Huskers to Battle Bluejays Sunday at PBA

Nebraska closes its four-game home stand by colliding with the Creighton Bluejays on Sunday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tip-off between the Huskers (5-0) and the Jays (3-1) is set for 2 p.m., with tickets on sale now through the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at Huskers.com.

Live radio coverage (beginning at 1:45 p.m.) can be heard in Lincoln on 1400 AM-KLIN and in Omaha on CD 105.9 FM. Stations across the state will also carry the broadcast on the Learfield-IMG College Husker Sports Network. Free live audio can be found at Huskers.com and the Huskers App.

A live video stream will be provided by BTN+ as part of Nebraska's BTN Student U telecasts.

It will be the 45th all-time meeting between the Huskers and Jays, with Nebraska owning a 30-14 edge in the series, but Creighton has earned wins in the last three games.

Nebraska is coming off its most complete all-around game of the young season with a 73-39 win over defending SWAC champion and 2019 NCAA Tournament qualifier Southern on Wednesday.

Leigha Brown (16) led three Husker sophomores in double figures, including Ashtyn Veerbeek (12) and Sam Haiby (10). Brown (15.6 ppg), Haiby (12.4 ppg) and Veerbeek (10.8 ppg) are also Nebraska's three leading scorers on the season.

Senior Hannah Whitish became the 33rd Husker to join the 1,000-point club, when she hit a mid-range jumper midway through the first quarter against the Jaguars. She finished the game with eight points, five rebounds and five assists. 

All 10 Huskers who played in the game against Southern scored at least two points and grabbed at least one rebound, while Nebraska held an opponent to fewer than 40 points for just the third time in 102 games inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The first time the Huskers held an opponent to less than 40 at Pinnacle Bank Arena came on Dec. 14, 2013, in Nebraska's 63-38 win over Creighton.

Through five games this season, Nebraska has held four opponents to 55 points or less. Last season, the Huskers held only two opponents to 55 points the entire 30-game season.

Nebraska is holding opponents to 54.8 points per game, while limiting the opposition to 30.9 percent shooting from the field and 21.2 percent from three-point range. Those same opponents are shooting 72.6 percent at the free throw line.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-0) vs. Creighton Bluejays (3-1)
Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, 2 p.m. (CT)
Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,000) - Lincoln
Live Video: BTN+ (Student U)
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (1:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln-1400 AM KLIN; CD 105.9 FM; Huskers.com; Huskers App

Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
13 - Ashtyn Veerbeek - 6-2 - So. - F - 10.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg
31 - Kate Cain - 6-5 - Jr. - C - 7.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg
3 - Hannah Whitish - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 8.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - So. - G - 12.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg
5 - Nicea Eliely - 6-1 - Sr. - G - 9.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg
Off the Bench
32 - Leigha Brown - 6-1 - So. - F - 15.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg
33 - Taylor Kissinger - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 4.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg
34 - Isabelle Bourne - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 3.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg
14 - Grace Mitchell - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg
44 - Kayla Mershon - 6-3 - So. - F - 1.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg
11 - Kristian Hudson - 5-5 - RSr. - G - 1.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg
1 - Makenzie Helms - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
2 - Trinity Brady - 5-11 - Fr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Fourth Season at Nebraska (47-49); 13th Season Overall (240-158)

Creighton Bluejays (3-1, 0-0 Big East)
5 - Jaylyn Agnew - 5-11 - Sr. - F - 16.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg
12 - Gracey Griglione - 6-1 - So. - F - 1.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg 
2 - Tatum Rembao - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 8.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg
4 - Temi Carda - 5-7 - Jr. - G - 12.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg
21 - Olivia Elger - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 6.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Off the Bench
33 - Payton Brotzki - 5-11 - So. - G - 5.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg
24 - Chloe Dworak - 5-6 - So. - G - 5.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg
34 - Mykel Parham - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 3.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg
22 - Carly Bachelor - 6-0 - Fr. - G/F - 3.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
3 - Dee Dee Pryor - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 1.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg
Head Coach: Jim Flanery (Creighton, 1987)
18th Season at Creighton (330-221); 18th Season Overall: (330-221)

