Huskers Shoot for Big Ten Road Win at Wisconsin Thursday

The Nebraska women’s basketball team will hunt for its second Big Ten road win when the Huskers travel to Wisconsin to battle the Badgers on Thursday night.

Tip-off between the Big Red (10-3, 2-0) and the Badgers (7-5, 0-2 Big Ten) at the Kohl Center in Madison is set for 8 p.m. (CT).

The game will be televised live by the Big Ten Network with Jason Ross Jr. and Christy Winters Scott calling the action. A live stream also will be available on the Fox Sports App.

Nebraska fans can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and 590 AM in Omaha, the Huskers App and Huskers.com, as Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch team up for their 23rd season. Pregame starts at 7:30 p.m. (CT). 

NCAA NET No. 27 Nebraska improved to 2-0 to open Big Ten play for the second straight season by posting an 87-81 win over 2023 NCAA Elite Eight qualifier Maryland on New Year’s Eve in Lincoln. It marked Nebraska’s first-ever home win over the Terrapins, but its second victory over the Terps in the past three meetings.

The Big Red got big contributions from their big three - Alexis Markowski, Jaz Shelley and Natalie Potts - against Maryland, as all three stars recorded double-doubles. It was the first time in nearly a decade that three Huskers posted double-doubles in the same game.

Alexis Markowski posted her Big Ten-leading eighth double-double of the year with 20 points and 10 rebounds against Maryland. The two-time Lisa Leslie Award candidate has scored in double figures in 13 straight games, including four 20-point performances. The preseason first-team All-Big Ten pick leads the league in rebounding (9.8) and ranks fifth in scoring (17.5 ppg). Through two Big Ten contests, she is averaging 16.5 points and a conference-best 13.5 rebounds.

Two-time Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award candidate Jaz Shelley has added 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and team bests of 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals after putting up 13 points and 11 assists in the win over Maryland. The 5-9 guard from Moe (pronounced MOE-ee), Australia, is the first Husker in history to record multiple career triple-doubles after getting 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a win over UNCW (Dec. 5). Shelley ranks fourth on Nebraska’s career three-point list with 188 and ninth in career assists (433) despite playing just two-plus seasons as a Husker.

Three-time Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week Natalie Potts is leading all conference freshmen in scoring (11.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg) after erupting for 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds against Maryland. The two-time Missouri MaxPreps High School Player of the Year out of Incarnate Word Academy put up 13 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and a block in the second half alone against the Terrapins. In Big Ten play, she is averaging 13.5 points (24th) and 9.0 boards (5th). 

Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3, 2-0 Big Ten)
at Wisconsin Badgers (7-5, 0-2 Big Ten)
Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, 8 p.m. (CT)
Kohl Center - Madison, Wisconsin
TV: BTN (FoxSportsApp)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (7:30 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
B107.3 FM (Lincoln), 590 AM (Omaha), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Live Stats: Huskers.com

Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3, 2-0 Big Ten - NCAA NET 27)
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 11.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 17.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg
0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 8.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 13.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg
42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 3.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Off the Bench
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 7.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 6.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 4.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 4.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 2.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 2.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Eighth Season at Nebraska (124-102); 17th Season Overall (317-211)

Wisconsin Badgers (7-5, 0-2 Big Ten - NCAA NET 114)
25 - Serah Williams - 6-4 - So. - F - 16.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg
3 - Brooke Schramek - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 9.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg
13 - Ronnie Porter - 5-4 - So. - G - 10.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg
15 - Sania Copeland - 5-7 - So. - G - 9.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg
23 - D’Yanis Jimenez - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 11.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Off the Bench
24 - Natalie Leuzinger - 5-8 - Sr. - G - 7.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg
10 - Halle Douglass - 6-2 - Sr. - G - 3.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg
12 - Tessa Grady - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 2.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg
5 - Leena Patibandia - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 2.3 ppg, 0.6 rpg
11 - Ana Guillen - 6-0 - Fr. - F - 1.2 ppg, 0.6 rpg
Head Coach: Marisa Moseley (Boston U., 2004)
Third Season at Wisconsin (26-46); Sixth Season Overall (71-75)

Scouting the Wisconsin Badgers

Marisa Moseley brings her third Wisconsin team into Thursday night’s game with Nebraska. The Badgers carry a 7-5 overall record, but have stumbled to an 0-2 Big Ten start, including an 89-50 loss at Purdue (Dec. 30) and an 87-65 home loss to Iowa (Dec. 10). • Wisconsin is led by talented sophomore Serah Williams. The 6-4 post has averaged 16.1 points and ranks second in the Big Ten with 9.0 rebounds while adding a league-best 2.9 blocks. She has missed UW’s last two contests with illness. She is hopeful to return to the lineup against the Huskers.

Without Williams at Purdue, the Badgers scored a season-low 50 points.

The young Badger nucleus also features 5-4 sophomore guard Ronnie Porter, who is averaging 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and team bests of 4.1 assists and 2.8 steals. Porter leads UW in shot attempts (126), but is shooting just 35.7 percent from the field, including 26.2 percent (11-42) from three-point range.

A third sophomore, 5-7 guard Sania Copeland has added 9.3 points while ranking second among the Badgers with 2.5 assists and 1.9 steals. Copeland has been UW’s most productive three-point threat, hitting a team-best 22-of-63 shots (.349) from beyond the arc.

D’Yanis Jimenez has been one of the Big Ten’s most productive freshmen. The 5-8 guard ranks second among the Badgers in scoring (11.1 ppg), while adding 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals. Jimenez has knocked down a team-best 42.9 percent (9-21) of her three-point tries and is hitting 77.5 percent (31-40) of her free throws.

Senior guard Brooke Schramek rounds out Wisconsin’s probable starting five with 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. A returning starter, Schramek is the only Badger to start all 12 games this season alongside Ronnie Porter. Schramek was a high school teammate of Nebraska junior Kendall Moriarty at Benet Academy in Illinois.

The Badgers add experience with senior guard Natalie Leuzinger (7.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg), who led UW with 15 points off then bench at Purdue. Halle Douglass, a 6-2 senior adds size and more experience. Douglass (3.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg), who has played in five games this season, made her first start of the year in place of Serah Williams at Purdue, but managed just three points and two rebounds. Douglass suffered a season-ending knee injury early in 2022-23 in a loss at Illinois State (Nov. 20). She started 18 games for the Badgers in 2021-22.

Freshmen Tessa Grady (2.4 ppg), Leena Patibandia (2.3 ppg) and Ana Guillen (1.2 ppg) round out the list of regular contributors for Wisconsin. The 6-2 Grady was UW’s second-leading scorer with eight points in just 11 minutes at Purdue, while Patibandia added four points against the Boilermakers.

As a team, Wisconsin is averaging a Big Ten-low 66.5 points per game, while holding opponents to 65.6. The Badgers carry a minus-2.6 team rebound margin, which is tied for last in the Big Ten with Northwestern. Wisconsin also carries a minus-0.3 turnover margin, which ranks 12th in the conference. UW has hit a league-low 41.9 percent of its field goal attempts, including 32.5 percent of its three-point tries while averaging 6.6 threes per game. Wisconsin has hit 70 percent of its free throws while averaging 12.4 makes per game.

 

Nebraska vs. Wisconsin Series History

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Wisconsin 15-7, including a seven-game winning streak. The Huskers defeated Wisconsin 82-54 in the only meeting last season in Lincoln, which moved Nebraska to 2-0 in the Big Ten.

The Huskers worked their way to an 80-70 win at the Kohl Center in the last meeting between the two teams at the Kohl Center (Feb. 23, 2022). 

NU escaped from Madison with a 72-71 win on Jan. 25, 2020.

Wisconsin notched its last win in the series with a 70-69 victory on a controversial buzzer-beater at the Kohl Center on Jan. 27, 2018. Nebraska leads the series 6-5 in Madison.

The Huskers have won nine consecutive home games against the Badgers in a streak that started at the Bob Devaney Sports Center with a 68-59 win on Feb. 19, 2012. Nebraska is 15-2 against Wisconsin as Big Ten foes.

Wisconsin won the first five meetings in series history, dating back to a 79-74 win over the Huskers in Madison, Wis., on Jan. 5, 1979. NU’s first win came with a 75-69 victory at Madison (Jan. 12, 2012).

 

Nebraska Notes from Maryland

Nebraska opened Big Ten play 2-0 for the second straight season after working its way to an 87-81 win over Maryland on New Year’s Eve. The victory was Nebraska’s first home win over Maryland in school history.

Alexis Markowski (20 points, 10 rebounds), Natalie Potts (17 points, 13 rebounds) and Jaz Shelley (13 points, 11 assists) all produced double-doubles. It marked the first time that three Huskers posted double-doubles in the same game since Jordan Hooper (23 points, 11 rebounds), Emily Cady (15 points, 11 rebounds) and Rachel Theriot (10 points, 12 assists) all put up double-doubles in an NCAA Tournament win over Fresno State in Los Angeles on March 22, 2014.

Alexis Markowski recorded her eighth double-double of the season and fourth 20-point performance of the year in the win over the Terps. 

Jaz Shelley posted her second double-double of the season and 12th of her career with 13 points and 11 assists against Maryland. 

Natalie Potts produced a double-double in the second half alone with 13 points and 12 rebounds on her way to 17 points and a career-high 13 boards against Maryland. She also went 7-for-7 at the free throw line including 4-for-4 in the final 45 seconds to seal the win.

Callin Hake tied a career high with 16 points off the bench, while connecting on 4-of-7 three-pointers against the Terrapins.

 

Husker Numbers to Watch

• Maddie Krull needs one point to reach 700 in her college career.

• Jaz Shelley will reach 250 career three-pointers with her next made three. 

• With her next double-double, Alexis Markowski will become just the fifth Husker in history to record 30 career double-doubles, joining first-team All-Americans Jordan Hooper (40), Kelsey Griffin (40), Karen Jennings (36) and Husker great Emily Cady (33).

• Jaz Shelley is 19 rebounds away from 500 in her career.

• Darian White is 20 rebounds away from 700 in her career.

• Alexis Markowski is 35 rebounds from 750, which would move her into a tie for No. 10 on the Nebraska career rebound list.

 

Nebraska Notables

• Two-time All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) was the Big Ten’s top rebounder with 322 rebounds in 2022-23. She was the only Big Ten player to average a double-double (12.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg) during regular-season conference play.

• Alexis Markowski is No. 5 on Nebraska’s career double-doubles list (29) after notching her eighth double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Maryland (Dec. 31). She needs four double-doubles to catch Emily Cady at No. 4 (33). The Husker record for career double-doubles is 40 by first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (2011-14).

•  Jaz Shelley (525) and Darian White (500) both own 500 assists in their college careers. Only five previous Huskers in history had totaled 500 collegiate assists (Lindsey Moore, Meggan Yedsena, Rachel Theriot, Jina Johansen, Nicole Kubik). 

• Darian White is 168 points away from 2,000 in her college career.

• Natalie Potts reached 100 career points in her eighth career game. She is in line with some of the best Husker freshmen in recent history in the pace of reaching the 100-point mark, including Jordan Hooper (6th game), Kelsey Griffin (7th), Kate Cain (10th), Sam Haiby (10th), Alexis Markowski (12th), Emily Cady (14th), Isabelle Bourne (20th).

• Darian White has scored in double figures 102 times in her college career (97, Montana State; 5, Nebraska). She scored a season-high 16 points against unbeaten TCU (Nov. 25).

• Callin Hake is proving herself as one of the Big Ten’s most improved players from a year ago. The 5-8 sophomore from Victoria, Minn., already owns more assists (+10), free throws made (+9), rebounds (+2), steals (+2) and blocks (+1) than all of last season in 168 fewer minutes. She is also shooting a team-best 47.6 percent (20-42) from three-point range while averaging 7.7 points per game compared to 4.3 points per game last season.

Husker Nuggets
• Natalie Potts earned her third Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award (Dec. 11). She won the first weekly honor (Nov. 13) before adding her second award (Nov. 27). Potts ranks among the top freshmen in the Big Ten in both scoring (11.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg) after notching her second double-double with 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in a win over Maryland (Dec. 31).

• Alexis Markowski has been named to the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll four times in 2023-24, including Jan. 2. She also earned a spot on the St. Pete Showcase All-Tournament Team (Nov. 25).

• Markowski leads the Big Ten in rebounding (9.8 rpg) while ranking fifth in scoring (17.5 ppg) and seventh in field goal percentage (.506).

• The Huskers had seven players produce double figures in points against UNCW, which is believed to be the first time that has been accomplished in school history. It is the second time this season the Huskers have had six players score in double figures in a game (Northwestern State, Nov. 6).

• Three Huskers (Alexis Markowski, Natalie Potts, Jaz Shelley) recorded double-doubles in the win over Maryland (Dec. 31), which is the first time a Husker trio notched doubles in the same game since Jordan Hooper (23 points, 11 rebounds), Emily Cady (15 points, 11 rebounds) and Rachel Theriot (10 points, 12 assists) did it in an NCAA first-round win over Fresno State in Los Angeles on March 22, 2014.
 
• The Huskers have hit at least one three in 477 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 356 consecutive games.

• Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 34 times in the last 85 games, including seven times in 2023-24. The Huskers hit a season-high 16 threes against UNCW (Dec. 5), and sank 12 triples vs. Southern (Dec. 17). NU hit 10 threes vs. Northwestern State (Nov. 6), Florida Atlantic (Nov. 29), Georgia Tech (Dec. 2), Michigan State (Dec. 9) and Maryland (Dec. 31).

• Through the first 20 seasons with the three-point shot in women’s basketball (1988-2007), Nebraska hit 10 threes in a game just six times (591 games).

Huskers to Honor Hooper, 2014 Champions, Alumni on Sunday

The Huskers will celebrate Alumni Day on Sunday, Jan. 7 when they take on Indiana at 1 p.m. Nebraska will honor the 10th anniversary of Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament Championship team from 2014, while also recognizing the 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen team. 

The 2014 Huskers were led by first-team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year Jordan Hooper, who will have her No. 35 jersey retired in a pregame ceremony. Hooper ranks No. 2 all-time at Nebraska with 2,357 points and No. 3 in career rebounds with 1,110. A three-time first-team All-Big Ten choice and a two-time member of the Big Ten All-Tournament Team (2012, 2014), Hooper was also a first-team Senior CLASS All-American in 2014. She was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft and spent four seasons in the league. She was also a star for nine seasons as an international professional with stops in Turkey, Australia, Belarus and most recently Israel.

Other standout members of the 2014 team who are scheduled to attend are starters Emily Cady, Hailie Sample and Big Ten Tournament MVP Rachel Theriot, along with Head Coach Connie Yori and Assistant Dayna Finch Weltmer. Other staff members expected to attend are Shawn Gilbert and former Husker great Dominique Kelley (Johnson). 

An addition to the festivities will come from 2013 All-American Lindsey Moore, who will join the celebration as a representative of the 2013 Sweet Sixteen alongside fellow starters Hooper, Cady, Sample and Theriot from NU’s second team to advance to the NCAA third round.