Huskers Shoot for Wednesday Win Over Wildcats

The Nebraska women's basketball team caps a two-game Big Ten home stand by playing host to Northwestern on Wednesday evening at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Tip-off between the NCAA NET 22 Huskers (15-5, 4-5 Big Ten) and the Wildcats (8-12, 2-7 Big Ten) in Lincoln is set for 7 p.m. (CT) with tickets available now at Huskers.com.

The Huskers will celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day (Feb. 4), which honors female athletes and advocates for equality in sports. The nationwide observance highlights athletic achievements, encourages participation and recognizes the power of sports for girls and women.

Free live audio from the Huskers Radio Network will be available on Huskers.com, the Huskers App, 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 1490 AM/97.3 FM/97.7 HD3 in Omaha with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the call for their 25th consecutive season.

Wednesday's game will be televised live statewide by Nebraska Public Media with a live video stream for B1G+ subscribers featuring Bill Doleman and Kara Graham on the call.

Nebraska is coming off a solid 81-75 home win over NET 35 Illinois on Saturday. The Huskers built an 18-point halftime lead and maintained a double-digit lead until the final minute before settling for a six-point victory over the Fighting Illini.

Four of Nebraska's five losses this season have come to AP top-25 teams at game time, including a trio to current NET top-10 Big Ten foes (No. 2 UCLA, at No. 9 Michigan State, at No. 10 Iowa).

Britt Prince, a Nancy Lieberman Award candidate, led Nebraska with 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the win over Illinois. The 5-11 sophomore point guard out of Elkhorn North High School added 8-for-8 free throw shooting against the Illini to help seal the victory. She ranks third nationally and leads the Big Ten in free throw percentage (.921), while ranking ninth in the Big Ten in scoring (17.9 ppg) and 11th in assists (4.3 apg). Nebraska's leading scorer at 17.9 points per game, Prince owns seven 20-point efforts, including a pair of 30-point games this season. She had 15 points and six assists in last season's 98-77 win at Northwestern (March 2).

Junior Jessica Petrie has provided consistency and leadership at both ends in her second season as a starter. The 6-2 forward from Gold Coast, Australia, ranks third on the team in scoring (11.9 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.0 rpg). Petrie has produced double figures 14 times and scored at least seven points in all 20 games this season. She also leads Nebraska with a career-high 21 blocks and owns a career-high 18 steals this season after getting 12 total steals her first two years. Petrie had 15 points and a team-high six rebounds in the win over Illinois, while adding a block and a steal. In last season's win at Northwestern, Petrie had 11 points, eight rebounds and a career-high seven assists.

Fellow junior Logan Nissley has made seven straight starts. One of the Big Ten's most dangerous three-point shooters, Nissley is averaging 7.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists after contributing 15 points and three assists in Saturday's win over Illinois. The 6-0 guard from Bismarck, N.D., is hitting 46.4 percent (32-69) of her three-point attempts. In the win over Illinois, Nissley joined Nebraska's career top 10 in three-pointers made (146).
• Callin Hake provides veteran leadership and an emotional heartbeat for the Big Red while joining Prince, Petrie and Nissley as returning starters from a year ago. Hake, a 5-8 senior guard from Victoria, Minn., is averaging 8.1 points and 4.0 assists while hitting 39 percent (30-77) of her threes. Hake, who has added 29 steals, also leads the Big Red with 24 charges drawn through 20 games.

Senior transfer Eliza Maupin rounds out Nebraska's projected starting five. The 6-3 forward from Webster Groves, Mo., is averaging 8.9 points and 4.6 rebounds over 17 games with seven straight starts. She notched her second double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds last Wednesday at Wisconsin. Maupin has scored in double figures in six of her last nine games, including her first Husker double-double with 12 points and 11 boards at Iowa (Jan. 1).

Sophomore Amiah Hargrove is emerging as a star in the conference. A contender for Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year, Hargrove ranks second on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg) while leading the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg). The 6-2 forward from Christopher, Ill., produced 21 points by hitting 9-of-11 shots at No. 15 Michigan State (Jan. 15) and had 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting at Wisconsin (Jan. 21). Hargrove is shooting 56.3 percent from the field, including 41.2 percent from three-point range and 82.6 percent from the free throw line on the year. She has hit 63.2 percent (12-19) of her threes in league play. She opened Big Ten play with a career-high 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting (4-5 3FG) at Penn State (Dec. 6). She missed the loss at No. 14 Iowa (Jan. 1) after suffering a mild concussion in the fourth quarter in the loss to No. 17 USC (Dec. 29).   

