EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Rolling along with a 10-point lead, Nebraska had its first victory under coach Scott Frost and the end of the longest losing streak in its proud history in sight.

Northwestern yanked it all away. Now the Cornhuskers are off to their worst start ever.

Clayton Thorson threw for a career-high 455 yards and three touchdowns, and Drew Luckenbaugh kicked a 37-yard field goal in overtime to give Northwestern a 34-31 victory over the winless Cornhuskers on Saturday afternoon.

Nebraska (0-6, 0-4 Big Ten) blew a 10-point lead in the final 5:41 in regulation and fell to 0-6 for the first time. The Cornhuskers extended the longest losing streak in their storied history to 10 games. This isn’t the start Frost envisioned when he decided to take over at his alma mater after orchestrating a drastic turnaround in two seasons coaching Central Florida.

“This is wearing on me, but mostly I just feel bad for them, especially the seniors,” he said.

When asked, Frost said he agreed with the notion that a young team such as this needs to learn how to win.

“Lombardi said it: Winning is a habit, and unfortunately, so is losing,” Frost said. “We challenged the guys before the game: Find a way to make one more play to put us over the top. … We had some guys step up and make some plays today. Coulda, woulda, shoulda ended the game for us.”

Flynn Nagel set career highs with 220 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

Luckenbaugh made the first two field goals of his career in the fourth quarter and overtime after missing a 42-yarder in the third. The Wildcats (3-3, 3-1) won at home for the first time after an 0-3 start at Ryan Field.

“That’s the most fun football game I’ve ever been a part of,” Nagel said.

Things weren’t looking good for them trailing 31-21 with 5:41 left in the fourth quarter. But Luckenbaugh kicked a field goal, and Northwestern drove 99 yards after getting pinned at the 1 with 2:02 left.

The Wildcats were aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty against Carlos Davis that moved the ball from the 1 to the 16, and Thorson finished the drive with a 5-yard TD to JJ Jefferson with 12 seconds left in regulation.

Nebraska got the first shot in overtime after Northwestern deferred. Frost decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the 16, rather than kick a field goal in part because Barret Pickering missed one earlier in the game. A low snap out of the shotgun on what quarterback Adrian Martinez said was a running play did in the Cornhuskers. He scooped up the loose ball around the 30, heaved it to the end zone from the 37 and was intercepted by JR Pace.

Northwestern moved 6 yards before Luckenbaugh nailed a 37-yarder on fourth down to give the Wildcats their second straight victory and set off a wild celebration.

“Great character, absolutely terrific character,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “That’s who they are. That’s who we recruit. I thought the talk on the boundary the whole game was excellent. But after we got the field goal to cut it to a one-score game, the guys [said], ‘We’re winning this football game. We’re winning the game.’ … To get it done in overtime, I just think shows character.”

Nebraska’s Devine Ozigbo ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Martinez threw for 251 yards and a TD.

JD Spielman caught eight passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. But Nebraska remained winless since a victory at Purdue last Oct. 28.

“It’s frustrating,” linebacker Luke Gifford said. “That’s for sure. At this point, the rah, rah stuff — that’s got to go. I think we have passed that point.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Nebraska: This one has to sting for the Cornhuskers, who thought they were on the verge of breaking through prior to this game. They were in control, only to let the lead slip away down the stretch.

“I always watch the ESPN deal when I’m not coaching a game and watch the percent chance of winning,” Frost said. “Makes me sick sometimes when I watch teams that are 98 percent chance of winning. I thought that would be us, but it’s hard to tell where ours was in this game. That’s just heartbreaking for those guys.”

According to ESPN’s Win Probability Model, Nebraska’s probability to win peaked at 98.7 percent in the fourth quarter.

Northwestern: The Wildcats showed resolve by rallying late. But they continue to struggle in the run game since leading rusher Jeremy Larkin was forced to stop playing because of a spinal issue. They finished with 32 yards rushing — compared to 231 for Nebraska — after being held to a combined 36 the previous two games.

