Huskers Set for Road Battle at Kansas

The Nebraska women’s basketball team faces Kansas for the third time in the past year when the Huskers take on the Jayhawks in Lawrence on Wednesday night.

 

Tip-off between the old Big Eight/Big 12 rivals at historic Allen Fieldhouse is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) with a live video stream available to subscribers of ESPN+.

 

Nebraska fans can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and 105.9 FM in Omaha, the Huskers App and Huskers.com, as Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch team up for their 23rd season. Pregame starts at 6 p.m. (CT). 

 

NCAA NET No. 19 Nebraska is riding a five-game winning streak after rolling to a 76-51 win over 2023 SWAC Champion and NCAA Tournament qualifier Southern in Lincoln on Sunday. Alexis Markowski led three Huskers in double figures with a game-high 21 points. Although the two-time Lisa Leslie Award candidate had her string of five consecutive double-doubles snapped, Markowski extended her streak of 11 straight games scoring in double figures while becoming the 38th player in NU history to score 1,000 career points. Markowski leads the Big Ten in rebounding (9.7) and ranks fifth in scoring (17.2 ppg). She also leads the league with six double-doubles.

 

Two-time Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award candidate Jaz Shelley added 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in a strong effort. The 5-9 guard from Moe (pronounced MOE-ee), Australia, is the first Husker in history to record multiple career triple-doubles after getting 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a win over UNCW (Dec. 5). Shelley ranks fourth on Nebraska’s career three-point list with 184, after hitting three threes in the win over Southern to move past current WNBA player and 14-year international pro Yvonne Turner.

 

Three-time Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week Natalie Potts leads all Big Ten freshmen in both scoring (11.3 ppg) and rebounding (5.7 rpg). The two-time Missouri MaxPreps High School Player of the Year out of Incarnate Word Academy has hit 75.8 percent (44-58) of her two-point field goal attempts. Fellow freshmen Logan Nissley (7.2 ppg), who scored 14 points in the win over Southern, and Jessica Petrie (5.8 ppg) have made significant contributions early in their Husker careers. 

 

Darian White, a four-year starter and three-time All-Big Sky performer at Montana State before transferring to Nebraska as a graduate student, gives Nebraska another potent weapon. The 5-6 guard is averaging 9.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists, which ranks eighth in the Big Ten. 

 

White and Shelley, who ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 4.9 assists per game, have both recorded five or more assists in four consecutive games for Nebraska. Over the last four contests, Shelley is averaging 8.3 assists while White is contributing 5.8 assists per contest.

 

Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-2, 1-0 Big Ten)
at Kansas Jayhawks (6-4, 0-0 Big 12)
Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, 6:30 p.m. (CT)
Allen Fieldhouse - Lawrence, Kansas
Live Video: ESPN+ (subscription)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (6 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
B107.3 FM (Lincoln), 105.9 FM (Omaha), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Live Stats: Huskers.com

 

Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-2, 1-0 Big Ten - NCAA NET 19)
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 11.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 17.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg
0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 9.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 13.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg
42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 2.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Off the Bench
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 7.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 7.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 5.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 3.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 2.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Eighth Season at Nebraska (123-101); 17th Season Overall (316-210)

 

Kansas Jayhawks (6-4, 0-0 Big 12 - NCAA NET 48)
1 - Taiyanna Jackson - 6-6 - 5th - C - 13.2 ppg, 9.9 rpg
0 - Wyvette Mayberry - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 9.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg
13 - Holly Kersgieter - 5-11 - 5th - G - 10.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg
15 - Zakiyah Franklin - 5-8 - 5th - G - 10.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg
12 - S’Mya Nichols - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 14.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg
Off the Bench
5 - Ryan Cobbins - 6-0 - 5th - G/F - 4.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg
6 - Laia Conesa - 5-11 - Fr. - G - 3.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
32 - Skyler Gill - 5-10 - Jr. - G/F - 2.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg
7 - Paris Gaines - 6-3 - Fr. - C - 2.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg
23 - Zsofia Telegdy - 6-3 - So. - F - 1.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg
25 - McKenzie Smith - 6-0 - Fr. - G/F - 1.6 ppg, 0.6 rpg
14 - Danai Papadopoulou - 6-4 - Jr. - C - 1.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Head Coach: Brandon Schneider (Wayland Baptist, 1995)
Ninth Season at Kansas (113-140); 26th Season Overall (514-278)

 

Kansas Coach Brandon Schneider leads the Jayhawks into Wednesday’s game with a 6-4 record after KU notched its third straight win with a 69-48 victory over Central Arkansas at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday. KU started the streak with a 79-57 win over Houston Christian (Dec. 6), before running to a 76-56 victory at Wichita State (Dec. 10).

