Xavier-Nebraska Preview

3/21/2008 12:12 AM

By ANDY LEFKOWITZ
STATS Editor

In a matchup pitting young teams, No. 8 seed Nebraska takes on ninth-seeded Xavier on Sunday at the Spokane Regional in College Park, Md.

Nebraska (20-11) features one senior, forward Danielle Page, among its 11 players. Xavier (24-8) has two juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen on its roster.

Kelsey Griffin, a two-time first-team All-Big 12 forward, has been the key to success for Nebraska. The junior set a career high with 15.1 points per game - good for eighth in the Big 12 - and also led the team with 7.3 rebounds in 2007-08.

Despite Griffin's team-high seventh double-double, Nebraska's appearance in the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Mo., lasted one game after losing to 11th-seed Kansas 73-67 on March 11. Griffin had 21 points and 10 rebounds, but the Cornhuskers shot only 33.9 percent (20-of-59) while allowing the Jayhawks to shoot 53.7 percent (29-of-54).

Coach Connie Yori, who has taken Nebraska to the NCAAs in five of her six seasons in Lincoln, is glad to be back in the field of 64.

"We started the season with a very young team and our goal was to find our way back to the NCAA Tournament after losing four senior starters from last year's team," she told the school's official Web site. "Hopefully we can take another step in the tournament this year."

This will be Nebraska's second straight and eighth overall appearance in the NCAA tournament, in which it's just 2-7. Last season, the Cornhuskers lost 64-61 to Temple in the first round.

Xavier, winners of four straight, also will play in the NCAA's for the second straight season after successfully defending its Atlantic 10 title with a 47-42 victory over Temple on March 10.

Junior guard Jerri Taylor scored 14 to lead the Musketeers, who shot only 34.1 percent (15-of-44). Amber Harris, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward who leads the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), added 12, six rebounds and five blocks.

Ta'Shia Phillips, a 6-foot-6 freshman center and the A-10 rookie of the year, had 10 points and 13 rebounds and was named the tournament's most outstanding player.

Xavier hasn't had an NCAA tournament win since 2001, and coach Kevin McGuff said facing the Cornhuskers will be tough.

"We know they are battle tested after playing against teams like Texas A&M, Baylor and Oklahoma so we are going to have to be ready to play," he told Xavier's official Web site.

Nebraska failed to record a three-game winning or losing streak in Big 12 play, and finished sixth in the conference with a 9-7 record. Xavier was 11-3 and finished third in the A-10.

In 2007, the Musketeers played in the NCAA's for the ninth time in 10 years, but fell to then-No. 11 seed West Virginia in opening-round play.

This is the first meeting between Nebraska and Xavier, with the winner facing either top seed Maryland or No. 16 Coppin State on Tuesday in College Park.