Nebraska women's basketball host Missouri State in WNIT first round
Nebraska women’s basketball (16-14, 8-10 Big Ten) plays Missouri State (20-11, 14-6) in the WNIT on Wednesday, March 15. The Huskers will host the Bears at Pinnacle Bank Arena for a 6:00 p.m. CT tipoff.
NU is the only Big Ten team in the WNIT and received an automatic bid because of it. The Huskers will be making their seventh WNIT appearance since 1998.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to compete together and represent Nebraska and the Big Ten Conference in the WNIT,” Nebraska Coach Amy Williams said in a statement. “Playing at this time of year is a privilege, and we intend to make the most of it.”
Missouri State is 20-11 and 14-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bears lost 73-70 in the second round of the MSV Tournament to Drake, who made the NCAA tournament.
Tickets went on sale soon after the game was announced on Huskers.com/tickets. General admission is $5 for adults, $3 for youth/seniors and $1 for kids six and under.
The second round of the WNIT is from March 18-21 and the third round is March 22-24. The quarterfinals will be from March 25-27 and March 28-29 is the timeframe for the semifinals. The WNIT championship is on Saturday, April 1 at 4:30 p.m. CT on CBS.
Nebraska has played three teams that are in the WNIT tournament. They are 3-0 against Kansas (85-79 3OT), Wyoming (66-39) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (76-67).
The Huskers were on the bubble of being selected for the NCAA tournament but fell short after losing in the Big Ten tournament. They weren’t even in the first four teams out of the bracket.
NU fell in the second round, their first game, of the Big Ten tournament on March 2. No. 9 seeded Michigan State took down the No. 8 Huskers 67-64. Nebraska was led by Jaz Shelley’s 24 points and five rebounds. Shelley shot 5-for-10 from three.
Ten of Nebraska’s 2022-2023 opponents made the NCAA tournament. The Huskers went 3-9 against these teams, beating Illinois, Mississippi State and Purdue. They fell to Maryland, Drake, Creighton, Iowa (twice), Indiana, Michigan (twice) and Ohio State.
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The Huskers had one of the country’s toughest schedules, which further proves it.
Nebraska women’s basketball falls 67-64 to Michigan State in Big Ten tournament
One last ride (potentially)
Nebraska has three seniors who could be playing in their last games as Huskers. Sam Haiby is the only Husker who is for sure done but Jaz Shelley and Isabelle Bourne have one more year of eligibility.
Shelley became Nebraska’s first All-Big Ten first-team selection since Jordan Hooper and Rachel Theriot in 2014. The Australian averages 14.6 points per game, 4.8 rebounds and is shooting 39.3 percent from the floor and 36.5 percent from three. Shelley is seventh in the Big Ten with a .850 free-throw percentage.
Sam Haiby and Isabelle Bourne were All-Big Ten honorable mentions. Haiby, a fifth-year senior, came back from a knee injury to average 10.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Bourne, a part of the 1,000-points club, averages 12.1 points per game and 6.4 rebounds.
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Alexis Markowski is not a senior but will be key for Nebraska to do well in the tournament. She received All-Big Ten honors this season as she made her second consecutive conference second team. The 6-foot-3 center averages 12.4 points per game with 10.2 rebounds. She is shooting 44.9 percent from the floor and had 15 double-doubles this season.
Last year during the postseason, the Huskers made the NCAA tournament but fell to No. 9 Gonzaga in the first round. No. 8 Nebraska lost 68-55 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Haiby had a season-high 20 points and Markowski nearly had a double-double.
All four of these players, three seniors and Markowski, will need to step up in order to do well in the WNIT. Having a homecourt advantage in the first round will be huge for the Huskers.
