Huskers Hunt for Big Ten Upset Against No. 4 UCLA
Nebraska wraps up a three-game Big Ten home stand by battling its highest ranked opponent of the season when the No. 25 Huskers take on No. 4 UCLA on Sunday night in Lincoln.
Tip-off between the NCAA NET 16 Huskers (14-2, 3-2 Big Ten) and the NET No. 2 Bruins (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten) at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 6 p.m. (CT) with tickets available now at Huskers.com.
Free live audio from the Huskers Radio Network will be available on Huskers.com, the Huskers App, 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 1490 AM/97.3 FM/97.7 HD3 in Omaha with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the call for their 25th consecutive season.
The game will be televised live by BTN with Sloane Martin and Brenda VanLengen on the call.
Nebraska has opened the stand with back-to-back Big Ten wins over the Indiana schools, including a 78-73 win over the Hoosiers on Thursday night.
Nancy Lieberman Award candidate Britt Prince, who has been a catalyst in all areas in a balanced Big Red attack, led the Huskers with 20 points and a game-high seven assists. She closed out Nebraska's third Big Ten victory with 11 points and four assists in the fourth quarter alone as the Huskers held off the hungry Hoosiers down the stretch. It was Prince's sixth 20-point performance of the season, including a pair of 30-point games.
Prince, a 5-11 sophomore point guard who was a two-time Nebraska High School Player of the Year and four-time state champion at Elkhorn North, is averaging 20.4 points per game in Big Ten play. Overall, Prince ranks in the top 35 in NCAA Division I statistics in five categories, including free throw percentage (12th, .902), field goal percentage (17th, .594), field goals made (22nd, 117), points (26th, 305) and points per game (35th, 19.1). Prince ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring and 11th in assists (4.3 apg), while also leading Nebraska with 23 steals on the season.
Fellow sophomore Amiah Hargrove also has emerged as a rising star in the conference. An early contender for Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year, Hargrove is averaging 11.9 points and a team-best 6.2 rebounds off the bench. The 6-2 forward is shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 82.9 percent from the free throw line. Hargrove, who missed the loss at No. 14 Iowa (Jan. 1) after suffering a mild concussion in the loss to No. 17 USC (Dec. 29), is averaging 13.8 points in Big Ten play. She erupted for a career-high 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting (4-5 3FG) in Nebraska's Big Ten-opening road win at Penn State (Dec. 6).
Junior Jessica Petrie has provided consistency and leadership at both ends in her second season as a starter. The 6-2 forward from Gold Coast, Australia, ranks second on the team in scoring (12.3 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.1 rpg). Petrie, who is coming off an 18-point, seven-rebound effort in the win over Indiana on Thursday, has produced double figures 12 times and scored at least seven points in all 16 games this season. Petrie, who leads Nebraska with 18 blocks, also has 15 steals this season after getting just 12 steals over 68 games in her first two years as a Husker. She scored seven points in the first of her 37 consecutive starts in last year's loss at No. 1 UCLA (Dec. 29, 2024).
Callin Hake provides veteran leadership and the emotional heartbeat for the Big Red. The 5-8 senior guard from Victoria, Minn., leads NU with 4.4 assists per game and a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio that ranks seventh in the Big Ten and 28th nationally. Hake is shooting 40.7 percent (24-59) from long range and 86.1 percent at the line.
Senior Eliza Maupin has earned three straight starts inside for the Big Red. The 6-3 senior is averaging 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds after getting nine points, seven boards and a career-high three blocks in Thursday's win over Indiana. Maupin had scored in double figures in four straight games, including her first Husker double double with 12 points and a career-high-tying 11 rebounds at No. 14 Iowa (Jan. 1).
Sophomore Petra Bozan earned starts in NU's first 13 games. The 6-3 Croatian is averaging 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 51.5 percent from the field. She produced a career-high 17 points in NU's Big Ten-opening win at Penn State (Dec. 6). Bozan and UCLA freshman Lena Bilic led the Croatian U18 National Team at the 2024 FIBA EuroBasket Championships. Each averaged 16.1 points, while Bozan added 10.0 rebounds over seven games and Bilic led Croatia with 5.6 assists.
Graduate guard Hailey Weaver, who spent her first four seasons at Northwestern, started the first 13 games in the Husker lineup as the Big Red's top ball-pressuring guard ("Pirate" or "Hound"). Weaver ranks second among the Huskers with 22 steals. Logan Nissley has earned three straight starts. The 6-0 Nissley is averaging 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists while hitting 50 percent of her shots, including 49 percent (24-49) of her threes. She had 11 points in the win over Indiana.
