Big Red Aims for 11th Win vs. Redbirds Sunday at 11 AM
NCAA NET No. 12 Nebraska takes aim at its 11th straight win to open the season when the Huskers play host to Illinois State Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Tip-off between the Big Red (10-0) and the Redbirds (5-5) in Lincoln is set for 11 a.m. (CT) with tickets available at Huskers.com. 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.
A live video stream will be available to subscribers of B1G+.
One of the nation's top offensive teams, Nebraska improved to 10-0 and produced 80 points for a school-record 10th consecutive game in Tuesday night's 87-35 run past Omaha at PBA.
Callin Hake tied career highs with 17 points and five three-pointers while adding six assists and no turnovers. The 5-8 senior guard from Victoria, Minn., leads a balanced Husker offense with 5.1 assists per game and a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio that ranks 20th in NCAA Division I.
Hake led three Huskers in double figures against the Mavericks, including power forwards Jessica Petrie (14 points, 7 rebounds) and Amiah Hargrove (11 points, 9 rebounds). Petrie, a 6-2 junior from Gold Coast, Australia, is averaging 12.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in her second season as a starter. Hargrove, a 6-2 sophomore from Christopher, Ill., is averaging 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds, including a career-high 26 points in NU's Big Ten road win at Penn State last Saturday.
The Huskers have been led early this season by Nancy Lieberman Award candidate Britt Prince. The 5-11 sophomore point guard from Omaha ranks among the top scorers in the Big Ten Conference at 19.9 points while adding 4.2 assists. The Elkhorn North grad and two-time Nebraska High School Player of the Year owns a pair of 30-point performances (ORU, Virginia) this season, and had scored in double figures in NU's first nine games before being held to eight points, five assists and five steals in the win over Omaha. Prince is shooting 62.7 percent from the field, including 51.6 percent from three-point range.
Sophomore Petra Bozan, who produced a career-high 17 points in NU's Big Ten-opening win at Penn State (Dec. 6), has started all 10 games inside for the Big Red. The 6-3 forward from Split, Croatia is averaging 8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor.
Graduate guard Hailey Weaver, who spent her first four seasons at Northwestern, rounds out Nebraska's starting five as a leader alongside Hake on the defensive end. The Big Red's top ball-pressuring guard ("Pirate" or "Hound"), Weaver ranks second on the team in steals (14) and blocks (8) while adding 4.5 points and 2.6 rebounds.
Nebraska's rotation goes 10-12 deep, including significant contributions from Eliza Maupin (8.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg), Logan Nissley (7.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg), Claire Johnson (6.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg) and Kennadi Williams (2.9 ppg, 2.8 apg), along with Emily Fisher and Alanna Neale.
NET 12 Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-0, 1-0 Big Ten)
4 - Petra Bozan - 6-3 - So. - F - 8.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 12.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg
1 - Hailey Weaver - 6-0 - Gr. - G - 4.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-8 - Sr. - G - 8.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg
23 - Britt Prince - 5-11 - So. - G - 19.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Off the Bench
33 - Amiah Hargrove - 6-2 - So. - F - 12.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg
21 - Eliza Maupin - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 8.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 7.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg
5 - Claire Johnson - 5-9 - So. - G - 6.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg
15 - Kennadi Williams - 5-4 - RFr. - G - 2.9 ppg, 0.8 rpg
34 - Emily Fisher - 6-0 - Jr. - G/F - 2.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg
00 - Alanna Neale - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 1.7 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 (168-123); 19th Season Overall (361-232)
Illinois State Redbirds (5-5, 0-1 Missouri Valley)
22 - Doneelah Washington - 6-1 - So. - F - 12.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg
24 - Addison Martin - 6-1 - RSr. - F - 14.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg
3 - Trista Fayta - 5-8 - So. - G - 11.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg
4 - Jaeden Pratt - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 6.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg
33 - Bella Finnegan - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 6.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Off the Bench
21 - Nevaeh Thomas - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 11.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg
11 - Kya Hurt - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 8.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg
32 - Zanyra Adams - 5-9 - RSo. - G - 3.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg
23 - Grace Nelson - 5-10 - RFr. - G - 1.5 ppg, 0.8 rpg
8 - Madison Austin - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 1.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg
12 - Jordan Fenske - 5-11 - Fr. - G - 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
5 - Morgan Bruno - 5-11 - So. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
2 - De'Shawnti Thomas - 5-10 - RSr. - G/F - 0.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg
Head Coach: Kristen Gillespie (NC State, 1999)
Ninth Season at Illinois State (162-100); 15th Season Overall (267-165)
Nebraska All-Time Win Streaks
Season Wins
1. 2009-10 (1-30) 30
2. 2021-22 (1-12) 12
3. 2025-26 (1-10, active) 10
2012-13 (19-28) 10
Nebraska 1 of 3 Unbeaten Basketball Schools
• Nebraska is one of just three remaining NCAA Division I schools with undefeated men's and women's basketball programs.
