Huskers Expect Tight Battle with Boilermakers

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Purdue Boilermakers Thursday, January 31, 2019, 7 p.m. (CT) Mackey Arena (14,846) - West Lafayette, Indiana Live TV: BTN (Mike Monaco, Vera Jones) Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (6:45 p.m.) Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst) Lincoln-B107.3 FM; Omaha-ESPN 590 AM Huskers.com, Huskers App, TuneIn

Huskers Expect Another Tight Battle with Boilers • The Nebraska women’s basketball team hits the road again expecting another tight Big Ten battle with the Purdue Boilermakers on Thursday night in West Lafayette, Ind. • Tip off between Nebraska (9-11, 4-5 Big Ten) and Purdue (15-7, 6-3 Big Ten) is set for 7 p.m. (CT) at Mackey Arena. Live radio coverage (beginning at 6:45 p.m.) can be heard in Lincoln on B107.3 FM, in Omaha on ESPN 590 AM and across the state on the Husker Sports Network. Free live audio can be found at Huskers.com, the Huskers App and on TuneIn.  • Live television coverage will be provided by BTN with Mike Monaco and Vera Jones on the call. • Nebraska is coming off a 70-69 loss on a three-point buzzer-beater at Wisconsin Sunday. Nebraska’s Nicea Eliely scored on a driving layup with 0.7 seconds left to give the Huskers a 69-67 lead, before Kelly Karlis hit a three in the corner as time expired to give Wisconsin its second Big Ten win. The Badgers’ first Big Ten win came with a 76-69 win over Purdue in Madison on Dec. 31. • Close games have been the norm for Nebraska this season. Unfortunately, the Huskers are just 2-7 in games decided by six points or less (2 possessions), including 1-4 in Big Ten play. Purdue is 5-2 in two-possession games, including 4-1 in the league. • The Nebraska-Purdue series has featured some of the most exciting and memorable games in school history since the Huskers joined the conference in 2011-12. The first-ever game between the two teams was a 93-89 triple-overtime win for the Huskers at Mackey Arena on Feb. 2, 2012. The second game in the series went double-overtime one month later in Indianapolis, as Purdue defeated the Huskers 74-70 in the 2012 Big Ten Championship Game. The first meeting in Lincoln was a 69-66 OT win by Purdue at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Jan. 5, 2013, and two other games have been decided by two points or less (62-61 Nebraska win, Jan. 20, 2016; 77-75 Purdue win, Jan. 19, 2014). • Freshman Leigha Brown (Auburn, Indiana) is Nebraska’s leading scorer at 10.1 points per game, including 11.8 points in Big Ten play. Brown was a runner-up to Michigan point guard Amy Dilk for Indiana Player-of-the-Year honors in 2018. The Huskers face Indiana in Lincoln (Feb. 3), before the Boilermakers conclude their two-game season series with Nebraska in Lincoln (Feb. 10). • Brown and Sam Haiby (9.5 ppg) give Nebraska the only Big Ten roster with two freshmen leading their team in scoring. The Huskers are also the only Big Ten team with two non-starters as the team’s top two scorers. • Nebraska features the Big Ten’s most productive bench, averaging 30.2 points per game in Big Ten play. Purdue relies extensively on its starters with the Boiler bench averaging just 4.9 points per game in league play.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-11, 4-5 Big Ten) 44 - Kayla Mershon - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 3.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg 31 - Kate Cain - 6-5 - So. - C - 7.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg 3 - Hannah Whitish - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 9.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg 5 - Nicea Eliely - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 7.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg 33 - Taylor Kissinger - 6-1 - So. - G - 9.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg Off the Bench 32 - Leigha Brown - 6-1 - Fr. - F - 10.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg 4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 9.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg 13 - Ashtyn Veerbeek - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 7.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg 24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 7.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg 14 - Grace Mitchell - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 1.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg 11(out) - Kristian Hudson - 5-5 - Sr. - G - 2.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998) Third Season at Nebraska (37-44); 12th Season Overall (230-153)

Purdue Boilermakers (15-7, 6-3 Big Ten) 25 - Tamara Farquhar - 6-0 - So. - F - 6.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg 32 - Ae’Rianna Harris - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 13.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg 1 - Karissa McLaughlin - 5-7 - So. - G - 15.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg 11 - Dominique Oden - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 15.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg  23 - Kayana Traylor - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 6.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg Off the Bench 5 - Cassidy Hardin - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 3.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg 3 - Lyndsey Whilby - 5-11 - So. - G - 2.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg 45 - Fatou Diagne - 6-4 - RJr. - C - 2.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg 30 - Nyagoa Gony - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 1.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg Head Coach: Sharon Versyp (Purdue, 1989) 13th Season at Purdue (272-154); 19th Season Overall (389-219)

Scouting The Purdue Boilermakers • Purdue Coach Sharon Versyp brings her Boilermakers into Thursday night’s match-up with Nebraska battling for one of the top four seeds in the Big Ten Tournament entering the second half of conference competition.  • The Boilermakers own a 15-7 overall record including a 6-3 Big Ten mark after dropping a 72-58 decision at No. 17 Iowa on Sunday. Purdue defeated Iowa in West Lafayette, 62-57, on Jan. 10. Purdue’s other Big Ten losses came with a 65-63 overtime setback at No. 20 Rutgers (Jan. 16), and a 76-69 loss at Wisconsin (Dec. 31). • Purdue carries a solid mix of experience and youth with three-year starters in forward Ae’Rianna Harris and guard Dominique Oden, who are both juniors. None of the 10 players who have seen action in Big Ten play are seniors, as four freshmen and three sophomores join Harris, Oden and redshirt junior Fatou Diagne as contributors to Purdue’s on-court success in league play. • Purdue is a defense-first team that is allowing just 60.2 points in Big Ten play, while scoring just 62.2 points per conference contest. The Boilermakers are holding Big Ten foes to 41.2 percent shooting, including 35.2 percent from three-point range. Purdue is plus-2.7 on the boards, but minus-1.7 in turnovers through nine league games. • Offensively, Purdue is shooting a solid 42 percent from the field, including 34.8 percent from three-point range. Purdue has outscored its opponents by 34 points (3.8 ppg) at the free throw line in conference play, while attempting 44 more free throws than the opposition. Purdue is shooting 72.2 percent at the free throw line in the league. • The Boilermakers rely heavily on their starters in what has been a regular seven-player rotation in league play.   • Dominique Oden, a 5-8 junior guard, leads Purdue in scoring in Big Ten play (15.9 ppg) and shares the team’s scoring lead for the season (15.5 ppg), following a 17-point, nine-rebound effort while playing all 40 minutes at Iowa. Oden, who leads Purdue with 37 steals, has hit 35.7 percent (35-98) of her threes and 78.4 percent (58-74) of her free throws. Oden is playing 38.0 minutes per Big Ten game. • Sophomore guard Karissa McLaughlin has matched Oden in scoring on the season (15.5 ppg), while adding a team-best 4.0 assists. McLaughlin, who leads the Boilers with 57 threes on the year, is playing 39.4 minutes per game in Big Ten play. She has hit 38.5 percent of her threes on the year and 92.8 percent (64-69) of her free throws. • Ae’Rianna Harris, an athletic 6-1 forward, is averaging 13.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game on the season. Harris, who ranks second among the Boilermakers with 25 steals, is averaging 36.2 minutes per Big Ten game. • Tamara Farquhar, a 6-0 sophomore forward from Quebec, has joined McLaughlin, Oden and Harris in Purdue’s starting lineup for all nine conference games. Farquhar is averaging 8.2 points and 8.7 rebounds in 32.1 minutes per Big Ten game. For the season, Farquhar has averaged 6.9 points and 7.5 boards. • Kayana Traylor has rounded out Purdue’s starters in Big Ten play by averaging 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists. The 5-9 freshman guard has struggled with her shooting stroke in league play (2-13 3FG, .154) but is still averaging 28.3 minutes per conference game. • Freshman Cassidy Hardin leads Purdue off the bench with 2.0 points in 14.3 minutes per Big Ten game. The 5-10 guard has hit 21 threes on the season, but just five in conference action (5-20, .250). She is the only Boilermaker off the bench with a green light from three-point range. • Redshirt junior Fatou Diagne has made one start in league play as one of just six Boilermakers to play in all nine Big Ten games. Diagne is averaging 2.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 10 minutes per Big Ten contest. • Lincoln High graduate Nyagoa Gony, a 6-2 freshman forward, has played in six Big Ten games and 19 overall on the season. Gony has not scored in league play, while managing 1.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game on the season.

