Huskers to Face Illinois in Indy

No. 6 Nebraska Cornhuskers (22-7, 11-7 Big Ten)
vs. No. 14 Illinois Fighting Illini (7-19, 1-13 Big Ten)
Thursday, March 3, 2022 (approx. 7:30 p.m.)
Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament
Gainbridge Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, Ind.
Live Television: BTN
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (7 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM & 1400 AM), Omaha (ESPN 590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Face Fighting Illini Thursday at Big Ten Tournament 
The No. 6 seed Nebraska women's basketball team will tip-off postseason tournament play by taking on No. 14 Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday.

The Huskers (22-7, 11-7 Big Ten) will face the Fighting Illini (7-19, 1-13) following a 75-66 win by Illinois over No. 11 seed Wisconsin in Wednesday's first round. Tip time for Nebraska's game Thursday will be approximately 7:30 p.m., or 25 minutes after the completion of the first game of Session 3 between No. 7 Northwestern and No. 10 Minnesota, which begins at 5:30 p.m. (CT).

All games from the first round through the semifinals will be televised live by the Big Ten Network, with Sloane Martin and Christy Winters Scott on the call in the evening session games. Meghan McKeown will provide sideline coverage for the first 12 games of the tournament, before coverage switches to ESPN2 for the Big Ten Championship Game on Sunday at 4 p.m.

Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will call the action on the Huskers Radio Network (B107.3 FM/1400 AM in Lincoln, along with 590 AM in Omaha), the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

Nebraska heads to Indianapolis with momentum, winning five of its last six games to close the regular season, including a 73-59 victory over Northwestern at Pinnacle Bank Arena (Feb. 27).

The Huskers went 9-3 from Jan. 27 to Feb. 27after resuming competition following a COVID pause (Jan. 17-26) with losses at Big Ten co-champion Ohio State, at top-25 Maryland and at Penn State, in a game the Huskers led by 13 with less than eight minutes left. 

Big Ten Freshman of the Year Alexis Markowski headlined Nebraska's postseason hardware haul on Tuesday. The only unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection by the coaches, Markowski was a second-team All-Big Ten choice after leading the Huskers in scoring (15.6 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg) in conference play.

Jaz Shelley, who is the only Big Ten player to rank among the top 20 in the league in all five major statistical categories, added second-team All-Big Ten honors, while Sam Haiby and Isabelle Bourne were both named honorable-mention All-Big Ten.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (22-7, 11-7 Big Ten)
34 - Isabelle Bourne - 6-2 - So. - F - 11.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Fr. - F/C - 13.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - So. - G - 12.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg
3 - Allison Weidner - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 7.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg
4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 10.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Off the Bench
14 - Bella Cravens - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 6.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 5.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 2.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg
5 - MiCole Cayton - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 2.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg
11 - Ruby Porter - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 2.1 ppg, 0.9 rpg
10 - Whitney Brown - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 1.8 ppg, 0.7 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Fr. - G - 1.6 ppg, 0.5 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Sixth Season at Nebraska (94-82); 15th Season Overall (287-191)

Nebraska's All-Big Ten Honors
• Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) captured Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors from both the conference coaches and media when the league announced its annual awards on Tuesday, March 1. Markowski was also the only unanimous choice on the coaches' five-player Big Ten All-Freshman Team, while claiming second-team All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media. An eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Markowski averaged a double-double each of the final five weeks of the regular season while helping the Huskers to a 9-3 record over the last 12 games (Jan. 27-Feb. 27).

• Jaz Shelley (Moe, Australia) joined Markowski on the All-Big Ten Second Team by both the coaches and media. The 5-9 first-year Husker was the only player in the Big Ten to rank among the top 20 in the league in all five major statistical categories - scoring (17th), rebounding (12th), assists (5th), steals (7th) and blocks (7th). Shelley was one of five players on the media's Big Ten All-Defensive Team. 

• Sam Haiby (Moorhead, Minn.) claimed All-Big Ten accolades for the second time by earning honorable-mention recognition from the coaches and media. A second-team All-Big Ten choice in 2020-21, Haiby continued to prove herself as one of the most versatile guards in the league, averaging 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals in her fourth year as a Husker. In the victory over Northwestern (Feb. 27), Haiby became the first Husker in history to achieve the combined career milestones of 1,000 points (1,320), 500 rebounds (511) and 400 assists (400).

• Isabelle Bourne (Canberra, Australia) joined Haiby on the coaches' honorable-mention All-Big Ten team. The 6-2 forward was also an honorable-mention choice last season. Bourne is surging down the stretch in 2021-22, averaging 14.4 points and 5.3 rebounds the past nine games.

• Bella Cravens (Laie, Hawaii) completed Nebraska's conference honors by earning a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the second consecutive season. Cravens is averaging 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds as one of NU's top players off the bench during the second half of the season. She started 15 games early in the year for the Big Red.

Huskers Chasing History
• The 2021-22 Huskers have put themselves in position to chase history by recording 22 regular-season wins. Another victory by Nebraska would move the Huskers into a tie for the fifth-most single-season victories (23) in school history.

• The last time Nebraska notched more than 21 wins came with a 26-7 season in 2013-14, when the Huskers won the Big Ten Conference Tournament championship in Indianapolis.

• Nebraska has produced its 18th 20-win season in program history in 2021-22 and its first since Coach Amy Williams led the Big Red to a 21-11 campaign in 2017-18, when she was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.

2021-22 Big Red Dominant at Pinnacle Bank Arena
• Nebraska tied a school record by winning 16 home games at Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2021-22. The Huskers finished 16-1, matching the 1997-98 (16-0), 2009-10 (16-0) and 2013-14 (16-2) teams for most home wins. Coach Amy Williams was a senior guard on Nebraska's 1997-98 team coached by 2022 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Paul Sanderford.

• Nebraska's 16 home wins lead NCAA Division I women's basketball this season. In fact, only NC State has as many as 15 wins through games (Feb. 27). Twelve other teams had amassed 14 home victories.

• The Huskers didn't just win at home, they won big, posting the largest home combined cumulative margin of victory in school history despite losing a game to Big Ten co-champion Iowa (Jan. 9). The 2021-22 Huskers produced a total victory margin of 429 points (25.2 ppg). The 2009-10 Huskers that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finished No. 3 in the AP final regular-season poll won their 16 games by a total of 388 points (24.3 ppg).

• Nebraska delivered double-digit margins in 15 of 16 home wins, including wins over top-10 Michigan (79-58) and Indiana (72-57) teams, with only Creighton falling by single digits (67-62).

• The Huskers also ranked No. 13 nationally in total attendance (76,317) and 17th in average home attendance (4,489) entering March.

Nebraska Numbers to Watch
• Nebraska's two wins over top-10 opponents represent the second time in school history the Huskers have posted multiple wins over top-10 teams in the same season, joining the 2009-10 campaign when NU recorded three top-10 victories.

• Through games Feb. 28, the Huskers ranked among the top 25 teams nationally in 12 statistical categories, including total rebounds (7th, 1,240), assists (8th, 511), scoring offense (10th, 78.6), assists per game (12th, 17.6 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (15th, 1.23), rebounds per game (42.8 rpg), scoring margin (16th, +15.7 ppg), three-point field goals made (16th, 244), defensive rebounds per game (17th, 29.4 rpg), three-point field goal percentage (24th, .357, three-point field goals made per game (25th, 8.4 pg) and rebound margin (25th, +7.4 rpg).

• Nebraska leads the Big Ten in scoring margin (+15.7 ppg), total rebounds (42.8 rpg), field goal percentage defense (.374) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.275).

• Nebraska ranks 10th nationally in scoring offense with 78.6 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 191 total rebounds in 852 minutes this season. In two seasons (971 minutes) at Oregon (2019-20, 2020-21), the 5-9 Shelley totaled 70 rebounds.

• Shelley needs nine rebounds to become the first Nebraska guard to get 200 total rebounds since Brandi Jeffery (209, 2014-15). The only other Husker guard to pull down 200 boards since the turn of the century was Keasha Cannon-Johnson (227, 2001-02; 251, 2003-04).

• Jaz Shelley leads Nebraska with 30 blocked shots in 28 games. She had six blocks in 55 games over two seasons at Oregon.

• In 29 games in 2021-22, Nebraska has far surpassed its season steals total (120, 26 games) from a year ago. The Huskers own 213 steals this season. The last time NU had 200 steals in a season came with 221 in 2018-19.

• 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 1,457 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 28 games this season, the Huskers own a positive foul differential of +1.7.

• Nebraska has hit 244 threes this season, which ranks second in school history, trailing only 250 made threes in 2017-18 when the Huskers earned their last NCAA Tournament bid.

