Huskers Take on Tough Task with Georgia Tech

The Nebraska women’s basketball team continues its three-game home stand by taking on Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon in Lincoln.

Tip-off between the Huskers (5-2) and the Yellow Jackets (5-2) at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 2 p.m., with tickets available now at Huskers.com. Saturday’s game will feature Nebraska’s annual U.S. Marines Toys for Tots collection. Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy or a cash donation to be collected by Marine volunteers at the arena entrances.

The game also will include a “You Betcha” roller banner giveaway to lucky fans who arrive early to pick up one of the banners (limited supply).

Nebraska fans can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 590 AM in Omaha, the Huskers App and Huskers.com, as Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch team up for their 23rd season together calling the action. Pregame starts at 1:30 p.m. (CT). 

B1G+ subscribers can also follow the game on the live video stream produced by Big Ten Student U with Matt McMaster and Camden Cohn on the call.

Nebraska hopes to build off momentum gained from a 77-53 win over Florida Atlantic on Wednesday. Alexis Markowski (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Natalie Potts (12 points, 12 rebounds) both produced double-doubles to power the Big Red to victory over the Owls.

Potts, who has won two of the first three Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week awards, is averaging 12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds after notching her first career double-double. The 6-2 forward from O’Fallon, Mo., erupted for a career-high 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field in a win over Lamar (Nov. 23) in NU’s first game at the St. Pete Showcase. The two-time Missouri High School Player of the Year has hit 30-of-38 two-point field goals (.789) and 16-of-20 free throws (.800).

Lisa Leslie Award candidate Alexis Markowski is leading the Huskers in scoring (17.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.1 rpg) while hitting 62.5 percent (40-64) of her two-point attempts. Markowski, who leads the Big Ten in rebounding, owns three double-doubles on the year and 24 in her career. 

Two-time Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award candidate Jaz Shelley adds 12.1 points, 3.0 and a team-best 2.0 steals while leading Nebraska with 11 three-pointers. 

Darian White, a four-year starter and three-time All-Big Sky performer at Montana State before transferring to Nebraska as a graduate student, rounds out four Huskers averaging in double figures. The 5-6 point guard is averaging 10.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and a team-best 3.7 assists.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-2, 0-0 Big Ten)
vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-2, 0-0 ACC)
Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, 2 p.m. (CT)
Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, Nebraska
Tickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Live Video: B1G+ (subscription)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (1:30 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Special Event: U.S. Marines Toys for Tots Collection
Giveaway: "You Betcha" Roller Banners (limited quantity)

Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-2, 0-0 Big Ten)
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 12.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 17.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg
0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 10.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 12.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg
42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 2.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg
Off the Bench
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 9.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 7.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 5.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 4.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 2.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 2.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Eighth Season at Nebraska (119-101); 17th Season Overall (312-210)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-2, 0-0 ACC)
11 - Aixa Wone Aranaz - 6-3 - 5th - F - 1.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg
13 - Kayla Blackshear - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 15.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg
5 - Tonie Morgan - 5-9 - So. - G - 15.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg
22 - Ines Noguero - 5-9 - So. - G - 7.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg
23 - Rusne Augustinaite - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 13.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg
Off the Bench
32 - D’Asia Thomas-Harris - 6-2 - Fr. - G/F - 6.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg
25 - Kara Dunn - 5-11 - So. - G - 5.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
15 - Avyonce Carter - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 3.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg
21 - Sydney Johnson - 5-9 - 5th - G - 2.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg
20 - Ariadna Termis - 6-6 - Fr. - C - 2.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg
1 - Caitlyn Wilson - 5-10 - 5th - G - 1.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg
12 - Jada Bediako - 6-3 - Fr. - F/C - 0.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Head Coach: Nell Fortner (Texas, 1982)
Fifth Season at Georgia Tech (76-50); 14th Season Overall (238-167)

Scouting The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Coach Nell Fortner leads Georgia Tech to Lincoln after a 68-58 loss to Florida on Wednesday in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets carry a 5-2 record in Fortner’s fifth season. Fortner, who had previous college coaching stops at Purdue (1996-97) and Auburn (2004-05 to 2011-12), led the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team to gold. She was also the head coach of the Indiana Fever for three seasons from 2001 to 2003.

Junior forward Kayla Blackshear leads three Yellow Jackets averaging in double figures through seven games. The 6-1 Blackshear is averaging team bests of 15.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. She had eight points and 10 rebounds in the loss to the Gators.

Sophomore Tonie Morgan has added 15.9 points and 7.1 boards. The 5-9 guard is also averaging 5.0 assists per contest. She had 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists against Florida.

Freshman Rusne Augustinaite has contributed 13.4 points and 4.1 boards through her first seven games, including a career-best 30 points on 6-of-10 three-point shooting in the loss to Florida. The 6-0 guard from Latvia is Tech’s most dangerous threat from long range, connecting on 17-of-32 threes.

Spaniard Ines Noguero, a 5-9 sophomore, has contributed 7.9 points and 5.3 rebounds but was held scoreless by Florida. She also leads the Yellow Jackets with 12 steals on the season. 

Another Spaniard, Aixa Wone Aranaz, rounds out Tech’s starting five. The 6-3 forward who transferred from Ohio State, has managed 1.9 points and 3.1 rebounds.