Nebraska vs. Purdue Series History • Purdue leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 7-4, but the Huskers ran to a 75-51 win over the Boilermakers at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln (Jan. 24, 2018) in the most recent meeting. • The last three games in the series have featured double-digit decisions, including an 88-45 Boilermaker win in the last meeting at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette (Jan. 26, 2017). • Nebraska, which is 2-2 all-time in West Lafayette, escaped with a 62-61 win over the Boilermakers on Jan. 20, 2016. Purdue leads 3-2 in Lincoln and 2-0 in the Big Ten Tournament. • Nebraska and Purdue will face each other at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Feb. 10. • Although five of the last six games have been decided by double digits, the first three games in the series were all two-possession thrillers that went a combined six overtimes. In the first-ever meeting between the two schools in Nebraska’s inaugural season in the Big Ten, the Huskers defeated Purdue 93-89 in triple-overtime on Feb. 2, 2012. • That same season, Nebraska and Purdue battled for the Big Ten Tournament title with the Boilermakers outlasting the Huskers, 74-70 (2OT) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. • In the first meeting between the two teams in Lincoln, Purdue notched a 69-66 overtime win over Nebraska on Jan. 5, 2013.

Husker Nuggets • Nebraska sophomore Taylor Kissinger is leading the Big Ten in three-point shooting percentage (.479, 45-94). • The Husker bench has outscored opponents in each of NU’s 20 games this year, including double-digit advantages 15 times. • Overall, Nebraska’s bench has outscored opposition benches 629-305 (31.5-15.3 ppg) for a plus-16.2 margin. • Nebraska is the only team in the Big Ten with two players off the bench (Leigha Brown, 10.1 ppg; Sam Haiby, 9.5 ppg) as its top two scorers. • Nebraska is also the only team in the Big Ten with two freshmen as the team’s top two scorers. • Nebraska’s bench outscored the opposition 149-53 over the final four non-conference games, including a season-high 45 points at Arkansas. NU’s bench posted a season-best scoring differential (+37) in its last non-conference home game by outscoring Denver’s bench, 40-3.  • Nebraska’s bench has scored 40 or more points five times, including 45 at Arkansas, 42 points against San Jose State, 41 points against Drake, 40 against Denver and 40 at Illinois. • In Nebraska’s Big Ten-opening win over Michigan (Dec. 28), the Husker bench outscored the Wolverine bench 28-10, including 14-0 in the fourth quarter. • In Big Ten play, NU’s bench has outscored opponent benches 272-145 (30.2-16.1, +14.1 ppg), including a 34-9 edge in a win over No. 23 Minnesota (Jan. 20). • Nebraska’s bench has scored at least 15 points in each of its nine Big Ten games, including 40 at Illinois (Jan. 17) and 35 at Ohio State (Dec. 31). • Against ranked Big Ten teams (Minnesota, 34-9, +25; Iowa, 28-11, +17; Rutgers 34-17, +17; Maryland 28-14, +14), Nebraska’s bench has outscored opponent benches 124-51. • At least one Nebraska freshman has led the Huskers in scoring in 12 of 20 games this season (Haiby-6; Brown-5; Veerbeek-2).

