NEBRASKA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. NEBRASKA-KEARNEY LOPERS 2018-19 SCHEDULE/RESULTS Date Opponent Time/Result NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS Nov. 3 Nebraska-Kearney (exhibition) [BTN Plus] 4 p.m. VS. NEBRASKA-KEARNEY LOPERS Nov. 7 Drake [BTN Plus] 7 p.m. Nov. 11 USC Upstate [BTN Plus] 11 a.m. Saturday, November 3, 2018, 4 p.m. Nov. 16 at Washington State [WSU] 7:30 p.m. Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Nebraska) Nov. 23-25 Miami Thanksgiving Classic (Coral Gables, Fla.) Live Video: BTN Plus Nov. 23 at 24/25 Miami [ACC Network+] 2 p.m. Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (3:45 p.m.) Nov. 25 vs. Radford 11 a.m. 21-11 Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst) 21-7 Lincoln - B107.3 FM; Omaha - CD 105.9 FM Nov. 29 at 4/5 Louisville (ACC/B1G) 6 p.m. 11-5 BIG TEN 13-6 MIAA Dec. 2 at Creighton 1 p.m. Free Live Audio: Huskers.com & TuneIn Apps Dec. 5 Kansas [BTN Plus] 7 p.m. Dec. 8 San Jose State [BTN Plus] Noon Dec. 15 Denver [BTN Plus] TBA HUSKERS TIP 2018-19 SEASON WITH UNK SATURDAY Dec. 18 at Arkansas [SEC Network+] 7 p.m. • The Nebraska women’s basketball team tips off the 2018-19 campaign by taking on the University Dec. 28 Michigan^ [BTN] 6 p.m. of Nebraska-Kearney in an exhibition game at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday afternoon. Dec. 31 at Ohio State^ [BTN] Noon • Tip time for Nebraska’s lone exhibition game of the season is set for 4 p.m. (CT) with live audio Jan. 3 at 17/13 Iowa^ [BTN Plus] 7 p.m. coverage on the Husker Sports Network (B107.3 FM, Lincoln; CD 105.9 FM, Omaha) at 3:45. Jan. 8 10/9 Maryland^ [BTN Plus] 7 p.m. • The Huskers return their top five scorers from their 2018 team that finished with a 21-11 overall Jan. 13 Rutgers^ [BTN] 2 p.m. record and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Big Red finished 11-5 to tie for Jan. 17 at Illinois^ [BTN Plus] 7 p.m. third in the Big Ten Conference and advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. Jan. 20 Minnesota^ [ESPN2] 5 p.m. • Nebraska produced the nation’s top turnaround last season by improving 14 games in the win Jan. 24 Northwestern^ [BTN Plus] 7 p.m. column over its 7-22 campaign in Coach Amy Williams’ first season at Nebraska in 2016-17. Jan. 27 at Wisconsin^ [BTN Plus] 2 p.m. • Williams, who enters her third season leading her alma mater at Nebraska, was the 2018 Big Ten Jan. 31 at Purdue^ [BTN] 7 p.m. Coach of the Year and a semifinalist (1 of 10) for Naismith National Coach-of-the-Year honors. Feb. 3 Indiana^ [BTN Plus] 2 p.m. • Junior Hannah Whitish is expected to be a leader on the court for the Huskers in 2018-19. Feb. 7 at Michigan^ [BTN] 6 p.m. The 5-9 guard from Barneveld, Wis., earned preseason first-team All-Big Ten honors after claiming Feb. 10 Purdue^ [BTN Plus] (Play4Kay) 2 p.m. second-team all-conference accolades as a sophomore. Whitish led the Huskers in scoring (12.6 Feb. 14 at 10/9 Maryland^ [BTN] 7 p.m. ppg), assists (4.7 apg), steals (1.3 spg) and three-pointers made (73) last season. The only Husker to Feb. 17 Michigan State^ [BTN] 3 p.m. start all 32 games last year, she carried a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio as Nebraska’s point guard. Feb. 21 at Northwestern^ [BTN Plus] 7 p.m. • Kate Cain also will be counted on to play a big role for the Huskers in 2018-19. The 6-5 sophomore Feb. 25 17/13 Iowa^ [BTN] (Senior Night) 7:30 p.m. from Middletown, N.Y., is one of 20 preseason candidates for the Lisa Leslie National Center-of-the- March 2 at Penn State^ [BTN] 2 p.m. Year Award presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball March 6-10 at Big Ten Tournament (Indianapolis) Coaches Association of America. Cain led the Big Ten with 3.1 blocks per game last year and ranked March 18 NCAA Selection Monday [ESPN2] TBA among the top 10 players in the nation with a school-record 100 blocks. She averaged 9.9 points and March 22-25 NCAA 1st & 2nd Rounds TBA a team-leading 7.0 rebounds per contest on her way to spots on the Big Ten All-Defensive and Big March 29- NCAA Regionals TBA Ten All-Freshman teams. April 1 Albany, Chicago, Greensboro, Portland • Lincoln native Maddie Simon is the only fourth-year senior in the Husker program this season. April 5-7 NCAA Women’s Final Four (Tampa, Fla.) TBA The 6-2 forward was one of the Big Ten’s most improved players last season, averaging 10.1 points All times listed are Central. Home games in bold at Pinnacle and 5.3 rebounds per game in her first season as a starter. Bank Arena. ^- Denotes Big Ten Conference game. All of • Nebraska adds five newcomers to its group of six returning players in 2018-19. Freshmen Leigha Nebraska’s regular-season games can be heard live on the Brown, Sam Haiby, Kayla Mershon and Ashtyn Veerbeek were ranked among the top 20 recruiting Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln classes in the nation a year ago by ESPN. The Huskers also added graduate transfer point guard and ESPN 590 AM (or CD105.9 FM) in Omaha, and free on Kristian Hudson from Florida International. Huskers.com. [BTN] - Big Ten Network; [BTN Plus] - Live Video Streams at BTN.com of live BTN and BTN Plus games NEBRASKA ROSTER & 2017-18 STATISTICS HUSKERS.COM No. Player Ht. Cl. Pos. G-GS PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TICKETS: 1-800-8-BIG-RED 3 Hannah Whitish** 5-9 Jr. G 32-32 12.6 4.0 4.7 1.3 0.2 4 Sam Haiby 5-9 Fr. G Moorhead (Minnesota) High School 5 Nicea Eliely** 6-1 Jr. G 29-26 8.2 4.0 1.7 1.2 0.7 11 Kristian Hudson 5-5 Sr. G Florida International 13 Ashtyn Veerbeek 6-2 Fr. F Western Christian (Iowa) High School 14 Grace Mitchell** 6-2 Jr. F 29-2 2.0 1.7 0.2 0.2 0.1 24 Maddie Simon*** 6-2 Sr. F 28-27 10.1 5.3 2.0 0.8 0.3 31 Kate Cain* 6-5 So. C 32-31 9.9 7.0 1.0 0.6 3.1 32 Leigha Brown 6-1 Fr. F DeKalb (Indiana) High School 33 Taylor Kissinger* 6-1 So. G/F 25-7 10.0 4.1 1.4 0.4 0.5 44 Kayla Mershon 6-3 Fr. F Minnetonka (Minnesota) High School UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA COMMUNICATIONS • ONE MEMORIAL STADIUM, P.O. BOX 880123, LINCOLN, NE, 68588-0123 JEFF GRIESCH • OFFICE (402): 472-7775 • CELL: 540-0279 • FAX: 472-2005 • E-MAIL: [email protected] • TWITTER: @JEFFGRIESCH FOLLOW: @HUSKERSWBB • #HUSKERS • FACEBOOK.COM/HUSKERSWBB • HUSKERS.COM 2 2018-19 NEBRASKA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS SCOUTING NEBRASKA-KEARNEY • Coach Carrie Eighmey brings her fourth UNK team into the 2018-19 season. The Lopers went (21-11, 11-5 BIG TEN) 21-7 last season, including a 13-6 mark in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association No. Player Ht. Yr. Pos. PPG RPG 24 Maddie Simon 6-2 Sr. F 10.1 5.3 (MIAA). 31 Kate Cain 6-5 So. C 9.9 7.0 • The Lopers will have a whole new look in 2018-19, with nine newcomers including seven 3 Hannah Whitish 5-9 Jr. G 12.6 4.0 freshmen on their roster. 5 Nicea Eliely 6-1 Jr. G 8.2 4.0 • UNK lost its top three scorers from a year ago, including Michaela Barry (17.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.0 33 Taylor Kissinger 6-1 So. G 10.0 4.1 apg) and McKenzie Brown (14.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg) who were the only two Lopers to start all 28 games Off the Bench last season. Brown (66) and Barry (47) combined for 113 three-pointers last season. The rest of UNK’s 14 Grace Mitchell 6-2 Jr. F 2.0 1.7 4 Sam Haiby 5-9 Fr. G 0.0 0.0 roster hit 63. 11 Kristian Hudson 5-5 Sr. G 0.0 0.0 • Nebraska-Kearney also must replace Alyssa Frauendorfer, who averaged 11.0 points and 4.9 13 Ashtyn Veerbeek 6-2 Fr. F 0.0 0.0 rebounds per contest. 32 Leigha Brown 6-1 Fr. F 0.0 0.0 • Sophomore guard Kelsey Sanger is UNK’s top returning scorer after averaging 7.1 points and 3.7 44 Kayla Mershon 6-3 Fr. F 0.0 0.0 rebounds per game last season. She is the only returning Loper who averaged more than five points Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998) per contest a year ago. Sanger went scoreless in 18 minutes as a starter in UNK’s 100-68 setback to Third Season at Nebraska (28-33) 12th Season Overall (221-142) Creighton in exhibition play on Oct. 23 in Omaha. • The Lopers may rely on the leadership of 6-0 forward Jaymie Bernbeck. UNK’s only senior, NEBRASKA-KEARNEY LOPERS Bernbeck started 26 games last season and averaged 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds.