Nebraska opens a two-game Big Ten home stand by battling No. 15 Ohio State on Saturday. Tip-off between the Big Red (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) and the unbeaten Buckeyes (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten) at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 4 p.m. (CT).
The Big Ten Network will provide a live telecast with Larry Punteney and Meghan McKeown on the call. Live radio will also be available through the Husker Sports Network with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action across the network stations, the Huskers App and on Huskers.com.
Nebraska enjoyed the mid-week off after defeating its second top-25 opponent of the season with a 68-64 road win at No. 23 Michigan State last Sunday in East Lansing. The Huskers led by as many as 10 points in the first half before rallying from a five-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 68-64 victory over the Spartans.
Sam Haiby earned her second straight appearance on the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll after notching her first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds against the Spartans. It followed a 27-point, nine-rebound effort in a last-second loss at No. 15 Michigan (Jan. 7). Haiby enters the Ohio State game as Nebraska’s leader in scoring (16.7 ppg), rebounding (7.8 rpg), assists (3.8 apg) and steals (1.3 spg).
Sophomore Isabelle Bourne also has solidified herself as a rising star in the Big Ten. The 6-2 forward from Canberra, Australia led the Huskers with a game-high 18 points to go along with seven rebounds at Michigan State. In her first season as a starter, Bourne is averaging 14.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Nebraska’s team defensive efforts have been outstanding in recent weeks. The Huskers are 3-1 over the last four contests despite facing three ranked teams who all entered the contest averaging better than 80 points per game. None of the four opponents (No. 15 Northwestern, Rutgers, No. 15 Michigan, No. 23 Michigan State) scored 65 points against Nebraska’s defense.
The Huskers have held each of the four foes to their lowest point totals of the year.
Ohio State, which will be NU’s fourth Big Ten opponent this season to be ranked as the AP No. 15 team in the nation at game time, comes to Lincoln averaging 89.9 points per game and has not scored less than 78 points in any contest this season.
Kate Cain, a 6-5 center from Middletown, N.Y., joins Haiby and Bourne as Nebraska’s tri-captains in 2020-21, and plays a central role in the back of the Big Red defense. A three-time Lisa Leslie Award candidate, Cain notched four blocks against Northwestern to become just the sixth player in Big Ten history with 300 career blocked shots. Cain is averaging 2.5 blocks per game this season to go along with 8.0 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Ashley Scoggin has stepped into a major role in her first year as a Husker. The 22-year-old redshirt sophomore has started all 10 games and is averaging 7.5 points while leading NU with 15 made three-pointers (.417). She posted career highs of 16 points against Purdue and Idaho State.
Junior Bella Cravens has been a major contributor as a starter in Big Ten play. The 6-3 forward from Laie, Hawaii, is averaging 7.4 points and a team-best 9.1 rebounds in conference play, including a career-high-tying 16 rebounds in the win over Illinois. She added 13 boards in the win over Rutgers and had nine points, nine rebounds and three blocks in the win at No. 23 Michigan State.
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