• The Husker men's team coached by Fred Hoiberg (9-0) and the women's team coached by Amy Williams (10-0) join Iowa State (W: 11-0, M: 10-0) and Vanderbilt (M/W: 9-0) as the only unbeaten basketball schools remaining in NCAA Division I.
• It is the first time the NU men's and women's basketball teams have started 10-0 the same season.
• Over the last 10 seasons, the only schools to have both men's and women's teams start 10-0 are Tennessee (2024-25), Arizona (2021-22), Michigan (2020-21) and Villanova (2017-18).
Huskers Hitting 80 at Historic Rate
• Nebraska has scored at least 80 points in each of its 10 games to open 2025-26, including three 100-point scoring efforts.
• The only other time Nebraska produced 80 or more points in eight consecutive games came from the 1987-88 Big Eight Champion Huskers in an eight-game span from Jan. 6 at Maine (L, 82-89) through a 94-82 win at Oklahoma (Jan. 27). The 1987-88 Huskers went 7-1 during the stretch - previously the longest streak of scoring 80 or more points in school history.
• Illinois State is a strong defensive team that is holding its opposition to just 64.1 points through 10 games. Redbird foes are shooting just 40.3 percent from the field and 27.1 percent from three-point range. No ISU opponent has scored more than 76 points.
Huskers Hang 100, Tie School Season Record
• Nebraska's 101-point effort at Penn State (Dec. 6) not only tied the school scoring record in a conference road game, it also tied a school season record with NU's third 100-point effort in 2025-26.
• The last time Nebraska put up three 100-point games in a season came in 2021-22, when the Huskers crossed the century mark in three of NU's first five games against Maine (108, Nov. 9), Prairie View A&M (102, Nov. 11) and North Carolina Central (113, Nov. 20). The only other time the Huskers have produced three 100-point games in the same season came in 1982-83.
• Nebraska has never scored 100 points in four games in the same season.
Efficient Big Red Spread Wealth, Share Rock
• As a team, NU ranks ninth nationally in scoring offense (90.3 ppg), while ranking third in field goal percentage (.530) and 10th in scoring margin (32.3 ppg).
• NU ranks fourth nationally in assists per game (21.9 apg) and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.71). Two Huskers rank in the top 60 nationally in assist-to-turnover - Callin Hake (20th, 3.00) and Britt Prince (59th, 2.21) - but do not lead the team in that category. Redshirt freshman Kennadi Williams leads the Huskers with 28 assists-to-5 turnovers (5.60) but is two assists shy of making the national minimum of 3.0 assists per game. Williams has dished out 12 assists with no turnovers over the last three games. UConn's KK Arnold (4.88) and TCU's Maddie Scherr (4.88) officially lead the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Nebraska's early season depth has been remarkable, especially considering the Huskers have been playing without injured Katrina McClain Award candidate Natalie Potts and Allison Weidner, a graduate guard redshirting with a leg injury in 2025-26. In 2,000 game minutes, Nebraska's five starters have combined for approximately 1,130 minutes, while the reserves have played approximately 870.
• Nebraska ranks fourth nationally in bench scoring (35.9 ppg), including 45 points in the Big Ten-opening road win at Penn State (Dec. 6).
• As a team, Nebraska leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally by shooting 53 percent from the field through 10 games. Only two Husker teams have ever hit 50 percent or better from the field - 1991-92 (.503) and 1987-88 (.500).
Scouting the Illinois State Redbirds
• Illinois State comes to Lincoln following a 64-46 win over Eastern Illinois (Dec. 7) that snapped a four-game Redbird losing streak.
• The stretch included a 68-54 loss at Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Conference opener (Dec. 3), after a 57-44 loss to Wake Forest (Nov. 28), a 73-66 loss to East Carolina (Nov. 27) and a 75-72 setback to Rice (Nov. 26) at the San Juan Shootout.
• ISU's other loss this season came with a 75-65 loss at Illinois (Nov. 9). The Redbirds own wins over Dayton, Chicago State, Loyola Chicago and Saint Louis.
• Illinois State features sophomore Doneelah Washington from Lincoln. The 6-1 forward out of Northeast High School is averaging 12.9 points and a team-best 9.3 rebounds per game to go along with team bests of 15 blocks and 24 steals. Washington is shooting 47.2 percent from the field, including 34.6 percent (9-26) from three-point range. The 2024 first-team All-Nebraska product owns nine double-figure scoring efforts this season, including a season-high 21 points in the opener against Dayton. She also owns three double-doubles, including a season-high 14 boards to go with 15 points in the win over Saint Louis (Nov. 21) to earn MVC Player-of-the-Week honors (Nov. 24). Washington was a club teammate of Nebraska sophomore guards Britt Prince and Kennadi Williams.
• Redshirt senior Addison Martin has joined Washington in the starting five for all 10 games, while leading the Redbirds with 14.2 points per game. The 6-1 forward from Shreveport, La., is averaging 6.4 rebounds in a team-high 36 minutes per game. Martin, who spent two seasons as a starter at Abilene Christian, averaged 11.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in 37 starts for ISU last year. She has scored double figures in all 10 games this season, including a pair of 20-point efforts. She had a season-high 22 points against Rice and notched a double-double against East Carolina.
• Trista Fayta gives the Redbirds three players who have started all 10 games this season.The 5-8 sophomore from Green Bay, Wis., is averaging 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and a team-best 5.6 assists.She opened the season with a double-double of 19 points and 10 assists in her first career start in a win over Dayton (Nov. 3).
• Senior Bella Finnegan has contributed 6.8 points and 2.5 rebounds, while leading ISU with 16 threes. The 6-0 guard is the highest volume Redbird shooter with 64 three-point attempts, but she has hit just 25 percent from beyond the arc. Finnegan is shooting just 27.2 percent from the field overall.
• Jaeden Pratt rounds out Illinois State's probable starting five. The 5-10 freshman from Ankeny, Iowa, is averaging 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds, while shooting 47.7 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from three-point range and 83.3 percent at the free throw line.
• Kya Hurt (8.8 ppg) and Zanyra Adams (3.8 ppg) have each made single starts in place of Finnegan and Pratt early this season. Hurt, a 5-8 freshman out of Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, was the MVC Freshman of the Week (Nov. 24), while Adams is a 5-9 redshirt sophomore transfer from Cisco College.
• Illinois State also received significant contributions from Nevaeh Thomas, who averaged 11.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in just 18 minutes per game through the first four contests, before suffering an arm injury late in the second half of a win over Loyola Chicago (Nov. 18). The 6-1 junior forward averaged 12.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists while ranking fifth in the MVC in field goal percentage (.545) last year. She scored in double figures 29 times with 10 double-doubles. As a freshman at Evansville in 2023-24, Thomas earned a spot on the MVC All-Freshman Team by averaging 15.7 points and 7.1 rebounds with six double-doubles.
• Grace Nelson (1.5 ppg), a 5-10 redshirt freshman guard, has played all 10 games, while 6-3 freshman Austin Madison and 5-11 freshman Jordan Fenske have both seen regular playing time.
Nebraska vs. Illinois State Series History
• Sunday's game between Nebraska and Illinois State will be just the second meeting in history between the two schools. The Huskers won 79-70 in the season opener at Redbird Arena in Normal, Ill., on Nov. 22, 1996.
• Emily Thompson led five Husker starters in double figures with 17 points, while LaToya Doage, Anna DeForge and Nicole Kubik each contributed 13 points. Tina McClain added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
• Valerie Trame led four Redbirds in double figures with 21 points and eight boards, while Corinne Vossel added 19 points and Jenny Schmidt pitched in 17 points. Stacy Griffin added 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
• Nebraska Head Coach Amy Williams (Gusso) played in the game against the Redbirds. The game was the first of a nine-game, season-opening win streak for the 1996-97 Huskers that included a 73-67 win over No. 9 Iowa in the Big Kona Classic. NU started that season 16-1 overall.
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.
• 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 10 games this season, she is averaging a team-best 19.9 points per game while hitting 62.7 percent (79-126) of her shots from the field, including 16-of-31 threes (.516).
• 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 added 20 points in a Big Ten win at Penn State (Dec. 6).
• She opened 2025-26 with 19 points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal in a win over Northwestern State (Nov. 3).
• Prince 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).
• She added 16 points, two rebounds and three assists in a win over North Dakota State in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Nov. 16).
• Prince had 17 points, four rebounds and five assists in a 92-53 win over Bradley (Dec. 3).
• She added eight points, five assists and five steals in an 87-35 win over Omaha (Dec. 9).
• 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, after powering Nebraska to two wins at the Big Ten Tournament by averaging 17.0 points and 5.3 assists over three games, including a season-high-tying 24 points against Big Ten Tournament champion and NCAA No. 1 seed UCLA.
• Prince was the USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Jan. 21) after going for 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a career-high six steals in a road win at Iowa (Jan. 16), 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 with hopes of returning to the court mid-season.
Nebraska by the Numbers
• Eliza Maupin (294) needs six rebounds to reach 300 in her career.
• Amiah Hargrove (279) needs 21 points to reach 300 in her career.
• Amiah Hargrove (187) needs 13 rebounds to reach 200 in her career.
• Amiah Hargrove (.595) ranks 24th nationally and 4th in the Big Ten in field goal percentage.
• Britt Prince (.627) ranks 8th nationally and 3rd in the Big Ten in field goal percentage.
• Britt Prince (19.9 ppg) ranks 24th nationally and 5th in the Big Ten in scoring.
• Callin Hake (3.00) ranks 20th nationally and 4th in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Nebraska (.530 FG%) ranks 2nd nationally and leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage.
• Nebraska (90.3 ppg) ranks 9th nationally and 3rd in the Big Ten in scoring offense.
• Nebraska (35.9 ppg) ranks 4th nationally and 2nd in the Big Ten in bench scoring.
• Nebraska (21.9 apg) ranks 4th nationally and 2nd in the Big Ten in assists per game.
• Nebraska (+32.3 ppg) ranks 10th nationally and 3rd in the Big Ten in scoring margin.
• Nebraska (1.71) ranks 6th nationally and 2nd in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio.