Huskers Collide with Creighton in Omaha Sunday

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Creighton Bluejays Sunday, December 2, 2018, 1 p.m. (CT) D.J. Sokol Arena - Omaha, Nebraska Live Video: Fox Sports Go Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (12:45 p.m.) Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst) Lincoln-B107.3 FM; Omaha-CD 105.9 FM Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Collide with Creighton in Omaha Sunday • The Nebraska women’s basketball team completes its five-game non-conference road trip by searching for its first true road win of the season at Creighton on Sunday. • Tip off between the Huskers (2-4) and the Bluejays (1-4) is set for 1 p.m. (CT) at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha. Live radio coverage will be provided by the Husker Sports Network, beginning at 12:45 p.m. on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and CD 105.9 FM in Omaha. Free live audio can also be found at Huskers.com and on the Huskers App. A live video stream will be provided by Fox Sports Go with Thor Tripp and Rob Simms calling the action.  • Although Nebraska is off to a 2-4 start, three of the Husker losses have come to current top-25 teams, including Thursday’s 85-68 loss at No. 5 Louisville, which won the ACC and advanced to the 2018 NCAA Final Four. The Cardinals improved to 7-0 with the win in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. • The Huskers also lost at current No. 21 Miami in Coral Gables (Nov. 23) and opened the season with a narrow 83-77 loss to current No. 24 Drake. The Bulldogs, who defeated Creighton 85-69 in Omaha on Wednesday afternoon, are the only common opponent between the Big Red and Bluejays this season. • Nebraska was led by senior Maddie Simon at No. 5 Louisville on Thursday. The 6-2 forward from Lincoln scored a season-high 16 points while adding four rebounds, two assists and her first block of the season. Simon did not play in last season’s 64-49 loss to Creighton in Lincoln after suffering an ankle sprain late in pregame warm-ups against the Jays. • Preseason All-Big Ten guard Hannah Whitish added a season-high 15 points for the Huskers at No. 5 Louisville. Whitish scored a team-high 14 points as the only Husker to manage double figures against the Jays last season. • Husker freshman Sam Haiby produced her fourth game in double figures with 12 points off the bench at No. 5 Louisville. Haiby, who scored a career-high 20 points at Washington State, before getting 14 points at No. 24 Miami (Nov. 23) and 13 points against Drake (Nov. 7), leads Nebraska in scoring with 11.5 points per game.  • Not surprisingly, the combined Nebraska and Creighton rosters have a heavy Midwestern flavor in 2018-19, including four players from Minnesota (Sam Haiby, Kayla Mershon, Temi Carda, Ali Greene), four players from Iowa (Ashtyn Veerbeek, Audrey Faber, Gracey Griglione, Rachael Saunders) and five Nebraskans (Maddie Simon, Taylor Kissinger, Brooke Kissinger, Payton Brotzki, Chloe Dworak). 

Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-4, 0-0 Big Ten) 24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 10.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg 31 - Kate Cain - 6-5 - So. - C - 8.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg 3 - Hannah Whitish - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 9.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg 5 - Nicea Eliely - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 8.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg 33 - Taylor Kissinger - 6-1 - So. - G - 8.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg Off the Bench 4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 11.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg 13 - Ashtyn Veerbeek - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 7.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg 32 - Leigha Brown - 6-1 - Fr. - F - 6.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg 11 - Kristian Hudson - 5-5 - Sr. - G - 2.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg 44 - Kayla Mershon - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 2.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg 14 - Grace Mitchell - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 1.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998) Third Season at Nebraska (30-37); 12th Season Overall (223-146)

Creighton Bluejays (1-4, 0-0 Big East) 12 - Gracey Griglione - 6-2 - RFr. - F - 4.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg 45 - Audrey Faber - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 17.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg  2 - Tatum Rembao - 5-9 - So. - G - 6.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg 4 - Temi Carda - 5-9 - So. - G - 8.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg 22 - Brooke Kissinger - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 1.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg Off the Bench 5 - Jaylyn Agnew - 5-11 - Jr. - F - 11.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg 21 - Olivia Elger - 5-7 - Jr. - G - 9.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg 13 - Rachael Saunders - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 4.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg 23 - Morgan Turner - 6-4 - Jr. - F - 3.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg 33 - Payton Brotzki - 5-11 - Fr. - G - 3.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg 24 - Chloe Dworak - 5-6 - Fr. - G - 2.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg 40 - Ali Greene - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 2.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg 1 - Jade Owens - 5-6 - Sr. - G - 1.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg Head Coach: Jim Flanery (Creighton, 1987) 17th Season at Creighton (313-208); 17th Season Overall (313-208)

Scouting the Creighton Bluejays • Creighton comes into Sunday’s game with Nebraska at 1-4 after suffering an 85-69 loss to No. 24 Drake at D.J. Sokol Arena on Wednesday afternoon in Omaha. • The Bluejays are coming off one of the best seasons in school history, as they advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a win over Iowa in Los Angeles. The Jays finished fourth in the final BIG EAST standings in 2017-18 with an 11-7 record while going 19-13 overall. • Jim Flanery is in his 17th season leading the Jays and owns a 313-208 record. Creighton has won back-to-back games in the series with the Big Red, including a 64-49 win in Lincoln on Nov. 19, 2017. • Senior Audrey Faber continues to be a dominant player for Creighton. The 6-2 forward leads CU in scoring (17.6 ppg), rebounding (6.0 rpg), blocks (1.4 bpg) and is tied for the team lead in assists (2.2 apg). She is also tied for second on the team with five total steals. Faber leads the Jays with 14 three-pointers (14-32, .438). Faber managed 11 points and six rebounds in 39 minutes against Drake. She is averaging 35.2 minutes per game early this season. Faber had 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists last season against Nebraska. • Faber owns 1,436 points, 475 rebounds, 233 assists and 112 blocks in her Creighton career.  • Temi Carda, a 5-7 sophomore guard, led the Jays with 20 points and four threes against Drake. She also dished out four assists without committing a turnover against Drake’s zone defense. Carda made the third start of her career and second of the season against the Bulldogs. She improved her season averages to 8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Carda scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench last season against the Huskers. • Another sophomore, Tatum Rembao, made the first start of her career against Drake. She produced nine points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals in 29 minutes. The 5-9 guard from Loveland, Colo., is averaging 6.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and a team-best 1.2 steals through five games. Rembao scored seven points and had five rebounds in just 14 minutes last season against Nebraska. • Redshirt freshman Gracey Griglione joined Rembao in the starting lineup for the first time in her career against Drake. Griglione managed two points and one rebound in just seven minutes against the Bulldogs. She is averaging 4.0 points and 1.3 boards on the year. • Brooke Kissinger, the older sister of Husker sophomore Taylor Kissinger, rounded out Creighton’s starting five against Drake. The 5-7 fifth-year senior guard is averaging 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds while starting four of five games for the Jays. She was scoreless in 13 minutes against NU last season. • Creighton has been limited by injuries early this season, which has led 10 different Jays to make at least one start through five games. The only Jay to start all five games is Faber, while Kissinger, Ali Greene and Jade Owens have all made four starts. • Greene, a 6-1 junior forward, and Owens, a 5-6 senior guard, both missed Wednesday’s game with Drake. Greene averaged 2.0 points and 3.5 rebounds, while Owens managed 1.0 point and 1.5 rebounds through the first four games. Owens did not play last season at Nebraska, while Green started and got two points and five boards in 16 minutes. • Jaylyn Agnew, a 5-11 junior guard, has missed the past three games with a hand injury, which has been the most significant blow to the Bluejays. Agnew started 31 games for CU last season and averaged 14.5 points and 6.3 rebounds while knocking down 81 threes. She averaged 11.0 points and 2.5 boards while going 6-for-12 from three-point range the first two games this season. Last year, Agnew led CU with 20 points and nine boards, while going 6-for-9 from three against the Huskers. • Last season, the Jays also featured senior starting guards Sydney Lamberty (11.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.4 apg) and Myah Mellman (2.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg). • Olivia Elger has provided a boost for the Bluejays with 9.7 points and 3.0 rebounds. She averaged 10.5 points last season despite battling nagging injuries. She scored 13 points against No. 9 UCLA in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Elger did not play against Nebraska last season. • Newcomer Payton Brotzki, Chloe Dworak, Rachael Saunders and Morgan Turner have all been forced into significant roles this season for Creighton.  • Saunders, a 5-9 freshman from Iowa City, Iowa, has managed 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds.  • Brotzki, a 5-11 freshman out of Platteview High School, has contributed 3.8 points and 3.0 boards, including 11 points and nine rebounds against Drake. • Dworak, a 5-6 freshman out of Lincoln Christian High School, made her first career start in the loss to Northern Iowa. She has managed 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. • Turner, a 6-4 redshirt junior transfer from Lipscomb, has managed 3.2 points and 1.2 rebounds. Turner has battled a back injury during her college career. • As a team, Creighton is averaging just 64.6 points per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field. The Bluejays have knocked down 50-of-140 (.357) threes, hitting 10 per game, compared to eight triples per game for the opposition. CU carries a minus-7.0 rebound margin (38-31) and a minus-0.4 turnover margin. The Jays also have been outscored 62-45 at the free throw line, despite shooting better than 80 percent at the stripe.