Nebraska Streaks • Sophomore Kate Cain owns the longest streak of consecutive starts by a Husker with 51. • Junior Nicea Eliely owns Nebraska’s second-longest streak of starts with 46. • Nebraska’s bench has outscored the opponent reserves in all 20 games this season. • The Huskers have knocked down at least one three in 332 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two three-pointers in 211 consecutive games.

Nebraska Numbers to Watch • (4) Hannah Whitish is four threes away from moving up to No. 4 on Nebraska’s all-time three-point list (173, Lindsey Moore, 2010-13). • (5) Taylor Kissinger is five three-pointers away from 100 in her career. • (10) Freshman Sam Haiby is 10 points away from 200 on the season. • (11) Hannah Whitish is 11 assists away from joining Nebraska’s top 10 in career assists (326, Kathy Hawkins, 1975-77). • (99) Nebraska senior forward Maddie Simon is expected to play in her 99th career game for the Huskers on Thursday.

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 Leigha Brown (10.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.2 apg), Sam Haiby (9.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.8 apg), Ashtyn Veerbeek (7.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.0 bpg) and Kayla Mershon (3.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg). • Leigha Brown, who earned Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honors (Jan. 7), leads Nebraska with 10.1 points per game, including a team-best 11.8 points per Big Ten game. She erupted for a career-high 20 points at No. 19 Iowa (Jan. 3). It was her second straight game leading the Huskers, after scoring a then-career-high 19 points at Ohio State (Dec. 31). She added 18 points and a career-high six rebounds in a narrow loss to nationally ranked Rutgers (Jan. 13). She also had 18 points in the win over San Jose State (Dec. 8), before adding 17 points and a career-high five assists in the win over Denver (Dec. 15).  • Brown, a 6-1 wing from Auburn, Indiana owns eight double-figure scoring efforts and has led the Big Red in scoring five times this season, including three Big Ten games. • Haiby, a 5-9 guard from Moorhead, Minn., ranks second among the Huskers with 9.5 points per game off the bench. Haiby has led Nebraska in scoring in six games, including a win over No. 23 Minnesota (16) and against nationally ranked Drake (13) and Miami (14), while also scoring a career-high 20 points at Washington State and adding 17 points at Creighton. She also had 16 points to lead the Huskers at Arkansas (Dec. 18). She owns eight double-figure scoring efforts overall, including 12 points at No. 5 Louisville (Nov. 29) and 12 more in a Big Ten-opening win over Michigan (Dec. 28). • Haiby also ranks second among the Huskers in assists (2.8 apg). • Ashtyn Veerbeek ranks third among the Husker freshmen in scoring with 7.8 points per game, while leading the freshmen and ranking second on the team with 5.8 rebounds. Veerbeek erupted for a career-high 19 points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds in the win at Illinois (Jan. 17). She produced her first career double-double with 14 points and  a career-high 14 rebounds in a win over San Jose State (Dec. 8). She had 14 points in 14 minutes in the win over Denver (Dec. 15). She added 14 points for the third straight game at Arkansas (Dec. 18). She owns five double-digit scoring efforts on the year. She also ranks second among the Huskers with 20 blocks. • Kayla Mershon has pitched in 3.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Her production is on the rise in Big Ten play, and she has made four consecutive starts heading to Purdue. Mershon scored a career-high eight points against No. 9 Maryland (Jan. 8), before adding seven points against nationally ranked Rutgers (Jan. 13). She had a career-high seven rebounds in a win over Kansas (Dec. 5) and matched that total against Northwestern (Jan. 24). The 6-3 forward from Chanhassen, Minn., also has dished out 15 assists and committed a team-best eight turnovers through 20 games. • The freshmen have combined for 41.8 percent (609-of-1,457) of Nebraska’s points in just 36.4 percent of the team’s total minutes (1,475-of-4,050) on the season. They also have accounted for just 29.2 percent (90-of-308) of Nebraska’s turnovers. • Nebraska’s four freshmen are combining to average 30.5 points and 14.4 rebounds per game.