WBB: Game #22 vs Penn State

Huskers Take Aim at Sweep of Lady Lions Tuesday

The Nebraska women’s basketball team hopes to return to its winning ways while shooting for a sweep of the season series with Penn State, when the Huskers take on the Lady Lions. Tip off is set for 7:00 p.m.

Nebraska will try to rebound from a 66-56 road loss at Rutgers, which snapped the Huskers’ six-game conference winning streak. The Big Red were tied at 49 with the Scarlet Knights with 6:50 remaining, but RU outscored NU 17-7 down the stretch to split the season series.

Penn State comes to Lincoln with a two-game road winning streak after earning wins at Iowa and Illinois. The Lady Lions are coming off a hard-fought 88-78 double-overtime loss to Purdue. Nebraska won the first game in the series with Penn State, 83-78. Natalie Romeo set a career high with 32 points while setting a school record with eight three-pointers in that game.

Penn State Lady Lions to Lincoln with an 8-13 overall record and a 3-7 Big Ten mark after an 88-78 double-overtime loss at Purdue on Saturday. Penn State opened Big Ten play with an impressive 79-72 upset of No. 14 Northwestern on Dec. 31, before dropping five consecutive Big Ten games.

Teniya Page led five Lady Lions in double figures with 19 points, in the first meeting with Nebraska. She is the only Lady Lion to start every game this season and is the second-leading freshman scorer in the Big Ten at 15.8 points per game.

Brianna Banks added 15 points against NU and ranks second among the Lady Lions with 14.0 points per game. Lindsey Spann pitched in 10 points to give all three PSU starting guards double figures against the Huskers. Spann ranks third among the Lady Lions with 12.8 points per game on the season.

Kaliyah Mitchell came off the bench against NU to contribute 14 points, in one of her two non-starts this season. She has regained her place in Penn State’s starting five and is averaging 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Peyton Whitted added 12 points. She averages 9.0 points and a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game on the season.

Penn State leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 5-4, but the Huskers are 4-3 against the Lady Lions as Big Ten foes.

Probable Starters:

Nebraska Cornhuskers
32 - Jessica Shepard - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 20.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg
22 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - Jr. - C - 7.5
4 - Kyndal Clark - 5-7 - RSr. - G - 5.4
5 - Natalie Romeo - 5-7 - So. - G - 16.1
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 11.9

Penn State Lady Lions

15 - Kaliyah Mitchell - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 9.8 ppg
25 - Peyton Whitted - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 9.0
3 - Brianna Banks - 5-9 - RSr. - G - 14.0
11 - Teniya Page - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 15.8
12 - Lindsey Spann - 5-6 - So. - G - 12.8

• Nebraska is 12-1 at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season.

• Nebraska is averaging 80.9 points per game at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season, including three games with 90 or more points.

• Natalie Romeo has developed into one of the nation’s premier three-point shooters in her second season. She leads the nation with 73 three-pointers, while ranking second nationally with 3.48 threes per game.

• Jessica Shepard has climbed to No. 2 on the Nebraska freshman season scoring list with 428 points. Her 23-point performance at Rutgers pushed her past Kelsey Griffin and Darcy Williamson. Shepard is 33 points away from Debra Powell for the top spot on Nebraska’s freshman season chart.

• Jessica Shepard needs nine rebounds to become the fifth Husker freshman in history to grab 200 boards.

• Jessica Shepard with eight double-doubles, She needs one more to match the Nebraska freshman record of nine double-doubles held by Debra Powell

• Rachel Theriot’s 96.2 free throw percentage (25-26) in Big Ten play leads the conference.

• Natalie Romeo ranks 10th in Nebraska history with 124 career three-pointers. She needs five to catch Amy Stephens and Nicole Kubik tied at eighth on the NU all-time list.

• Rachel Theriot ranks second in the Big Ten with 6.6 assists per game.

• Allie Havers ranks 11th in the Big Ten with 6.6 rebounds per game.

GAME NOTES:

BEAT PENN STATE!