Scouting Creighton
• Creighton comes to Lincoln with a 3-1 record after a 70-59 win over North Dakota State in Omaha on Monday night. The Bluejays own three double-digit wins, including a 61-48 victory over South Dakota State and a 67-54 win at Omaha.
• CU's lone loss came in a 63-53 setback at Drake on Nov. 16. The Jays hit 11 three-pointers against the Bulldogs, but 36 of their 68 shots from the field came from beyond the arc. CU was outscored at the free throw line, 11-2.
• Senior Jaylyn Agnew led the Jays with 16.3 points per game while ranking second on the squad with 6.0 rebounds. The 5-11 forward from Andover, Kan., has hit a team-best 10 threes and is a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line. Agnew also leads CU with 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals. She did not play in last season's game with the Huskers because of injury.
• Junior Temi Carda is the only other Jay averaging in double figures (12.0 ppg). The 5-7 guard is leading the Jays on the boards (6.8 rpg). Carda has hit 14-of-17 free throws. Carda and Agnew have averaged nearly 38 minutes per game through the first four contests this season. Carda produced eight points on 2-of-9 shooting last season against the Huskers.
• Junior guard Tatum Rembao has pitched in 8.0 points and 3.5 rebounds for the Jays. Last year, she led CU with 18 points and six assists against NU, hitting 2-of-3 threes.
• Senior guard Olivia Elger has contributed 6.8 points and 2.5 boards. Elger scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench last season against the Huskers. She knocked down 3-of-5 three-point attempts. 
• Rembao and Elger, who combined to hit all five of CU's threes in the win over Nebraska last season, have both averaged about 26 minutes per game this year.
• Gracey Griglione rounds out the CU starting five by providing size inside. The 6-1 forward is averaging 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in just 12 minutes per game. She had two points and two boards in seven minutes as a starter against the Big Red last season.
• Sophomores Payton Brotzki (5.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and Chloe Dworak (5.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg) have been consistent contributors off the bench for the Jays. Both players were scoreless against the Huskers last season.
• Mykel Parham (6-2) and Carly Bachelor (6-0) are freshmen who give CU more size off the bench. The duo has combined to average 6.3 points and 6.8 rebounds through four games.
• As a team, Creighton is averaging 62.8 points per game while shooting 37.1 percent from the field and 31.6 percent (36-114) from three-point range. The Jays are a solid 75 percent at the free throw line but have averaged just 11 trips to the line per game compared to 14 by their opponents. CU has been out-rebounded, 39.0-35.0, but owns a plus-7.8 turnover margin per game.

Nebraska vs. Creighton Series History
• The Cornhuskers own a commanding 30-14 lead in the series, but the Bluejays have won the last three meetings, including a 74-65 win at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha on Dec. 2, 2018.
• The Jays also won the last meeting at Pinnacle Bank Arena, 64-49, on Nov. 19, 2017. Creighton and Nebraska both advanced to the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
• Prior to Creighton's recent success, Nebraska had won 10 of the 11 previous meetings. 
• The Huskers are 20-2 all-time against CU in Lincoln.
• Last season, Nebraska went just 2-for-22 from three-point range in Omaha. The Jays managed 5-for-21 shooting from long range.
• In the 2017-18 contest at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Jays went 11-for-27 from long range, including a 6-for-9 shooting night from Jaylyn Agnew, who finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. Agnew did not play in last season's game in Omaha because of injury.
• In the last three meetings between Nebraska and Creighton, the Huskers have hit just 9-of-50 three-pointers (.180), while the Jays have knocked down 31-of-86 threes (.360). Creighton's 15 threes on Dec. 18, 2016 tied the opponent record against the Huskers.
• Since 2002-03, Nebraska owns an 11-6 edge in the series with the Bluejays despite hitting more than five three-pointers only once (9-for-21, Nov. 17, 2008) in the 17 games. Nebraska has hit just 54-of-203 attempts (.266) against the Jays.
• On the flip side, Creighton has hit at least five threes in each of the previous 17 meetings, going 129-of-382 (.338). The Jays are 6-11 against NU during the stretch despite scoring 225 more combined points behind the arc (22.8-9.5 ppg from 3FG).

Nebraska Streaks
• Kate Cain owns Nebraska's longest streak of consecutive starts (66).
• Nicea Eliely owns Nebraska's second-longest streak of starts (61).
• Eliely was the only Husker to score in all 30 games last season, and the only Husker to score in all of Nebraska's games against Big Ten Conference foes. She has scored in 39 consecutive games overall. She did not score in a win over Penn State on Feb. 22, 2018, the only time in the past three seasons (including 2019-20, 67 games) that Eliely was shut out.
• Leigha Brown has scored in double figures in all five games to open the season. She has scored in double figures in six consecutive games overall - the longest active streak by a Husker.
• Nebraska's current five-game winning streak is its longest since a pair of five-game winning streaks in 2017-18. The Huskers have not had a six-game winning streak since 2015-16 (Jan. 10-27).
• Nebraska will be shooting to open the season with six straight wins for the first time since 2014-15, when the Huskers opened the season 7-0.
• The Huskers have knocked down at least one three in 347 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two three-pointers in 226 consecutive games.

Numbers to Watch 
(1) Sam Haiby is one rebound away from 100 in her career.
(4) Junior Kate Cain is four blocks away from 200 in her career. Only three other Huskers in history have achieved 200 career blocks.
(5) Ashtyn Veerbeek is five rebounds away from 200 in her career.
(6) Nicea Eliely is six assists away from 200 in her career.
(7) Kristian Hudson needs eight assists to reach 400 in her career (383 at FIU).
(9) Hannah Whitish is nine assists away from tying fellow Wisconsin native and two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge (392, 1995-98) in eighth place on the Nebraska career assist list.
(11) Kristian Hudson needs 13 rebounds to reach 400 in her career (372 at FIU).
(17) Hannah Whitish is 17 assists away from becoming just the eighth Husker in history with 400 career assists.

Husker Nuggets
• Nebraska will try to open the season 6-0 for the first time under Coach Amy Williams in her fourth season at Nebraska. The last Husker team to open 6-0 was the 2014-15 Nebraska team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament after opening the year 7-0.
• Through five games, Nebraska is allowing an average of 54.8 points per game while holding opponents to 30.9 percent shooting from the field and 21.2 percent success from three-point range.
• Last season, Nebraska allowed an average of 70.1 points per game, while opponents shot 41.1 percent from the field and 33.4 percent from long range.
• Nebraska has held four opponents to 55 points or less in five games this season. Last year, NU held only two foes (Radford-39, Kansas-52) to 55 or less.
• In 2017-18, Nebraska held 11 of 32 opponents to 55 points or less.
• Nebraska's bench has outscored the opposing bench in all five games this season. The Huskers have outscored the opponent bench in 33 of the last 35 games.
• The Husker bench has outscored the opponent bench by double digits 24 times in the last 35 games, including a 30-1 edge in a loss to 2019 NCAA Elite Eight qualifier Iowa (Feb. 25, 2019).
• Overall, Nebraska's bench outscored opposition benches 950-492 (31.7-16.4 ppg) for a plus-15.3 margin in 2018-19.
• Nebraska's bench scored 40 or more points seven times last season, including  a season-high 45 in a loss at Arkansas.
• Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 15 times in the last three seasons (including 2019-20, 67 games). Through the first 20 seasons with the three-point shot in women's basketball (1988-2007), Nebraska hit 10 threes in a game only six times (311 games).