Huskers Close Regular Season at Penn State

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Penn State Lady Lions Saturday, March 2, 2019, 2 p.m. (CT) Bryce Jordan Center (15,104) - University Park, Pa. Live TV: BTN (Chris Vosters, Vera Jones) Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (1:45 p.m.) Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst) Lincoln-B107.3 FM; Omaha-ESPN 590 AM Huskers.com, Huskers App, TuneIn

Huskers Close Regular Season at Penn State Saturday • The Nebraska women’s basketball team closes 2019 regular-season Big Ten Conference play by traveling to Penn State on Saturday afternoon. • Tip off between Nebraska (13-15, 8-9 Big Ten) and the Lady Lions (12-16, 5-12 Big Ten) is set for 2 p.m. (CT). Live radio coverage (beginning at 1:45 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 Chris Vosters and Vera Jones on the call. • Nebraska takes aim at its third win in the last four games in hopes of finishing with a .500 league record at 9-9. It would be the seventh time in eight years since joining the Big Ten in 2011-12 that the Huskers have finished with a .500 or better conference mark. • The Huskers had their two-game Big Ten winning streak snapped with a 74-58 loss to No. 12 Iowa on Monday in Lincoln. Nebraska and the Hawkeyes were tied at 43 late in the third quarter, before Iowa pulled away to sweep the season series. Nebraska defeated No. 24 Michigan State (82-71, Feb. 17) and Northwestern (71-64, Feb. 21). • Nebraska will be playing for positioning at next week’s Big Ten Conference Tournament in Indianapolis. Through games Feb. 27, the Huskers could finish between fifth and 10th depending on the remaining results in the league. • The Huskers own at least one win over every team (Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State and Purdue [2]) in the No. 4 through No. 10 spots in the conference standings as of Feb. 27. • Nebraska is 1-5 against the top four teams in the Big Ten standings with two losses to No. 8 Maryland, two losses to No. 12 Iowa, a loss to previously ranked Rutgers and a loss at Michigan. Overall, 11 of Nebraska’s 15 losses have come against teams that have been ranked in the AP Top 25 at some point during the season, as the Huskers own the No. 21 Strength of Schedule in the country. • 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. Penn State is 2-4 in games decided by two possessions this season, including 1-3 in the Big Ten.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (13-15, 8-9 Big Ten) 44 - Kayla Mershon - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 3.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg 31 - Kate Cain - 6-5 - So. - C - 7.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg 3 - Hannah Whitish - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 10.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg 5 - Nicea Eliely - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 8.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg 32 - Leigha Brown - 6-1 - Fr. - F - 9.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg Off the Bench 4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 9.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg 33 - Taylor Kissinger - 6-1 - So. - G - 8.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg 13 - Ashtyn Veerbeek - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 7.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg 24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 7.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg 14 - Grace Mitchell - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 1.0 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 (41-48); 12th Season Overall (234-157)

Penn State Lady Lions (12-16, 5-12 Big Ten) 33 - Lauren Ebo - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 5.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg 2 - Amari Carter - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 10.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg 3 - Karisma Ortiz - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 3.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg 4 - Siyeh Frazier - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 10.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg 11 - Teniya Page - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 19.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg Off the Bench 1 - Alisia Smith - 6-3 - So. - F - 9.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg 5 - Kamaria McDaniel - 5-9 - So. - G - 9.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg 31 - Jaida Travascio-Green - 6-2 - Jr. - G - 7.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg 43 - Bexley Wallace - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 1.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg 12 - Kayleigh Simon - 5-6 - Sr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.6 rpg 22 - Leah Knizer - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.2 rpg 34 - Sarah McMurtry - 5-6 - Sr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg Head Coach: Coquese Washington (Notre Dame, 1983) 12th Season at Penn State (209-166); 12th Season Overall (209-166)

Scouting the Penn State Lady Lions • The Penn State Lady Lions head into Saturday’s regular-season finale with some momentum having won two of their past three games. • The Lady Lions, led by 12th-year head coach Coquese Washington, had won back-to-back games against Purdue and at Illinois while playing without All-Big Ten guard Teniya Page, before losing at Michigan State on Wednesday night. • Prior to its win over Purdue at the Bryce Jordan Center on Feb. 21, Penn State had lost six consecutive games dating back to a 65-59 win over Wisconsin (Jan. 24). • While Penn State is 5-12 in the conference, four of its wins have come against Wisconsin and Illinois - the 13th and 14th-place teams in the league. • Teniya Page, a 5-7 senior guard is a two-time All-Big Ten choice and an honorable-mention WBCA All-American (2017). This year, Page is averaging 19.3 points per game. She has racked up 2,072 points as the sixth Lady Lion in history to reach 2,000. She has 421 rebounds and 409 career assists.  • This season, Penn State is 10-16 with Page on the court and 2-1 without her. She missed PSU’s wins over Purdue (Feb. 21), Illinois (Feb. 24) and a loss at Michigan State (Feb. 27) after suffering an injury in a 97-67 loss at Minnesota. • Page has scored in double figures 42 straight games and 103 in her career. In her last 12 games, Page has shot better than 40 percent from the field just twice (.417, at Maryland, Jan. 20; .538, at Ohio State, Feb. 6). She has taken twice as many two-point field goals (258) as threes (129). • Through the first 25 games, Page had taken 25.1 percent of PSU’s shots, including 27.7 percent of the team’s threes, and 35.9 percent of the free throws. With Page, Penn State averaged 68.2 points and allowed 71.5 points. In two wins without her, PSU averaged 74 points and allowed 63 points per contest, before being held to a season-low 48 points without her in a 57-48 loss at Michigan State. • Jaida Travascio-Green stepped up in a big way in place of Page in wins over Purdue and Illinois. The 6-2 junior guard, who missed the non-conference season while recovering from a knee injury, scored 14 points and hit 3-of-7 threes in a season-high 39 minutes in the win over Purdue. She followed with a season-high 19 points on a season-best 5-for-10 shooting from three in the win at Illinois. • Travascio-Green averaged 16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 38 minutes per game in her first two starts of the season as Page sat out. Travascio-Green hit 11-of-23 shots (.478), including 8-of-17 (.471) threes. In her previous 14 games, she averaged 6.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 20.2 minutes off the bench, while hitting just 26-of-88 (.295) shots, including 20-of-69 (.290) threes. She went just 2-for-11 at Michigan State and finished with six points, five rebounds and three assists. • Kamaria McDaniel, a 5-9 sophomore guard, also shined in PSU’s wins over Purdue and Illinois, averaging 16.0 points and 2-0 assists. McDaniel hit 9-of-15 shots from the field (.600), including 5-of-9 threes (.556), while going 9-of-12 (.750) at the free throw line. She put up a Big Ten season-best 20 points at Illinois by tying her season high with four threes. McDaniel is averaging 9.4 points and 2.6 rebounds on the year. She has come off the bench in all 17 Big Ten games, but played 38 minutes and finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists at Michigan State Wednesday. • Siyeh Frazier, a 5-9 junior guard, has started all 28 games for the Lady Lions. The last four games, she has averaged 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists while hitting 20-of-37 (.541) of her shots and 8-of-9 (.889) free throws. Frazier is averaging 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds on the season. • Amari Carter has started 24 of 25 games while battling injury at times in 2018-19. The 5-8 junior guard is averaging 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists. She averaged 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals in wins over Purdue and Illinois. She hit 12-of-28 shots, including 4-of-12 threes in those two games, but went just 2-for-11 (0-for-5 3FG) at Michigan State. • Karisma Ortiz, a 6-0 guard from California, adds size. She has started 22 times, including all 17 Big Ten games alongside Carter and Frazier. Ortiz is averaging 3.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest. • Fellow freshman Lauren Ebo has started the last four games and gives the Lady Lions a true post presence. The 6-4 forward out of Riverdale Baptist in Maryland, is averaging 9.5 points and 7.0 rebounds the past four games while hitting 17-of-29 shots (.586) after going for a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out at Michigan State Wednesday. She is averaging 5.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game on the season. • Freshman forward Bexley Wallace (1.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg) adds more size in place of Ebo. • The Lady Lions have been challenged with injuries throughout the season, including a recent leg injury to starting forward Alisia Smith. The 6-3 sophomore averaged 9.5 points and team-best 7.1 rebounds, but suffered a non-contact leg injury at Northwestern on Feb. 14. Smith had five double-doubles in Penn State’s first 15 games this year.

Nebraska vs. Penn State Series History • Nebraska and Penn State are tied in the all-time series at six wins apiece with the Huskers winning the most recent meeting 59-51 at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Feb. 22, 2018. • Nebraska is 2-3 all-time at Penn State with its last victory at the Bryce Jordan Center coming in an 83-78 win on Jan. 13, 2016. • The Huskers’ first-ever Big Ten win came at Penn State on Dec. 30, 2011 (71-63). • Nebraska owns a 4-2 edge against Penn State in Lincoln, including four consecutive wins at Pinnacle Bank Arena by the Huskers. • Penn State defeated Nebraska 82-67 in the Huskers’ final regular-season conference home game at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on March 3, 2013. In that game, Big Ten Player-of-the-Year Maggie Lucas hit a Devaney Center-record eight three-pointers against the Huskers. Penn State clinched the Big Ten regular-season title with the win. That Nebraska team advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. • Penn State won the first meeting between the two teams 102-66 in State College on Jan. 2, 1993. • Penn State is 1-0 against Nebraska on neutral courts, including an 83-64 win over the Huskers in the Surf-N-Slam championship game in San Diego on Dec. 30, 2002.

Husker Nuggets • Nebraska was No. 85 in the RPI and owned the nation’s No. 21 Strength of Schedule according to RealTimeRPI (Feb. 27). • Nebraska’s four-player freshman class ranks No. 2 in the nation with 825 total points, trailing only Alabama State’s 1,176. ASU has an eight-player freshman class that includes its top five scorers. • The Husker bench has outscored opponent benches in 26 of 28 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 20 times this year, including a 30-1 edge in the loss to No. 12 Iowa (Feb. 25).  • In two meetings with Iowa, the Husker bench outscored the Hawkeye bench 67-12. • Overall, Nebraska’s bench has outscored opposition benches 877-441 (31.3-15.8 ppg) for a plus-15.5 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 520-283 (30.6-16.6, +14.0 ppg). • Nebraska’s bench has scored at least 15 points in each of its 17 Big Ten games, including at least 35 points on five occasions.

Nebraska Streaks • Kate Cain owns Nebraska’s longest streak of consecutive starts (59). • Nicea Eliely owns Nebraska’s second-longest streak of starts (54). • Eliely is the only Husker to score in all 28 games this season, and the only Husker to score in each of Nebraska’s 17 Big Ten Conference contests. She has scored in 32 consecutive games overall. She did not score in a win over Penn State on Feb. 22, 2018, the only time in the past two seasons (57 games) that she has been shut out. • 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 340 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two three-pointers in 219 consecutive games.

Nebraska Numbers to Watch • (2) Hannah Whitish is two steals away from 100 in her career. • (4) Kate Cain is four blocks away from tying Catheryn Redmon (77, 2010-11) for the No. 3 single-season block total in Husker history. Cain owns 73 blocks through 28 games this season. • (5) Cain is five blocks away from tying Danielle Page (78, 2007-08) for the No. 2 season block total at Nebraska. Cain owns the single-season school record with 100 blocks last year. • (4) Ashtyn Veerbeek needs four blocks to tie for the No. 5 total by a freshman in school history (31). She enters the Penn State game with 27 blocks on the season. • (9) Nicea Eliely needs nine steals to reach 60 on the year. Eliely (51) is the first Husker to record 50 steals in a season since All-American Lindsey Moore (60) in 2012-13.  • (12) Taylor Kissinger is 12 points away from 500 in her career. • (13) Nicea Eliely is 13 points away from 700 in her career.

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 (9.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.6 apg), Leigha Brown (9.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.4 apg),  Ashtyn Veerbeek (7.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.0 bpg) and Kayla Mershon (3.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg). • 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 eight games, including 17 points against Indiana (Feb. 3). Haiby added 16 in a win over No. 23 Minnesota (Jan. 20). She also had 13 points in a road win at Purdue (Jan. 13), and scored a team-high 12 in a loss to No. 12 Iowa (Feb. 25). Haiby 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 17 points at Creighton (Dec. 2), 14 at Miami (Nov. 23) and 13 against Drake (Nov. 7).  • Haiby owns 13 double-figure scoring efforts overall, including 12 points at No. 5 Louisville (Nov. 29), 12 more in a win over Michigan (Dec. 28), 11 at No. 7 Maryland (Feb. 14) and 11 more at Northwestern (Feb. 21). • Haiby also ranks second among the Huskers in assists (2.6 apg). • 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), ranks third among the Huskers with 9.6 points per game, including 10.3 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 10 double-figure scoring efforts and has led the Big Red in scoring six times this season, including four Big Ten games. • Ashtyn Veerbeek ranks third among the Husker freshmen in scoring with 7.1 points per game, while leading the freshmen and ranking second on the team with 5.4 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 seven double-digit scoring efforts on the year. She also ranks second among the Huskers with 27 blocks. • Kayla Mershon has pitched in 3.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. She has made 12 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 24 assists and has committed just 10 turnovers through 28 games. • The freshmen have combined for 40.8 percent (825-of-2,021) of Nebraska’s points in just 36.4 percent of the team’s total minutes (2,056-of-5,650) on the season. They also have accounted for just 30.1 percent (128-of-425) of Nebraska’s turnovers. • Nebraska’s four freshmen are combining to average 29.5 points and 14.0 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 48 career double-figure scoring efforts, including a team-high 17 in 2018-19 and 18 in 2017-18. She owns five career 20-point performances, including three in 2017-18. • Whitish is averaging a team-best 11.6 points per Big Ten game this season, and 10.3 points overall on the year, including 19 points in a win at Northwestern (Feb. 21).  • She has climbed to No. 3 on the Nebraska career three-point list with 191, moving ahead of current WNBA guard Yvonne Turner (183, 2007-10). • Whitish leads the Huskers with 61 three-pointers on the season, which ranks as the fourth-best total by a junior in school history. • 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 356, and she is 36 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).