 

The Jayhawks played a tough early season schedule that included a 71-63 loss to UConn (Nov. 25) and a 59-58 loss to Virginia Tech (Nov. 24) in the Cayman Islands after suffering a 91-85 setback at Penn State (Nov. 13). They also dropped a 63-52 decision at Texas A&M (Dec. 3).

 

The defending WNIT champions, Kansas is pursuing a third consecutive 20-win season after finishing with a 25-11 mark that included six straight home wins in the WNIT. KU finished 9-9 in the Big 12 last season and closed the year at No. 30 in the NCAA NET rankings. 

 

KU features an experienced starting five led by 6-6 super-senior Taiyanna Jackson. The Lisa Leslie Award candidate has averaged 13.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks this season. She averaged 15.2 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks as a first-team All-Big 12 choice last year. She is two-time member of the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. She was also one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year award. In two games against NU last year, Jackson totaled 34 points and 33 rebounds.

 

Super-senior Zakiyah Franklin adds 10.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists. The 5-8 senior guard from Lakeland, Fla., has spent more time on the court in a Jayhawks uniform than any other player in school history. She hit a scorching 49.5 percent (48-97) of her three-pointers while leading KU with team bests of 15.7 points and 3.1 assists per game last year. She also hit nearly 88 percent of her free throws. This season, Franklin has hit just 33.3 percent (12-36) from long range. The first-team All-Big 12 guard led Kansas with 27 points last year in a triple-overtime loss at Nebraska.

 

A third fifth-year senior, Holly Kersgieter has contributed 10.7 points and 4.9 rebounds early this season. The 5-11 guard from Sand Springs, Okla., has hit a team-best 20 three-pointers while shooting at a 42.6 percent clip. An honorable-mention All-Big 12 choice in 2023, Kersgieter averaged 13.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and a team-best 2.0 steals last season.

 

Senior Wyvette Mayberry gives KU more returning experience. The returning starter is averaging 9.8 points and 2.6 assists. She averaged 11.4 points and 3.0 assists in her first year on the court at KU last year, after spending her first two seasons at Tulsa. She was a second-team All-AAC pick in 2022 after earning a spot on the AAC All-Freshman Team in 2021. In two games against Nebraska last season, Mayberry totaled just two points.

 

The newcomer to the KU lineup is freshman S’Mya Nichols. The 6-0 guard from Overland Park was a five-star recruit and is a contender for Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors, averaging team bests of 14.1 points and 2.8 assists this season. Nichols has hit 49.5 percent of her shots, including 44.4 percent (12-27) of her three-pointers.

 

Nichols replaces Chandler Prater, who transferred to Oklahoma State, in the KU starting five. Prater averaged 9.5 points and 6.0 rebounds last year, but had 14 points and 16 rebounds in the WNIT win over the Huskers.

 

The Jayhawks also feature a new set of reserves led by Alabama transfer Ryan Cobbins. The 6-0 fifth-year wing who started her career at North Dakota State has averaged 4.9 points and 4.6 rebounds with one start in place of Taiyanna Jackson.

 

Junior transfer Skyler Gill (2.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg) from North Alabama has seen significant time in all 10 games, while freshmen McKenzie Smith and Paris Gaines have had their first tastes of action.

 

Returning post players Zsofia Telegdy (1.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg) and Danai Papadopoulou (1.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg) round out the regular KU contributors.

 

Kansas has averaged 70.7 points while allowing 60.8 points per game. KU is shooting 44.5 percent, including an improved 35.8 percent from three-point range. KU has hit 68.9 percent of its free throws, but Jackson has hit just 40.5 percent (15-37). Defensively, the Jayhawks have held opponents to 38.9 percent field goal shooting, including 33.1 percent from long range. KU owns a plus-0.1 rebound margin and a plus-2.9 turnover margin. Last season, KU carried a dominant plus-6.6 rebound margin but took a minus-0.6 turnover margin. Prater had 209 rebounds and 100 turnovers last season.

