The Nebraska women’s basketball team will wear red uniforms at home when the Huskers play host to Michigan in a key Big Ten Conference clash on Wednesday night in Lincoln.
Tip-off between Nebraska (12-5, 4-2) and the Wolverines (12-5, 3-2 Big Ten) at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 7 p.m. (CT) with tickets available now at Huskers.com. Nebraska fans are encouraged to wear red to help support the Huskers and the American Red Cross.
Nebraska fans who are B1G+ subscribers can watch the live video stream. Husker fans also can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and 590 AM in Omaha, the Huskers App and Huskers.com with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action. Pregame starts at 6:30 p.m. (CT).
Nebraska hopes to bounce back from its second Big Ten loss when it faces Michigan, after the Huskers suffered a tight 62-58 setback at Minnesota on Sunday. The Huskers (34) and Wolverines (42) sit in a pack of five Big Ten teams (27-Maryland, 30-Penn State, 34-Minnesota) ranked between No. 25 and 45 in the NCAA NET and fighting for position in the conference standings.
Alexis Markowski produced her Big Ten-leading 11th double-double with game highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds at Minnesota. The 6-3 center owns five double-doubles in Big Ten play this season and 32 in her career. Her next double-double will move her into a tie for fourth on Nebraska’s career list with Emily Cady, who had 33 from 2012 to 2015. Markowski, who leads the Big Ten with 10.2 rebounds per game, including 12.2 in league action, recently joined NU’s career top 10 in total rebounds (761) and is just 17 boards from catching Maurtice Ivy at No. 9 (778). A two-time Lisa Leslie Award candidate, Markowski has scored in double figures in all 17 games this season, including five 20-point performances.
Two-time Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award candidate Jaz Shelley has added 12.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and team bests of 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals. She owns two double-doubles this season, including 13 points and 11 assists in a win over Maryland (Dec. 31). The 5-9 guard from Moe (pronounced MOE-ee), Australia, is the first Husker in history to record multiple career triple-doubles after getting 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a win over UNCW (Dec. 5). She is coming off a 12-point, eight-assist effort at Minnesota (Jan. 14). She is just three three-pointers away from becoming the fourth Husker in history with 200 triples.
Five-time Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week Natalie Potts is leading all league freshmen in scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg), including 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in the win over Maryland (Dec. 31). She also had 16 second-half points in a win over Wisconsin (Jan. 4). She is coming off 10 points and six rebounds at Minnesota, setting up her most recent conference freshman honor (Jan. 15). The two-time Missouri MaxPreps High School Player of the Year out of Incarnate Word Academy has scored in double figures 11 times this season. She also leads Nebraska with 13 blocks on the year, while leading the Huskers in conference play with 10 steals (1.7 spg).
Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-5, 4-2 Big Ten)
vs. Michigan Wolverines (12-5, 3-2 Big Ten)
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, 7 p.m. (CT)
Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, Nebraska
Tickets: Huskers.com/Tickets
Live Video: B1G+
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (6:30 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
B107.3 FM (Lincoln), 590 AM (Omaha), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Promotions: Red Cross Day/MLK Legacy Game
Special Event: Red Out (Huskers/Fans Wear Red)
Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-5, 4-2 Big Ten – NCAA NET 35)
22 – Natalie Potts – 6-2 – Fr. – F/G – 11.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg
40 – Alexis Markowski – 6-3 – Jr. – C/F – 17.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg
0 – Darian White – 5-6 – Gr. – G – 8.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg
1 – Jaz Shelley – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 12.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg
42 – Maddie Krull – 5-9 – Gr. – G – 3.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Off the Bench
14 – Callin Hake – 5-9 – So. – G – 7.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg
2 – Logan Nissley – 6-0 – Fr. – G – 6.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg
12 – Jessica Petrie – 6-2 – Fr. – F – 4.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg
21 – Annika Stewart – 6-3 – Sr. – F – 3.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg
32 – Kendall Coley – 6-2 – Jr. – F – 2.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg
15 – Kendall Moriarty – 6-1 – Jr. – G – 1.8 ppg, 1.1 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Eighth Season at Nebraska (126-104); 17th Season Overall (319-213)
Michigan Wolverines (12-5, 3-2 Big Ten – NCAA NET 42)
22 – Chyra Evans – 6-2 – So. – F – 5.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg
44 – Cameron Williams – 6-3 – Sr. – F – 5.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg
1 – Lauren Hansen – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 11.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg
5 – Laila Phelia – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 15.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg
10 – Jordan Hobbs – 6-3 – Jr. – G – 9.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Off the Bench
0 – Elissa Brett – 6-0 – Gr. – G – 8.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg
33 – Taylor Williams – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 6.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg
21 – Taylor Woodson – 6-0 – Fr. – F – 3.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg
11 – Greta Kampschroeder – 6-1 – Jr. – G – 3.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg
30 – Elise Stuck – 6-1 – Jr. – G/F – 2.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg
20 – Alyssa Crockett – 6-2 – So. – F – 2.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg
2 – Macy Brown – 6-0 – Fr. – G – 1.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg
Head Coach: Kim Barnes Arico (Montclair State, 1993)
12th Season at Michigan (253-124); 28th Season Overall (523-330)
Scouting the Michigan Wolverines
Coach Kim Barnes Arico is in her 12th season leading Michigan and her 28th year as a head coach. She brings the Wolverines to Lincoln with a 12-5 record and a 3-2 Big Ten mark after a 76-52 win over Wisconsin Saturday in Ann Arbor.
The win over the Badgers followed back-to-back losses to Minnesota (82-66, Jan. 9) and at Indiana (80-59, Jan. 4).
Michigan produced its best season in school history with a trip to the 2022 NCAA Elite Eight after advancing to the first-ever NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2021. Last year, Michigan was knocked out in the NCAA second round by eventual champion LSU.
Junior Laila Phelia leads Michigan with 15.8 points, including 19.2 points per game in Big Ten play. The 6-0 guard earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last year while ranking 10th in the conference in scoring at 16.7 points. She had 12 points and five rebounds in last year’s win over NU in Lincoln, but did not play against the Huskers in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines, who lost starters Leigha Brown (17.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.8 apg), Emily Kiser (15.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.9 apg) and Maddie Nolan (9.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.0 apg), also return senior Cameron Williams. The 6-3 forward started all 33 games last season but made her first Big Ten start in the win over Wisconsin, getting a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in just 23 minutes. She is averaging 5.6 points and 5.3 rebounds this season. Last year she totaled six points and five rebounds in 27 minutes in Michigan’s two wins over Nebraska.
Jordan Hobbs (9.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and Australian Chrya Evans (5.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg) have moved into the starting lineup, along with Missouri graduate transfer Lauren Hansen (11.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg), who started her career at Auburn. Hobbs started in place of Phelia in last year’s game at Michigan, getting 10 points and five rebounds. She did not play in Lincoln.
Australian Elissa Brett, a four-year starter at Bowling Green, was a part-time starter for the Wolverines early in the season before suffering a leg injury in the third quarter against Minnesota (Jan. 9). She did not play against Wisconsin. The 6-0 graduate transfer is averaging 8.3 points and 4.0 rebounds.
Taylor Williams, a five-year player and four-year starter at Western Michigan, also has been a part-time starter, averaging 6.1 points and 4.6 rebounds.
Freshman Taylor Woodson (3.4 ppg) joins returning contributors Greta Kampschroeder (3.8 ppg), Elise Stuck (2.5 ppg) and Alyssa Crockett (2.5 ppg) in rounding out Michigan’s regulars in 2023-24.
Michigan is averaging 71.9 points and hitting 42.8 percent of its field goal attempts, including 36.2 percent of its threes, while making 7.4 threes per game in Big Ten action. The Wolverines own a plus-8.7 team rebounding margin and a plus-4.1 turnover margin. Michigan is surrendering just 58.1 points per game while holding opponents to 40 percent shooting.
