Huskers Hit Road to Take on Terps

Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-4, 6-4 Big Ten)
at 17/14 Maryland Terrapins (16-6, 8-3 Big Ten)
Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, Noon (CT)
Xfinity Center - College Park, Maryland
Special Event: Maryland Senior Day
Live Video: B1G+ (subscription required)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (11:45 a.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (ESPN 590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Return to Road to Take on Top-20 Terps  
Nebraska hits the road for the first time in three weeks when the Huskers take on No. 17/14 Maryland on Sunday in College Park.

The Huskers (17-4, 6-4 Big Ten) and the Terrapins (16-6, 8-3 Big Ten) are set for a Noon (CT) tip at the Xfinity Center on Senior Day for the Terps.

A live video stream will be available to B1G+ subscribers, while Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will have the call on the Huskers Radio Network (B107.3 FM, Lincoln; ESPN 590 AM, Omaha), the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

The Huskers capped a perfect 4-0 Big Ten home stand with a 76-61 victory over Penn State on Thursday night to close a four-game stretch in eight days. Freshmen Alexis Markowski and Allison Weidner combined for 18 of Nebraska's final 20 points to help the Huskers turn a two-point lead (56-54) with 7:45 left into a 15-point win. NU held PSU without a field goal for the final 7:15.

Alexis Markowski, a five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and the USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Jan. 11), finished with a team-high 18 points to take over Nebraska's season scoring lead for the first time (12.5 ppg). The 6-3 forward/center from Lincoln is averaging 16.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in Big Ten play.

Allison Weidner, a 5-10 guard from Humphrey, Neb., matched her career high for the second time in three games with 14 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Weidner is averaging 7.1 points in Big Ten play while shooting 50 percent from the field and 88.2 percent from the free throw line.

Jaz Shelley continues to star in her first season at Nebraska. The 5-9 Oregon transfer from Moe, Australia, notched her sixth double-double of the season with a career-high-tying 12 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists to go along with six points and three blocked shots against Penn State. Shelley ranks in the top 10 in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.7 ppg, 9th), assists (5.1 apg, 6th), blocks (1.4 bpg, 3rd) and steals (1.8 spg, 7th). She also ranks second among the Huskers in scoring (12.4 ppg, 20th).

Returning All-Big Ten guard Sam Haiby also continues a steady all-around game, averaging 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals. Haiby had her string of 13 consecutive Big Ten games scoring in double figures snapped with a seven-point, five-assist effort against Penn State.

Isabelle Bourne, a 2021 honorable-mention All-Big Ten forward from Canberra, Australia, is averaging 9.9 points and 4.7 boards after a 14-point, nine-rebound performance in the win over PSU.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-4, 6-4 Big Ten)
34 - Isabelle Bourne - 6-2 - So. - F - 9.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Fr. - F/C - 12.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg
0 - Ashley Scoggin - 5-7 - RSo. - G - 8.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - So. - G - 12.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg
4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 10.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg
Off the Bench
14 - Bella Cravens - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 6.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg
3 - Allison Weidner - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 6.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 5.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg    
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 2.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg
11 - Ruby Porter - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 2.8 ppg, 0.6 rpg
10 - Whitney Brown - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 2.3 ppg, 0.8 rpg
5 - MiCole Cayton - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 2.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Fr. - G - 1.7 ppg, 0.5 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Sixth Season at Nebraska (89-79); 15th Season Overall (282-188)

17/14 Maryland Terrapins (16-6, 8-3 Big Ten)
10 - Angel Reese - 6-3 - So. - F/G - 17.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg
55 - Chloe Bibby - 6-1 - Gr. - F/G - 12.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg
1 - Diamond Miller - 6-3 - Jr. - G - 11.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg
11 - Katie Benzan - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 11.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg
15 - Ashley Owusu - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 14.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Off the Bench
2 - Mimi Collins - 6-3 - RJr. - F - 8.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg
0 - Shyanne Sellers - 6-2 - Fr. - G - 7.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg
13 - Faith Masonius (out) - 6-1 - Jr. - G/F - 6.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg
14 - Taisiya Kozlova - 6-1 - So. - G - 1.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg
21 - Emma Chardon - 6-2 - Fr. - G - 1.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg
Head Coach: Brenda Frese (Arizona, 1993)
20th Season at Maryland (528-137); 23rd Season Overall (585-167)

