 Hooper |  Cady |  Theriot |
With its fourth straight win, Nebraska closed non-conference action with a 10-3 record. Grambling State slipped to 1-10 on the season. The victory also gave Coach Connie Yori her 200th career win at Nebraska.
Hooper, a 6-2 junior forward from Alliance, Neb., scored a game-high 18 points in just 23 minutes, while adding five rebounds and a steal.
Sophomore Emily Cady added a season-high 17 points while pitching in seven rebounds. The 6-2 forward from Seward, Neb., hit 6-of-9 shots from the field and all five of her free throw attempts.
The Huskers continue their four-game home stand by opening Big Ten Conference play on Wednesday against Wisconsin.
Tip-off between the Huskers and Badgers is set for 7:05 p.m. Tickets are available at Huskers.com.
Freshman Rachel Theriot contributed a career-high 12 points. The 6-0 point guard from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, also dished out three assists.
Nebraska opened the game with a 12-0 run that included eight points in the first 2:30 from Hooper, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week. Hooper finished the half with 11 points, while Theriot added 10 points in the first half, including back-to-back three-pointers during a 15-0 run late in the half that ballooned NU's lead from 23-12 to 38-12 with 4:54 left. Cady also played a big role in NU's 15-0 surge, scoring seven points on her way to nine in the half.
Lindsey Moore pitched in six points and five assists in the opening half, before finishing with nine points and a game-high eight assists in just 20 minutes. It marked the first time this season that Moore did not reach double figures in points.
Fellow senior Meghin Williams contributed six of her career-high eight points in the first half as well. Sophomore guard Tear'a Laudermill added a three-pointer and five of her career-high six rebounds in the first half. She finished with five points and two assists.
Fellow sophomore Katie Simon pitched in season highs with eight points and four boards on the night.
Nebraska pushed its 48-18 halftime lead to 41 points at 63-22 by opening the second half with a 15-4 surge that included seven more points from Hooper.
For the game, Nebraska shot a season-best 46.5 percent (33-71) from the field, including 7-of-21 from three-point range. NU also went 11-of-14 at the line, while outrebounding Grambling State 53-30. Eight Huskers had three or more rebounds in the game, led by Hailie Sample's eight boards. NU also won the turnover battle 24-17.
The Lady Tigers hit just 28.3 percent (15-53) of their shots from the field, including 0-of-10 three-pointers. GSU went just 9-of-17 at the free throw line and did not distribute an assist on the night. Ciera Ceazer and Tyler Anderson each managed 10 points to lead Grambling State, while Bianca McCowan pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
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1st 2nd Total
Grambling State 18 21 39
Nebraska 48 36 84
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