Nebraska's rotation goes 10-12 deep, including significant contributions from Claire Johnson (4.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg), Kennadi Williams (3.0 ppg, 2.1 apg) and Emily Fisher.
NET 16 Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-2, 3-2 Big Ten)
21 - Eliza Maupin - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 9.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 12.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Jr. - G - 7.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-8 - Sr. - G - 8.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg
23 - Britt Prince - 5-11 - So. - G - 19.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Off the Bench
33 - Amiah Hargrove - 6-2 - So. - F - 11.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg
4 - Petra Bozan - 6-3 - So. - F - 7.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg
5 - Claire Johnson - 5-9 - So. - G - 4.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg
1 - Hailey Weaver - 6-0 - Gr. - G - 3.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg
15 - Kennadi Williams - 5-4 - RFr. - G - 3.0 ppg, 0.9 rpg
34 - Emily Fisher - 6-0 - Jr. - G/F - 2.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg
00 - Alanna Neale - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 1.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - RSo. - F - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
3 - Allison Weidner [Out] - 5-10 - Gr. - G - Redshirt
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
10th Season at Nebraska (172-125); 19th Season Overall (365-234)
NET 2 UCLA Bruins (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten)
51 - Lauren Betts - 6-7 - Sr. - C - 16.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg
1 - Kiki Rice - 5-11 - Sr. - G - 15.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg
5 - Charlisse Leger-Walker - 5-10 - Gr. - G - 8.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg
8 - Gianna Kneepkens - 6-0 - Gr. - G - 14.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg
11 - Gabriela Jaquez - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 14.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Off the Bench
52 - Angela Dugalic - 6-4 - Gr. - F - 10.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg
16 - Sienna Betts - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 7.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg
9 - Lena Bilic - 6-3 - Fr. - G/F - 4.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg
33 - Amanda Muse - 6-4 - RSo. - F - 2.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg
3 - Christina Karamouzi - 5-11 - Fr. - G - 0.9 ppg, 0.5 rpg
43 - Megan Grant - 5-10 - Sr. - G/F - 1.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg
Head Coach: Cori Close (UC Santa Barbara, 1993)
15th Season at UCLA (335-144); 15th Season Overall (335-144)
Scouting the No. 4 UCLA Bruins
• No. 4 UCLA comes to Lincoln for the first time since the first regular-season game in Pinnacle Bank Arena history (Nov. 8, 2013), when the Bruins fell 77-49 to the No. 17 Huskers. The NCAA NET No. 2 Bruins (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten) make their first trip to PBA as a Big Ten Conference team.
• Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Lauren Betts leads UCLA with 16.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The 6-7 senior center was the 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection. She also leads UCLA and ranks second in the Big Ten with 2.1 blocks per game.
• Betts, who is one of five Bruins averaging in double figures, is joined by 2025 first-team All-Big Ten choice Kiki Rice in the UCLA starting five. Rice, a 5-11 senior guard, is averaging 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists, including a team-best 6.5 assists per game in conference play.
• Gabriela Jaquez gives the Bruins three returning senior starters in the UCLA lineup. The 6-0 Jaquez, who is the sister of Miami Heat star and former Bruin Jaime Jaquez Jr., is averaging 14.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting a sizzling 49.1 percent (28-57) from three-point range.
• Graduate transfer Gianna Kneepkens has made a major impact. The 6-0 sharp-shooter, who played her first three seasons at Utah, is hitting 46.6 percent (41-88) of her three-point tries and 93.3 percent (14-15) of her free throws. Kneepkens has added 3.3 assists and is tied with Rice for second among the Bruins with 1.4 steals per game.
• Graduate transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker rounds out the starting five by averaging 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds. The 5-10 guard started her career at Washington State and leads UCLA with 6.3 assists and 1.8 steals per contest.
• The Bruins get more size, depth and explosiveness off the bench in graduate Angela Dugalic. The 6-4 forward, who started last season in helping the Bruins to the 2025 Big Ten Tournament title and the NCAA Women's Final Four, is averaging 10.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
• Freshman Sienna Betts, Lauren's younger sister, has joined the UCLA rotation over the past five games after nursing an injury during non-conference play. One of the top high school prospects in the nation a year ago, Sienna Betts is averaging 7.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in just 14 minutes per game so far this year.
• Croatian Lena Bilic, a 6-3 freshman, has contributed 4.4 points and 1.9 rebounds, while 6-4 redshirt sophomore Amanda Muse has pitched in 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds while hitting a team-best 61.9 percent of her shots. Bilic was a teammate of Nebraska's Petra Bozan on the Croatian U18 National Team at the 2024 FIBA EuroBasket Championships.
