Huskers Shoot for Top 25 Win Against Spartans

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. 24/22 Michigan State Spartans Sunday, February 17, 2019, 3 p.m. (CT) Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,000) - Lincoln, Nebraska Live TV: BTN (Mike Monaco, Brenda VanLengen) Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (2:45 p.m.) Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst) Lincoln-B107.3 FM; Omaha-ESPN 590 AM Huskers.com, Huskers App, TuneIn

Huskers Shoot for Top 25 Win Against Spartans • The Nebraska women’s basketball team takes aim at its second win over a top-25 opponent this season when the Huskers face No. 24 Michigan State Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. • Tip off between Nebraska (11-14, 6-8 Big Ten) and Michigan State (17-7, 7-6 Big Ten) is set for 3 p.m. (CT). Live radio coverage (beginning at 2:45 p.m.) can be heard in Lincoln on B107.3 FM, in Omaha on ESPN 590 AM, in Lexington on 880 AM KRVN 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 national television coverage will be provided by BTN with Mike Monaco and Brenda VanLengen on the call. • Sunday’s game with Michigan State will be Nebraska’s 10th meeting this year with a team that has been ranked in the top 25 at some point during the regular season. The Spartans, who were ranked as high as No. 15 in midseason, will give the Huskers their eighth game against a team ranked among the top 16 teams in the AP Poll at some point this year. NU’s lone win over a ranked foe this season came against No. 23 Minnesota (63-57, Jan. 20). The Golden Gophers were ranked as high as No. 12 in early January. • In addition to Sunday’s game with nationally ranked Michigan State, the Huskers will face current No. 14 Iowa in Lincoln on Feb. 25. In between, the Huskers will travel to Northwestern for their second meeting with a Wildcat team that has been ranked as high as No. 26 nationally this season. The same week Northwestern was No. 26 in the AP Poll, Michigan was No. 26 by the Coaches and both teams received more votes than current No. 25 South Dakota. NU has split a pair of games with Michigan this season. • By the end of the regular season, at least 15 of Nebraska’s 29 games will have come against teams ranked in the top-26 of the national polls at some point during the year. • Although Nebraska is below .500 on the season, the Huskers have fought hard down to the wire, with a school-record 12 games decided by two possessions or less. Unfortunately, the Huskers are just 3-9 in games decided by six or fewer points, including 2-6 in Big Ten play. On the flip side, Michigan State has played just four two-possession game this season and is 2-2 in those games, with wins over Oregon and at Michigan, and losses to NC State and at Indiana.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-14, 6-8 Big Ten) 44 - Kayla Mershon - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 3.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg 31 - Kate Cain - 6-5 - So. - C - 7.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg 3 - Hannah Whitish - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 9.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg 5 - Nicea Eliely - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 8.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg 33 - Taylor Kissinger - 6-1 - So. - G - 8.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg Off the Bench 32 - Leigha Brown - 6-1 - Fr. - F - 10.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg 4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 9.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg 13 - Ashtyn Veerbeek - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 7.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg 24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 6.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg 14 - Grace Mitchell - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 1.2 ppg, 1.2 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 (39-47); 12th Season Overall (232-156)

24/22 Michigan State Spartans (17-7, 7-6 Big Ten) 10 - Sidney Cooks - 6-4 - So. - F - 9.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg 33 - Jenna Allen - 6-4 - Sr. - C - 12.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg  0 - Shay Colley - 5-9 - RJr. - G - 15.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg 4 - Taryn McCutcheon - 5-5 - Jr. - G - 10.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg 24 - Nia Clouden - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 11.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg Off the Bench 15 - Victoria Gaines - 6-1 - RJr. - F - 7.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg 2 - Mardrekia Cook - 6-0 - So. - G - 6.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg 12 - Nia Hollie - 6-0 - Jr. - F - 3.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg 42 - Kayla Belles - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 3.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg 5 - Claire Hendrickson - 5-11 - RFr. - G - 2.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg 1 - Tory Ozment - 6-1 - Fr. - G - 7.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg Head Coach: Suzy Merchant (Central Michigan, 1991) 13th Season at Michigan State (261-129); 24th Season Overall (462-249)

Scouting the Michigan State Spartans • In her 12th season at Michigan State, Coach Suzy Merchant has her Spartans in the top 25. MSU comes to Lincoln with a 17-7 overall record and a 7-6 Big Ten mark. Michigan State has lost two of its last three games, including a 79-62 loss at Wisconsin Thursday. • The Spartans feature one of the Big Ten’s most experienced and balanced lineups. Senior Jenna Allen is contending for All-Big Ten honors by averaging team bests of 12.9 points and 6.8 rebounds to go along with 2.1 assists per game. The 6-4 center owns more than 1,000 career points and more than 500 rebounds. She scored a season-high 27 points in MSU’s early season upset of current No. 3 Oregon - the only loss for the Ducks this season.  • Allen posted a double-double with 20 points and a career-high 17 rebounds going head-to-head with Megan Gustafson in a Spartan win over Iowa (Dec. 30). Allen owns four double-doubles this year.  • However, Allen’s production has slipped to 10.2 points and 5.8 rebounds in Big Ten play. In February, she is averaging just 3.8 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 17.9 percent (5-28) from the field. In the rematch against Gustafson and Iowa on Feb. 7, Allen mustered two points and three rebounds, while Gustafson poured in 41 points and grabbed 14 boards. • While Allen has been the focus inside for the Spartans, 6-4 sophomore Sidney Cooks has added 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds. Frequent starter Victoria Gaines, a 6-1 junior, has pitched in 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds. The duo gives the Spartans versatility at the power forward spot. • Junior point guard Taryn McCutcheon has spent the most time on the court this season for the Spartans, averaging 32.8 minutes per game. She is averaging 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and a team-best 4.5 assists per contest. The 5-5 McCutcheon also ranks among Big Ten leaders by hitting 41.5 percent (61-147) of her threes, while knocking down 82.9 percent (29-35) of her free throws. • Fellow junior Shay Colley has taken over the team scoring lead recently with a hot start to February. The 5-8 Colley is averaging 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists. She erupted for 32 points, six rebounds and five steals in a win over Indiana (Feb. 11) and followed with 24 points and nine rebounds in the loss at Wisconsin (Feb. 14). In four February games, Colley is averaging 20.8 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Spartans. • Colley, a transfer from South Carolina/Pittsburgh prior to the 2016-17 season, helps MSU play up-tempo basketball and pressure defense. Colley has missed six games this season because of injury, but she is averaging 36 minutes over the last six games.  • Nia Clouden rounds out the Spartan backcourt as one of the Big Ten’s most productive freshmen. The 5-8 guard is averaging 11.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Clouden has started every game alongside Allen and McCutcheon for the Spartans since coming to East Lansing as a two-time Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year. A dangerous penetrator, Clouden is also capable from three (.368, 14-38). • Michigan State gets more backcourt help off the bench from sophomore Mardrekia Cook (6.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg), while junior forward Nia Hollie (3.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg) rounds out a reliable eight-player rotation. • For the season, Michigan State is averaging 77.9 points per game, but the Spartan offensive production has dipped to 71.4 points per Big Ten game. MSU has hit 45.4 percent of its field goal attempts, including 36.9 percent from three-point range on the year. The Spartans have hit 69.6 percent of their free throws. • Michigan State is allowing 67.2 points per game, while opponents are hitting 41.1 percent of their field goal attempts. In Big Ten play, the Spartans carry just a plus-2.0 point scoring margin (71.4-69.4), and they have been outscored (207-158) at the free throw line. • MSU owns a plus-1.3 rebound margin and a plus-0.1 turnover margin in Big Ten play.

