Nebraska hosts the Bruins in a Top 25 matchup
Nebraska is back at home to take on #4 UCLA after winning back to back games against Purdue and Indiana. If Nebraska can establish any sort of inside presence this matchup may look a little different, however; stopping 6’7 Lauren Betts is no easy feat. The Huskers will be looking to get their first ranked win on the season after falling just shy to USC and Iowa a couple weeks ago. Amy Williams’ team needs tough defense and a sizzling three point performance to take this game on Sunday.
#25 Nebraska Cornhuskers vs #4 UCLA Bruins
Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, 6 p.m. (CT)
Lincoln, Nebraska (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
Tickets: Huskers.com/Tickets
TV: BTN (Sloane Martin, Brenda VanLengen)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (5:30 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (1490 AM/97.3 FM/97.7 HD3), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Live Stats: Huskers.com (statbroadcast – public)
#25 Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-2, 3-2 Big Ten)
21 – Eliza Maupin – 6’3 – Sr. – F – 9.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg
12 – Jessica Petrie – 6’2 – Jr. – F – 12.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg
2 – Logan Nissley – 6’0 – Jr. – G – 7.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
14 – Callin Hake – 5’8 – Sr. – G – 8.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg
23 – Britt Prince – 5’11 – So. – G – 19.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Off the Bench
33 – Amiah Hargrove – 6’2 – So. – F – 11.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg
4 – Petra Bozan – 6’3 – So. – F – 7.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg
5 – Claire Johnson – 5’9 – So. – G – 4.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg
1 – Hailey Weaver – 6’0 – Gr. – G – 3.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg
15 – Kennadi Williams – 5’4 – RFr. – G – 3.0 ppg, 0.9 rpg
34 – Emily Fisher – 6’0 – Jr. – G/F – 2.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg
00 – Alanna Neale – 5-‘0 – Fr. – G – 1.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg
22 – Natalie Potts – 6’2 – RSo. – F – 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
3 – Allison Weidner [Out] – 5’10 – Gr. – G – Redshirt
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
10th Season at Nebraska (172-125); 19th Season Overall (365-234)
NET 2 UCLA Bruins (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten)
51 – Lauren Betts – 6’7 – Sr. – C – 16.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg
1 – Kiki Rice – 5’11 – Sr. – G – 15.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg
5 – Charlisse Leger-Walker – 5’10 – Gr. – G – 8.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg
8 – Gianna Kneepkens – 6’0 – Gr. – G – 14.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg
11 – Gabriela Jaquez – 6’0 – Sr. – G – 14.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Off the Bench
52 – Angela Dugalic – 6’4 – Gr. – F – 10.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg
16 – Sienna Betts – 6’4 – Fr. – F – 7.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg
9 – Lena Bilic – 6’3 – Fr. – G/F – 4.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg
33 – Amanda Muse – 6’4 – RSo. – F – 2.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg
3 – Christina Karamouzi – 5’11 – Fr. – G – 0.9 ppg, 0.5 rpg
43 – Megan Grant – 5’10 – Sr. – G/F – 1.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg
Head Coach: Cori Close (UC Santa Barbara, 1993)
15th Season at UCLA (335-144); 15th Season Overall (335-144)
Scouting the Bruins
No. 4 UCLA comes to Lincoln for the first time since the first regular-season game in Pinnacle Bank Arena history (Nov. 8, 2013), when the Bruins fell 77-49 to the No. 17 Huskers. The NCAA NET No. 2 Bruins (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten) make their first trip to PBA as a Big Ten Conference team.
Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Lauren Betts leads UCLA with 16.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The 6-7 senior center was the 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection. She also leads UCLA and ranks second in the Big Ten with 2.1 blocks per game.
Betts, who is one of five Bruins averaging in double figures, is joined by 2025 first-team All-Big Ten choice Kiki Rice in the UCLA starting five. Rice, a 5-11 senior guard, is averaging 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists, including a team-best 6.5 assists per game in conference play.
Gabriela Jaquez gives the Bruins three returning senior starters in the UCLA lineup. The 6-0 Jaquez, who is the sister of Miami Heat star and former Bruin Jaime Jaquez Jr., is averaging 14.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting a sizzling 49.1 percent (28-57) from three-point range.
Graduate transfer Gianna Kneepkens has made a major impact. The 6-0 sharp-shooter, who played her first three seasons at Utah, is hitting 46.6 percent (41-88) of her three-point tries and 93.3 percent (14-15) of her free throws. Kneepkens has added 3.3 assists and is tied with Rice for second among the Bruins with 1.4 steals per game.
Graduate transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker rounds out the starting five by averaging 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds. The 5-10 guard started her career at Washington State and leads UCLA with 6.3 assists and 1.8 steals per contest.
The Bruins get more size, depth and explosiveness off the bench in graduate Angela Dugalic. The 6-4 forward, who started last season in helping the Bruins to the 2025 Big Ten Tournament title and the NCAA Women’s Final Four, is averaging 10.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Freshman Sienna Betts, Lauren’s younger sister, has joined the UCLA rotation over the past five games after nursing an injury during non-conference play. One of the top high school prospects in the nation a year ago, Sienna Betts is averaging 7.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in just 14 minutes per game so far this year.
Croatian Lena Bilic, a 6-3 freshman, has contributed 4.4 points and 1.9 rebounds, while 6-4 redshirt sophomore Amanda Muse has pitched in 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds while hitting a team-best 61.9 percent of her shots. Bilic was a teammate of Nebraska’s Petra Bozan on the Croatian U18 National Team at the 2024 FIBA EuroBasket Championships.
UCLA is averaging 87.3 points while hitting 51 percent of its shots, including a scorching 37.5 percent from three-point range on 8.2 makes per game. The Bruins also have hit 76.7 percent of their free throws while outscoring their opponents by 5.3 points per game at the line.
The Bruins are the most physically dominant team in the Big Ten, outrebounding opponents by 15.9 boards per game while maintaining a plus-2.0 team turnover margin. UCLA is holding opponents to just 56.3 points per game on 35.3 percent shooting, including just 27.8 percent from long range.
Category: General Sports