• UCLA is averaging 87.3 points while hitting 51 percent of its shots, including a scorching 37.5 percent from three-point range on 8.2 makes per game. The Bruins also have hit 76.7 percent of their free throws while outscoring their opponents by 5.3 points per game at the line.
• The Bruins are the most physically dominant team in the Big Ten, outrebounding opponents by 15.9 boards per game while maintaining a plus-2.0 team turnover margin. UCLA is holding opponents to just 56.3 points per game on 35.3 percent shooting, including just 27.8 percent from long range.
Nebraska vs. UCLA Series History
• UCLA leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 6-3, including an 85-74 win last season in the Big Ten quarterfinals (March 7, 2025). Britt Prince led Nebraska with 24 points and six assists, while UCLA went on to win the Big Ten Tournament title with a championship game win over crosstown-rival USC.
• The Bruins also defeated Nebraska 91-54 in Los Angeles in the first meeting between the schools as conference foes last season (Dec. 29, 2024). Amiah Hargrove led Nebraska with 12 points off the bench. She was the only Husker in double figures, while Callin Hake added nine points.
• Last year's regular-season win for the Bruins snapped Nebraska's three-game winning streak in the series that included a 71-66 Husker win at Pauley Pavilion on Nov. 28, 2014.
• The previous season, No. 17 Nebraska beat the Bruins 77-49 in the first-ever regular-season basketball game at Pinnacle Bank Arena (Nov. 8, 2013). UCLA was No. 25 in the Coaches Poll.
• Nebraska also defeated the Bruins 83-70 in the 2010 NCAA second round at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. The Huskers were the No. 1 seed and ranked No. 4 in the country, while the Bruins were ranked No. 22 nationally.
• Then-No. 24 Nebraska suffered an 85-67 loss to then-No. 12 UCLA at the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Hawaii, Nov. 27, 1998.
• Nebraska's series with UCLA dates back to a 68-53 loss to the No. 11 Bruins in Los Angeles on Jan. 11, 1977, in a game that featured four-time All-American and 1976 Olympian Ann Meyers.
• The Huskers lost to No. 14 UCLA, 72-63, at the Devaney Center on Feb. 3, 1979 before dropping an 84-54 decision in Los Angeles on Jan. 10, 1984, in the only game that featured two unranked teams.
Prince Named to Nancy Lieberman Watch List
• Nebraska's Britt Prince was named to the list of 20 women's college basketball players on the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List on Oct. 27. The Lieberman Award was the first of the Naismith Starting 5 award watch lists announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
• Fan voting for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award is open at http://www.hoophallawards.
• Prince, a 5-11 sophomore from Omaha, Neb., returns for her second season at Nebraska after averaging 13.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.7 steals as a true freshman.
• Through 16 games this season, she is averaging a team-best 19.1 points per game while hitting 59.4 percent (117-197) of her shots from the field, including 25-of-49 threes (.510).
• Prince was the MVP of the Emerald Coast Classic Beach Bracket (Nov. 24-25) after leading the Huskers to a tournament title with 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting in a 91-82 win over Virginia. She averaged 24.0 points and 6.5 assists in the tournament, including 18 points and a season-high seven assists in a win over Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Prince established her career high with 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting in a win over Oral Roberts (Nov. 19).
• She produced a 27-point performance at No. 14 Iowa (Jan. 1), when she also recorded five rebounds and four steals, before getting a game-high 17 points to go with a team-high four rebounds in the win over Purdue (Jan. 4).
• Prince opened Big Ten play with 20 points in a win at Penn State (Dec. 6) and produced her third 20-point effort in conference play this season with 20 points and seven assists in Thursday's win over Indiana. She also led all players with 18 points and seven assists against No. 17 USC (Dec. 29).
• She tipped 2025-26 with 19 points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal in a win over Northwestern State (Nov. 3).
• Prince followed with 23 points, two assists and two steals in a win over Samford (Nov. 8), before getting 18 points and a season-high seven rebounds in a win over Creighton (Nov. 12).
• She had 16 points and three assists in a win over North Dakota State in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Nov. 16).
• Prince had 17 points, four rebounds and five assists in a 92-53 win over Bradley (Dec. 3).
• She had eight points, five assists and five steals in an 87-35 win over Omaha (Dec. 9), before going for 13 points, six rebounds, six assists and no turnovers in a win over Illinois State (Dec. 14).