Nebraska vs. Creighton Series History • Nebraska leads the all-time series with Creighton 30-13, but the Jays have won back-to-back games, including a 64-49 win in Lincoln last season and an 80-64 victory in Omaha on Dec. 18, 2016. • Prior to Creighton’s recent success, Nebraska had won 10 of the previous 11 games in the series. • Creighton owns an 11-9 series edge in Omaha. • The Huskers have dominated the series in Lincoln, 20-2. • Last season, Creighton went 11-for-27 from three-point range and outscored Nebraska by 15 points from beyond the arc in a 64-49 win. Jaylyn Agnew went 6-for-9 from three and led the Jays with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Husker Nuggets • Nebraska is averaging 76.8 points per game through six contests in 2018-19. Last season the Big Red averaged 66.3 points through six games while starting the season 4-2. • Nebraska is shooting 38.1 percent (48-126 from three-point range through six contests. Last season, the Huskers opened the first five games of the year by shooting 34.5 percent (48-139). • Nebraska is shooting 73.7 percent (73-99) from the free throw line through six contests in 2018-19, after shooting just 64.1 percent from the line in 2017-18. Through the first six games of 2017-18, the Huskers hit just 55.6 percent (50-90) from the line. • Overall, Nebraska is shooting 44.9 percent from the field through six games this season after shooting just 41.9 percent from the floor a year ago. Through the first six games of 2017-18, the Huskers were shooting 43.5 percent. • The Huskers have hit five or more three-pointers in 10 consecutive games (dating to last season). • Taylor Kissinger hit eight consecutive three-point attempts from the USC Upstate game (6-for-6) through her first make of the Miami game. • Nicea Eliely leads Nebraska’s active roster with 61 career starts as a Husker. Hannah Whitish (54) is the only other Husker with as many as 50 starts at Nebraska. • Kristian Hudson leads Nebraska with 88 collegiate starts, including her first start as a Husker against USC Upstate (Nov. 11). • Senior Maddie Simon has played more games as a Husker than any other player with 84, while fellow senior Kristian Hudson has played in 95 career collegiate games, including six at NU.

Freshmen Contributing Early for Huskers • Nebraska has received production early and often from its 2018-19 freshman class. The four-player class, which was ranked among the top 20 recruiting classes in the nation by ESPN last season, features Sam Haiby (11.5 ppg), Ashtyn Veerbeek (7.0 ppg), Leigha Brown (6.7 ppg) and Kayla Mershon (2.3 ppg). • Haiby, a 5-9 guard from Moorhead, Minn., leads Nebraska with 11.5 points per game off the bench. She has led the Huskers in scoring in three games, including against nationally ranked Drake (13) and Miami (14), while also scoring a career-high 20 points at Washington State. She added her fourth double-figure scoring effort with 12 points at No. 5 Louisville (Nov. 29). • Haiby also ranks third among the Huskers in assists (2.5 apg). • Ashtyn Veerbeek ranks second among the Husker freshmen with 7.0 points per game, while leading the group with 5.3 rebounds per contest. Veerbeek produced career highs of 13 points and nine rebounds in a win over Radford (Nov. 25). The 6-2 power forward from Sioux Center, Iowa ranks second overall for the Huskers in rebounding and blocked shots (1.0 bpg). • Leigha Brown also scored a career-high 13 points against Radford to match Veerbeek for team-high scoring honors. Brown is averaging 6.7 points per game. The 6-1 wing from Auburn, Indiana leads the freshmen with five three-pointers and has hit better than 80 percent of her free throws. • Kayla Mershon has pitched in 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds per game for the Huskers. The 6-3 forward from Chanhassen, Minn., also has dished out four assists and has committed a team-best two turnovers through six games. • The freshmen have combined for 35.8 percent (165-of-461) of Nebraska’s points in just 31.4 percent of the team’s total minutes (393-of-1,250) on the season. They also have accounted for just 27.7 percent (28-of-101) of Nebraska’s turnovers. • Nebraska’s four freshmen are combining to average 27.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, while NU’s two sophomores (Kate Cain, Taylor Kissinger) have combined to average 17.3 points and 10.4 boards per contest. Nebraska’s six underclassmen have combined for 58.3 percent of NU’s scoring and 53.5 percent of the team’s rebounding through six games.

Nebraska Streaks   • Sophomore Kate Cain owns the longest streak of consecutive starts by a Husker with 37.   • Junior Nicea Eliely owns Nebraska’s second-longest streak of starts with 32, while senior Maddie Simon has started 30 consecutive games. • Kate Cain has at least two rebounds in every game of her Nebraska career (38), and she has blocked at least one shot in 37 of 38 games (no blocks in 2018 NCAA Tournament vs. Arizona State). • Maddie Simon has hit 17 straight free throws, dating to a miss against Penn State (Feb. 22). • Freshman Sam Haiby hit 11 consecutive free throws to open her career, before missing a pair against Radford (Nov. 26). • Sophomore Taylor Kissinger is 6-for-6 at the free throw line to open the season. • The Huskers have knocked down at least one three in 318 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two three-pointers in 197 consecutive games. • Nebraska has hit five or more three-pointers in 10 consecutive games dating back to last season.

Booster Bus Trip to Creighton • Nebraska women’s basketball boosters are organizing a bus trip to Omaha for the Huskers’ game with Creighton on Dec. 2. Tip-off between the Big Red and Blue Jays is set for 1 p.m. • The cost of the trip is $30, which includes round-trip bus transportation and one game ticket.  • If interested in joining the trip and to receive more details, contact Doug Fry at (402) 617-7039.