QUOTABLE

“I was just thinking about this. We’ve been progressing so much over the weeks. We’re just missing that one thing. We’ve marked off every box. We just haven’t got a win, and it’s the craziest thing.” — Ozigbo on Nebraska’s streak

“Everything felt pretty calm. I was with my holder and my snapper. … They’re talking to me because they’d been in this before.” — Luckenbaugh on getting ready to kick the winner.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: Hosts Minnesota on Oct. 20

Northwestern: Visits Rutgers on Oct. 20

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Even as badly as Nebraska is playing right now, a win over the Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium is always cause for celebration.

That was especially true for Purdue, which beat the Huskers 42-28 on Saturday for its second straight win after an 0-3 start.

“It’s big, it’s big for our program,” said quarterback David Blough, who threw for 328 yards and accounted for two touchdowns. “Nebraska, no matter what, at home is a tough team to beat, whatever their record is. We knew we had to come, do the little things right, take care of the football. We had some penalties go our way.”

Some?

The Huskers, in losing their program-record eighth straight game, amassed 582 total yards and 30 first downs but couldn’t overcome five personal fouls and a total of 11 penalties for 136 yards. The Huskers (0-4, 0-2 Big Ten) also set a program record with their seventh straight home loss on a chilly and misty afternoon.

“In three of our games, we’ve played well enough to win a game,” Nebraska first-year coach Scott Frost said. “In my opinion, we looked like one of the most undisciplined teams in the country, and it kills me.”

Nebraska has the second-longest losing streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. UTEP took a 16-game losing streak into its game at UTSA.

The Huskers’ most recent win was Oct. 28, 2017, against the Boilermakers. Their most recent home win was Sept. 23, 2017, against Rutgers.

Markell Jones gave Purdue (2-3, 1-1) a 42-21 lead with a 6-yard run early in the fourth quarter.

“I think it’s a huge win for us,” Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. “I don’t care what Nebraska’s record is, coming into the venue against this team that’s on the ropes a bit. Every team in our conference is going to be a challenge.”

Devine Ozigbo rushed for a career-high 170 yards for the Huskers, and he scored from 23 yards out to make it a 14-point game with 13:04 left. But Adrian Martinez was intercepted and the Huskers turned the ball over on downs on their last three possessions.

Martinez, a true freshman starting his second straight game, threw for 323 yards and ran for 91 in his best performance.

“We don’t accept losing — coach Frost doesn’t and the players don’t,” Martinez said. “It’s not something I’m used to, he’s not used to it and we’re not going to put up with it. He’s given his heart out to us and we have to respond and play. I feel like we let him down a little bit. We need to come back firing this next week.”

D.J. Knox led Purdue with 87 yards rushing and two touchdowns, Rondale Moore caught eight passes for 85 yards and Brycen Hopkins had five receptions for 103.

“We knew this would be a tough football game,” Brohm said. “We knew the team would be hungry for a win and the fans would come out like they always do. We had to block that out. Our guys just played well. When Nebraska made some runs we could have easily shut that down. We are happy to come out with the victory.”

THE TAKEAWAY:

Purdue: The Boilermakers, coming off a win over then-ranked Boston College, were able to win their first road game thanks to Nebraska’s undisciplined play. Blough completed 25 of 42 passes and ran seven times for 38 yards, and Moore made a number of dazzling plays.

Nebraska: The Huskers had the better offensive numbers, but penalties continue to kill them. Their 582 yards were the most in a loss since they amassed 610 against Colorado in 2007.

EFFICIENT OFFENSE

Purdue scored on all six of its red-zone opportunities and did not turn over the ball for the first time this season. The Boilermakers finished with 516 total yards.

KNOCK OFF THE DANCING

Before kickoffs, a group of Nebraska players danced to music playing over the public-address speakers — and Frost didn’t like it.

“When we were down 13 points and we had backups and reserves dancing on our sideline before kickoffs, they look like they love losing and they look undisciplined,” Frost said.