Nebraska Numbers to Watch
• Through games Feb. 3, the Huskers ranked among the top 25 teams nationally in scoring margin (7th, +19.2), scoring offense (11th, 79.4 ppg), assist-to-turnover ratio (11th, 1.27), assists (11th, 378), assists per game (12th, 18.0 apg), rebounds (13th, 906), defensive rebounds per game (15th, 29.7 rpg), rebounds per game (16th, 43.1 rpg), three-point field goals made (16th, 182), three-point field goal percentage defense (18th, .258), three-point field goals made per game (20th, 8.7 pg) and three-point field goal attempts (25th, 513).  

• Nebraska leads the Big Ten in scoring margin (+19.2 ppg), total rebounds (43.1 rpg), field goal percentage defense (.363) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.258).

• Alexis Markowski has hit 63.2 percent (12-19) of her three-point attempts as a starter, despite going 0-for-4 against Rutgers (Feb. 1).

• Nebraska guard Jaz Shelley is the only player to rank among the top 20 players in the Big Ten in scoring (20th, 12.4 ppg), rebounding (9th, 7.7 rpg), assists (6th, 5.1 apg), blocked shots (3rd, 1.4 bpg), steals (7th, 1.8 spg), three-point field goal percentage (9th, .409), three-pointers made per game (11th, 2.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3rd, 2.2).

• Huskers Jaz Shelley (11th, 2.3 pg) and Ashley Scoggin (13th, 2.2 pg) rank among the top players in the Big Ten in three-point field goals made per game. 

• Nebraska is one of only three teams in the nation with two shooters (Scoggin, 18th; Shelley, 41st) ranked among the top 50 in three-point field goal percentage. The Huskers are joined by Minnesota (Deja Winters, 26th; Sara Scalia, 30th) and Missouri (Hayley Frank, 9th; Lauren Hansen, 48th).

• Nebraska's backcourt has taken care of the ball while creating opportunities. Jaz Shelley (2.2) and Sam Haiby (1.7) rank No. 3 and No. 13, respectively in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio based on the NCAA minimum of 3.0 assists per game. Husker reserves Ruby Porter (3.0) and Allison Weidner (2.1), who don't meet the NCAA minimums, also own outstanding assist-to-turnover ratios.

• Nebraska ranks 11th nationally in scoring offense with 79.4 points per game. The only time in the last 25 years NU has averaged more than 75 points per game in a season came in 2009-10 (77.4 ppg). That Husker team went unbeaten in the regular season, won the Big 12 regular-season title and advanced to Nebraska's first NCAA Sweet Sixteen as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.    

• Sophomore point guard Jaz Shelley has pulled down 164 total rebounds in 583 minutes this season. In two seasons (971 minutes) at Oregon (2019-20, 2020-21), the 5-9 Shelley totaled 70 rebounds.

• Jaz Shelley leads Nebraska with 27 blocked shots in 20 games. She had six blocks in 55 games over two seasons at Oregon.

• In 21 games in 2021-22, Nebraska has far surpassed its season steals total (120, 26 games) from a year ago. The Huskers own 168 steals this season.

• Nebraska's minus-21 foul disparity (28-7) at Iowa (Jan. 16) marked the largest foul differential in program history (by NU or opponent) in 1,449 games over 48 seasons. It marked the first time in history that a Husker team held a negative foul differential of greater than 17. In NU's other 20 games this season, the Huskers own a positive foul differential of +2.0.

Scouting the Maryland Terrapins
• Coach Brenda Frese brings Maryland into its lone regular-season game against Nebraska riding a four-game winning streak after a hard-fought 67-62 win at Michigan State on Thursday night

• Angel Reese led Maryland with 25 points and nine rebounds, while Diamond Miller added 14 points and nine boards to compensate for the loss of All-Big Ten guard Ashley Owusu, who suffered an ankle injury after playing just eight minutes.

• Four Terps were named to watch lists for national player-of-the-year honors at their positions, including Owusu (Nancy Lieberman, PG), Miller and Katie Benzan (Ann Meyers Drysdale, SG) and Chloe Bibby (Cheryl Miller, SF). Bibby played the full 40 minutes at Michigan State.

