Huskers Take on Texans Tuesday

Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-2)

vs. Tarleton Texans (3-1)

Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 6 p.m. (CT)

Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Nebraska

Tickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Live Video: B1G+ (Student U)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (5:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)

Lincoln (107.3 FM & 1400 AM), Omaha (590 AM)
Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Return Home for First Meeting with Texans 

The Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to Lincoln on Tuesday night for the first-ever meeting with Tarleton in any major team sport. Tip-off between the Huskers and Texans at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 6 p.m.

A live video stream of NU’s game with Tarleton will be available through B1G+ with a Student U broadcast. Fans can listen to the call of Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the Huskers Radio Network (107.3 FM/1400 AM, Lincoln and 590 AM, Omaha), the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

Nebraska’s meeting with Tarleton (3-1) will be the lone home game for the Huskers in a seven-game stretch that began with road battles last week at No. 20 Creighton (Nov. 15) and Drake (Nov. 19), before the upcoming two-game Thanksgiving tournament in Puerto Rico. The Big Red will battle Texas A&M Corpus Christi (Nov. 25) and Mississippi State (Nov. 26) at the Puerto Rico Clasico, before embarking on an East Coast swing that includes an ACC/Big Ten Challenge match-up at No. 11 Virginia Tech (Dec. 1) and a Big Ten clash with No. 14 Maryland (Dec. 4). 

In a rare occurrence, Nebraska plans to wear red uniforms at home on Tuesday, primarily because of complications caused by its upcoming Thanksgiving travel plans.

Nebraska’s lineup, which includes Naismith Trophy candidates Alexis Markowski and Jaz Shelley, features four returning starters. Markowski, a 6-3 sophomore center, leads Nebraska in scoring (13.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg) after a season-high 21-point performance in Saturday’s loss at Drake. 

Sophomore Allison Weidner has added 13.0 points and 6.5 rebounds, while juniors Isabelle Bourne (10.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and Shelley (9.8 ppg, 7.0 apg) – both from Australia – complete the four returning starters for the Huskers.

While Nebraska features an experienced group of starters, Tarleton is succeeding with a rebuilt starting five from last season’s squad that finished with a 16-13 overall record that included an 8-10 WAC mark. The Texans, who are in their third season at the NCAA Division I level, have five new starters after losing their top four scorers from a year ago.

Naismith Trophy and Lisa Leslie Award candidate Alexis Markowski is coming off a 21-point effort at Drake that included a career-high three steals. It followed her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds at No. 20 Creighton. Markowski was the 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection for 2022-23.

Naismith Trophy and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award candidate Jaz Shelley continues to show her strong all-around game, averaging 9.8 points, 7.0 assists and 3.0 steals.

Isabelle Bourne (Canberra, Australia) is a two-time honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection and a three-time Nebraska team captain.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-2, 0-0 Big Ten)

34 – Isabelle Bourne – 6-2 – Jr. – F – 10.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg

40 – Alexis Markowski – 6-3 – So. – C/F – 13.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg

1 – Jaz Shelley – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 9.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg

2 – Trinity Brady – 5-11 – So. – G – 2.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg

3 – Allison Weidner – 5-10 – So. – G – 13.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg

Off the Bench

21 – Annika Stewart – 6-3 – Fr. – F – 7.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg

42 – Maddie Krull – 5-9 – So. – G – 5.3 ppg, 0.8 rpg

32 – Kendall Coley – 6-2 – Fr. – F/G – 4.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg

15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6-1 – Fr. – G – 3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg

14 – Callin Hake – 5-9 – Fr. – G – 3.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg

4 – Sam Haiby – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg

24 – Nailah Dillard – 5-10 – Gr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg

44 – Maggie Mendelson – 6-5 – Fr. – F/C – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)

Seventh Season at Nebraska (98-86); 16th Season Overall (291-195)

Tarleton Texans (3-1, 0-0 WAC)

32 – Viktoria Ivanova – 5-10 – Jr. – G – 10.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg

21 – Nyajah Mitchels – 6-4 – Jr. – C – 10.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg

4 – Teresa Da Silva – 5-8 – Jr. – G – 13.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg

22 – Tyler Jackson – 5-9 – So. – G – 12.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg

24 – Mayra Caicedo – 5-3 – Sr. – G – 7.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg

Off the Bench

2 – Elise Turrubiates – 6-0 – So. – F – 9.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg

12 – Jenna Dick – 5-8 – Jr. – G – 3.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg

11 – Mason Jones – 5-11 – So. – G – 3.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg

1 – Chloe Callahan – 5-10 – So. – G – 2.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg

31 – Emelia Axelsson – 6-1 – Jr. – F – 1.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg

15 – Starr Omozee – 5-10 – Sr. – F – 1.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg

33 – Karolina Szydlowska – 6-0 – Sr. – F – 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg

3 – Jordan Wright – 5-7 – Fr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 0.5 rpg

Head Coach: Mindy Wilson (Tarleton, 2001)

Ninth Season at Tarleton/Overall (141-94); Third Season at NCAA D-I (28-30)

Scouting the Tarleton Texans

Coach Misty Wilson is in her ninth season as the head coach at Tarleton, where she has amassed a 141-94 record after a Hall of Fame playing career and more than a decade as an assistant at her alma mater. The 2022-23 campaign marks Tarleton’s third season of NCAA Division I competition, and the Texans own a 28-30 record at the D-I level. The Stephenville, Texas school is part of the Texas A&M University system. The Texans compete in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

Last season, Tarleton finished with a 16-13 overall record that included an 8-10 WAC mark. The Texans feature a rebuilt starting lineup in 2022-23, with five new regular starters to open the season. Tarleton must overcome the loss of each of its top-four leading scorers from 2021-22, but the Texans (3-1) are off to a strong start. In fact, all five starters scored in double figures in Friday’s 82-72 win over the College of Charleston at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville.

Newcomer Teresa Da Silva has been a leader in the backcourt. The junior from London, England by way of Arizona Western CC is averaging 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. She has been Tarleton’s best from three-point range at 40 percent (6-15), despite going 0-for-2 in the win over the College of Charleston. Da Silva finished with 12 points, six rebounds and six assists in the victory. 

Fellow newcomer Mayra Caicedo has joined Da Silva in the starting five for all four games. The 5-3 senior from Buga, Colombia began her career at New Mexico Junior College before competing at the NCAA Division I level at Little Rock. She is averaging 7.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and a team-best 4.0 assists after an impressive 16-point, six-rebound, five-assist effort that also included three steals in the win over College of Charleston.

Tyler Jackson, a 5-9 sophomore from Allen, Texas, rounds out Tarleton’s starting backcourt. The second-year Texan who transferred from Louisiana Tech is averaging 12.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.7 steals after erupting for a career-high 20 points against College of Charleston. She added career bests with six rebounds, four assists and five three-pointers against the Cougars. Last season, she played in all 29 games for Tarleton and averaged 4.8 points, while knocking down 20 three-pointers.

Center Nyajah Mitchell has given Tarleton a strong presence inside. The 6-4 junior center from Jacksonville, N.C., has averaged 10.3 points and 4.0 rebounds. Last season, she averaged 4.8 points and 2.2 boards behind 6-6 starter Seynabou Thiam (Senegal). Thiam averaged 6.3 points and 6.2 rebounds along with a school-record 63 blocks, which led the WAC. She has not played this season.

Newcomer Viktoria Ivanova (Stara Zagora, Bulgaria) and returning forward Emilia Axelsson (Ragunda, Sweden) have split starting time for the Texans. Ivanova, a 5-10 junior guard, has started the last two games and has averaged 10.0 points and 3.5 rebounds on the year. Ivanova notched career highs with 16 points and seven rebounds in the win over the College of Charleston. Axelsson, a 6-1 junior, started Tarleton’s first two games this season and has managed 1.3 points and 3.0 rebounds on the young season.  

Elise Turrubiates, a 6-0 sophomore forward, has been a major contributor with 9.0 points and a team-best 5.0 rebounds off the bench. She also leads the Texans with six blocked shots. Turrubiates, who has split minutes equally with Mitchels, has added seven steals. Neither Turrubiates not Mitchels has attempted a three this season.

Experienced returning players Jenna Dick (3.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg) and Mason Jones (3.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg) give the Texans solid depth.

Tarleton, whose lone loss came on the road at Vanderbilt (84-48, Nov. 15), has been solid statistically in its three wins over Arlington Baptist, North Texas-Dallas and the College of Charleston. Through four games, the Texans are hitting 45.2 percent of their shots from the field, including 30.3 percent (27-89) of their threes. They have also hit 68 percent of their free throws while getting to the line nearly 26 times per game. Tarleton has forced more than 21 fouls per contest on its opponents. The Texans are averaging 73.3 points while allowing just 60.5 points per contest. They owns a plus-8.3 rebound margin, but a minus-0.8 turnover margin.

The Tarleton Texans feature an extraordinarily diverse roster that includes seven international players from seven countries, including Teresa Da Silva (United Kingdom), Jenna Dick (Canada), Mayra Caicedo (Colombia), Seynabou Thiam (Senegal), Emilia Axelsson (Sweden), Viktoria Ivanova (Bulgaria) and Karolina Szydlowska (Poland). The Texans only have four players from the state of Texas (Chloe Callahan, Mason Jones, Tyler Jackson and Starr Omozee).

Tuesday’s game will mark Nebraska’s first meeting with Tarleton in any major team sport (football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, soccer).