Feb. 21, 2018
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State women's basketball program will play its final road contest of the regular season when it travels to Nebraska on Thursday (Feb. 22). The Lady Lions (15-12, 6-8 B1G) will face the Cornhuskers (19-7, 10-4 B1G) inside Pinnacle Bank Arena at 8 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.
Follow Along
// The contest will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network with the effervescent Kevin Kugler calling play-by-play alongside the multi-talented Brenda VanLengen.
// Fans can follow along with Penn State's contest at Iowa on Twitter (@PennStateWBB), or via live audio, live stats and live video with the links to the right.
Series Quick Facts
// Penn State and Nebraska will meet for the 12th time in program history and 10th time as conference foes on Thursday in the only meeting this season between the two programs. MORE ON PAGE 4
// The Lady Lions and Cornhuskers met twice prior to NU joining the Big Ten in 2011-12, with Penn State winning both meetings. The Huskers own a slight 5-4 edge since arriving in the conference.
// Penn State is 7-3 all-time on Feb. 22, including a 3-2 mark in Big Ten play, with a loss to Michigan State, 73-64, last season at home. MORE ON PAGE 5
Opening Tips
// Penn State currently ranks among the NCAA top-40 as a team in free throws attempted and free throws made, leading the Big Ten in both categories. MORE ON PAGE 14 & 25
// Redshirt-sophomore Amari Carter posted her 20th multi-steal game of the season against Northwestern on Feb. 14 and continues to lead the Big Ten in steals with 71 on the season. MORE ON PAGE 9 & 32
// Junior Teniya Page is closing in on joining an exclusive group of Lady Lions, as she searches for her 1,500th point and has already reached the 300-assist mark for her career. MORE ON PAGE 7
// Page poured in 34 points vs. Rutgers on Jan. 18 to mark the sixth 30-point game of her career and write her name in some elite company, again, in Penn State history. MORE ON PAGE 6 & 38
// Sophomore Jaida Travascio-Green made her 100th career 3-pointer at Purdue on Jan. 28, making her the 16th Lady Lion to reach the century mark from distance. MORE ON PAGE 6, 10 & 48
// Penn State faced its toughest start to a conference season in program history, facing three ranked foes in its first four games to start the B1G slate. MORE ON PAGE 16
// Head coach Coquese Washington is looking for her 200th career victory, entering the game with 196 career wins. MORE ON PAGE 13
// Penn State is one of 11 Division I programs to enter the 2017-18 season with zero seniors on its roster, including one of only two power five conference teams. MORE ON PAGE 15
Last Five Games
// Penn State is 2-3 over its last five games, with wins over Michigan State (Feb. 4) and Northwestern (Feb. 14) at the Bryce Jordan Center.
// Looking at the three main statistical categories, Penn State is minus-8.8 in scoring margin, a minus-7.6 in rebounding margin, while owning a plus-2.4 edge in turnover margin.
// The Lady Lions have 43 steals (8.6 spg) over the last five games, including three games with 10-plus swipes.
// The 43 steals have helped Penn State force 76 turnovers (15.2 tpg) during that stretch, including back-to-back 20-turnover games vs. Michigan State and at Iowa.
// Junior Teniya Page is pouring in 19.2 points per game, reaching double-figures in each contest, including three 20-point contests. She reached the 20-point plateau at Iowa (23), at Minnesota (22) and vs. Northwestern (22).
// Page is 33-of-37 from the free throw stripe over that stretch (89.2%) averaging 6.6 makes and 7.4 attempts per game.
// Redshirt-sophomore Amari Carter has scored in double-figures in five-straight games and is averaging 14.2 points per game over the last five contests.
// Carter also has a team-best 12 steals (2.4 spg) and 21 assists (4.1 apg) during that stretch, while adding 4.0 rebounds per game.
// Sophomore Jaida Travascio-Green has hit 13 3-pointers during the last five games and has chipped in 11.4 points per game.
// Freshman Alisia Smith earned her first career start against Northwestern on Feb. 14, scoring eight points with four rebounds and three blocked shots.
Scouting Nebraska
// Nebraska enters Thursday's matchup with a 19-8 overall record and 10-4 ledger in Big Ten play.
// The Cornhuskers lead the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense, stifling the opposition to the tune to 37.2 percent shooting. That mark is No. 47 nationally, as well.
// The 3-point line has made a difference for Nebraska this season, ranking among the top-55 nationally in three of the four 3-point categories: 3-point field goal percentage (51st; 35.8), 3-point field goals per game (48th; 7.9) and 3-point field goals made (39th; 214).
// Hannah Whitish paces the squad in scoring at 12.8 points per game and assists with 5.21 helpers per game.
// The sophomore is also among the top ball handlers in the conference with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.14, which ranks No. 5 in the Big Ten and No. 56 nationally.
// Kate Cain has been a stalwart in the post for Nebraska, leading the Big Ten and ranking No. 5 nationally with 87 blocked shots.
// Cain also adds 6.9 rebounds per game to go along with 10.3 points.
// Cain also has one of the two Big Ten triple-doubles this season, as she posted 22 points, 14 rebounds and 11 blocked shots vs. FAU on Dec. 19, 2017.
Last Meeting -- at Penn State 86, Nebraska 69 (Jan. 19, 2017)
// Lindsey Spann became the 37th member of the Lady Lions' 1000-point club with 14 points tonight, doing so in just 78 games.
// Teniya Page surpassed the 800-point mark with 18 points, ending the game with 809 points.
// The double-digit effort marked Page's 15th double-figure scoring game of 2016-17 and 41st of her career to that point.
// Adding a team-best five assists, it was Page's 23rd career game of at least 10 points and 4 assists.
// Peyton Whitted scored 14 points for her fourth double-digit game of 2016-17.
// Sierra Moore tied her season-high in assists with four.
// Jaida Travascio-Green posted back-to-back double-figure scoring games for the first time in her career with 10 points vs. Nebraska. She also had 10 points in the victory over Wisconsin on Jan. 16.
// Travascio-Green's passed Jess Brungo for No. 8 on the freshman 3-pointers made charts.
// Kaliyah Mitchell blocked a career-best four shots, surpassing her previous high of three swats, which came vs. No. 13/13 Tennessee on Nov. 20, 2016.
// Penn State notched 37 bench points against the Cornhuskers, marking the second consecutive game with over 35 bench points.
// Penn State's 10 turnovers tonight marked the second consecutive game the Lady Lions had 10-or-fewer missteps. Penn State turned the ball over only six times vs. Wisconsin on Jan. 16.
// The consecutive games with 10 or fewer turnovers marked the first time since 2003-04 that Penn State had back-to-back games with 10 or fewer turnovers. Penn State turned the ball over just nine times in games vs. Minnesota (1/22/04) and at Ohio State (1/25/04).
// Penn State scored 22 points off Nebraska's 16 turnovers.
Complete notes package available by clicking here.