Huskers Tip March Madness with Gonzaga

No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers (24-8, 11-7 Big Ten)

vs. No. 9 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-6, 15-2 WCC)

Friday, March 18, 2022, 2:30 p.m. (CT)

NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament

KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, Kentucky

Live Television: ESPN News (John Brickley-PBP; Meghan McKeown)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (2:15 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (ESPN 590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Battle Bulldogs in NCAA First Round 

The No. 8 seed Nebraska women’s basketball team shoots for an NCAA Tournament win when the Huskers battle the No. 9 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs on Friday in the NCAA Tournament First Round in Louisville, Ky.

Tip time for Nebraska’s game with Gonzaga is set for 2:30 p.m. (CT) with live television coverage provided by ESPN News. All games in the 2022 NCAA Tournament will be televised by the ESPN family of networks.

No. 1 seed Louisville will square off with No. 16 seed Albany in Friday’s second game at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. The Cardinals and Danes will appear on ESPN2.

Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will call the action on the Huskers Radio Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln, along with 590 AM in Omaha), the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

The Huskers (24-8, 11-7 Big Ten) are making their second NCAA appearance under sixth-year head coach Amy Williams after earning their 15th overall NCAA bid in program history.

Nebraska finished sixth in the Big Ten Conference standings and No. 23 in the NCAA’s NET rankings. NU’s 24 wins are tied for fourth in school history, and the Big Red’s three wins over AP Top 10 teams during the regular season also match the most in a season in program history. 

The Huskers are led by second-team All-Big Ten selections Jaz Shelley and Alexis Markowski and honorable-mention All-Big Ten picks Sam Haiby and Isabelle Bourne. Shelley was also a Big Ten All-Defensive Team choice by the league media while Markowski was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Nebraska’s captains, Haiby and Bourne earned All-Big Ten recognition for the second time.

The Huskers, who are 11-4 since resuming competition after a COVID pause (Jan. 17-26), have won seven of their last nine games, including victories over then-AP No. 5 Indiana (72-55, Feb. 14) and then-AP No. 10 Michigan (76-73, March 4). Six of Nebraska’s eight losses on the season have come at the hands of current AP Top 25 teams. 

No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers (24-8, 11-7 Big Ten)

34 – Isabelle Bourne – 6-2 – So. – F – 11.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg

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

1 – Jaz Shelley – 5-9 – So. – G – 13.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg

3 – Allison Weidner – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 7.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg

4 – Sam Haiby – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 10.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg

Off the Bench

14 – Bella Cravens – 6-3 – Jr. – F – 6.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg

21 – Annika Stewart – 6-3 – Fr. – F – 5.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg

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

5 – MiCole Cayton – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 2.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg

11 – Ruby Porter – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 2.0 ppg, 0.9 rpg

10 – Whitney Brown – 5-8 – Fr. – G – 1.5 ppg, 0.6 rpg

15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6-1 – Fr. – G – 1.4 ppg, 0.4 rpg

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)

Sixth Season at Nebraska (96-83); 15th Season Overall (289-192)

No. 9 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-6, 15-2 Big Ten)

1 – Anamaria Virjoghe – 6-5 – RSr. – F – 3.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg

23 – Melody Kempton – 6-1 – Sr. – F – 10.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg

4 – Abby O’Connor – 6-0 – Sr. – G/F – 6.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg

11 – Kayleigh Truong – 5-9 – Jr. – G – 10.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg

13 – Cierra Walker – 5-8 – RSr. – G – 9.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg

Off the Bench

14 – Kaylynne Truong – 5-8 – Jr. – G – 10.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg

15 – Yvonne Ejim – 6-1 – So. – F – 10.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg

12 – Eliza Hollingsworth – 6-3 – RSo. – F – 3.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg

35 – Bree Salenbien – 6-2 – Fr. – G – 2.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg

24 – McKayla Williams – 6-1 – So. – G – 1.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg

5 – Maud Huijbens – 6-3 – Fr. – F – 1.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg

0 – Esther Little – 6-2 – Fr. – G – 0.2 ppg, 0.5 rpg

Head Coach: Lisa Fortier (CSU Monterey Bay, 2004)

Eighth Season at Gonzaga (204-53); Eighth Season Overall (204-53)

Nebraska’s All-Big Ten Honors

• Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) captured Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors from both the conference coaches and media when the league announced its annual awards on March 1. Markowski was also the only unanimous choice on the coaches’ five-player Big Ten All-Freshman Team, while claiming second-team All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media. An eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Markowski averaged a double-double each of the final five weeks of the regular season while helping the Huskers to a 11-4 record over the last 15 games.

• Jaz Shelley (Moe, Australia) joined Markowski on the All-Big Ten Second Team by both the coaches and media. The 5-9 first-year Husker was the only player in the Big Ten to rank among the top 20 in the league in all five major statistical categories – scoring (14th), rebounding (15th), assists (5th), steals (5th) and blocks (11th). Shelley was one of five players on the media’s Big Ten All-Defensive Team. 