UP NEXT:

Purdue visits Illinois on Oct. 13.

Nebraska visits No. 15 Wisconsin on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan was very motivated to beat Nebraska, using Scott Frost’s words against him.

Karan Higdon ran for 136 yards and a touchdown in the first half to help the 19th-ranked Wolverines build a huge lead and they coasted to a 56-10 victory Saturday.

In Frost’s last visit to the Big House two years ago, he said Central Florida “outhit” Michigan in a 51-14 loss.

“We didn’t forget that,” offensive tackle Jon Runyan said.

Michigan moved Nebraska around on offense, clearing huge holes for the running game and giving Shea Patterson plenty of time to throw. On defense, the Wolverines hit hard early and often perhaps in part because defensive coordinator Don Brown told them what Frost said after his last visit.

“We really took that to heart,” Wolverines linebacker Devin Bush said. “And, we wanted to make a statement.”

Mission accomplished.

“Physicality, we got whipped,” Frost acknowledged.

The Wolverines (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) led 20-0 after the first quarter and 39-0 at halftime.

“It just seemed like they really didn’t want to be out there at some points,” Michigan defensive end Chase Winovich said.

The Cornhuskers (0-3, 0-1) are off to their worst start since 1945. They have lost seven in a row dating to last season for the first time since 1957.

“We’re really going to find out who loves football and who loves each other and who is going to band together,” Frost said.

Michigan rested Higdon, who missed the previous game with an injury, in the second half. Patterson played only the first series of the second half, giving Dylan McCaffrey an extended opportunity to play.

Patterson was 15 of 22 for 120 yards with a 5-yard TD pass to Zach Gentry midway through the second quarter that put the Wolverines ahead 30-0.

Fullback Ben Mason ran for three touchdowns — for a total of 6 yards — to match the number of times he had scored previously.

Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez was cleared to play after missing last week’s loss to Troy because of a knee injury. The freshman was 7 of 15 for 22 yards with an interception and he lost 12 yards rushing.

Martinez batted down the football from the end zone after his first attempt on a play was deflected back to him, giving Michigan a safety and a 39-0 lead.

The Wolverines also scored on special teams, taking a 46-0 lead early in the third on Donovan Peoples-Jones’ 60-yard punt return.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve been a part of a game like that, but we got beat in every phase,” Frost said.

While trailing 56-3, the Cornhuskers had lost more yards due to penalties (66) than they had gained on offense (61) early in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska finished with 39 yards rushing and 93 yards passing.

“We’re not ready to beat a team like this yet,” Frost said. “But, the key word is yet.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Nebraska: Frost, in his first season, has quite a challenge ahead of him trying to turn around a once-proud program.

“I told them that I honestly believe this is going to be the bottom,” Frost said.

Michigan: Momentum is on the Wolverines’ side after winning three straight games by lopsided scores after opening with a seven-point loss at Notre Dame.

“They’re an improving, ascending team,” coach Jim Harbaugh said.

OUT OF HERE

Michigan linebacker Khaleke Hudson was ejected for targeting for a second straight game and will have to miss the first half next week at Northwestern.

Harbaugh agreed with the ruling.

“You can’t lead with your head,” he said.

HONORED

Charles Woodson was recognized for being selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame later this year. The 1997 Heisman Trophy winner and national champion drew a roar from the crowd when he was shown on the videoboards during a timeout.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The rout and three straight wins may help Michigan move up a little in the poll.

UP NEXT:

Nebraska: Hosts Purdue, which was winless until beating No. 23 Boston College 30-13 for its largest margin of victory against a ranked team since 1999.

Michigan: Plays at Northwestern, which will have two weeks to prepare for the game after losing 39-34 to Akron. The Wildcats (1-2) opened the season with a 31-27 win over the Boilermakers.

— Associated Press —

Nebraska has finalized an agreement to play Bethune-Cookman University on Oct. 27 at Memorial Stadium to fill an opening on the 2018 football schedule. The contest will replace the Huskers’ Sept. 1 game against Akron which was cancelled due to severe storms in Lincoln.

Bethune-Cookman plays in the Football Championship Subdivision and owns a 1-2 record in 2018, following a loss at Florida Atlantic last Saturday. The Wildcats compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and posted a 6-2 record in league play in 2017. Coach Terry Sims in his fourth season guiding the BCU program.

“Our great fans and our football student-athletes deserve a full schedule, and we are glad to be able to provide an additional game on Oct. 27 against Bethune-Cookman,” Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos said. “We appreciate the patience of our fans through this process. While there may be some conflicts on what was originally a bye week, we know Memorial Stadium will be packed to watch the Huskers on a fall Saturday.

“I would like to thank Bethune-Cookman for their great cooperation as we put this agreement together. Athletic Director Lynn Thompson and Head Coach Terry Sims are excited to bring their team to Lincoln, and we look forward to their visit.”

Nebraska will pay Bethune-Cookman a guarantee of $800,000 for its trip to Lincoln. The game will be part of the Big Ten’s regular television package. Game time and television information will be available six to 12 days in advance of kickoff.

— NU Athletics —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — B.J. Smith scored on a 26-yard run midway through the fourth quarter and Will Sunderland made an interception in the final 3 minutes, giving Troy the cushion it needed to beat Nebraska 24-19 on Saturday and denying new Cornhuskers coach Scott Frost his first win.

The Huskers (0-2) have lost their first two games for the first time since 1957, when they finished 1-9 under Bill Jennings. Nebraska also has dropped six straight home games since beating Rutgers on Sept. 23, 2017.

The Trojans (2-1), from the Sun Belt Conference, took down a Power 5 opponent for the second straight year, and pocketed a $1.15 million check from the Huskers for making the trip. Last year, Troy won at then-No. 25 LSU, earning $985,000 for beating the Tigers on their homecoming.

As he ran off the field at Memorial Stadium, a jubilant quarterback Kaleb Barker had a game ball tucked under his arm.

“They said, ‘It’s yours,'” Barker said. “I’ll take it.”

Actually, a host of Trojans could lay claim to that ball. Cedarius Rookard ran back a punt 58 yards for a touchdown, Smith scored two touchdowns and ran for a team-high 70 yards and linebacker Tron Folsom had 14 tackles, a sack and another tackle for loss.

“I thought we showed tremendous grit and determination,” Troy coach Neal Brown said. “We didn’t play great football as we went through the game. But I thought our kids played really at a high level special teams-wise. I thought our defense bent but they didn’t break. I thought we flew to the ball and tackled better than we have at any point this season. Offensively, we just found some ways to make some key plays.”

Sophomore walk-on Andrew Bunch, starting at quarterback for Nebraska in place of the injured Adrian Martinez, converted a fourth-and-8 while leading the Huskers on a 75-yard drive to pull Nebraska to 24-19 with 2:55 left.

But Sunderland stepped in front of Bunch’s pass along the sideline intended for JD Spielman, starting the celebration on the Troy bench.

“I think we’re a better team than what the results say we are, but that doesn’t matter,” Frost said. “I just got done telling the team that when things get tough like this, you got two choices: You fight back and work even harder or you give up. I told them if anybody doesn’t want to stay on for this ride, let me know and get off, because I know where this is going. We just haven’t had the results early that we need.”

Now the Huskers will play their Big Ten opener on the road against Michigan next Saturday.

“We have a tough game next week, so this could get worse before it gets better,” Frost said. “It’s always darkest before the dawn, and I know where this is going, so I want every guy in that locker room to be on board.”

Troy got out to a 17-0 lead and was up 17-7 at halftime. But the Trojans were teetering after Nebraska kicked field goals to cut it to 17-13 in the third quarter.

After the Trojans forced a punt early in the fourth, they went 62 yards in 10 plays to make it a two-score game. Barker converted two third-and-long situations, passing on one and running on the other, and Nebraska safety Aaron Williams was called for pass interference on a third-and-9 to keep the Trojans’ drive alive. Smith broke through the line untouched on his way to the end zone on his TD run.

“I want to say this to the Nebraska fans: You guys are going to be fine,” Brown said. “They’re going to get it done here. They’re going to win and they’re going to win big. But I don’t want the narrative to be about that.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Troy: This is mostly a new cast of Trojans, but once again they showed they aren’t intimidated playing a blue-blood opponent on the road. It’s the lift they needed after losing to Boise State in their opener and beating an FCS opponent last week.

Nebraska: The Huskers couldn’t get out of their own way. They had two turnovers and a missed field goal among their first five possessions, gave up the long punt return and had costly personal fouls on a Troy touchdown drive. Mohamed Barry was ejected for his head-on-head hit at the end of a run by backup quarterback Sawyer Smith. … As a comparison, Frost was 24-2 in two years as the starting quarterback for Nebraska. Now he’s 0-2 as a coach.

UP NEXT

Troy visits Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.

Nebraska visits Michigan for its Big Ten opener Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Nebraska will usher in the Scott Frost era under the lights at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 1 against Akron. The game, which will be televised nationally on FOX at 7 p.m., was one of six kickoff times for the 2018 season announced on Thursday by the Big Ten Conference and its television partners.

Nebraska also learned kickoff times for its three other September home games, as well as road games at Northwestern (Oct. 13) and Iowa (Nov. 23). Network assignments have been made for four games, including two appearances on FOX, one on ABC and one on BTN.

The primetime season opener marks the third consecutive season and sixth time in the past decade Nebraska has opened the season with a home night game.

The following week on Sept. 8, Nebraska will renew a matchup with long-time Big Eight and Big 12 foe Colorado with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium and the game televised by ABC. The Husker-Buff matchup will follow a long tradition of that contest being televised on ABC. The final 17 conference matchups (1994-2010) between the schools were televised by ABC.

The Huskers complete their non-conference schedule on Sept. 15 against Troy, with kickoff at 11 a.m. on BTN. Nebraska’s Homecoming game on Sept. 29, against Purdue will start at either 2:30 or 3 p.m., with the network to be determined.

The Huskers’ Oct. 13 road game at Northwestern will kick off at 11 a.m. CT, with the network determination made at a later date. The Huskers’ regular-season finale at Iowa on Black Friday is also set for an 11 a.m. kickoff with national television coverage on FOX.

Game times and television information for Nebraska’s remaining six games on the 2018 schedule will be made six-to-12 days in advance.

Nebraska 2018 Game Times/TV Information
Sept. 1 – Akron at Nebraska, FOX, 7 p.m. CT
Sept. 8 – Colorado at Nebraska, ABC, 2:30 p.m. CT
Sept. 15 – Troy at Nebraska, BTN, 11 a.m. CT
Sept. 29 – Purdue at Nebraska (HC), Network TBA, 2:30 or 3:00 p.m. CT
Oct. 13 – Nebraska at Northwestern (HC), Network TBA, 11 a.m. CT
Nov. 23 – Nebraska at Iowa, FOX, 11 a.m. CT

— NU Athletics —

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Another defensive gem and dominant rebounding have Arizona State rolling into the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Robbi Ryan scored 16 points and Kianna Ibis added 14 to lead the No. 7 Sun Devils over No. 10 Nebraska 73-62 in the first round Saturday in the Kansas City Region.

Arizona State opened up a tight, defensive struggle with a 14-0 run in the third quarter. Jamie Ruden scored five during the stretch and the Sun Devils pushed the lead as high as 16 early in the fourth quarter when Reili Richardson converted a 3-point play.

“We have a big focus on finishing strong,” Ruden said. “The fire went under our butts and we decided we need to crank things up defensively.”

The Sun Devils (22-12) led the Pac 12 in scoring defense and made the Cornhuskers struggle for every basket, allowing them few second-chance points. Arizona State dominated the rebounding 49-27. The Cornhuskers went scoreless for nearly five minutes in the third quarter.

