Huskers Tip Big Ten with Hawkeyes New Year’s Eve
The Nebraska women’s basketball team opens its Big Ten Conference season by colliding with Iowa on Thursday, Dec. 31. Tip-off between the Huskers and Hawkeyes is set for 1 p.m.
The Huskers welcomed 10 days of rest from competition after working their way to a 79-71 win over a talented and experienced Arkansas State squad. The Big Red closed non-conference home action with a 9-0 mark.
Over Nebraska’s past four games, six Huskers are averaging double figures, led by 19.5 points per game from freshman forward Jessica Shepard. Natalie Romeo (14.5 ppg), Rachel Theriot (13.3 ppg), Kyndal Clark (12.5 ppg), Rachel Blackburn (11.0 ppg) and Allie Havers (10.0 ppg) all provided punch down the stretch in non-conference play for a Husker offense that averaged 81.5 points per game.
Coach Lisa Bluder brings her Iowa Hawkeyes to Lincoln to tip-off Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes have been ranked in the top 25 throughout non-conference play after advancing to the 2015 NCAA Sweet 16.
Three-year starter Ally Disterhoft leads the way with 17.3 points per contest. Alexa Kastanek ranks second on the team with 12.6 points per game while providing Iowa with its most dangerous long-range threat. Kastanek is shooting 40.8 percent from three-point range. The rest of the Hawkeyes have combined for 49 and are shooting just 28.3 percent..
Inside, the Hawkeyes feature sophomore Chase Coley. The 6-3 forward is averaging 10.2 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds. The lone senior starter in the Iowa lineup is 6-1 forward Kali Peschel, who has added 6.5 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds per game.
The Hawkeyes swept the Huskers in three games a year ago, snapping Nebraska’s eight-game winning streak against Iowa to open its membership in the Big Ten Conference.
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Iowa, 12-10. The Huskers are 8-3 against Iowa since joining the Big Ten.
Probable Starters:
Nebraska Cornhuskers
43 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - Jr. - F - 7.2 ppg
32 - Jessica Shepard - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 19.5
4 - Kyndal Clark - 5-7 - RSr. - G - 6.3
5 - Natalie Romeo - 5-7 - So. - G - 15.4
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 12.5
Iowa Hawkeyes
11 - Tania Davis - 5-4 - Fr - G - 6.4 ppg
1 - Alexa Kastanek -5-10 -Jr - G - 12.6
2 - Allie Disterhoft - 6-0 - Jr - G/F – 17.3
25 - Kali Peschel - 6-1 - Sr - F - 6.5
4 - Chase Coley - 6-3 - So - C - 6.5
• A five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and the first freshman in school history to be named to the Naismith national player-of-the-year watch list, Jessica Shepard has added National Freshman-of-the-Week honors from the USBWA. She won those honors after scoring a Nebraska freshman record 35 points against Northern Arizona, when she also set a career high with four steals. Shepard owns five 20-point efforts, 10 double-figure scoring performances and four double-doubles.
• Jessica Shepard reached the 100-point (5 games) and 200-point (11 games) scoring marks faster than any Husker freshman in history.
• Rachel Blackburn has missed Nebraska’s past two games with Northern Arizona and Arkansas State because of illness and is listed as questionable for the game against Iowa.
• Natalie Romeo a high-energy guard brings intensity and toughness to both ends of the court, is rapidly growing into one of the Big Ten’s most explosive players.
• Kyndal Clark is on the verge of a breakout scoring explosion following a season-high 22 points in NU’s win over Arkansas State.
• Nebraska is 9-0 at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season. The Huskers are 37-5 all-time at since the building opened.
• Allie Havers is turning up her production with 7.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and a team-leading 1.2 blocks through 11 games.
• Maddie Simon’s recovery is going well and she is hopeful to return to action very early in the Big Ten Conference season.
BEAT IOWA!
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