 

The most frequent opponent in Nebraska women’s basketball history, Kansas owns a 51-34 lead in the all-time series with the Huskers.

 

Although the series is in KU’s favor, Nebraska has dominated since Coach Amy Williams’ senior season as a guard for the Huskers in 1997-98. Beginning with an 84-69 win in Lincoln on Feb. 11, 1998, Nebraska has gone 24-11 against Kansas in the last 35 meetings, including 15-1 in Lincoln.

 

Before Nebraska’s 1998 win, KU won 40 of the first 50 meetings between the two schools.

 

The two teams split a pair of close contests last season, including an 85-79 triple-overtime win by the Huskers in Lincoln (Dec. 21, 2022). The rematch occurred in the WNIT Super 16, when Kansas battled its way to a 64-55 win (March 23, 2023). The Huskers played that game without starting guards Sam Haiby (foot injury vs. Missouri State) and Allison Weidner (knee injury vs. Kansas). In the regular-season meeting in Lincoln, Jaz Shelley led Nebraska with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Haiby had 12 points, five boards and three assists off the bench in place of Weidner, who suffered her injury early in the fourth quarter. Alexis Markowski notched a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Maggie Mendelson added a major lift off the bench with nine points and nine rebounds. NU went 10-for-26 from long range while KU hit 5-of-17 three-point attempts.

 

Zakiyah Franklin led KU with 27 points in 54 minutes, while Taiyanna Jackson contributed 18 points and 21 rebounds. Holly Kersgieter also notched a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

 

In the WNIT in Lawrence, Jackson had 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Kersgieter contributed 14 points. Chandler Prater, who transferred to Oklahoma State this season, was a key for KU with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Issie Bourne led NU with 17 points, while Jaz Shelley had 12 points and nine assists. The Huskers went just 6-for-26 from three-point range, while KU went 4-for-24.

 

Nebraska and Kansas have played five times since the Huskers exited the Big 12 Conference for the Big Ten at the start of the 2011-12 season, including a 57-49 Jayhawk win over an injury-riddled Nebraska team in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Little Rock, Ark. (March 18, 2012).

 

Nebraska owns a 10-game home winning streak in the series, beginning with a 59-48 victory over the Jayhawks at the Devaney Center on Feb. 7, 2004.

 

NU is 22-14 all-time against Kansas in Lincoln, with the first 34 meetings at the Devaney Center.

 

Husker Nuggets
• Natalie Potts earned her third Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award (Dec. 11) in five weeks. She won the first weekly honor (Nov. 13) before adding her second award (Nov. 27). Potts leads Big Ten freshmen in both scoring (11.3 ppg) and rebounding (24th, 5.7 rpg).

• Alexis Markowski was named to the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll three of the first four weeks of the 2023-24 season. She also earned a spot on the St. Pete Showcase All-Tournament Team after averaging 15.0 points and 9.5 rebounds over two games in Florida.

• Markowski leads the Big Ten in rebounding (9.7 rpg) while ranking fifth in scoring (17.2 ppg) and sixth in field goal percentage (.530).

• Jaz Shelley earned a spot on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll (Dec. 11) after averaging 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10.0 assists (Dec. 4-10). Nebraska put a player on the honor roll in four of the first five weeks this season.

• The Huskers had seven players produce double figures in points against UNCW, which is believed to be the first time that has been accomplished in school history. It is the second time this season the Huskers have had six players score in double figures in a game (Northwestern State, Nov. 6).

• The Huskers have hit at least one three in 475 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 354 consecutive games.

• Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 33 times in the last 83 games, including six times in 2023-24. The Huskers hit a season-high 16 threes against UNCW (Dec. 5). NU hit 10 threes vs. Northwestern State (Nov. 6), Florida Atlantic (Nov. 29), Georgia Tech (Dec. 2) and Michigan State (Dec. 9), before knocking down 12 vs. Southern (Dec. 17).

• Through the first 20 seasons with the three-point shot in women’s basketball (1988-2007), Nebraska hit 10 threes in a game just six times (591 games).