“We wanted it more,” Ibis said. “We wanted to stay aggressive on offensive rebounds.”

Nebraska’s last chance came on a 3-pointer by Jasmine Cincore that cut the lead to 68-59 with 2:03 left. But 30 seconds later, Cincore was called for an unsportsmanlike play on a charge when she ran into with Ryan’s chin. Ruden and Courtney Ekmark then made two throws to get the lead back to 11 with 1 minute left and the Sun Devils put it away from there.

Arizona State moves on to the second round for the fifth straight season, with a chance to make the Sweet 16 for the second time in four years.

“I’m excited we get to keep playing, I always tell them the first game is the hardest because that’s when you’re nervous,” Sun Devils coach Charli Turner Thorne said.

Taylor Kissinger scored 15 points for Nebraska (21-11).

“They were aggressive (defensively) the entire game,” said Nebraska guard Hannah Whitish, who scored 12 on 3 of 10 shooting. “We had our looks, they just didn’t fall.”

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers’ loss ends what had been one of the biggest surprise seasons in the country. Nebraska won just seven games in 2016-17 but turned things around to be a Big Ten title contender late in this season. Coach Amy Williams had said before the game she worried her team couldn’t match the Sun Devils on the boards, and she was right. Arizona State was more physical under the basket and quicker to the ball on the long rebounds.

“That says something for their relentless pursuit. We know what we need to work on,” Williams said. “You can let this sting for a little while, but permanently we’re going to hold our heads up.”

Arizona State: The Sun Devils turned in other defensive gem, smothering the Cornhuskers’ ball handlers on the perimeter and disrupting shooters. The Sun Devils held Cornhuskers guard Maddie Simon, who came in averaging 10 points, to no points Saturday. She took just one shot in 15 minutes.

DEEP ROTATION

While some coaches shorten their rotation in the crunch time of the postseason, both teams when deep into their bench. Nebraska played 12 and Arizona State played nine. The Sun Devils had four players score in double figures.

KEY STAT

Nebraska had just six assists on 19 baskets as the Sun Devils made the game a 40-minute struggle for the Cornhuskers guards.

UP NEXT

Arizona State plays No. 2 Texas in Monday’s second round.

— Associated Press —

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Aric Holman had 16 points and 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season, Lamar Peters was four assists shy of a NIT record with a career-high 14 and Mississippi State won its first post-season game since 2010 with a 66-59 victory over Nebraska on Wednesday night in the first round.

Mississippi State (23-11) is in the postseason for the first time since a 101-96 double-overtime loss to UMass in the 2012 NIT.

Abdul Ado added 15 points and nine boards for MSU, which plays at Baylor in the next round. Ado had 11 points, on 4-of-11 shooting, and seven rebounds in the first half to help MSU build a 33-28 lead. The Bulldogs’ leading scorer Quinndary Weatherspoon was held to eight points.

James Palmer Jr. had 13 points and Isaac Copeland Jr. added 12 for Nebraska (22-11), which was just 11-of-31 shooting in the first half and finished at 35.4 percent.

Anton Gill raced coast-to-coast for a layup to pull Nebraska to 61-57 with 42.8 seconds left but Xavian Stapleton answered with two free throws. The Cornhuskers missed 3-pointers on their next two possessions and MSU hit 3 of 4 free throws to seal it.

— Associated Press —

The Nebraska women’s basketball team earned its 14th NCAA Tournament bid in school history, as the Huskers claimed a No. 10 seed in the 64-team field announced during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on ESPN Monday night.

Nebraska, which produced one of the nation’s top turnarounds under second-year coach Amy Williams in 2017-18, will face No. 7 seed Arizona State at the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas on Saturday, March 17, at 2:30 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised by ESPN2, while a radio call of the game will be provided by the Husker Sports Network.

