WBB: Game #18 @ Wisconsin

The No. 16 Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to Big Ten road action in search of their fifth straight win when the Huskers take on Wisconsin Thursday night in Madison.

Tip-off between the Big Red and the Badgers is set for 7 p.m.

Nebraska is coming off its fourth straight win with a 69-59 victory over Purdue. Rachel Theriot led four Huskers in double figures with 16 points and seven assists, closing out the win with nine points in the final three minutes.

Senior Hailie Sample added a strong performance with 15 points, while fellow senior Brandi Jeffery produced one of the best all-around games of her career. Nebraska’s win over Purdue snapped a five-game losing streak in the series with the Boilers. On the flip side, the Huskers own a five-game winning streak against Wisconsin.

The Badgers bring a 7-10 record and a 3-4 Big Ten mark into the contest. Wisconsin is coming off a 73-63 loss to Rutgers. As a team, Wisconsin is averaging 59.1 points per game in the Big Ten, while allowing 62.4 points per conference contest. UW is shooting 37.4 percent from the field, including 32.1 percent from three-point range while hitting an impressive 77 percent of its free throws. The Badgers have outrebounded Big Ten foes by 2.1 boards per game but carry a minus-5.3 team turnover margin with 17.4 turnovers per game.

Nebraska and Wisconsin are tied 5-5 in the all-time series, but the Huskers have won all five meetings as Big Ten Conference foes.

Probable Starters:

Nebraska Cornhuskers

3 - Hailie Sample - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 7.3 ppg

23 - Emily Cady - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 12.4

1 - Tear’a Laudermill - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 11.8

13 - Brandi Jeffery - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 8.3

33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 17.4

Wisconsin Badgers

35 - Jacki Gulczynski - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 9.4 ppg

43 - Cassie Rochel - 6-4 - RSr. - F - 5.8

1 - Dakota Whyte - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 10.0

4 - Nicole Bauman - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 12.1

22 - Tessa Cichy - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 7.2

• Nebraska carries a four-game winning streak to Wisconsin.

• It is the fourth straight season that Nebraska has had to play a mid-week road game at Wisconsin.

• The Huskers have trailed by significant margins in the second half of all three Big Ten games at the Kohl Center.

• Nebraska ranks No. 2 nationally with 12.2 personal fouls per game.

• Rachel Theriot’s 420 career assists rank sixth in Husker history. She needs 24 more to catch former Husker and current Nebraska assistant coach Amy Stephens.

• Emily Cady’s 1,264 career points rank No. 16 in Husker history. She needs 20 points to catch Janet Smith (1,284, 1979-82) in 15th.

• Brandi Jeffery is playing the best basketball of her career, averaging 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals in 17 games with 16 starts this season. Jeffery did not start against Penn State Jan. 15 because of an administrative error.

• Rachel Theriot has started 78 consecutive games for the Huskers.

GAME NOTES: