The No. 23 Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to the floor Tuesday following a dicey weekend that could have easily ended up with an early-season defeat. Taking on Southland Conference contender Southeastern Louisiana, the Huskers needed a 24-11 fourth-quarter outburst to take care of the Lions 78-68 Saturday afternoon in Lincoln. 

NU was missing the services of five-star Britt Prince who head coach Amy Williams said was “injury-related” and was day-to-day dealing with a lower leg/ankle injury. Sophomore and reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year Natalie Potts was the difference maker tallying a team-high 17 points with four treys and seven rebounds. Alberte Rimdal and Logan Nissley each added 14 points as it was an afternoon where the depth of Nebraska showed out. 

The Huskers will need to clean up its interior play, which was quite an evident shortcoming on Saturday as Southeastern Louisiana outscored NU 40-24 in the paint while Nebraska barely outrebounded the Lions 30-29. 

Up next in a midweek battle with another mid-major conference contender in Southern who will be upset-minded going into Pinnacle Bank Arena. Here’s all you need to know for Tuesday. 

How to Follow Along 

Matchup: Nebraska (2-0, 0-0 B1G) vs. Southern (0-3, 0-0 SWAC) 

When: Tuesday, November 12

Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, NE

Time: 7 p.m. CST 

Watch: B1G+

Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Southern Scout

Head Coach: Carlos Funchess | 7th Season | 95-87 Southern Record | 2x NCAA Tournament Appearances, 2x SWAC Tournament Champions | Spent the previous 14 years as an assistant at Southern, working mostly with recruiting and post players before taking the head job prior to the 2018-2019 season. 

2023-2024 Record: 15-15 (13-5 SWAC, 3rd) | Lost in First Round of SWAC Conference Tournament | Did not qualify for the postseason.

All-Time Series: Nebraska Leads 3-0 (2019 last matchup, 73-39 NU) 

Fun Fact: Tuesday’s game will mark the fourth all-time meeting between the schools with all four coming in November at Nebraska. The Huskers have outscored the Jaguars 162-77 in the last two meetings in 2019 and 2015. 

Key Returners: Aleighyah Fontenot, G, Sr. | Aniya Gourdine, G, Sr. | Tionna Lidge, C, Sr. | Soniyah Reed, G, Sr. | Sky Castro, F, Sr. 

Key Additions: Taniya Lawson, G, Jr. (Texas Southern) | Kiana Wilson, G, Jr. (Florida Southwestern College) | D’Shantae Edwards, G, Jr. (Bethune Cookman) | DaKiyah Sanders, G, Gr. (Alabama State). 

Key Departures: Genovea Johnson, G, (Eligibility) | Taylor Williams, G (Eligibility) | Chloe Fleming, G (Eligibility) | Raven White, F (Eligibility) | Kyanna Morgan, G, Gr. (Arkansas State) | Sirviva Legions, G, Jr. (Long Island) | Cayla Obillo, G (Eligibility). 

Outlook: Defined by his consistency, Carlos Funchess enters his seventh season with Southern with expectations to push for his third NCAA Tournament appearance while leading the Jaguars. After spending 14 seasons at Southern as an assistant, Funchess got the call for the main job entering the 2018-2019 season and has only had one year below .500. The Jaguars have the SWAC Tournament twice with the latest coming during the 2022-2023 season. 

Following a 15-15 record a year ago, the Jaguars enter 2024 looking up at preseason SWAC favorite Grambling State who took 10-of-24 possible first-place votes. Southern was picked second, but with only two first-place votes. 

It’s a tough non-conference late for the Jaguars who have six-straight Power Four opponents to begin the season which has included losses to Oklahoma (76-44), Missouri (66-51) and an 84-56 defeat to Iowa State on Sunday. 

A pair of returning guards are leading the way for the Jaguars early in November as Aniya Gourdine (13.3 PPG) and Aleighyah Fontenot (10.0 PPG) spearhead the offense. The back court will also see Soniyah Reed, who also returns for her senior season, as she’s averaging six points per game in three contests this season. Look for Funchess to leverage 6-4 center Tionna Lidge to exploit the inside struggles of Nebraska. 

Taniya Lawson has seen the most playing of the new transfers from Southern. The junior guard came over from fellow SWAC foe Texas Southern after averaging just over 10 points per game in two seasons. Another in-conference transfer, D’Shantae Edwards scored a season-high nine points against Iowa State and will see playing time after coming over from Alabama State. 

There’s not much to take away from Jaguars as they face off against stiff, early season competition, but they don’t seem to pack as much of a punch as Southeastern Louisiana did on paper. Getting Prince back into the lineup is key for the long-term, but Nebraska should win handily either way.

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