Horns face a tough Big 12 opening game in Nebraska. It will be a chance for payback, though, as the Huskers pulled out a 79-75 win last season in Austin to kick off the 2006-07 Big 12 season. The Huskers are strongest where the Horns are thinnest. Nebraska has three strong post players in Danielle Page (6-2 Sr. F, 12.6 ppg), Kelsey Griffin (6-2 Jr. F, 11.9 ppg) and Cory Montgomery (6-2 Soph. F, 11.7 ppg). These three are the top three scorers for the Huskers. Page and Griffin are the regular starters with Montgomery coming in off the bench. Montgomery has started the last four games as Griffin has not played in them due to a rib injury. Griffin is projected to return to the court against Texas although she may not start. Tay Hester (5-10 Jr. G), Dominique Kelley (5-7 Fr. G) and Yvonne Turner (5-8 Soph G) are the three other starters. Turner, with 38 steals for the season, is the top ballhawk for the Huskers. Page is the top rebounder at 7.4 rpg while Montgomery and Griffin add 5.4 and 5.6 rpg respectively. Page has 32 blocks with Griffin’s 11 second on the team. Add Montgomery to starters Griffin, Page, Hester & Kelley and you have five players that have gone to the FT line between 34-40 times. Unfortunately, they are hitting between 46% (Hester) and 65% (Kelley). As a team, the Huskers are only hitting 59.9% of FTs. They are just as poor from BTA so far. They are hitting only 28.9% from BTA with Turner’s 38% tops (except for Jessica Periago who has made 1-2 3s). Kaitlyn Burke’s 58 attempted 3s are almost twice of the others (Turner, 38 3s; Nicole Neals, 30 3s; & Kelley, 29 3s). Griffin, Page, Montgomery, and Hester have the most shot attempts per game played. If the Horns can shut down the inside game, the Huskers will be in trouble. The Huskers depend on outstanding shooting from around the basket (Page, Montgomery, and Griffin are hitting over 50% of their shots). While the Huskers are shooting so poorly from the FT line, they make that up by quantity, taking 5 plus more FTs per game. They also win the rebounding battle by over six per game, giving them extra shots. The Horns will have to shut down the inside game while being aware that the Huskers take quite a few 3s. Kelley (38%), Burke (33%), Nicole Neals (30%) and Turner (17%) are going to launch from BTA arc. Nebraska is looking to extend a nine game home winning streak to 10. The streak dates back to the last home game of the 2006-07 season and includes the first eight home games this season. The Huskers are on a two game winning streak. The best win at home so far would have to be a 87-69 pasting of Southern Cal. Florida and UTEP are other teams that have fallen at the Devaney Center this season. Texas will counter the inside game of the Huskers with speed. The Huskers have no one that can keep up with Ashley, although she is likely to be pushed around when the Huskers set up in their halfcourt offense. Texas will enter with four players averaging double digits (Brit, Ashley, Kat, and Carla). Two other starters are just under 10 pts per game (Earnie, 9.2 ppg & Ebay, 8.5 ppg). Carla may or may not be available this game as she recovers from a shoulder injury suffered in the game against UTPA. She has been listed as day to day. While usually Kat comes of the bench, she may be the fifth starter if Carla is unable to go Wednesday. Kat is the top rebounder for the Horns at 7 rpb. She and Montgomery are likely to be candidates for the best sixth player in the league if they are not starting. Four players are grabbing between 4.1 and 4.7 rpg while Ashley is second on the team at 6.9 rpg. The Horns have every player on the roster averaging at least 10 minutes per game in games they play (except for Erika who has yet to play). Brit’s 184 shot attempts lead the Horns but five others have taken between 101 and 131 shots to date. Eight players are hitting between 44 and 58 % of their shots. Only Niqky, who played for the first time against UTPA, is shooting less than 39% from the field. Four players have taken at least 33 3s. Kat’s 38% leads the four while Brit is struggling from BTA at 26%. Niqky and Crystal will continue to bolster the Horns’ depth as they round back into playing shape. Crystal provides another long range bomber, having hit 7-14 3s in 8 games. Links to game stories: Texassports.com huskers.com