• Owusu and Miller were first-team All-Big Ten picks in 2020-21, while Owusu and Benzan were AP All-Americans. Frese was the 2021 AP National Coach of the Year after leading the Terps to Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles.

• All five Terp starters enter Sunday's game averaging double figures, led by sophomore Reese (17.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg) who ranks No. 2 nationally in offensive rebounds per game (5.3). A Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Award Watch List selection, Reese was a member of the 2021 Big Ten All-Freshman Team despite missing 14 games with a foot injury.

• Owusu averages 14.3 points and 4.0 assists per game, while Bibby, a fifth-year player from Australia, has pitched in 12.2 points and 6.0 rebounds. 

• Benzan has averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 assists while hitting 42.7 percent (53-124) of her three-pointers. The sixth-year guard missed three non-conference games against No. 6 Baylor, No. 5 NC State and No. 7 Stanford. Last season, Benzan hit 50 percent (93-186) of her threes after transferring from Harvard.

• Miller missed 10 of Maryland's first 12 games this season with injury but has seen action in eight straight contests. She is averaging 11.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists including 14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in Big Ten play.

• Redshirt junior Mimi Collins was a starter following Reese's injury a year ago and has started 14 games this season. She is averaging 8.9 points and 5.0 rebounds on the year.

• Maryland is an outstanding free throw shooting team (.762), led by Benzan's 94.4 percent (17-18). Collins (.867), Bibby (.843) and Owusu (.830) are all better than 80 percent individually.

• A month ago, junior guard Faith Masonius suffered a torn ACL in a loss to Indiana (Jan. 2). Masonius was averaging 6.4 points and 5.6 rebounds on the year.

• Freshman Shyanne Sellers has filled a strong supporting role for the Terps in the absence of more experience backcourt players. Sellers is averaging 7.5 points and 3.3 rebounds.

• One of the nation's highest scoring teams, Maryland ranks seventh nationally with 80.9 points per game. The Terps have hit 36.3 percent from three-point range and own a plus-4.5 rebound margin and a plus-6.1 turnover margin.

Nebraska vs. Maryland Series History
• Maryland leads the all-time series with Nebraska 14-0.

• The Terrapins have been ranked in the top 10 in eight of the 14 previous meetings, including an 83-73 Maryland win over the Huskers at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis (March 11, 2021).        • The Terps have been ranked in the top 15 in either the AP or Coaches poll in entering 13 of the meetings, including Sunday's game. 

• Nebraska took No. 13 Maryland to the wire at the Xfinity Center in College Park before falling 77-75 (Feb. 25, 2018). The Huskers trailed by 14 points in the third quarter before rallying to take a 75-74 lead with 48 seconds left. A Hannah Whitish three-pointer from the right wing in the closing seconds caught back iron and caromed off as Maryland survived. 

• Nebraska's first meeting with Maryland came in the 2008 NCAA Tournament second round in College Park - a 76-64 Maryland win. NU is 0-11 against the Terps as Big Ten foes.

Nebraska Streaks
• Alexis Markowski has produced double figures in nine straight games, including each of her eight consecutive Big Ten starts.

• Isabelle Bourne and Alexis Markowski are the only Huskers to score in all 21 games in 2021-22.

• Jaz Shelley has knocked down at least one three-pointer in a team-best 16 straight games.

• Ashley Scoggin has started a team-best 47 consecutive games.

• The Huskers have hit at least one three in 419 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two three-pointers in 298 consecutive games.

Deep Bench Boosts Big Red
• The Husker bench has outscored opponent reserves 585-293 (+13.9 ppg) through 21 games, including a 444-229 edge (+15.4 ppg) in 14 games at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

• A total of 10 Huskers are averaging better than 10.0 points per 40 minutes, including two Huskers (Alexis Markowski, 27.6 pp40, 15.0 rp40 and Annika Stewart, 23.1 pp40; 9.9 rp40) who are averaging better than 20 points per 40 minutes. 

• No Husker ranks among the top 25 players in the conference in minutes per game. Jaz Shelley leads Nebraska with 29.2 minutes per game, while Gabbie Marshall from Iowa ranks 25th in the conference (30.4 mpg).