Nebraska Women vs. North Carolina State

The Nebraska women’s basketball team opens a three-game home stand by battling North Carolina State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

NC State comes to Lincoln as the No. 19 RPI team in the nation, while also receiving votes in the top 25 polls this week. The Wolfpack return four starters from last year’s team that advanced to the WNIT after going 18-15 and 7-9 in the ACC.

Scouting The North Carolina State Wolfpack
Coach Wes Moore brings his North Carolina State Wolfpack to Pinnacle Bank Arena for the first time to take on Nebraska in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Moore is in his third season as NC State’s head coach, and has some recent history with the Huskers.

Moore took his first Wolfpack team to the NCAA Tournament in 2014, joining the Huskers at the four-team first- and second-round site at UCLA. While the Huskers did not not meet NC State in Los Angeles, the Big Red did take on Moore’s final team at Chattanooga in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament in College Station, Texas. NU defeated the Mocs, 73-59, before knocking off Texas A&M to advance to the program’s second NCAA Sweet 16 two nights later.

The Wolfpack, who are No. 19 in the Dec. 1 official NCAA RPI, are led by 5-8 junior guard Dominique Wilson, who is averaging a team-best 14.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Fellow junior Jennifer Mathurin, a 6-1 forward, has added 13.0 points and a team-best 7.0 rebounds per contest. Miah Spencer gives the Wolfpack three players averaging in double figures with 11.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and team bests of 4.7 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

Spencer (14.0 ppg) and Wilson (13.8 ppg) were leaders of an 18-15 Wolfpack team a year ago that went 7-9 and tied for ninth in the ACC. The Wolfpack advanced to the WNIT.

Junior guard Ashley Williams (5.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and senior center Carlee Schuhmacher (4.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg) have given NC State a consistent starting five through all seven games. The only other NC State player to compete in all seven games has been 6-0 freshman guard Amber Richardson, who has contributed 4.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game.

A relatively small, quick Wolfpack lineup gets size off the bench from 6-3 freshman center Nae Nae Cole, who has contributed 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in six games off the bench. A 6-2 sophomore forward, Chelsea Nelson has pitched in 4.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in four appearances, while Sara Boric, a 6-5 redshirt freshman center, has managed 3.0 points and 2.0 boards in three games.

As a team, the Wolfpack have been winning with defense, averaging 66.7 points through seven games. NC State is shooting just 38 percent from the field, including 30.2 percent from three-point range. The Wolfpack are shooting just 64 percent from the free throw line. NC State is plus-3.4 on the glass and plus-3.7 in turnover margin. The Wolfpack have allowed opponents to hit just 34.1 percent of their field goals, including just 23.5 percent of their threes, while connecting on 62.9 percent of their free throws.

Overall, the Huskers own a 2-1 all-time record against NC State, including a 94-74 win over the Wolfpack on Dec. 28, 2006 in the first round of the State Farm Classic in Gainesville, Fla. The Huskers also defeated NC State in the first meeting in series history on March 19, 1976 in the second round of the National Women’s Invitational Tournament in Amarillo, Texas. The Wolfpack got their lone win in the series with a 55-45 victory at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands on Nov. 26, 2004.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
43 - Rachel Blackburn - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 5.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg
32 - Jessica Shepard - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 20.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg
4 - Kyndal Clark - 5-7 - RSr. - G - 3.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg
5 - Natalie Romeo - 5-7 - So. - G - 16.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 9.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Off the Bench
31 - Anya Kalenta - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 6.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg
34 - Jasmine Cincore - 5-10 - So. - G - 5.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg
24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Fr. - G - 6.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg
22 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - Jr. - C - 4.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg
50 - Darrien Washington - 6-2 - RFr. - F - 4.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg
12 - Emily Wood - 5-5 - So. - G - 2.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg
11 - Esther Ramacieri - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 0.4 ppg, 0.2 rpg
52 - Alicia Ostrander - 6-3 - Sr. - F - DNP
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
14th Season at Nebraska (266-154); 26th Season Overall (461-294)

North Carolina State Wolfpack (6-1, 0-0 ACC)
11 - Jennifer Mathurin - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 13.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg
25 - Carlee Schuhmacher - 6-1 - Sr. - C - 4.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg
3 - Miah Spencer - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 11.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg
4 - Ashley Williams - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 5.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg 
22 - Dominique Wilson - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 14.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg
Off the Bench
5 - Chelsea Nelson - 6-2 - So. - F - 4.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg
23 - Amber Richardson - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 4.3 ppg, 1.4 rpg
0 - Camille Anderson - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 3.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg
15 - Sara Boric - 6-5 - RFr. - C - 3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
44 - Nae Nae Cole - 6-3 - Fr. - C - 2.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg
21 - DD Rogers - 6-0 - So. - F - 2.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg
2 - Kaila Ealey - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
24 - Lena Niang - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
32 - Akela Maize - 6-5 - So. - C - 0.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg
30 - Kaley Moser - 5-11 - Sr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
10 - Ashley Eli - 5-11 - Sr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Head Coach: Wes Moore (Johnson Bible, 1984)
Third Season at NC State (48-24); 27th Season Overall (607-193)