WBB: Game #8 vs Idaho St.

The No. 21 Nebraska women's basketball team takes on its third 2012 conference champion of the young season when NU faces Idaho State on Saturday afternoon at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Tip-off between the Huskers (5-2) and the reigning Big Sky Conference champion Bengals (3-2) is set for 2:05 p.m. at the Devaney Center. Tickets are on-sale now at Huskers.com.

Saturday's game will be Nebraska's annual Toys for Tots collection by the Marines at the Devaney Center. Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy or cash gift for the benefit of local children during the holiday season to be collected at the Devaney Center entrances.

Nebraska will be looking to bounce back from its first home loss of the season, a 90-71 setback to No. 11 Maryland. Idaho State will be the second of three straight conference champs and NCAA Tournament teams the Huskers face in an eight-day span.

Idaho State returns four starters and 13 letterwinners from a 2011-12 squad that won the Big Sky regular-season crown with a 14-2 league mark before winning the Big Sky Tournament title. The Bengals finished with a 24-8 overall record after a 70-41 loss to Miami in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

Idaho State comes to Lincoln riding a three-game winning streak after a Thursday night win at South Dakota. ISU's only losses this season came at traditional Big 12 Conference powers Kansas State (62-54) and Kansas (52-36).

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Idaho State 1-0.

Probable Starters:

#21 Nebraska Cornhuskers

3 Hailie Sample - 6-1 - So. - F

23 - Emily Cady - 6-2 - So. - F

35 - Jordan Hooper - 6-2 - Jr. - F

00 - Lindsey Moore - 5-9 - Sr. - G

24 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Fr. - G

Idaho State Bengals

22 - Ashleigh Vella - 6-1 - Sr. - F

24 - Cydney Horton - 6-1 - Jr. - F

4 - Kaela Oakes - 5-5 - Sr. - G

15 - Kara Jenkins - 5-8 - Jr. - G

30 - Lindsey Reed - 5-9 - Jr. – G

Tidbits:

Jordan Hooper needs just eight points to become the 16th player in Nebraska history to score 1,200 career points. Hooper enters the Idaho State game at No. 16 on the NU career scoring list with 1,192 points after moving ahead of Jan Crouch (1,183) against Maryland on Wednesday. Hooper needs 51 points to catch Brooke Schwartz (1,243) in 15th.

In addition to challenging the Nebraska record for most consecutive starts and career starts in Husker history this season, Lindsey Moore is on pace to shatter the NU record for minutes played.

The 5-9 point guard from Covington, Wash., recently moved past Husker legends Karen Jennings (3,369) and Maurtice Ivy (3,327) on the Nebraska career minutes list.

Moore enters the Idaho State game ranked No. 8 in career minutes played with 3,392 and is set to become just the eighth Husker in school history to play 3,400 career minutes. By the end of next week, Moore could climb to No. 6 on the Husker career list ahead of current No. 7 Cathy Owen (3,434) and No. 6 Kiera Hardy (3,463).

Meggan Yedsena owns the NU record for minutes played with 3,995

Huskers Battle Big Sky Champs Bengals huskers.com