Nebraska vs. Michigan State Series History • Nebraska leads the all-time series with Michigan State 7-3 with all 10 meetings as Big Ten Conference foes, including a 79-69 win over the Spartans in East Lansing on Feb. 14, 2018. • The Huskers are 4-0 against Michigan State in Lincoln, including a 76-74 overtime win over the Spartans on Feb. 26, 2017, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Huskers are 2-3 against Michigan State all-time in East Lansing. • Four of Nebraska’s seven wins have been by 10 points or less, while NU’s most lopsided win in the series came with an 86-58 victory over the Spartans in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on March 8, 2014 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. • Michigan State’s three series wins have all been by double digits in East Lansing, including a 73-53 victory in the first-ever meeting on Feb. 23, 2012. Two years later, the Spartans worked their way to a 70-57 win on Jan. 9, 2014, before rolling to a 93-73 victory over the Huskers on Jan. 7, 2017.

Husker Nuggets • The Husker bench has outscored opponent benches in 22 of 24 games this year with the only exceptions coming in losses at Michigan (37-20, Feb. 7) and at No. 7 Maryland (22-19, Feb. 14).   • Nebraska’s bench has outscored the opponent bench by double digits 18 times this year.  • In two meetings with Purdue, the Husker bench outscored the Boiler reserves 79-26. • Overall, Nebraska’s bench has outscored opposition benches 783-404 (31.3-16.2 ppg) for a plus-15.1 margin. • 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 six times, including 45 at Arkansas, 42 points against San Jose State, 41 points against Drake, 40 against Denver, 40 at Illinois (1/17) and most recently 40 at Purdue (1/31). • 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 426-246 (30.4-17.6, +12.8 ppg), including 39-12 (+27) and 40-14 (+26) edges against Purdue and a 34-9 margin (+25) in a win over No. 23 Minnesota (Jan. 20). • Nebraska’s bench has scored at least 15 points in each of its 14 Big Ten games, including at least 35 points on five occasions. • Nebraska is the only school in the Big Ten with two freshmen leading the team in scoring, with Leigha Brown averaging 10.0 points and Sam Haiby contributing 9.8 points per contest.  • Nebraska is also the only team in the Big Ten with two reserves leading the team in scoring.

Nebraska Streaks • Sophomore Kate Cain owns the longest streak of consecutive starts by a Husker with 56. • Junior Nicea Eliely owns Nebraska’s second-longest streak of starts with 51. • Junior Hannah Whitish scored in double figures seven straight games for Nebraska from Jan. 17 (at Illinois) to Feb. 7 (at Michigan) - the longest streak of the season for any Husker. • The Huskers have knocked down at least one three in 337 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two three-pointers in 216 consecutive games.

Nebraska Numbers to Watch • (1) Taylor Kissinger is one three-pointer away from 100 in her career. • (1) Hannah Whitish is one three away from moving up to No. 3 on Nebraska’s all-time three-point list (183, Yvonne Turner, 2007-10).  • (5) Kate Cain is five blocks away from tying Nebraska’s sophomore single-season record for blocked shots (69). Cain owns 64 blocks through 25 games this season. • (6) Ashtyn Veerbeek needs six blocks to tie for the No. 5 total by a freshman in school history (31). She enters the Michigan State game with 25 blocks on the season. • (8) Nicea Eliely needs eight steals to reach 50 on the season. She would become the first Husker to notch 50 steals in a season since All-American Lindsey Moore (60) in 2012-13.

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 (10.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.2 apg), Sam Haiby (9.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.5 apg), Ashtyn Veerbeek (7.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.0 bpg) and Kayla Mershon (3.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg). • Leigha Brown, who earned Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honors (Jan. 7) and a spot on the Big Ten Honor Roll after her 30-point outburst against Purdue (Feb. 10), leads the Huskers with 10.0 points per game, including 11.0 points per Big Ten game. She added 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 against 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 nine double-figure scoring efforts and has led the Big Red in scoring six times this season, including four Big Ten games. • Haiby, a 5-9 guard from Moorhead, Minn., ranks second overall among the Huskers with 9.8 points per game off the bench. Haiby, who was the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week (Feb. 4), has led Nebraska in scoring in seven games, including 17 points against Indiana (Feb. 3). She also had 13 points in a road win at Purdue (Jan. 13). Haiby added 16 in a win over No. 23 Minnesota (Jan. 20). She scored a season-high 20 points at Washington State (Nov. 16), while also leading the Huskers with 16 at Arkansas (Dec. 18). She put up a 17-point effort at Creighton (Dec. 2), 14 at Miami (Nov. 23) and 13 against Drake (Nov. 7).  • Haiby owns 11 double-figure scoring efforts overall, including 12 points at No. 5 Louisville (Nov. 29), 12 more in a win over Michigan (Dec. 28) and 11 at No. 7 Maryland (Feb. 14). • Haiby also ranks second among the Huskers in assists (2.5 apg). • Ashtyn Veerbeek ranks third among the Husker freshmen in scoring with 7.2 points per game, while leading the freshmen and ranking second on the team with 5.6 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). Veerbeek just missed a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds in a road win at Purdue (Jan. 31). She had 14 points in 14 minutes in a win over Denver (Dec. 15) and added 14 points for the third straight game at Arkansas (Dec. 18). She owns six double-digit scoring efforts on the year. She also ranks second among the Huskers with 25 blocks. • Kayla Mershon has pitched in 3.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. She has made nine consecutive starts. Mershon scored a career-high eight points against No. 9 Maryland (Jan. 8) and added seven points against the Terps (Feb. 14). She also had seven points against 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., owns 20 assists and has committed just 10 turnovers through 25 games. • The freshmen have combined for 41.4 percent (750-of-1,810) of Nebraska’s points in just 36.5 percent of the team’s total minutes (1,841-of-5,050) on the season. They also have accounted for just 29.9 percent (114-of-381) of Nebraska’s turnovers. • Nebraska’s four freshmen are combining to average 30 points and 14.1 rebounds per game.

Whitish Heating Up in Big Ten Play • Preseason All-Big Ten guard Hannah Whitish is catching fire in conference action, including a season-high 28-point performance at Purdue (Jan. 31). Whitish added a career-high 12 assists to notch her first career double-double. She also tied a career high with six threes in the win over the Boilermakers. • Whitish’s 12 assists tied for the ninth-best total by a Husker in school history. Only three players in Nebraska history [Rachel Theriot (4), Kathy Hawkins (3), Stacy Imming (1)] have had more than 12 assists in a game. • Whitish’s career high of 29 points came last season in back-to-back non-conference wins at Kansas and Drake. • Whitish owns a team-best 46 career double-figure scoring efforts, including a team-high 15 in 2018-19 and 18 in 2017-18. She owns five career 20-point performances, including three in 2017-18. • Whitish is averaging 11.0 points per Big Ten game this season, and 9.8 points overall on the year.  • She has climbed to No. 4 on the Nebraska career three-point list with 182, and needs one more to catch Yvonne Turner (2007-10) in third on that chart with 183. • Whitish leads the Huskers with 52 three-pointers on the season.   • Whitish scored in double figures for seven straight games before being shut out by a focused defensive effort from Purdue (Feb. 10). In the seven-game stretch, Whitish averaged 15 points per game and shot 43.6 percent (24-55) from three-point range. She also averaged 5.3 assists over those seven contests. • Whitish has climbed to No. 9 on the Nebraska career assist list with 344, and she is 48 away from catching fellow Wisconsin native and state player of the year Anna DeForge at No. 8 on that list (392, 1995-98). • Nebraska’s growth in the backcourt in 2017-18 started with Whitish, who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore in her first full season as a starter. The 5-9 guard from Barneveld, Wis., led the Huskers in scoring (12.6 ppg), assists (4.7 apg), steals (1.3 spg) and three-pointers (2.3 pg), as the only Husker to start all 32 games in 2017-18. • She scored in double figures a team-leading 18 times in 2017-18 for a balanced Big Red attack. • Whitish helped power Nebraska to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals by scoring 17 points while pulling down a team-high seven rebounds in a win over Michigan in the quarterfinals (March 2). • In her first NCAA Tournament appearance, Whitish scored 12 points and hit a pair of three-pointers against Arizona State (March 17) in Austin, Texas. • Whitish tied a career high with eight rebounds while adding nine points and a game-high five assists in the win over Penn State (Feb. 22, 2018).