• Prince, a two-time Gatorade and MaxPreps Nebraska High School Player of the Year at Elkhorn North, earned Big Ten All-Freshman honors while leading the Huskers to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
• In the NCAA Tournament, Prince led the Big Red with 14 points and six assists against Louisville. She averaged 17.0 points and 5.3 assists over three Big Ten Tournament games, including a season-high-tying 24 points against tourney champion and NCAA No. 1 seed UCLA.
• Prince was the USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Jan. 21, 2025) after going for 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a career-high six steals in a win at Iowa (Jan. 16, 2025), when she hit a career-high five three-pointers.
Potts Earns Spot on Katrina McClain Watch List
• Nebraska's Natalie Potts was included on the list of 20 women's college basketball players named to the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Preseason Watch List on Oct. 30. The McClain Award was the fourth of the Naismith Starting 5 award watch lists announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
• Fan voting for the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award is open at http://www.hoophallawards.com.
• Potts, a 6-2 redshirt sophomore from O'Fallon, Mo., returns for her third season at Nebraska in 2025-26. She was the 2023-24 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the fifth game of the 2024-25 campaign. Potts was averaging team bests of 17.5 points and 8.0 rebounds through the first four games prior to her injury. She was shooting 69.4 percent from the field, including 72.7 percent (8-11) from three-point range to lead the Big Red to a No. 19 national ranking and a 4-0 start.
• In 40-minute production, Potts put up eye-popping numbers of 28.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per 40 to rank among the best players in the Big Ten through the first four games last season.
• In 2023-24, Potts led all Big Ten freshmen in rebounding (5.2 rpg) and field goal percentage (.489), while ranking second among league freshmen in scoring (10.2 ppg) and free throw percentage (.829) in 2023-24. She started all 35 games for the 23-12 Huskers, who advanced to the Big Ten Championship Game and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Potts, who won 8-of-15 Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week awards during the regular season, was the most consistent freshman in the conference from start to finish. She won the inaugural weekly honor on Nov. 13, 2023, before claiming the final two freshman awards on Feb. 26 and March 4. She won at least one weekly honor during all five months of the season. Her eight weekly awards matched the total of fellow Nebraska Big Ten Freshman of the Year Alexis Markowski in 2022.
• Potts, who also claimed an honorable-mention All-Big Ten award from the conference media, was a unanimous choice on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team by the conference coaches.
• After suffering her knee injury against North Alabama (Nov. 19, 2024), Potts underwent knee surgery (Dec. 4). She continues to rehab but has not yet returned to practice with the team.
Nebraska Excelling in NCAA Stat Rankings
• Through 16 games, Nebraska ranks among the top 25 teams in 13 NCAA statistical categories.
• FG% - .507 ranks 6th nationally and 2nd in the Big Ten.
• Bench Scoring - 32.1 ppg ranks 7thnationally and 2nd in the Big Ten.
• Assist-to-Turnover - 1.53 ranks 11thnationally and 4th in the Big Ten.
• Assists Per Game - 19.4 ranks 12thnationally and 4th in the Big Ten.
• Scoring - 85.8 ppg ranks 13th nationally and 5th in the Big Ten.
• Scoring Margin - +24.9 ppg ranks 16th nationally and 6th in the Big Ten.
• NCAA NET - Nebraska ranks 16th nationally and 7th in the Big Ten.
• Winning Percentage - .875 ppg ranks 16th nationally and tied for 4th in the Big Ten.
• Average Home Attendance - 5,276 ranks 16th nationally and 6th in the Big Ten.
• FT% - .777 ranks 18th nationally and 2nd in the Big Ten.
• Turnover Margin - +7.0 ranks 20th nationally and 5th in the Big Ten.
• 3FG% - .368 - ranks 21st nationally and 4th in the Big Ten.
• Turnovers Per Game - 12.7 ranks 22nd nationally and 5th in the Big Ten.
Big Red Triple Threats
• Nebraska is hitting 36.8 percent of its shots from three-point range and averaging 8.2 made threes per game with shooters up and down the lineup.
• Five Huskers are shooting 39 percent or better from long range: Britt Prince (.510), Logan Nissley (.490), Callin Hake (.407), Amiah Hargrove (.393) and Hailey Weaver (.391).
• In Big Ten play, the Huskers have knocked down 40.6 percent of their threes while averaging 8.6 makes per game.
• Hargrove (.692) leads the Huskers from beyond the arc in league play, while Prince (.556), Nissley (.576) and Weaver (.400) give Nebraska four players hitting 40 percent or better from long range through five Big Ten contests.