Huskers Shoot for Fifth Win Against Lady Lions

Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-3) vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff (2-3)
Saturday, Dec. 2, 2 p.m. (CT)
Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Nebraska)
Live Video: BTN Plus
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln - 107.3 FM; Omaha - ESPN 590 AM
Free Live Audio: Huskers.com/Huskers App/TuneIn App
Live Stats

Huskers Shoot for Fifth Win Against Lady Lions
• The Nebraska women’s basketball team takes aim at its fifth win of the season while trying to improve to 5-0 all-time against Arkansas Pine Bluff in Lincoln when the Huskers take on the Lady Lions Saturday. Tip-off at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 2 p.m.

• A live radio broadcast will be produced by the Husker Sports Network, with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch teaming up for their 17th season together on the call. The games will be carried live for free on Huskers.com and over the air on select Husker Sports Network stations, including B107.3 FM and ESPN 590 AM in Omaha. Free audio also can be found on Huskers.com, the Huskers App and the TuneIn App. 

• A live video stream will be available to subscribers of BTN Plus.

• Nebraska is coming off a tough 67-66 loss to Clemson in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Thursday. The Huskers led 66-61 with 3:28 left but went scoreless down the stretch. The drought came after a 12-1 surge by the Big Red that turned a 60-54 fourth-quarter deficit into a five-point lead.

• Freshman Taylor Kissinger led the Huskers with 17 points against Clemson. The 6-1 guard from Minden is Nebraska’s leading scorer with 14.0 points per game through the first seven games. She has added 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

• Fellow freshman Kate Cain ranks second among the Huskers in scoring with 9.9 points per contest while also ranking second on the team with 5.6 rebounds. The 6-5 center from Middletown, N.Y., had 11 points, eight rebounds and a career-high six blocks against Clemson. Cain’s six blocks tied the Nebraska freshman record (Janet Smith, 1979) and ranked as the seventh-best total by a Husker in history, and Cain's 22 blocks this season are just six short of becoming one of the top-five season totals by a freshman at Nebraska. Cain is averaging 3.1 blocks per game.

• Thursday night’s game featured the Husker debut of senior Janay Morton. The guard, who spent her first three seasons at Eastern Michigan, has been recovering from offseason foot surgery and missed Nebraska’s first six games this season. Morton hit her only field goal attempt and was 2-for-2 at the line to finish with five points and three rebounds in 10 minutes off the bench against the Tigers.

• The Huskers are hopeful to see the return of junior Maddie Simon soon. The 6-2 forward from Lincoln suffered an ankle injury in pregame warm-ups prior to the Creighton game (Nov. 19) and has missed Nebraska’s last four games. Simon averaged 6.7 points and a team-best 9.3 rebounds as a starter through the first three games this season.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-3, 0-0 Big Ten)
34 - Jasmine Cincore - 5-10 - Sr. - F - 7.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg
31 - Kate Cain - 6-5 - Fr. - C - 9.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg
3 - Hannah Whitish - 5-9 - So. - G - 8.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg
5 - Nicea Eliely - 6-1 - So. - G - 6.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg
33 - Taylor Kissinger - 6-1 - Fr. - G - 14.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Off the Bench
24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 6.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg
15 - Bria Stallworth - 5-6 - So. - G - 6.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg
13 - Janay Morton - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 5.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
12 - Emily Wood - 5-5 - Sr. - G - 4.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg
14 - Grace Mitchell - 6-2 - So. - F - 4.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg
43 - Rachel Blackburn - 6-3 - So. - F - 2.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg
50 - Darrien Washington - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 1.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Second Season at Nebraska (11-25)
11th Season Overall (204-134)

Arkansas Pine Bluff Lady Lions (2-3, 0-0 SWAC)
11 - Faith Ohanta - 5-10 - Sr. - F - 15.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg
21 - Aiya El Hassan - 5-11 - So. - F - 2.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg
1 - Destiny Brewton - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 8.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg
13 - Malaik Muhammad - 5-6 - Sr. - G - 7.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg
35 - Shawntayla Harris - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 8.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Off the Bench
20 - Alexus Bryson - 5-5 - Jr. - G - 5.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg
5 - Trasity Totten - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 4.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg
24 - Noe’ll Taylor - 5-10 - So. - G - 3.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg
14 - Ashlee Daniel - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 2.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg
40 - Shania Hatter - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 2.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg
34 - Shanna Shavers - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 1.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg
4 - Kye Richardson - 5-3 - Jr. - G - 1.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
3 - Tiffany Murdock - 5-6 - Sr. - G - 0.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg
31 - Katherine Darden - 5-11 - So. - F - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Head Coach: Nate Kilbert (Mississippi Valley St., 1987)
Sixth Season at UAPB (46-108)
14th Season Overall (168-242)

Scouting the Arkansas Pine Bluff Lady Lions
• Coach Nate Kilbert brings Arkansas Pine Bluff to Lincoln with a 2-3 record after a 97-61 road loss at Austin Peay on Wednesday night.

