive free throws dating back to a miss against UConn on Nov. 20.

• Kadi Sissoko, a redshirt junior from Paris, France, adds an inside presence with 9.3 points and a team-leading 5.1 rebounds. The 6-2 forward had the best game of her career in the first meeting with Nebraska this season, pouring in 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting.

• Graduate guard Gadiva Hubbard (6.3 ppg), true freshman Alanna Micheaux (5.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and graduate Laura Bagwell Katalinich (4.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg) round out Minnesota’s probable starters. Last season in Lincoln, Hubbard had 18 points and hit five threes in a Gopher win.

Nebraska vs. Minnesota Series History

• Nebraska leads the all-time series with Minnesota 16-12 after working its way to a 70-67 road win in Minneapolis to open Big Ten on Dec. 6. The Huskers have won back-to-back games against the Golden Gophers, including a 72-61 victory at the 2021 Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.

• Nebraska owns an 11-4 all-time edge in Lincoln and is 2-0 at the Big Ten Tournament, but the Huskers are 3-8 against the Gophers in Minneapolis. NU owns an 11-7 advantage as Big Ten foes.

• Jaz Shelley and Bella Cravens each scored 15 points to lead Nebraska to victory at Williams Arena in December, while Sam Haiby scored 10 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter to rally NU from a four-point deficit with four minutes left. Isabelle Bourne pitched in 10 points.

• Kadi Sissoko led Minnesota with 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting, while Sara Scalia added 20 points and seven rebounds.

• Although women’s basketball was not a full varsity sport at Nebraska until 1975-76, a women’s team from Nebraska suffered its first defeat at Minnesota in 1904 after going unbeaten in 1897 and 1903. Two weeks after the first meeting with Minnesota, Nebraska beat the same team in Lincoln.

• Minnesota’s Laura Coenen scored 42 points for the Gophers in a 90-79 win over the Huskers on Nov. 30, 1984. That effort is tied for the most points by any opponent individual against the Huskers.

Markowski Making Case for Freshman All-American

• Alexis Markowski is making her mark as a true freshman for her hometown Huskers. The 6-3 forward/center from Lincoln leads Nebraska with 12.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game – the only Big Ten freshman to lead her team in scoring and rebounding.

• A six-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Markowski has increased her production to 17.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals over the past 13 games as a Big Ten starter. She has hit 57.2 percent from the field and 54.5 percent (12-22) from three-point range during that stretch

• Markowski has captured four of the past six Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week awards and was named the USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week (Jan. 11).

• Alexis Markowski ranks second among all Power Five conference freshmen in points (336) while leading all Power Five freshmen in rebounds (199). She is the only Power Five freshman averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

• Among all freshmen nationally, Markowski’s 238 points in conference play trail only DePaul’s Aneesah Morrow (389, BIG EAST), Buffalo’s Georgia Woolley (248, MAC) and ORU’s Tirzah Moore (245, Summit).  Markowski’s 125 total rebounds in Big Ten action trail only Morrow (257), Loyola Maryland’s Lex Therien (164, Patriot) and Wyoming’s Allyson Fertig (133, Mountain West) among all freshmen nationally in their respective conferences.

• Markowski’s numbers compare favorably to the freshman campaigns of the three best forwards in Husker history, including 1993 Wade Trophy winner and first-team All-American Karen Jennings (13.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1989-90); 2010 first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin (13.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2005-06) and 2014 first-team All-American Jordan Hooper (14.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2010-11).