LINCOLN, Neb. – Junior guard Monique Whaley-Briggs poured in a career-high 11 points for visiting North Carolina Central University in an 88-47 loss at the University of Nebraska Saturday afternoon in Pinnacle Bank Arena.
 
The Lady Eagles only trailed 17-15 at the end of the first period and outscored the perennial NCAA Tournament participant in the third quarter, but the Huskers dominated the second quarter, 25-7, and the fourth quarter, 32-8, to pull away for the 41-point victory.
 
Nebraska (3-0 Overall) is receiving votes in the current USA Today Coaches' top-25 poll. The Huskers 88 points scored and 41-point margin of victory were actually the squad's lowest totals thru three games.
 
NCCU (0-2) received balanced scoring with Whaley-Briggs leading the way with her 11 points on 5 of 9 precision from the floor. Senior Kristen Askew was one point of her career high with nine points, while senior Tisha Dixon, junior Morgan Jones and freshman Dominique Adams all bucketed eight points.
 
Whaley-Briggs drilled a 3-pointer a couple minutes into play to give NCCU its only lead of the contest at 3-2. The Huskers hit their own trey just 13 seconds later to regain the lead and stay in front for the final 37 minutes. Nebraska stretched its lead to seven before a basket by Adams and a 3-pointer by Askew pulled the Lady Eagles to within two points heading to the second quarter.
 
Nebraska scored the first 10 points of the second 10-minute period. The Huskers, who have advanced to the NCAA Tourney each of the past three seasons, remained in front by double digits from that point and led by 20 (42-22) at halftime.
 
The hosts advantage stretched to 24 early in the third before the Lady Eagles went on an 11-2 rally that featured a pair of hoops by Jones to trim the score to 15 (50-35). NCCU won the third quarter, 17-14, and still had a chance at 56-39 but Nebraska shot 65-pecent and held the Lady Eagles to 29-percent in the fourth.
 
Freshman Jessica Shepard – the No. 1 ranked high school post player in 2014-15 – registered her third consecutive double-double to start her collegiate career at Nebraska. Shepard tallied game-high totals of 20 points and 10 rebounds. Natalie Romeo and Rachel Theriot added 13 points and six assists apiece for the Huskers.
 
Nebraska controlled the boards by 13 (48-35) and committed 13 fewer turnovers (24-11).
 
Jones tacked on five assists, four rebounds and three steals to go along with her eight points for the Lady Eagles. Sophomore Kierona Morton obtained a team-high seven rebounds.
 
NCCU continues a four-game road swing with a visit to Longwood University (Farmville, Virginia) on Tuesday at 7 p.m.