Huskers Hunt Road Win at Red Hot Minnesota
The Nebraska women's basketball team returns to Big Ten road action on Thursday to take on streaking Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Tip-off between the NCAA NET 25 Huskers (16-8, 5-8 Big Ten) and the NET 10 Golden Gophers (18-6, 9-4 Big Ten) at Williams Arena is set for 7 p.m. (CT).
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.
The game will be televised live by BTN with Jack Kizer and Shimmy Miller on the call.
Nebraska will try to reverse course after dropping three straight games to NCAA NET top-20 teams, following a 78-60 loss to NET 14 Maryland in Lincoln on Saturday afternoon. It followed an 88-76 loss at NET 6 Michigan and a 90-71 loss at NET 17 Ohio State.
In fact, seven of Nebraska's eight losses this season have come to current NET top-20 Big Ten teams, including No. 2 UCLA, at No. 6 Michigan, at No. 12 Michigan State, No. 14 Maryland, at No. 15 Iowa, at No. 17 Ohio State and No. 20 USC. NU's eighth setback was a one-possession midweek road loss at Wisconsin (63-60, Jan. 21).
While Nebraska has dropped six of its last eight games, Minnesota is riding a six-game winning streak into Thursday's game, including a 91-85 win at NET 15 Iowa (Feb. 5) and a 65-60 win at NET 23 Oregon to start the stretch (Jan. 21). The Gophers have won their two home games during the surge by an average of 34 points, including an 88-53 win over Wisconsin and an 85-55 win over Purdue.
Britt Prince, who was named to the Nancy Lieberman Award Midseason Top 10 on Feb. 2, is one of the nation's most efficient guards. The 5-11 point guard out of Elkhorn North High School in the Omaha metro area, is hitting 55.2 percent (158-286) of her field goals, 49.3 percent (33-67) of her three-point attempts and 93.5 percent (72-77) of her free throws.
At the start of last week, Prince was the only starter regardless of position in the country to hit 50% FG-50% 3FG-90% FT. Prince, who also leads the Huskers in assists (103) and steals (37), ranks third nationally and leads the Big Ten in free throw percentage (.935), including 100 percent (52-52) in league games with a school-record streak (men's or women's basketball) of 54 consecutive made free throws overall. Nebraska's leading scorer, Prince ranks ninth in the Big Ten in scoring (17.5 ppg) and 13th in assists (4.3 apg). She owns eight 20-point efforts, including a pair of 30-point games this season.
Fellow 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 (12.6 ppg) while leading the team in rebounding (5.7 rpg). Hargrove pumped in 24 points and grabbed six rebounds in her second straight start in place of Jessica Petrie (illness) at Ohio State (Feb. 1). It followed Hargrove's second double-double of the year with 13 points and 11 rebounds in her first start of the season against Northwestern (Jan. 28). The 6-2 forward from Christopher, Ill., produced 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting at No. 15 Michigan State (Jan. 15). Hargrove is shooting 54.1 percent from the field, including 41.7 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line. She has hit 54.5 percent (18-33) 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 late in the loss to No. 17 USC (Dec. 29).
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 (11.4 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.9 rpg), but missed the first games of her Nebraska career with illness in the win over Northwestern (Jan. 28). She also missed the loss at No. 11 Ohio State (Feb. 1), before returning in a somewhat limited role off the bench at No. 8 Michigan (Feb. 4). Petrie has produced double figures 14 times and scored at least seven points in all 22 of her games this season. She also leads Nebraska with a career-high 22 blocks and owns a career-high 21 steals this season after getting 12 total steals her first two years.
Junior Logan Nissley has made 11 straight starts. The 6-0 guard from Bismarck, N.D., has averaged 13.6 points on 51.1 percent (23-45) shooting over the last five games following a career-high 22-point effort that included a career-best 6-of-12 three-point shooting against Maryland on Saturday. She had 15 points in a win over Illinois (Jan. 24), before striking for 14 points while tying her then-season high with four threes in a win over Northwestern (Jan. 28). Nissley, who had 11 points at No. 11 Ohio State, also ranks high on the efficiency scale, hitting 47.7 percent (61-128) from the field, including 46 percent (46-100) from three-point range and 85.7 percent (18-21) of her free throws. Nissley is averaging 8.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists with a 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. Nissley ranks No. 7 in Nebraska history in three-pointers made (160).
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 8.0 points and 3.9 assists while hitting 37.8 percent (37-98) of her threes. Hake, who has added 32 steals, also leads the Big Red with 27 charges drawn through 24 games. She has scored double figures eight times, including a season-high 17 points in a win over Omaha.
Senior transfer Eliza Maupin rounds out Nebraska's potential starting five. The 6-3 forward from Webster Groves, Mo., is averaging 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds over 21 games with 10 starts. She notched her second double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds at Wisconsin (Jan. 21). She posted her first Husker double-double with 12 points and 11 boards at Iowa (Jan. 1).
NET 25 Nebraska Cornhuskers (16-8, 5-8 Big Ten)
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 11.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg
33 - Amiah Hargrove - 6-2 - So. - F - 12.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 8.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-8 - Sr. - G - 8.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
23 - Britt Prince - 5-11 - So. - G - 17.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg
Off the Bench
21 - Eliza Maupin - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 8.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg
4 - Petra Bozan - 6-3 - So. - F - 7.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg
5 - Claire Johnson - 5-9 - So. - G - 3.8 ppg, 1.0 rpg
1 - Hailey Weaver - 6-0 - Gr. - G - 2.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg
15 - Kennadi Williams - 5-4 - RFr. - G - 2.5 ppg, 0.8 rpg
34 - Emily Fisher - 6-0 - Jr. - G/F - 2.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg
00 - Alanna Neale - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 1.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg
22 - Natalie Potts [Out] - 6-2 - RSo. - F - Redshirt
3 - Allison Weidner [Out] - 5-10 - Gr. - G - Redshirt
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
10th Season at Nebraska (174-131); 19th Season Overall (367-240)
NET 10 Minnesota Golden Gophers (18-6, 9-4 Big Ten)
52 - Sophie Hart - 6-5 - Gr. - C - 10.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg
3 - Amaya Battle - 5-11 - Sr. - G - 9.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg
10 - Mara Braun - 6-0 - RJr. - G - 11.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg
14 - Tori McKinney - 6-1 - So. - G - 13.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg
25 - Grace Grocholski - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 13.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Off the Bench
12 - Brylee Glenn - 5-10 - Gr. - G - 7.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg
31 - Finau Tonga - 6-2 - Gr. - F - 5.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg
35 - Makena Christian - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 4.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg
41 - Niamya Holloway - 6-0 - RJr. - F - 2.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Head Coach: Dawn Plitzuweit (Michigan Tech, 1995)
Third Season at Minnesota (62-33); 19th Season Overall (428-174)
Scouting the Minnesota Golden Gophers
• Minnesota heads into Thursday's game against Nebraska riding a six-game winning streak that has included top-25 NET wins at Iowa (Feb. 5) and Oregon (Jan. 21) along with victories at Rutgers (Feb. 8) and at Penn State (Jan. 28), along with home wins over Wisconsin and Purdue.
• The Golden Gophers are the No. 10 team in the NCAA NET rankings, but they have not been ranked in the AP or USA Today/Coaches Top 25 polls yet this season.
• Minnesota, which is 18-6 overall and 9-4 in the Big Ten, is 11-2 at Williams Arena this season with its only home losses to current NET No. 2 UCLA (76-58, Jan. 14) and current NET No. 14 Maryland (100-99 2OT, Dec. 7).
• Minnesota finished 25-11 overall last season after running to the WBIT postseason championship. The Gophers went 8-10 and finished 13th in the final Big Ten standings a year ago.
• Minnesota features one of the Big Ten's most balanced lineups with four starters averaging double figures and a fifth - four-year starting point guard Amaya Battle - averaging 9.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
• Tori McKinney, a 6-1 sophomore, leads Minnesota with 13.4 points and 3.2 rebounds while leading the Gophers with 35 steals. McKinney is shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from long range to go with 82.3 percent shooting from the free throw line.
• Returning starter Grace Grocholski continues to be one of the Big Ten's best long-range shooters. The 5-10 junior is shooting 46.3 percent (57-123) from beyond the arc while averaging 13.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Grocholski is shooting nearly 50 percent overall from the field and has hit 62 two-point field goals this year. She is Minnesota's second-best offensive rebounder, averaging more than two offensive boards per game.
• All-Big Ten guard Mara Braun has returned to join Grocholski, Battle and Sophie Hart in Minnesota's starting five for all 24 games this season. Braun, who missed most of last season with a right foot injury, is averaging 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She also leads Minnesota with 18 blocks and ranks second behind McKinney with 34 steals.
• Sophie Hart, a 6-5 graduate center, is enjoying her best season as a Gopher. Hart, who started her career at NC State, is averaging 10.1 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 53.8 percent from the field.
• Minnesota has been bolstered off the bench by graduate transfers Brylee Glenn (7.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and Finau Tonga (5.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg). Freshman Makena Christian (4.0 ppg) also has played in all 24 games, while redshirt junior Niamya Holloway (2.0 ppg) is an experienced contributor for Minnesota.
• Minnesota is averaging 75.5 points and shooting 45.1 percent from the field, including 35.3 percent from three-point range. The Gophers also have hit 73 percent of their free throws. Minnesota owns a plus-7.4 rebound margin, including a solid plus-4.8 margin in Big Ten play. The Gophers also carry a plus-7.1 turnover margin, including plus-4.6 margin in conference action.
• The Golden Gophers lead the Big Ten in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 55.9 points per game on 37 percent shooting. Minnesota ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage defense. The Gophers also lead the nation and the Big Ten in fewest turnovers per game (10.1 pg) and they lead the Big Ten with the fewest fouls per game (13.7 pg).
Nebraska vs. Minnesota Series History
• Nebraska leads the all-time series with Minnesota 19-14, but the Gophers own a 10-3 edge all-time at Williams Arena. In the most recent meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota held on for a 62-58 victory (Jan. 14, 2024).
• Last season, the Huskers ran to an 84-65 win over the previously unbeaten Gophers (10-0) in the Big Ten opener for both teams (Dec. 8, 2024).
• Nebraska is 14-4 all-time in Lincoln against Minnesota, dating back to a 68-67 overtime win over the Gophers on Dec. 30, 1977. The Huskers are also 2-0 on neutral courts, but 3-10 at Minnesota.
• Although women’s basketball was not a full varsity sport at Nebraska until 1975-76, a women’s team from Nebraska suffered its first defeat at Minnesota in 1904 after going unbeaten in 1897 and 1903. Two weeks after the first meeting with Minnesota, Nebraska beat the same team in Lincoln.
• Minnesota’s Laura Coenen scored 42 points for the Gophers in a 90-79 win over the Huskers on Nov. 30, 1984. That effort is tied for the most points by any opponent individual against the Huskers.
Prince Advances to Lieberman Midseason Top 10
• Nebraska's Britt Prince advanced to the list of 10 women's college basketball players on the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Midseason Top 10 on Monday, Feb. 2. The Lieberman Award was the first of the Naismith Starting 5 award watch lists announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Oct. 27.
• Fan voting for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award will open at http://www.hoophallawards.com on Friday, Feb. 6.
• 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 24 games this season, she is averaging a team-best 17.5 points per game while hitting 55.2 percent (158-286) of her shots from the field, including 33-of-67 threes (.493).
• Through 22 games, Prince was the only Division I starter in the country hitting 50 percent of her field goals (.562), 50 percent of her threes (.500) and 90 percent of her free throws (.930), before dipping below the 50 percent 3FG line by going 1-for-3 at No. 8 Michigan (Feb. 4).
• She owns two 30-point performances, eight 20-point efforts and 20 double-figure scoring games this season.
• 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.
• She established her career high with 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting in a win over Oral Roberts (Nov. 19).
• Prince produced a 28-point, six-rebound, six-assist effort in a win over Northwestern (Jan. 28). She hit 10-of-15 shots from the field, including 2-of-3 threes and all six of her free throws.
• 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).
• She had 23 points, two assists and two steals in a win over Samford (Nov. 8).
• 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 also had 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 Announces Plan to Redshirt, Return in 2026-27
• Nebraska redshirt sophomore Natalie Potts will not return to the court in competition this season as she continues her rehabilitation from injury.
• Potts, who made the announcement on Thursday, Jan. 29, plans to return for her fourth year at Nebraska in 2026-27 with up to three years of eligibility remaining.
• “I am making slow but steady progress, and I appreciate the thoughts and encouragement of Husker fans everywhere,” Potts said. “I love my teammates and coaches and will give them my full support as we push for the postseason. I really want to be out there fighting to win with them, but I am just not in position to do that yet.”
• Potts, who was the 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, suffered a knee injury in the fifth game of the 2024-25 season against North Alabama (Nov. 19). The 6-2 forward from O’Fallon, Mo., underwent surgery Dec. 4, 2024, and was eligible for a medical redshirt last season.
• She hoped to return to practice midway through the 2025-26 season, but her participation has been limited while she regains strength. Potts has recently returned to active participation in Nebraska game-day shoot-arounds, but she will not return to competition this season.
• Potts, who earned a spot on the preseason top 20 list for the Katrina McClain Award, will be eligible to take a redshirt this season.
• “Natalie is working diligently and progressing with her rehabilitation,” Nebraska Coach Amy Williams said. “At this time, we believe that it is in the best interest of her long-term health to give her more time to continue to progress and gain confidence with her return to full participation.”
• In 2023-24, Potts was a unanimous choice to the Big Ten All-Freshman team from the conference coaches and was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection by the league media. Potts started all 35 games for a Nebraska team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after working its way to the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. She averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on the season.
• Through the first four games of her sophomore season, Potts averaged 17.5 points and 8.0 rebounds, before suffering her injury 10 minutes into the game with North Alabama at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
• 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.
Nebraska Excels in NCAA Stat Rankings
• Through 24 games, Nebraska ranks among the top 25 teams in 9 NCAA categories.
• FG% - .485 ranks 11th nationally and 4th in the Big Ten.
• Assists Per Game - 18.6 ranks 10th nationally and 3rd in the Big Ten.
• FT% - .788 ranks 11th nationally and 2nd in the Big Ten.
• Bench Scoring - 27.7 ppg ranks 11th nationally and 1st in the Big Ten.
• Assist-to-Turnover - 1.32 ranks 16th nationally and 6th in the Big Ten.
• Average Home Attendance - 5,619 ranks 14th nationally and 5th in the Big Ten.
• Scoring - 80.9 ppg ranks 19th nationally and 6th in the Big Ten.
• 3FG% - .366 - ranks 17th nationally and 3rd in the Big Ten.
• NCAA NET - Nebraska ranks 25th nationally and 10th in the Big Ten.
Big Red Triple Threats
• Nebraska is hitting 36.6 percent of its shots from three-point range and averaging 8.0 made threes per game with shooters up and down the lineup.
• Five Huskers are shooting better than 35 percent from long range: Britt Prince (.493), Logan Nissley (.460), Amiah Hargrove (.417), Callin Hake (.378) and Hailey Weaver (.360). Additionally, Emily Fisher is 1-for-2 (.500) from long range on the season.
• In Big Ten play, the Huskers have knocked down 37.9 percent of their threes while averaging 8.1 makes per game.
• Hargrove (.545) leads the Huskers from beyond the arc in league play, while Prince (.500), Nissley (.444), Hake (.340) and Eliza Maupin (.333) give Nebraska five players hitting 33.3 percent or better from long range through 13 Big Ten contests. In addition, Fisher is a perfect 1-for-1 (1.000) from long range in league play.
Huskers Make Opponents Pay at Free Throw Line
• Nebraska is challenging the school record for best team free throw percentage in school history. Through 24 games, the Huskers are shooting 78.8 percent (323-410) from the line. In 2013-14, the Big Ten Tournament champion Huskers hit a school-record 79.6 percent (507-635) of their free throws.
• The top six Huskers in minutes played are all shooting 70 percent or better at the line, including Britt Prince (.935), Callin Hake (.875), Logan Nissley (.857), Amiah Hargrove (.800), Eliza Maupin (.769) and Jessica Petrie (.714).
• Britt Prince has been Nebraska's leader at the line. The sophomore point guard leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally by hitting 93.5 percent (72-77) of her free throw attempts. She owns a school-record (men's or women's basketball) streak of 54 consecutive makes and is a perfect 52-for-52 at the line in Big Ten play.
• Cathy Owen owns the Nebraska season free throw percentage record (.950, 57-60) with a minimum of 50 made free throws required. Former Husker point guard Rachel Theriot, an Ohio native and long-time European professional, hit 92.6 percent (63-68) of her free throws in 2014-15. Prince, Theriot and Owen currently own five of the top-six season free throw shooting percentages in Nebraska history, including Prince's 87.2 percent (68-78) as a freshman last season.
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 290 total points are 134 more than the 156 she scored for the Huskers over 33 games as freshman. The 6-2 forward also has more than double her total steals this season (15) compared to last season (6). She put up 24 points at No. 11 Ohio State (Feb. 1), which followed her second double-double of the year with 13 points and a career-high-tying 11 rebounds in her first start of the season against Northwestern (Jan. 28). She added 16 points and a team-high rebounds at No. 8 Michigan (Feb. 4).
• Junior Jessica Petrie has totaled 251 points through 22 games, surpassing her previous season-best total of 210 points (2024-25) in 165 fewer minutes. Petrie's 22 blocked shots and 21 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 175 points for the Huskers through her 21 games this season, already surpassing her previous career-best season total of 146 points as a freshman at Kansas State (2022-23). Maupin's seven three-pointers this season have far exceeded the one triple she hit in her first three seasons at K-State. Her 64 made field goals and 40 free throws made are also the most in a season during her career, while her 17 blocks have matched a career season high.