The Yellow Jackets get significant contributions off the bench from 6-2 freshman D’Asia Thomas-Harris (6.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and 5-11 sophomore Kara Dunn (5.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg). Dunn, who suffered an injury in the opening minute of the season opener with Coastal Carolina, missed Georgia Tech’s wins over Furman, Rice and Kennesaw State before returning with eight points in a loss to Creighton in Cancun (Nov. 23). She added a season-high 10 points in a win over New Mexico (Nov. 24).

Avyonce Carter (3.5 ppg) and Sydney Johnson (2.7 ppg) also have been regular contributors in the backcourt, while 6-6 freshman center Ariadna Termis has managed 2.2 points per game.

Georgia Tech is averaging 71.5 points while allowing 57.4 points per game. Over the last three games, Tech has managed just 56.7 points per game, including 46 to Creighton and 58 to Florida. The Yellow Jackets have hit 45 percent of their shots, while holding opponents to just 34.2 percent. Tech has hit 30 percent of its threes and 70.8 percent of its free throws, while carrying a plus-3.7 team rebound margin. The Yellow Jackets also own a plus-1.9 turnover margin. 

 

Nebraska vs. Georgia Tech Series History

Nebraska will be shooting for its first win against Georgia Tech when the two teams play the third game in series history on Saturday.

Saturday’s game will be the first between the two schools on a traditional home court and the first meeting in Lincoln. 

The most recent match-up in the series came with a 73-57 Georgia Tech victory in the Arena at Gwinnett Center on Nov. 30, 2011. Lindsey Moore led the Huskers with 16 points, four assists and five steals, while Jordan Hooper added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Coach Connie Yori’s Huskers. Tyaunna Marshall led all scorers and rebounders with 28 points and 13 boards for Coach MaChelle Joseph’s Yellow Jackets.

Coach Agnus Berenato and Georgia Tech battled to a 73-68 win over Coach Angela Beck and the Huskers in the first meeting between the two teams in the second round of the National Women’s Invitational Tournament on March 27, 1992. Georgia Tech went on to win the NWIT title.

Saturday’s game will be the ninth in eight seasons for Coach Amy Williams and the Huskers against an ACC opponent since she took the reins of the Nebraska program in 2016-17. NU is 2-6 in that stretch with wins over Duke (Dec. 4, 2019) and then-unbeaten Wake Forest (Dec. 1, 2021). The only season since 2008-09 that Nebraska did not play an ACC team came during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign.

Husker Nuggets
• Saturday’s game is Nebraska’s annual U.S. Marines Toys for Tots collection at women’s basketball. Fans are encouraged to bring a new unwrapped toy (or cash donation), which will be collected by volunteers at the entrances of Pinnacle Bank Arena.

• Natalie Potts earned her second Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award (Nov. 27). She won the inaugural weekly honor (Nov. 13).

• Alexis Markowski was named to the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll each of the first two weeks of the 2023-24 season. She also earned a spot on the St. Pete Showcase All-Tournament Team after averaging 15.0 points and 9.5 rebounds over two games in Florida.

• Markowski leads the Big Ten in rebounding (9.1 rpg) while ranking sixth in the league in scoring (17.4 ppg), 11th in free throw percentage (.825) and 12th in field goal percentage (.518).

• The Huskers had six players produce double figures in points against Northwestern State, marking the first time Nebraska accomplished that feat since a 90-61 season-opening win over Oral Roberts on Dec. 4, 2020.

• The Huskers have hit at least one three in 471 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 350 consecutive games.

• Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 29 times in the last 79 games, including twice in 2023-24. The Huskers opened 2023-24 with 10 three-pointers in a win over Northwestern State (Nov. 6), before adding 10 threes in a win over Florida Atlantic (Nov. 29). Nebraska knocked down a 2022-23 season-high 14 threes in a season-opening win over Omaha (Nov. 7, 2022). 

• Through the first 20 seasons with the three-point shot in women’s basketball (1988-2007), Nebraska hit 10 threes in a game just six times (591 games).

Husker Numbers to Watch

• Darian White has scored in double figures 101 times in her college career (97, Montana State; 4, Nebraska) after getting a season-high 16 points against unbeaten TCU (Nov. 25).

•  Jaz Shelley is five assists from joining the top 10 at Nebraska in career assists. Shelley heads into the Georgia Tech game with 387 assists in two-plus years at Nebraska. All-American and two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge ranks 10th in school history with 392.  

•  Jaz Shelley is 21 assists away from 500 in her college career. Only five Huskers in history have totaled 500 collegiate assists (Lindsey Moore, Meggan Yedsena, Rachel Theriot, Jina Johansen, Nicole Kubik). Darian White is 25 assists away from 500 in her career.

• Jaz Shelley needs one three-pointer to climb into a tie for No. 5 on the Nebraska career three-point list, matching Lindsey Moore (173, 2010-13). 

• Alexis Markowski needs one double-double to climb into a tie for fifth in Nebraska history with Jessica Shepard (25, 2015-17). Markowski is tied for sixth with 24.

• Maddie Krull is three assists away from 200 in her career.

• Annika Stewart needs four points to reach 500 in her career.

 

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.

• Jaz Shelley is 19 points away from becoming the 37th 1,000-point scorer in Nebraska history. Alexis Markowski is 64 points from reaching 1,000 career points.

• Darian White is 212 points away from 2,000 in her college career.