The No. 19 Nebraska women’s basketball team opens a two-game Big Ten road trip when the Huskers travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State Thursday night.
Tip-off between the defending Big Ten Tournament champion Huskers and the defending Big Ten co-champion Spartans is set for 7:30 p.m.
Both the Huskers and Spartans are hungry for a Big Ten win after battling injuries and illness in the early portion of Big Ten Conference play. The Huskers did welcome the return of freshman guard Natalie Romeo to the court, after she missed NU’s previous eight games with a foot injury. Junior center Anya Kalenta also was cleared to play against Maryland. She has missed the last seven games with a foot injury.
Michigan State slipped to 0-3 in Big Ten play with a 74-65 loss at in-state rival Michigan on Sunday, following a 70-51 road loss at Indiana on New Year’s Eve. The Spartans dropped their Big Ten home opener with a 61-57 setback to Northwestern on Dec. 28.
The Spartans have competed with just eight healthy players for the last two weeks, having been stung by major knee injuries to Branndais Agee and Madison Williams in the offseason. Recently, senior center Jasmine Hines has struggled to overcome concussion symptoms.
As a team, Michigan State has averaged 70.9 points while surrendering 61.9 points per contest on the year, but the Spartans have managed just 57.7 points per game through their first three Big Ten contests. Big Ten opponents have averaged 68.3 points per game and have produced a plus-5.7 turnover margin. On the year, MSU carries a plus-9.3 rebound margin, but have managed just a 40.0-39.7 edge on the glass in league play. The Spartans are also shooting just 35.6 percent from floor through three Big Ten contests.
Nebraska leads the short all time series with Michigan State 3-2.
Probable Starters:
Nebraska Cornhuskers
3 - Hailie Sample - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 6.8 ppg
23 - Emily Cady - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 13.6
1 - Tear’a Laudermill - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 12.5
13 - Brandi Jeffery - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 7.9
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 17.8
Michigan State Spartans
23 - Aerial Powers - 6-0 - So. - F - 19.3 ppg
52 - Becca Mills - 6-4 - Sr. - F - 10.2
1 - Tori Jankoska - 5-8 - So. - G - 18.2
14 - Anna Morrissey - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 5.6
21 - Jasmine Lumpkin - 6-0 - Fr. - G/F - 5.9
• Rachel Theriot ranks No. 2 in the nation and the Big Ten with her .957 free throw percentage (45-47). Theriot has made 19 consecutive free throws dating back to the first half of the win over Northern Colorado.
• Emily Cady is the Big Ten Conference’s active rebound leader with 910 in her career. Senior teammate Hailie Sample ranks third in the conference with 579 career boards.
• Emily Cady’s 1,231 career points rank No. 17 in Husker history. She needs 12 points to catch Brooke Schwartz in 16th.
• Brandi Jeffery’s most impressive gains have come on the glass, where she ranks second among the Huskers and and tied for 12th in the Big Ten with 7.0 rebounds per game.
• Hailie Sample leads the Huskers in field goal percentage (.600) through 13 games and ranks 18th in Big Ten rebounding (6.5 rpg).
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