----------------------------- 
           1   2   total 
NCC       22  25    47 
NEBRASKA  42  46    88 
----------------------------- 

Lincoln, Neb. — Jessica Shepard continued her record-setting collegiate start with her third straight 20-point, 10-rebound performance to lead a strong Nebraska post game in an 88-47 women's basketball victory over North Carolina Central on Saturday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Shepard, who became the first Husker in history to score 20 or more points in the first three games of her career, finished with game highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds, while adding a pair of assists in 24 minutes to the delight of the 4,984 fans in attendance at the arena on Saturday.

The 6-4 freshman forward from Fremont, Neb., also became the first Husker to open a career with three consecutive double-doubles. Her three double-doubles are already tied for the seventh-highest total by a freshman in Nebraska history. Only one Husker (Debra Powell, 1981-82, 9) has more than five double-doubles as a freshman in a career.

Shepard was far from the only Husker post scoring, rebounding and passing on Saturday, as the Big Red improved to 3-0 with their third straight win by 40 or more points.

Fellow freshman forward Rachel Blackburn (Leavenworth, Kan.) nearly pitched in a double-double of her own with nine points, nine rebounds and three assists in just 16 minutes of work.

Junior center Allie Havers (Mattawan, Mich.) added eight points, while tying her career best with 10 rebounds. She added a career-high-matching three assists, while adding two blocks and a steal in a tremendous effort off the bench.

Senior forward Anya Kalenta (Minsk, Belarus) contributed seven points, six rebounds and career highs with four assists and three blocked shots, as Nebraska's posts combined for 44 points, 35 rebounds, 12 assists and five blocks against North Carolina Central.

Senior point guard Rachel Theriot contributed 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including a three-pointer, while dishing out six assists. Sophomore guard Natalie Romeo added 13 points and a career-high six assists of her own. Theriot and Romeo both pitched in three steals to lead the Husker efforts on the defensive end.

Nebraska struggled early against the Lady Eagles (0-2), but led 17-15 at the end of the first quarter. The Big Red dominated the second quarter, controlling the action 25-7, to take a 42-22 lead to the halftime locker room.

The Huskers pushed the lead to 24 early in the third quarter, before going cold midway through the period, which allowed NCCU to trim the margin to 15 points at 50-35 with 3:31 left in the third. NU took a 56-39 edge to the final quarter, then outscored the Lady Eagles 32-8 in the fourth.

Freshman guard Maddie Simon finished with eight points, including a three-pointer in the fourth, while sophomore Jasmine Cincore added five points and three rebounds in the game.

Junior guard Esther Ramacieri capped the scoring for the Big Red with the first field goal of her career in the final minute. Ramacieri's field goal came in the 37th game of her career.

Nebraska shot 48 percent (36-75) from the field, including a 38.9 percent (7-18) with a season-best seven three-pointers. NU hit just 9-of-16 free throws, and managed only a 48-35 edge on the glass, while surrendering 13 offensive boards to NCCU. The Huskers won the turnover battle, 24-11, but the Big Red committed eight of their turnovers in the third quarter.

Monique Whaley-Briggs led North Carolina Central with 11 points, while Kristin Askew contributed nine points on 3-for-3 shooting from three-point range. Tisha Dixon, Morgan Jones and Dominique Adams all added eight points for the Lady Eagles.

NCCU hit just 31.7 percent (19-60) of its shots from the field, including 4-of-11 (.364) of its threes. The Lady Eagles also hit 5-of-6 free throws.

Nebraska completes its four-game season-opening home stand on Monday night, when the Huskers take on Southern. Tip-off between the Big Red and the 2-1 Jaguars is set for 7 p.m.