Welcome to a Saturday where the Husker football team cannot break our hearts again. I’m rooting for maximum chaos and mayhem. What are you going to be watching and rooting for?
We also have men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball to cheer for today. This thread will be your early football and women’s basketball discussion and there will be a late one for Nebrasketball.
Nebraska Women’s Basketball vs Western Illinois Preview
Britt Prince is two away from being a 1000 point scorer for Nebraska. The Huskers opened 2026-27 with an 81-54 victory over San
Jose State last Monday and welcomed Allison Weidner and Natalie Potts back to the court after long injury rehabs. Nebraska’s experience is one reason why they are receiving votes in the AP poll.
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Western Illinois Leathernecks
Saturday, November 7, 2026, 2 p.m.
Lincoln, Nebraska (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
Live Video: B1G+
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (1:30 p.m.) Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst) Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Western Illinois makes its first trip to Lincoln since 2004 and is coming off an 85-55 win over NAIA Clarke University on Tuesday. Reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Mia Nicastro leads the Leathernecks. The 6-2 senior forward averaged 24.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game a year ago to power Western Illinois to a 26-6 overall record that included an 18-4 conference mark on its way to the OVC Tournament title.
unior Kaylen Reed, a 5-5 guard, is the only other returning starter for Western Illinois. Reed averaged 5.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and a team-best 3.3 assists a year ago. Fellow junior Madison Davis was also a significant contributor for the Leathernecks last season. The 5-10 guard averaged 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 55.2 percent from the field, including 36 percent from long range.
Western Illinois lost starters Addi Brownfield (12.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and Allie Meadows (7.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg) who both started all 32 games alongside Nicastro and Reed, while also losing Raegan McCowan (17.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Mallory Shetley (10.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg) who combined for WIU’s other 32 starts. Last season, Western Illinois averaged 75.1 points and allowed 60.8 points per game for a plus-14.3 scoring margin, while carrying a plus-2.7 rebound margin and a plus-3.8 turnover margin. The Leathernecks hit 45.9 percent of their field goals and 34.3 percent of their threes, while sinking 78.3 percent of their free throws.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
8 – Edessa Noyan – 6-3 – Sr. – F – 4.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg
33 – Amiah Hargrove – 6-2 – Jr. – F – 15.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg
3 – Allison Weidner – 5-10 – Gr. – G – 5.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
15 – Kennadi Williams – 5-4 – Jr. – G – 3.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
23 – Britt Prince – 5-11 – Jr. – G – 23.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg
Off the Bench
22 – Natalie Potts – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 14.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg
24 – Ashlyn Koupal – 6-3 – Fr. – F – 7.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
34 – Emily Fisher – 6-0 – Sr. – G/F – 7.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
10 – Maddi Stewart – 5-9 – Fr. – G – 2.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
1 – Ava Miles – 6-0 – Fr. – G – 1.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
00 – Arek Angui – 6-9 – Jr. – C – DNP
2 – Logan Nissley – 6-0 – Sr. – G – DNP
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998) 11th Season at Nebraska (178-136); 20th Season Overall (371-245)
Western Illinois Leathernecks (1-0, 0-0 Ohio Valley)
5 – Maria Messling – 6-0 – Jr. – F – 12.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg
22 – Mia Nicastro – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 10.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg
1 – Madison Davis – 5-10 – Jr. – G – 12.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg
2 – Shelby Bowman – 5-6 – Jr. – G – 14.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
32 – Kaylen Reed – 5-5 – Jr. – G – 16.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg
Off the Bench
4 – Mylee Stiefel – 5-9 – Fr. – G – 11.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
24 – Sidney Skrobot – 6-1 – So. – F – 8.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
20 – Kennedy Herrig – 5-10 – So. – G – 2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
12 – Mya Robinson – 5-9 – Fr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
14 – Ainsley Holthaus – 5-4 – Sr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
15 – Jaelyn Jones – 5-10 – Fr. – G – 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
42 – Melaina Granquist – 6-0 – Fr. – F – DNP
44 – Katelyn Eggena – 6-2 – So. – F – DNP
Head Coach: JD Gravina (Chico State, 1993) 16th Season at Western Illinois (253-98); 16th Season Overall (253-98)
All 10 available Huskers found the scoring column in their first game, including sixth-year guard Allison Weidner, who managed five points and two assists in a starting role. Senior transfer Edessa Noyan added four points, seven rebounds and three assists as a starter, while junior guard Kennadi Williams pitched in three points, three assists and three steals in her first career start.
Nebraska freshmen Ashlyn Koupal (7 points, 3 rebounds), Maddi Stewart (2 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists) and Ava Miles (1 point, 1 steal, 1 block) all made their first regular-season appearances for the Big Red against San Jose State. All three were ESPN Top 100 recruits coming out of high school, while Koupal (South Dakota) and Stewart (Oklahoma) were state high school players of the year. Koupal is the first McDonald’s High School All-American in Nebraska women’s basketball history.
Nebraska vs. Western Illinois Series History
In the only previous meeting in history between Nebraska and Western Illinois, the Huskers escaped from the Devaney Center with a 74-71 win on Nov. 12, 2004.
