Huskers Head to Wyoming for Run with Cowgirls

The Nebraska women’s basketball team makes its first road trip of the season when the Huskers travel to Laramie to collide with Wyoming on Friday.

Tip-off between the Huskers and Cowgirls is set for 7:30 p.m. (CT) at Arena-Auditorium with a live video stream of the game provided to subscribers of the Mountain West Network with Daniel Gillman and Brian Burton on the call.

Nebraska fans can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 590 AM in Omaha, the Huskers App and Huskers.com, as Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch team up for their 23rd season together calling the action. Pregame starts at 7 p.m. (CT).

The Huskers rolled to a 90-42 win over Northwestern State in Monday’s season opener at Pinnacle Bank Arena. 

Jaz Shelley led six Huskers in double figures with a game-high 17 points, while adding game highs of six assists and three steals.

Fellow preseason All-Big Ten performer Alexis Markowski added 13 points and eight rebounds inside, while newcomer Darian White contributed 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds from her point guard position. White was a four-year starter and three-time All-Big Sky performer at Montana State.

Two-time Missouri High School Player of the Year Natalie Potts performed well with 10 points and five rebounds as a starter in her collegiate debut.

Returning Huskers Annika Stewart (13 points, 7 rebounds) and Callin Hake (12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) rounded out the six Huskers in double figures. Hake connected on 4-of-4 three-pointers to help the Big Red knock down 10 triples on the afternoon.

While Nebraska’s offense performed well, its defense stood out through the first three quarters. The Huskers opened the game with a 16-0 run, before adding a 12-0 run to start the second quarter and a 10-0 run to open the second half. Nebraska’s starting five did not allow a point when they were on the floor together until the fourth quarter against Northwestern State.

Nebraska’s defensive success came despite the Huskers missing two of their top perimeter defenders - Allison Weidner (out for season, leg injury) and Maddie Krull (foot injury). Krull injured her left foot in practice on Saturday, Nov. 4 and was unavailable for the game with the Lady Demons.

Friday’s game will mark the third consecutive season the Huskers have played Wyoming, but the first trip for Nebraska to Laramie since March 22, 2006.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0)
at Wyoming Cowgirls (1-0)
Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, 7:30 p.m. (CT)
Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, Nebraska
Live Video: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: Huskers.com (StatBroadcast)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (7 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 13.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg
0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 13.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 17.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Off the Bench
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 13.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 12.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 7.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 3.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Eighth Season at Nebraska (115-99); 17th Season Overall (308-208)

Wyoming Cowgirls (1-0, 0-0 Mountain West)
45 - Allyson Fertig - 6-4 - Jr. - C - 18.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg
5 - Tess Barnes - 6-2 - Jr. - G/F - 9.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
2 - Emily Mellema - 5-11 - Jr. - G - 10.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
42 - McKinley Dickerson - 5-11 - Sr. - G - 8.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
35 - Ola Ustowska - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Off the Bench
14 - Kati Ollilainen - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 14.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
15 - Marta Savic - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 8.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
12 - Malene Pedersen - 5-11 - So. - G - 6.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
11 - Madi Symons - 6-0 - Fr. - F - 2.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
3 - Grace Moyers - 5-8 - So. - G - 2.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
21 - Maren McKenna - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
1 - Bailey Wilborn - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
10 - Paula Salazar - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
Head Coach: Heather Ezell (Iowa State, 2009)
Second Season at Wyoming (24-11); Second Season Overall (24-11)

Scouting The Wyoming Cowgirls

Head Coach Heather Ezell leads her second Wyoming team into Friday night’s game with Nebraska after running to a 77-60 win over North Dakota in Monday’s season opener at Arena-Auditorium in Laramie.

In her first season leading the Cowgirl program, Ezell produced a 23-11 record that included a runner-up finish at the Mountain West Conference Tournament and a trip to the second round of the Postseason WNIT, defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi before falling at Kansas State.

Ezell, a former starting guard at Iowa State, spent 11 seasons in Laramie as an assistant coach before becoming Wyoming’s head coach.

On the court, the Cowgirls are led by Allyson Fertig. The 6-4 junior center from Wyoming was the 2022 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year and is a two-time all-conference honoree. She was also a member of the Mountain West All-Tournament team last season. As a sophomore, she ranked third in the conference in scoring (13.3 ppg), second in rebounding (8.7 rpg), blocks (2.0 bpg) and field goal percentage (.586). She opened the season with game highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win over North Dakota for her 20th career double-double.

None of the other four starters in Wyoming’s 2023 opening day lineup started last season against the Huskers, although nine returning Cowgirls played in last season’s game in Lincoln. In fact, eight returning Cowgirls also played against Nebraska in 2021-22, including Bailey Wilborn who faced the Huskers as a member of the Maine Black Bears to open the 2021-22 season.

Emily Mellema, a 5-11 junior guard, scored 10 points as a starter in the opener against UND after playing 18 minutes off the bench and getting four points against the Huskers in a 66-39 loss at Nebraska last year. Mellema is Wyoming’s No. 3 returning scorer from a year ago when she averaged 6.3 points per game.

Tess Barnes, a 6-2 junior, contributed nine points and three boards as a starter in this week’s opener with North Dakota, after getting two points in 21 minutes off the bench against the Big Red last season in Lincoln. She is Wyoming’s No. 4 returning scorer (4.6 ppg) from last season.

Senior Ola Ustowska earned a start on Monday night and played 10 minutes off the bench against NU last season, while fellow senior Marta Savic played 12 minutes against the Huskers a year ago while scoring eight points off the bench in this season’s opening night win. Savic is Wyoming’s No. 5 returning scorer (4.1 ppg) from last season, when she came off the bench for all 34 games.

Cowgirl McKinley Dickerson (formerly Bradshaw) rounded out the starting five against North Dakota with eight points and two rebounds. Dickerson, a 5-11 senior from Lyman, Wyo., was an All-Mountain West guard in 2022, averaging 14.9 points per game on the year. She added 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists as a junior but did not play in 2022-23. The former Wyoming Gatorade High School Player of the Year had nine points and five boards as a starter against the Huskers in a 72-61 loss in Lincoln on Dec. 22, 2021.

Malene Pedersen started and played 30 minutes while scoring five points and snagging two steals against Nebraska last season. Pedersen was Wyoming’s No. 2 scorer (11.0 ppg) while adding 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists. She made all 34 starts last season alongside Fertig and departed Cowgrils Grace Ellis and Tommi Olson. The Cowgirls also lost All-Mountain West guard and Omaha native Quinn Weidemann to graduation.

Freshman Kati Ollilainen from Finland was Wyoming’s second-leading scorer on Monday with 14 points off the bench, including two of Wyoming’s three three-pointers.

Last season, Wyoming averaged 65.6 points per game while making 44.7 percent of its shots from the field, including 32.9 percent from three-point range. The Cowgirls also hit 76.9 percent of their free throws. Wyoming owned a plus-6.0 rebound margin, but a minus-1.6 turnover margin.

 

Nebraska vs. Wyoming Series History

Nebraska is 9-0 all-time against Wyoming, including a 66-39 win over the Cowgirls at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln on Dec. 18, 2022. Alexis Markowski led Nebraska with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-5 three-pointers, to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Allison Weidner added 13 points and seven boards, while Maggie Mendelson contributed nine points in just nine minutes off the bench in her first career game.

Jaz Shelley pitched in nine points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Two seasons ago, Shelley produced 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in a 72-61 Nebraska win on Dec. 22, 2021. Annika Stewart led Nebraska with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting off the bench.

Prior to the recent three-game series with Wyoming, Nebraska had not faced the Cowgirls since a 72-67 Postseason WNIT win at Arena-Auditorium on March 22, 2006. Nebraska’s last regular-season meeting with the Cowgirls in Laramie came on Dec. 19, 1999, which resulted in an 89-74 Husker victory.

The only other meeting between the Huskers and Cowgirls in Laramie came with an 82-61 Nebraska victory on Jan. 29, 1984. NU is 3-0 all-time against Wyoming in Laramie.

 

Husker Opener Featured Life Skills Pep Rally
Nebraska’s regular-season opener with Northwestern State (Nov. 6, noon) included the annual Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally.

The 2023 Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which was co-sponsored by the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame, featured messages from Husker student-athletes and coaches. This year, the Huskers welcomed 2,966 students and 348 accompanying staff members from 62 schools across the state of Nebraska.

The 2023 opener marked the fifth time (2013, 2019, 2021, 2022) Pinnacle Bank Arena and Nebraska women’s basketball have teamed with the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame to host the Pep Rally for middle grades students. The students and accompanying staff were provided complimentary water from Pepsi and pizza from Nebraska Athletics.

The Sportsmanship Pep Rally began at 9:30 a.m. on the main court at Pinnacle Bank Arena and featured messages from Nebraska Head Coach Amy Williams and Husker women’s basketball players Annika Stewart and Callin Hake, along with appearances by Olympian Jordan Larson and Husker Bekka Allick (volleyball) and All-American men’s gymnast Taylor Christopulos. World champion jump roper Tori Boggs also performed at both the rally and at halftime of the men’s and women’s games. The Sportsmanship Pep Rally concluded at 10:45 a.m.

A group of Valentine Middle School students traveled nearly five hours and just over 300 miles, making the longest journey to the pep rally for the second consecutive year. A strong representation of Northeast, Southeast and Central Nebraska community schools are also attending, including 160 from Raymond Central and well over 100 each from Centennial, Fort Calhoun, Freeman, Malcolm, North Bend Central and Seward public schools.

Husker Nuggets
Nebraska opened the season with a 16-0 run over the first five-plus minutes in a 90-42 victory against Northwestern State (Nov. 6). The Huskers also jumped to a 14-0 lead in an exhibition win over Dakota Wesleyan (Oct. 29).

Nebraska jumped to a 46-12 halftime lead against Northwestern State. The 12 points allowed marked the second-fewest given up by the Big Red in a first half in school history, trailing only 10 points surrendered to Illinois in the first half in 2018. Nebraska’s 46 points scored exceeded any first half for the Huskers in 2022-23.

Nebraska hit 28-of-33 free throws against the Lady Demons, and the 28 makes matched NU’s season best from 2022-23.

The Huskers had six players produce double figures in points against Northwestern State, marking the first time Nebraska accomplished that feat since a 90-61 season-opening win over Oral Roberts on Dec. 4, 2020.

The Huskers have hit at least one three in 465 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 344 consecutive games.

Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 28 times in the last 74 games, including 15 times in 2022-23. The Huskers opened 2023-24 with 10 three-pointers in a win over Northwestern State (Nov. 6, 2023). Nebraska knocked down a 2022-23 season-high 14 threes in a season-opening win over Omaha (Nov. 7, 2022). 

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).

Husker Numbers to Watch

Jaz Shelley is 20 assists from joining the top 10 at Nebraska in career assists. Shelley heads to Wyoming with 372 assists in two-plus years at Nebraska. All-American and two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge ranks 10th in school history with 392.  

Jaz Shelley is 36 assists away from 500 in her college career. Only five Huskers in history have totaled 500 collegiate assists (Lindsey Moore, Meggan Yedsena, Rachel Theriot, Jina Johansen, Nicole Kubik).

Alexis Markowski is five rebounds away from 600 in her career. 

Jaz Shelley needs nine three-pointers to climb to No. 5 on the Nebraska career three-point list, matching Lindsey Moore (173, 2010-13). 

With her next double-double, Alexis Markowski will move into a tie for seventh on the Nebraska career double-doubles list with Janet Smith (22, 1979-82).

 

Nebraska Notables

Two-time All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) was the Big Ten’s top rebounder with 322 rebounds in 2022-23. She was the only Big Ten player to average a double-double (12.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg) during regular-season conference play.

Jaz Shelley is 87 points away from becoming the 37th 1,000-point scorer in Nebraska history. Alexis Markowski is 173 points from reaching 1,000 career points.

Darian White has scored in double figures 98 times in her college career (97, Montana State; 1, Nebraska), including each of her last nine games.

Huskers Ready to Pack PBA
Nebraska women’s basketball formally kicked off its “Pack PBA” promotion for 2023-24, when Coach Amy Williams made the official announcement about the Pack PBA game on Wednesday, Nov. 8. 

The Huskers plan to Pack PBA when they take on defending Big Ten regular-season champion Indiana on Sunday, Jan. 7 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Sunday, Jan. 7 will be Alumni Day in Lincoln, with the Nebraska women’s basketball program honoring the 2014 Big Ten Tournament Champion Huskers on the 10th anniversary of winning the conference title. The 2014 Huskers will be welcomed back to PBA, along with the 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen Huskers.

Other special announcements connected with Pack PBA will be made in the coming weeks leading up to game between the Huskers and the Hoosiers.

Last season, Nebraska set a program home attendance record of 14,289 on Play4Kay Day in its first-ever Pack PBA game on Feb. 18, 2023.