• Sam Haiby (Moorhead, Minn.) claimed All-Big Ten accolades for the second time by earning honorable-mention recognition from the coaches and media. A second-team All-Big Ten choice in 2020-21, Haiby continued to prove herself as one of the most versatile guards in the league, averaging 10.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals in her fourth year as a Husker. In the victory over Northwestern (Feb. 27), Haiby became the first Husker in history to achieve the combined career milestones of 1,000 points (1,361), 500 rebounds (526) and 400 assists (413).

• Isabelle Bourne (Canberra, Australia) joined Haiby on the coaches’ honorable-mention All-Big Ten team. The 6-2 forward was also an honorable-mention choice last season. Bourne is surging down the stretch in 2021-22, averaging 14.1 points and 4.2 rebounds the past 10 games.

• Bella Cravens (Laie, Hawaii) completed Nebraska’s conference honors by earning a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the second consecutive season. Cravens is averaging 6.0 points and 5.5 rebounds as one of NU’s top players off the bench during the second half of the season. She started 15 games early in the year for the Big Red.

Huskers In the NCAA Tournament

• Nebraska will be making its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance and its ninth since 2007 (last 15 tournaments), while making its second appearance as a No. 8 seed. 

• The Huskers own eight all-time NCAA Tournament wins with their last coming in the first round over Fresno State at UCLA in 2014. The Huskers advanced to NCAA Sweet Sixteens in 2010 and 2013. 

• Nebraska earned the No. 8 seed for the first time in 2008, defeating No. 9 Xavier and then-head coach Kevin McGuff (Ohio State), 61-58, in College Park, Md.

• Nebraska is 2-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament in 8/9 games, with all three losses by four points or less. Most recently, the Huskers dropped a 72-69 decision as the No. 9 seed to No. 8 Syracuse in Columbia, S.C., in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.    

• The Huskers were a No. 9 seed and lost 64-61 to No. 8 seed Temple and then-head coach Dawn Staley in Raleigh, N.C., in 2007 (the first of the last 15 overall NCAA tournaments).

• The Huskers have advanced to the NCAA Second Round on six occasions.

Huskers Chasing History

• The 2021-22 Huskers have put themselves in position to chase history by recording 24 wins. Another victory by Nebraska would move the Huskers into a tie for the third-most single-season victories (25) in school history.

• The last time Nebraska notched more than 21 wins came with a 26-7 season in 2013-14, when the Huskers won the Big Ten Conference Tournament championship in Indianapolis.

• Nebraska has produced its 18th 20-win season in program history in 2021-22 and its first since Coach Amy Williams led the Big Red to a 21-11 campaign in 2017-18, when she was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.

2021-22 Big Red Dominant at Pinnacle Bank Arena

• Nebraska tied a school record by winning 16 home games at Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2021-22. The Huskers finished 16-1, matching the 1997-98 (16-0), 2009-10 (16-0) and 2013-14 (16-2) teams for most home wins. Coach Amy Williams was a senior guard on Nebraska’s 1997-98 team coached by 2022 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Paul Sanderford.

• Nebraska’s 16 home wins matched UNLV for the most in NCAA Division I women’s basketball this season. Only four other teams (NC State, Drexel, Albany, American) recorded 15 home wins entering the NCAA Tournament.

• The Huskers didn’t just win at home, they won big, posting the largest home combined cumulative margin of victory in school history despite losing a game to Big Ten co-champion Iowa (Jan. 9). The 2021-22 Huskers produced a total victory margin of 429 points (25.2 ppg). The 2009-10 Huskers that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finished No. 3 in the AP final regular-season poll won their 16 games by a total of 388 points (24.3 ppg).

• Nebraska delivered double-digit margins in 15 of 16 home wins, including wins over top-10 Michigan (79-58) and Indiana (72-57) teams, with only Creighton falling by single digits (67-62).

• The Huskers also ranked No. 13 nationally in total attendance (76,317) and 17th in average home attendance (4,489) entering the NCAA Tournament..

Nebraska Numbers to Watch

• Nebraska’s three wins over top-10 opponents represent the second time in school history 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 March 13, the Huskers ranked among the top 25 teams nationally in 12 statistical categories, including scoring offense (8th, 78.5), assists (9th, 564), assists per game (10th, 17.6 apg), total rebounds (10th, 1,347), assist-to-turnover ratio (15th, 1.25), three-point field goals made (15th, 270), rebounds per game (16th, 42.1 rpg), scoring margin (18th, +14.3 ppg),  three-point field goals made per game (21st, 8.4 pg), three-point field goal percentage (22nd, .356), three-point field goal attempts (23rd, 759) and field goal percentage (25th, .448)

• Nebraska leads the Big Ten in scoring margin (+14.3 ppg), total rebounds (42.1 rpg), field goal percentage defense (.382) and three-point field goals made per game (8.4).

• Nebraska ranks eighth nationally in scoring offense with 78.5 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 200 total rebounds in 956 minutes this season. In two seasons (971 minutes) at Oregon (2019-20, 2020-21), the 5-9 Shelley totaled 70 rebounds.

• Shelley is the first Nebraska guard to get 200 total rebounds since Brandi Jeffery (209, 2014-15). The only other Husker guard to pull down 200 boards since the turn of the century was Keasha Cannon-Johnson (227, 2001-02; 251, 2003-04).

• Jaz Shelley leads Nebraska with 30 blocked shots in 31 games. She had six blocks in 55 games over two seasons at Oregon.

• In 32 games in 2021-22, Nebraska owns 236 steals – the most since Nebraska snagged 247 steals in 2012-13. Last season, the Huskers had just 120 steals in 26 games.

• 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 1,460 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 31 games this season, the Huskers own a positive foul differential of +0.8.

• Nebraska has hit 270 threes this season – the most in school history surpassing the 250 made threes in 2017-18 when the Huskers earned their last NCAA Tournament bid.

Scouting the Gonzaga Bulldogs

• Gonazaga enters its sixth NCAA Tournament under eighth-year Head Coach Lisa Fortier as the No. 9 seed in Louisville after winning the 2022 West Coast Conference Tournament title with a 71-59 victory over WCC regular-season champion BYU at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas (March 8).

• The Zags have won five straight games – all by double digits – heading into the NCAA Tournament, with their last loss coming at BYU (63-39) on Feb. 19. Gonzaga’s only other loss in conference play came at the hands of the Cougars in Spokane, Wash., on Feb. 5 (62-50).

• Two of Gonzaga’s other four losses on the year came to NCAA No. 1 seed and defending national champion Stanford, while the Bulldogs also suffered a 51-49 loss to Washington State (Dec. 8) and a 69-66 loss at UC Davis (Dec. 19).

• Like Nebraska, Gonzaga features a balanced lineup, led by WCC Tournament MVP Melody Kempton. The 6-1 senior forward from Post Falls, Idaho, is averaging team bests with 10.9 points and 6.3 rebounds. She scored 15 points in the WCC championship game win over BYU.

• Twins Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong provide nearly identical numbers in the Bulldog backcourt. The guards from Houston, Texas, both average 10.8 points. Kayleigh leads the Zags with 111 assists while making 26 starts, while Kaylynne has added 108 assists in seven starts. Both have 30 steals on the year.

• Sophomore forward Yvonne Ejim, who averages 10.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game off the bench, leads Gonzaga with 44 steals while ranking second on the team with 42 blocks.

• Cierra Walker, a redshirt senior transfer from Vanderbilt, has joined Melody Kempton in the starting five for all 32 games. Walker, a 5-8 guard from Oregon City, Ore., leads Gonzaga with 68 threes on 43.6 percent shooting while knocking down 91.2 percent (31-34) of her free throws. 

• Abby O’Connor, a 6-0 wing from South Bend, Ind., averages 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds as a regular starter. O’Connor is a transfer from Loyola-Chicago. Anamaria Virjoghe rounds out Gonzaga’s starting five by averaging 3.5 points and 5.6 rebounds, while leading the team with 43 blocks. Virjoghe is a redshirt senior from Romania who began her college career at NAIA Northwest Christian (2017-18).

• In addition to the Romanian Virjoghe, Gonzaga’s roster includes players from England (Esther Little), the Netherlands (Maud Huijbens), Australia (Eliza Hollingsworth) and Canada (Yvonne Ejim).

• Gonzaga features a stingy defense that allows just 55.8 points per game, while holding opponents to just 27.1 percent three-point shooting and 36.9 percent success overall from the field. The Zags average 69.3 points per game and shoot 35.4 percent from three, while knocking down 77.2 percent of their free throws. Gonzaga owns a plus-10.4 rebound margin.

• While Gonzaga has appeared in each of the last five NCAA Tournaments that have been held dating back to 2017, the Bulldogs have earned just one tournament victory with a 68-51 win over No. 12 seed Little Rock in Corvallis, Ore., on March 23, 2019.

Nebraska vs. Gonzaga Series History

• Nebraska has faced Gonzaga once in school history, an 87-40 win over the Bulldogs in the season opener at the CableVision Classic on Nov. 24, 1995 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln. Current Nebraska Head Coach Amy (Gusso) Williams played one minute for the Huskers in that game, hitting a three-pointer – the second of her career. Two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge led Nebraska with 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

• The 1995-96 Huskers advanced to the NCAA Tournament under Head Coach Angela Beck.