• The Lady Lions have also suffered setbacks at Texas Tech and Dayton, after opening the season with back-to-back wins over Tougaloo College and Philander Smith.

• Kilbert, who is in his sixth season at UAPB, led the Lady Lions to a 12-18 record that included a 9-9 SWAC mark in 2016-17.

• One of Arkansas Pine Bluff’s top players is senior Malaik Muhammad. The 5-6 guard is a graduate of Lincoln High. She is in her second year at UAPB after playing at both New Mexico Junior College and Western Texas College.

• Muhammad ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 7.8 points per game, including a team-high 14 points in the loss at Texas Tech on Nov. 19.

• Last season, Muhammad averaged 5.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.

• Fellow senior Faith Ohanta has been Arkansas Pine Bluff’s top scorer and rebounder through the first five games, averaging 15.0 points and 10.0 boards per game. Ohanta erupted for a career-high 30 points to go along with 13 rebounds in the win over Philander Smith at H.O. Clemmons Arena in Pine Bluff on Nov. 16. She added 25 points and 15 rebounds in a loss to Austin Peay on Wednesday.

• Ohanta averaged 8.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 2016-17.

• UAPB’s top returning scorer from last season is senior Destiny Brewton. The 5-7 guard averaged 9.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 2016-17. She has produced 8.2 points and 2.0 rebounds while leading the Lady Lions with 3.8 assists this season, despite starting just two of the first five games.

• Junior college transfer Alexus Bryson is averaging 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while splitting starting time at point guard with Brewton.

• Shawntayla Harris, a 6-0 junior guard, has produced 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds early this season.

• Nebraska leads the all-time series with Arkansas Pine Bluff, 4-0, including a 96-46 win over the Lady Lions at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Nov. 14, 2015. All four of the previous meetings have come in Lincoln, dating back to a 67-39 win over UAPB at the Devaney Center on Jan. 2, 2008.

Nebraska Streaks 
• Senior guard Jasmine Cincore had her streak of 39 consecutive starts come to an end against Coastal Carolina on Nov. 24. Sophomore guard Hannah Whitish (24) now owns the longest streak of consecutive starts by a Husker. Nebraska’s second-longest streak is seven games by freshman Taylor Kissinger (7). 

• Whitish and Kissinger have joined each other in the Husker starting five for each of Nebraska’s first seven games - the only two Huskers to start all seven games this season.

• The Huskers have knocked down at least one three-pointer in 287 straight regular-season games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008.

• Nebraska has hit at least two three-pointers in 166 consecutive games. 

• Nebraska snapped its 19-game road losing streak with its 55-47 win over Coastal Carolina in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Nov. 24. The Huskers’ last win in a true away game came at Michigan (93-81) on Jan. 24, 2016.

• Kate Cain has blocked at least one shot in each of the first seven games of her career. She has six games with two or more blocks.

• Jasmine Cincore has recorded at least one steal in seven consecutive games. She has two or more steals in six of the first seven games.

• Cincore has notched at least one assist in 16 consecutive games dating back to a game at Purdue on Jan. 26, 2017. The last game Cincore went without an assist was against Michigan (Jan. 22, 2017).

• Hannah Whitish has posted at least one assist in nine consecutive games, and has three or more assists in six games this season.

• Taylor Kissinger has knocked down at least one three-pointer in six consecutive games.

• Kissinger has at least three rebounds in all seven games this season.

• Maddie Simon has grabbed at least eight rebounds in three consecutive games.

• Bria Stallworth has at least one assist in all seven games this season.

Husker Nuggets
• Freshman guard Taylor Kissinger leads the Huskers with 14.0 points per game and 21 made three-pointers. The 6-1 Kissinger has added 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game for the Big Red.

• Freshman center Kate Cain leads the Huskers with 22 blocked shots through seven games. She already ranks ninth among all freshmen in school history in blocked shots. She is averaging 3.1 blocks per game. The last time the Huskers had a player average 1.0 block per game in a season was Catheryn Redmon in 2010-11.

• Cain’s six blocks against Clemson tied the Nebraska single-game freshman record and were the most blocks by a Husker freshman since NU career leader Janet Smith had six against Oklahoma State on Jan. 12, 1979.

• Senior Jasmine Cincore has started more career games as a Husker (41) than any other player on the Nebraska roster. Cincore, who is averaging 7.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists also leads the Huskers with 2.3 steals per game. She was the 2017 Lifter of the Year, while also earning the Kathy Branchaud Most Improved Rebounder Award. She is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a Senior CLASS Award nominee in 2018.

• Sophomore Hannah Whitish tied her career high with nine assists in the win over UMKC (Nov. 14). Whitish averaged 11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 16 Big Ten games as a starter in 2016-17. She also led the Huskers with 57 three-pointers during 2016-17 to rank second among freshmen in Husker history. Her 40.7 three-point percentage was the best ever by a Husker freshman.

• Nicea Eliely, who led the Huskers in steals (46) and blocks (21), was Nebraska’s Defensive MVP in 2016-17. She returned to the court for the first time in Nebraska’s game with Creighton (Nov. 19). She made her first start of the year against Clemson.