Scouting The No. 14 Seed Illinois Fighting Illini
• Coach Nancy Fahey brings Illinois into Thursday's Big Ten Tournament second round with a 7-19 overall record following a 75-66 win over No. 11 seed Wisconsin in Wednesday's first round. The Illini, who went 1-13 in regular-season Big Ten play snapped an 11-game losing streak with the win over Wisconsin. Both of the Illini's wins against Big Ten foes this season came against the Badgers, including a 68-47 win over Wisconsin (Jan. 9) in Champaign. 

• Since losing to Nebraska 82-63 at the State Farm Center (Feb. 12), Illinois had lost five straight games by an average of 20.2 points per contest. But on Wednesday, Aaliyah Nye led five Illinois players in double figures with 17 points on 5-of-6 three-point shooting. Erika Porter added a career-high 15 points, while Adalia McKenzie pitched in 14 points. Kendall Bostic added a big double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds, while Jada Peebles added 12 points of her own on 4-of-5 three-point shooting. 

• Sophomore Aaliyah Nye has accounted for nearly one-fifth of the Illinois offense over the past six games, averaging 14.5 points per game, while hitting 19 of Illinois' 30 threes during that span. Nye scored a game-high 23 points in the first meeting with the Huskers.

• Kendall Bostic, a 6-2 forward, and the Big Ten's top rebounder on the season has added 7.3 points and 12 boards the past six games. Bostic is the only Illinois player to start all 26 games this season and is averaging 11.5 rebounds per contest on the year.

• Freshman Adalia McKenzie has joined Nye and Bostic in the starting five down the stretch, averaging 10.2 points and 3.5 rebounds the last five games.

• Erika Porter (7.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and Eva Rubin (1.5 ppg) have split starting time the last six games. Since getting 13 points against the Huskers, Rubin has scored just nine points.

• Jayla Oden (2.8 ppg) and Jada Peebles (7.0 ppg) have also split starts since playing Nebraska. Both were held scoreless by the Huskers, while De'Myla Brown sparked Illinois with 12 points off the bench in the first meeting. Brown has managed just 24 total points since facing the Huskers. Peebles suffered a lower leg injury late in the fourth quarter in Wednesday's win over Wisconsin.

Illinois Fighting Illini (7-19, 1-13 Big Ten)
20 - Erika Porter - 6-3 - So. - F - 4.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg
44 - Kendall Bostic - 6-2 - So. - F - 6.7 ppg, 11.6 rpg
11 - Jada Peebles - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 7.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg
24 - Adalia McKenzie - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 9.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg
32 - Aaliyah Nye - 5-11 - So. - G - 12.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Off the Bench
5 - De'Myla Brown - 5-7 - Jr. - G - 8.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg
12 - Jayla Oden - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 5.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg
0 - Sara Anastasieska - 5-11 - Gr. - G - 5.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg
14 - Geovana Lopes - 6-3 - Sr. - F/C - 3.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg
22 - Eva Rubin - 6-5 - RSr. - C - 2.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg
3 - Solape Amusan - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 1.2 ppg, 0.8 rpg
2 - Lyric Robins - 5-11 - RSr. - F - 1.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg
Head Coach: Nancy Fahey (Wisconsin, 1981)
Fifth Season at Illinois (42-98); 36th Season Overall (779-231)

Nebraska vs. Illinois Series History
• Nebraska leads the all-time series with Illinois 17-5, including seven consecutive victories. Jaz Shelley led Nebraska with 21 points and five three-pointers in an 82-63 win in Champaign (Feb. 12). Isabelle Bourne added 17 points and seven rebounds, while Bella Cravens added a double-double off the bench with 12 points and 11 boards. Sam Haiby was also outstanding with 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block.

• Aaliyah Nye led all scorers with 23 points, while Eva Rubin (13) and De'Myla Brown (12) combined for 25 points off the bench for the Illini. 

• Nebraska is 14-3 against Illinois as Big Ten Conference foes, including 13-2 in Big Ten regular-season conference games. The last win in the series for Illinois came with a 79-70 decision over the Huskers at the Big Ten Tournament (March 1, 2017).

• Nebraska owns four straight wins over the Illini in Champaign and six straight over Illinois at Pinnacle Bank Arena. NU is 8-1 against the Illini in Lincoln. The only Illinois win came with a 62-52 victory over the Huskers on Jan. 17, 2013.

• The series dates back to an 89-86 Nebraska win over the Illini on March 3, 1982 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.