NET 22 Nebraska Cornhuskers (15-5, 4-5 Big Ten)
21 - Eliza Maupin - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 8.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 11.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 7.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-8 - Sr. - G - 8.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg
23 - Britt Prince - 5-11 - So. - G - 17.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Off the Bench
33 - Amiah Hargrove - 6-2 - So. - F - 12.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg
4 - Petra Bozan - 6-3 - So. - F - 7.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg
5 - Claire Johnson - 5-9 - So. - G - 4.1 ppg, 1.2 rpg
1 - Hailey Weaver - 6-0 - Gr. - G - 3.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg
15 - Kennadi Williams - 5-4 - RFr. - G - 2.7 ppg, 0.8 rpg
34 - Emily Fisher - 6-0 - Jr. - G/F - 1.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg
00 - Alanna Neale - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 1.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - RSo. - F - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
3 - Allison Weidner [Out] - 5-10 - Gr. - G - Redshirt
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
10th Season at Nebraska (173-128); 19th Season Overall (366-237)

Northwestern Wildcats (8-12, 2-7 Big Ten)
22 - Grace Sullivan - 6-4 - Sr. - F - 22.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg
23 - Tayla Thomas - 6-3 - So. - F - 10.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg
1 - Xamiya Walton - 5-7 - So. - G - 7.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg
7 - Caroline Lau - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg
12 - Casey Harter - 5-11 - Jr. - G - 9.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Off the Bench
4 - Tate Lash - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 5.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg
11 - Angelina Hodgens - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 1.8 ppg, 1.0 rpg
3 - Claire Keswick - 6-0 - So. - G - 1.8 ppg, 0.1 rpg
24 - DaiJa Turner - 6-3 - Gr. - F - 0.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg
33 - Amparo Lopez - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 0.5 ppg, 0.2 rpg
Head Coach: Joe McKeown (Kent State, 1979)
18th Season at Northwestern (276-270); 40th Season Overall (785-444)

Scouting the Northwestern Wildcats
• Coach Joe McKeown is closing out his 40th season as a collegiate head coach and his 18th leading Northwestern. McKeown, who will retire at the conclusion of the season, brings his Wildcats to Lincoln with an 8-12 overall record that includes a 2-7 Big Ten mark. McKeown owns 785 career collegiate wins, including 276 at Northwestern.

• Senior Grace Sullivan is one of the Big Ten's leading scorers, averaging 22.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Sullivan, who is shooting 55.5 percent from the field and 75.8 percent at the line, also leads the Wildcats with 25 steals on the season. The 6-4 forward has not made a three-pointer. She is coming off a 21-point effort on 10-of-23 shooting in NU's 80-46 loss to No. 3 UCLA in Evanston on Sunday.

• Tayla Thomas, a 6-3 sophomore forward, gives Northwestern two players averaging double figures. The athletic Thomas is averaging 10.0 points and a team-best 8.4 rebounds, while also leading the Cats with 29 blocked shots. She had seven points and five rebounds before fouling out in 22 minutes against UCLA.

• Junior Casey Harter has added 9.9 points per game as one of Northwestern's top long-range threats. The 5-11 guard is hitting 38.4 percent (28-73) of her threes and 84.4 percent of her free throws. She had two points and five assists in 35 minutes against UCLA.

• Point guard Caroline Lau returns as Northwestern's most experienced player. The 5-9 senior is having her best season, averaging 7.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists. Lau is also a legitimate threat from beyond the arc, where she has hit 29.8 percent (25-84) of her shots. Lau finished with five points, eight rebounds, seven assists and eight turnovers in the loss to UCLA.

• Xamiya Walton and Tate Lash have split time in Northwestern's starting five. Walton, a 5-7 sophomore, is averaging 7.8 points while knocking down a team-high 33 three-pointers (.402). She had nine points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting in Sunday's loss to UCLA. Lash has contributed 5.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Lash has hit just 6-of-40 three-point tries (.150).

• The Wildcats also get help off the bench from Angelina Hodgens (1.8 ppg), Claire Keswick (1.8 ppg) and DaiJa Turner. Turner provided the Wildcats with their only points off the bench (2) in the loss to UCLA.

• Northwestern has been outscored 71.9-65.1 on the season, while hitting 42.1 percent of its shots including 29.5 percent of its threes. The Wildcats carry a minus-1.7 rebound margin and a minus-2.9 turnover margin.They own Big Ten home wins over Rutgers and Wisconsin and recently dropped a narrow 74-71 decision at No. 25 Illinois (Jan. 18).

Nebraska vs. Northwestern Series History
• Nebraska leads the all-time series with Northwestern, 17-8, including seven consecutive wins.

• Last season, the Huskers cruised to a 98-77 win over the Wildcats on Senior Day in Evanston, Ill. (March 2, 2025).

• In the most recent meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska rolled to a 75-50 win at PBA (Feb. 20, 2024), after notching an 80-64 win over Northwestern in Lincoln (Feb. 26, 2023).

• Alexis Markowski, who produced double-doubles in each of her first four meetings with Northwestern, erupted for 30 points and eight rebounds in last season's win. Alberte Rimdal added 17 points off the bench, while Britt Prince contributed 15 points and six assists. Jessica Petrie put four Huskers in double figures with 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

• Natalie Potts led Nebraska with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the last meeting in Lincoln, while  Logan Nissley added 12 points and six assists for the Big Red while hitting 4-of-6 three-pointers.

• Northwestern's last win in the series came with a 60-56 victory over the Huskers at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Feb. 16, 2020.

• Over the last seven games in the series, Northwestern has produced a 136-70 (+66) turnover margin, while Nebraska has produced a dominant 330-223 (+107) rebounding edge.

• The Huskers are 8-5 against the Cats in Evanston. They also raced to an 88-71 win over Northwestern at the 2012 Big Ten Tournament (March 1). Nebraska is 8-3 all-time against Northwestern in Lincoln dating back to a 65-64 win at the Devaney Center on Nov. 29, 1980.

• Since joining the Big Ten (2011-12), Nebraska has faced Northwestern three times on Senior Day in Lincoln (2016, 2022, 2023) and is 3-0 in those games. Last year's game marked Nebraska's first clash with the Cats in Evanston on Northwestern's Senior Day.

Prince Named to Nancy Lieberman Watch List
• Nebraska's Britt Prince was named to the list of 20 women's college basketball players on the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List on Oct. 27. The Lieberman Award was the first of the Naismith Starting 5 award watch lists announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

• Fan voting for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award is open at http://www.hoophallawards.com.

• Prince, a 5-11 sophomore from Omaha, Neb., returns for her second season at Nebraska after averaging 13.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.7 steals as a true freshman.

• Through 20 games this season, she is averaging a team-best 17.9 points per game while hitting 56.9 percent (136-239) of her shots from the field, including 28-of-57 threes (.491).

• Prince was the MVP of the Emerald Coast Classic Beach Bracket (Nov. 24-25) after leading the Huskers to a tournament title with 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting in a 91-82 win over Virginia. She averaged 24.0 points and 6.5 assists in the tournament, including 18 points and a season-high seven assists in a win over Purdue Fort Wayne.

• Prince established her career high with 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting in a win over Oral Roberts (Nov. 19).

• She produced a 27-point performance at No. 14 Iowa (Jan. 1), when she also recorded five rebounds and four steals, before getting a game-high 17 points to go with a team-high four rebounds in the win over Purdue (Jan. 4).

• Prince opened Big Ten play with 20 points in a win at Penn State (Dec. 6) and produced her fourth 20-point effort in conference play this season with 20 points and four assists in a win over Illinois (Jan. 24). She added 20 points and seven assists in a win over Indiana (Jan. 8).

• She tipped 2025-26 with 19 points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal in a win over Northwestern State (Nov. 3).

• Prince led all players with 18 points and seven assists against No. 17 USC (Dec. 29).

• She followed with 23 points, two assists and two steals in a win over Samford (Nov. 8), before getting 18 points and a season-high seven rebounds in a win over Creighton (Nov. 12).

• Prince had 17 points, four rebounds and five assists in a 92-53 win over Bradley (Dec. 3).

• She had 16 points and three assists in a win over North Dakota State in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Nov. 16).

• Prince also had 16 points, four rebounds and four assists at No. 15 Michigan State (Jan. 15).

• Prince, a two-time Gatorade and MaxPreps Nebraska High School Player of the Year at Elkhorn North, earned Big Ten All-Freshman honors while leading the Huskers to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

• In the NCAA Tournament, Prince led the Big Red with 14 points and six assists against Louisville. She averaged 17.0 points and 5.3 assists over three Big Ten Tournament games, including a season-high-tying 24 points against tourney champion and NCAA No. 1 seed UCLA.

• Prince was the USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Jan. 21, 2025) after going for 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a career-high six steals in a win at Iowa (Jan. 16, 2025), when she hit a career-high five three-pointers.

Potts Earns Spot on Katrina McClain Watch List
• Nebraska's Natalie Potts was included on the list of 20 women's college basketball players named to the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Preseason Watch List on Oct. 30. The McClain Award was the fourth of the Naismith Starting 5 award watch lists announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

• Fan voting for the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award is open at http://www.hoophallawards.com.

• Potts, a 6-2 redshirt sophomore from O'Fallon, Mo., returns for her third season at Nebraska in 2025-26. She was the 2023-24 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the fifth game of the 2024-25 campaign. Potts was averaging team bests of 17.5 points and 8.0 rebounds through the first four games prior to her injury. She was shooting 69.4 percent from the field, including 72.7 percent (8-11) from three-point range to lead the Big Red to a No. 19 national ranking and a 4-0 start.

• In 40-minute production, Potts put up eye-popping numbers of 28.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per 40 to rank among the best players in the Big Ten through the first four games last season.

• In 2023-24, Potts led all Big Ten freshmen in rebounding (5.2 rpg) and field goal percentage (.489), while ranking second among league freshmen in scoring (10.2 ppg) and free throw percentage (.829) in 2023-24. She started all 35 games for the 23-12 Huskers, who advanced to the Big Ten Championship Game and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

• Potts, who won 8-of-15 Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week awards during the regular season, was the most consistent freshman in the conference from start to finish. She won the inaugural weekly honor on Nov. 13, 2023, before claiming the final two freshman awards on Feb. 26 and March 4. She won at least one weekly honor during all five months of the season. Her eight weekly awards matched the total of fellow Nebraska Big Ten Freshman of the Year Alexis Markowski in 2022.

• Potts, who also claimed an honorable-mention All-Big Ten award from the conference media, was a unanimous choice on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team by the conference coaches.

• After suffering her knee injury against North Alabama (Nov. 19, 2024), Potts underwent knee surgery (Dec. 4). She continues to rehab but has not yet returned to practice with the team.

Nebraska Excels in NCAA Stat Rankings
• Through 20 games, Nebraska ranks among the top 25 teams in 10 NCAA categories.
• FG% - .494 ranks 8th nationally and 3rd in the Big Ten.
• Bench Scoring - 30.0 ppg ranks 9th nationally and 1st in the Big Ten.
• Assists Per Game - 18.9 ranks 10th nationally and 3rd in the Big Ten.
• Assist-to-Turnover - 1.42 ranks 12th nationally and 4th in the Big Ten.
• Average Home Attendance - 5,645 ranks 14th nationally and 4th in the Big Ten.
• FT% - .780 ranks 16th nationally and 4th in the Big Ten.
• Scoring - 82.3 ppg ranks 17th nationally and 6th in the Big Ten.
• NCAA NET - Nebraska ranks 21st nationally and 8th in the Big Ten.
• Scoring Margin - +18.9 ppg ranks 25th nationally and 7th in the Big Ten.
• 3FG% - .359 - ranks 25th nationally and 6th in the Big Ten.

Big Red Triple Threats
• Nebraska is hitting 35.9 percent of its shots from three-point range and averaging 7.8 made threes per game with shooters up and down the lineup.

• Six Huskers are shooting better than 35 percent from long range: Britt Prince (.491), Logan Nissley (.464), Amiah Hargrove (.412), Callin Hake (.390), Hailey Weaver (.360) and Eliza Maupin (.353).

• In Big Ten play, the Huskers have knocked down 37 percent of their threes while averaging 7.6 makes per game.

• Hargrove (.632) leads the Huskers from beyond the arc in league play, while Prince (.500), Nissley (.439), Eliza Maupin (.364) and Hake (.345) give Nebraska five players hitting 34 percent or better from long range through nine Big Ten contests.

Husker Forwards Producing Career Years
• Sophomore Amiah Hargrove is proving herself as one of the Big Ten's most improved players in 2025-26. Hargrove's 232 total points are 76 more than the 156 she scored for the Huskers over 33 games as freshman in 38 fewer total minutes. The 6-2 forward also has more than double her total steals this season (14) compared to last season (6).

• Junior Jessica Petrie has totaled 237 points through 20 games, surpassing her previous season-best total of 210 points (2024-25) in 202 fewer minutes. Petrie's 21 blocked shots and 18 steals are also career bests, exceeding her previous career total of 12 steals through her first two seasons combined as a Husker. She had 20 blocks a year ago.

• Senior Eliza Maupin has scored 152 points for the Huskers through her 17 games this season, already surpassing her previous career-best season total of 146 points as a freshman at Kansas State (2022-23). Maupin's six three-pointers this season have far exceeded the one triple she hit in her first three seasons at K-State. Her 36 free throws made are also the most in a season during her career.