Texas (26-6, 15-3 Big 12) earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will take on No. 15 seed Maine (23-9, 13-3 America East) in Saturday’s second game at Austin. The Longhorns advanced to the Big 12 Championship Game, while the Black Bears earned the America East automatic bid by winning the tournament title. That game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. (CT) tip on ESPN2. The winners of the two first-round games will meet in Monday’s second round.

The winner of the four-team bracket in Austin will advance to the Kansas City Regional, March 23-25.

Nebraska heads into the NCAA Tournament with a 21-10 record after earning the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament with an 11-5 conference mark. The Huskers also advanced to the Big Ten semifinals.

Nebraska’s 21 wins mark a 14-game improvement in the win column over last year’s 7-22 overall record, when the Huskers tied for last in the Big Ten Conference. The improvement is the largest increase by any team in 2018 NCAA Tournament field and tied for the biggest jump in Division I with fellow Big Ten partner Rutgers. Nebraska produced an eight-game improvement in league play (3-13, 2016-17).

Williams earned 2018 Big Ten Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors from the league coaches and media and is one of 10 semifinalists for the Werner Ladder Naismith National Coach-of-the-Year award.

The Huskers, who earned their first NCAA bid since facing Syracuse in the 2015 first round at Columbia, S.C., are led on the court by second-team All-Big Ten point guard Hannah Whitish. The 5-9 sophomore from Barneveld, Wis., leads Nebraska in scoring (12.6 ppg), assists (4.8 apg) and steals (1.3 spg).

Inside, freshman Kate Cain has made a major impact at both ends of the court for the Big Red. The 6-5 center from Middletown, N.Y., adds 10.1 points per game while leading Nebraska in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and blocked shots (3.2 bpg). Cain’s Big Ten-leading 100 blocks have smashed Nebraska’s single-season school record and rank her among the top-five shot-blockers in the nation this season. She was the only freshman or sophomore to earn a spot on the five-player Big Ten All-Defensive Team and she was also one of five conference newcomers on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

With Cain in the middle and a commitment to defense for the entire Nebraska team, the Huskers improved by 13 points defensively from a year ago, allowing just 63.3 points per game this season. The Huskers led the Big Ten in both field goal percentage defense (.371) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.302) in 2017-18. Despite losing their starting front line, the Huskers were also six points per game better on the offensive end this season.

Nebraska’s game against the Sun Devils (21-12, 10-8 Pac-12) will be the eighth all-time meeting between the Huskers and Arizona State. Nebraska owns a 4-3 edge in the all-time series, including a 62-58 win over the Sun Devils in the last meeting between the two teams at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Dec. 28, 2008.

It will be the first-ever meeting between Nebraska and Arizona State in the postseason, and the only previous neutral site meeting between the schools came in the first match-up, a 71-69 Husker win at the California Invitational on Nov. 29, 1979.

Nebraska’s only other NCAA Tournament appearance in the state of Texas was a successful one. In 2013, the sixth-seeded Huskers went to College Station, Texas and defeated 11th-seeded Chattanooga (73-59) before knocking off third-seeded Texas A&M (74-63) at Reed Arena to advance to the second NCAA Sweet Sixteen in Husker history.

Nebraska’s point guard on that 2013 squad was All-American and WNBA first-round draft pick Lindsey Moore, who also led the Huskers to their first-ever NCAA Sweet Sixteen as a freshman in 2010. Moore is now a graduate assistant at Arizona State.

Nebraska Coach Amy (Gusso) Williams will be leading her second school to an NCAA Division I Tournament, after also helping two Nebraska teams to the NCAA Tournament as a student-athlete.

Williams was a sophomore guard on a 1996 Husker team that earned a trip to the first round. She was a senior on Nebraska’s 1998 NCAA Tournament squad that advanced to the second round with a win over New Mexico in Norfolk, Va.

As a second-year Division I head coach at South Dakota, Williams led the Coyotes to the NCAA Tournament in 2014, before falling to Stanford in the first round.

— NU Athletics —