Nebraska vs. Michigan Series History
Nebraska owns a 16-9 edge in the all-time series with Michigan, but the Wolverines swept the season series with the Huskers last year, including a 76-59 victory in Lincoln (Dec. 28, 2022) for Kim Barnes Arico’s 500th career coaching win. The Huskers battled to the wire in an 80-75 setback against the No. 12 Wolverines (Feb. 12, 2023) to close the season series.
Last season in Lincoln, Jaz Shelley led Nebraska with 21 points and five assists, but the other four Husker starters combined for just 17 points. Callin Hake added 11 and Annika Stewart contributed eight off the bench to help the Huskers. In Ann Arbor, Alexis Markowski produced a big double-double with 18 points and 18 rebounds while Shelley added 14 points and 10 assists, but it was not enough to overcome the Wolverines.
In 2021-22, Nebraska swept a pair of games with a top-10 Michigan team, including a 76-73 win over the No. 10 Wolverines in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in Indianapolis (March 4, 2022). The Huskers sprinted to a 79-58 victory over No. 8 Michigan (Jan. 4, 2022), for the largest victory margin in school history over a top-10 opponent.
Alexis Markowski made her first career start against the Wolverines in Lincoln in 2021-22, putting up 20 points and pulling down seven rebounds in a 79-58 win (Jan. 7, 2022). Jaz Shelley added a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
NU is 8-4 all-time against Michigan in Lincoln. The Huskers are 8-5 all-time against the Wolverines away from home, including 6-4 in Ann Arbor and 2-1 at the Big Ten Tournament.
The series has been evenly matched as Big Ten foes, with Nebraska owning a 10-9 edge since joining the conference in 2011-12.
Nebraska was 6-0 against Michigan as non-conference foes dating back to the first meeting between the two teams on Nov. 28, 1980 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln. The Huskers won 118-92 in the highest scoring game in Nebraska women’s basketball history.
Potts Claims Five Big Ten Freshman Awards
Two-time Missouri MaxPreps High School Player of the Year Natalie Potts has made an instant impact on Nebraska’s lineup. The 6-2 forward from O’Fallon, Mo., has claimed five of the first nine Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week awards with the most recent coming on Jan. 15.
In addition to her conference honors, Potts was named the No. 14 impact freshman in the nation by ESPN on Dec. 22. She leads all Big Ten freshmen in scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg) while also leading the Huskers with 13 blocks through the first 17 games of her career. In conference games-only, Potts also leads Nebraska with 10 steals through six games (1.7 spg).
Potts has scored at least eight points in each of NU’s first six Big Ten games, including four games in double figures.
She posted her second double-double with 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in NU’s win over Maryland (Dec. 31), including 13 points and 12 boards in the second half.
Potts scored 16 in a win at Wisconsin (Jan. 4) when she got all 16 in the second half. She ranks second among the Huskers in scoring (11.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg) in league play.
She opened Big Ten play with 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks in the win over NCAA NET No. 8 Michigan State (Dec. 9).
Potts produced 10 points and six rebounds at Minnesota (Jan. 14).
She had 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes in a win over UNCW (Dec. 5).
Potts won her second Big Ten Freshman award (Nov. 22) after averaging 14.0 points in two games at the St. Pete Showcase. She opened the week with a career-high 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field, including a three-pointer, in a 75-61 win over Lamar.
She opened another strong week by notching her first double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Florida Atlantic (Nov. 29). She followed with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in a win over Georgia Tech (Dec. 2).
Potts averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block to earn her first Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award (Nov. 13).
In Nebraska’s 71-52 road win at Wyoming, Potts was a catalyst at both ends of the court, erupting for 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, while adding two steals and a blocked shot. Potts was a menace defensively, creating easy offensive opportunities with deflections at the front of Nebraska’s press to help turn an early Husker deficit into a double-digit road victory over the Cowgirls.
In her regular-season collegiate debut, Potts had 10 points, five rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block while hitting 5-of-7 shots from the field in a 90-42 win over Northwestern State (Nov. 6).
She backed up her opening-week efforts by averaging 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in her second week. Potts capped the week with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting against No. 22 Creighton (Nov. 19), after getting seven points and career highs of 11 rebounds and three blocks in a win over Alcorn State (Nov. 14).
Through 17 games, Potts has hit 70-of-102 (.686) two-point field goal attempts.
Husker Numbers to Watch
- Alexis Markowski (761) is 17 rebounds from catching Nebraska Athletic Hall of Famer and retired jersey honoree Maurtice Ivy at No. 9 on NU’s career rebound list (778). Markowski is 19 shy of Kate Cain (780) at No. 8 on the same list. Markowski had a career-high 18 rebounds at Michigan (Feb. 12, 2023).
- Jaz Shelley is 2 rebounds away from 500 in her career. Shelley is also 3 three-pointers away from becoming just the fourth player to hit 200 threes as a Husker.
- Darian White is 9 rebounds away from 700 in her career.
- Natalie Potts is 2 rebounds away from 100 in her career and 10 points shy of 200 as a Husker.
Nebraska Notables
- Two-time All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) was the Big Ten’s top rebounder with 322 rebounds in 2022-23. She was the only Big Ten player to average a double-double (12.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg) during regular-season conference play.
- Alexis Markowski is No. 5 on Nebraska’s career double-doubles list (32) after notching her 11th double-double of the season with 17 points and 14 rebounds at Minnesota (Jan. 14). Her next double-doubles will tie her with Emily Cady at No. 4 (33). The Husker record for career double-doubles is 40 by first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (2011-14).
- Jaz Shelley (545) and Darian White (501) both own 500 assists in their college careers. Only five previous Huskers in history had totaled 500 collegiate assists (Lindsey Moore, Meggan Yedsena, Rachel Theriot, Jina Johansen, Nicole Kubik).
- Darian White is 148 points away from 2,000 in her college career.
- Darian White has scored in double figures 102 times in her college career (97, Montana State; 5, Nebraska). She scored a season-high 16 points against unbeaten TCU (Nov. 25).
- Callin Hake is proving herself as one of the Big Ten’s most improved players from a year ago. The 5-8 sophomore from Victoria, Minn., already owns more assists (+19), free throws made (+11), rebounds (+9), steals (+3) and blocks (+1) than all of last season in 102 fewer minutes. She is also shooting a team-best 46 percent (23-50) from three-point range while averaging 7.1 points per game compared to 4.3 points per game last season.
Husker Nuggets
• Natalie Potts earned her conference-leading fifth Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award on Jan. 15. No other league freshman has won more than one award. Potts won the first weekly honor Nov. 13, before adding awards Nov. 27, Dec. 11, Jan. 8 and Jan. 15. Potts leads Big Ten freshmen in scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg).
- Alexis Markowski has been named to the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll six times in nine weeks in 2023-24, including Jan. 15. She also earned a spot on the St. Pete Showcase All-Tournament Team (Nov. 25). She leads the Big Ten in rebounding (10.2 rpg) while ranking fifth in scoring (17.2 ppg).
- The Huskers had seven players produce double figures in points against UNCW, which is believed to be the first time that has been accomplished in school history. It is the second time this season the Huskers have had six players score in double figures in a game (Northwestern State, Nov. 6).
- Three Huskers (Alexis Markowski, Natalie Potts, Jaz Shelley) recorded double-doubles in the win over Maryland (Dec. 31), which is the first time a Husker trio notched doubles in the same game since Jordan Hooper (23 points, 11 rebounds), Emily Cady (15 points, 11 rebounds) and Rachel Theriot (10 points, 12 assists) did it in an NCAA first-round win over Fresno State in Los Angeles on March 22, 2014.
• The Huskers have hit at least one three in 481 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 360 consecutive games.
- Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 34 times in the last 89 games, including seven times in 2023-24. The Huskers hit a season-high 16 threes against UNCW (Dec. 5), and sank 12 triples vs. Southern (Dec. 17). NU hit 10 threes vs. Northwestern State (Nov. 6), Florida Atlantic (Nov. 29), Georgia Tech (Dec. 2), Michigan State (Dec. 9) and Maryland (Dec. 31).