Nebraska WBB vs Purdue Preview

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Purdue Boilermakers
Sunday, February 10, 2019, 2 p.m. (CT)
Pinnacle Bank Arena (15,000) - Lincoln, Nebraska
Live Video: BTN Plus
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network (1:45 p.m.) Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst) Lincoln-B107.3 FM; Omaha-ESPN 590 AM
Huskers.com, Huskers App, TuneIn
Huskers Support Play4Kay, Honor Alumni Sunday

Nearly 40 former Husker players will be recognized on the court at halftime of Sunday’s game. The alumni will take part in Alumni Weekend festivities on Saturday and Sunday, with participants spanning all decades of Nebraska women’s basketball.

The Huskers ran to an 84-64 win at Purdue on Jan. 31, with junior Hannah Whitish putting together her best performance of the season. The 5-9 point guard from Barneveld, Wis., erupted for a season-high 28 points while adding a career-high 12 assists for her first career double-double against the Boilermakers. Whitish has scored in double figures in seven straight games and is averaging 15 points and 5.3 assists over her last seven contests.

Although Nebraska is 10-13 overall and 5-7 in the Big Ten, the Huskers have fought hard down to the wire, with a school-record-tying 11 games decided by two possessions or less. Unfortunately, the Huskers are just 2-9 in games decided by six or fewer points, including 1-6 in Big Ten play. Purdue is 4-1 in Big Ten games decided by two possessions. Purdue has not been in a two-possession game since a 57-54 win over rival Indiana on Jan. 20. In that same six-game span, Nebraska has been in five two-possession games.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-13, 5-7 Big Ten)
44 - Kayla Mershon - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 2.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg
31 - Kate Cain - 6-5 - So. - C - 7.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg
3 - Hannah Whitish - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 10.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg
5 - Nicea Eliely - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 7.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg
33 - Taylor Kissinger - 6-1 - So. - G - 9.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg

Off the Bench
4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 9.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg
32 - Leigha Brown - 6-1 - Fr. - F - 9.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg
13 - Ashtyn Veerbeek - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 7.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg
24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 7.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg
14 - Grace Mitchell - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 1.1 ppg, 1.2 rpg
11(out) - Kristian Hudson - 5-5 - Sr. - G - 2.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998) Third Season at Nebraska (38-46); 12th Season Overall (231-155)

Purdue Boilermakers (16-9, 7-5 Big Ten)
25 - Tamara Farquhar - 6-0 - So. - F - 6.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg
32 - Ae’Rianna Harris - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 13.3 ppg, 9.2 rpg
1 - Karissa McLaughlin - 5-7 - So. - G - 15.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg
11 - Dominique Oden - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 15.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg
3 - Lyndsey Whilby - 5-11 - So. - G - 3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Off the Bench
23 - Kayana Traylor - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 5.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg
5 - Cassidy Hardin - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 3.2 ppg, 1.0 rpg
45 - Fatou Diagne - 6-4 - RJr. - C - 2.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg
30 - Nyagoa Gony - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 1.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg

Head Coach: Sharon Versyp (Purdue, 1989) 13th Season at Purdue (273-156); 19th Season Overall (390-221)

Scouting The Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers own a 16-9 overall record including a 7-5 Big Ten mark after running to a 72-50 win over Illinois in West Lafayette, Ind., on Thursday night. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Purdue.

In conference play, Purdue is 5-1 at Mackey Arena with its lone loss coming in an 84-64 setback to Nebraska on Jan. 31. The Boilermakers are just 2-4 on the road in the league.

Purdue carries a solid mix of experience and youth with three-year starters in juniors Ae’Rianna Harris and Dominique Oden. None of the 10 players who have seen meaningful action in Big Ten play are seniors, as four freshmen and three sophomores join Harris, Oden and redshirt junior Fatou Diagne as contributors to Purdue’s on-court success in league play.

Purdue is allowing 62.5 points in Big Ten play, while scoring 63.5 points in the league. The Boilermakers are holding Big Ten foes to 41.1 percent shooting, including 35.7 percent from three-point range. Purdue is plus-1.5 on the boards, but minus-1.8 in turnovers through 12 league games.

Purdue is shooting a solid 41.9 percent from the field, including 33.2 percent from three-point range. Purdue has outscored opponents by 47 points (3.9 ppg) at the free throw line in conference play, while attempting 57 more free throws. Purdue is shooting 74.6 percent at the line in the league.

Sophomore guard Karissa McLaughlin leads Purdue in scoring on the season (15.7 ppg) and in the Big Ten (15.9 ppg), while adding a team-best 4.1 assists on the year. McLaughlin, who leads the Boilers with 64 threes on the year, is playing 38.9 minutes per game in Big Ten play. She has hit 37.6 percent of her threes on the year and 92 percent (69-75) of her free throws.

Dominique Oden, a 5-8 junior guard, has added 15.5 ppg on the year, including 15.8 in Big Ten play. She led Purdue with 18 points while adding six rebounds in the first meeting with Nebraska. Oden, who leads Purdue with 40 steals, has hit 34.5 percent (40-116) of her threes and 81.5 percent (75-92) of her free throws, including 17-of-18 dating back to the game with Nebraska. Oden is playing 37.3 minutes per Big Ten game.

Ae’Rianna Harris, an athletic 6-1 forward, is averaging 13.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game on the season. Harris, who is tied for second among the Boilermakers with 26 steals, is averaging 35.9 minutes per Big Ten game.

Tamara Farquhar, a 6-0 sophomore forward from Quebec, has joined McLaughlin, Oden and Harris in Purdue’s starting lineup for all 12 conference games. Farquhar is averaging 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in 32.8 minutes per Big Ten game. For the season, Farquhar has averaged 6.9 points and 7.5 boards.

Kayana Traylor has been Purdue’s most consistent fifth starter in Big Ten play, but has missed most of the action since suffering an ankle sprain in the first quarter of the loss to Nebraska. The 5-9 freshman was averaging 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 28.3 minutes per game entering the first meeting with Nebraska.

Sophomore Lyndsey Whilby stepped up in place of Traylor against Nebraska, scoring nine points and hitting a pair of threes in 17 minutes. Whilby added 10 points and two assists at Michigan State, before earning her first Big Ten start against Illinois Thursday.

Nebraska Numbers to Watch

(2) Taylor Kissinger is two three-pointers away from 100 in her career.

(2) Hannah Whitish is two threes away from moving up to No. 3 on Nebraska’s all-time three-point list (183, Yvonne Turner, 2007-10).

(3) Whitish is three assists away from 100 on the season.

(3) Kate Cain is just three blocks away from 60 on the season, which would make her just the third Husker in history with a pair of 60-block seasons, joining Danielle Page (2007, 2008) and Catheryn Redmon (2009, 2010, 2011).

(4) Nicea Eliely is four rebounds away from 100 on the season.

(10) Whitish is 10 assists away from No. 9 on Nebraska’s career assist list (342, Ami Beiriger, 1979-83).

(50) Nicea Eliely is expected to make her 50th consecutive start for the Huskers on Sunday.