LINCOLN — Nebraska doesn't need to be reminded about what time of year it is. The Huskers' aching bodies serve as a perfectly accurate calendar.

Nebraska's approaching the home stretch, the exact point that the consequences of a grueling women's basketball season become most apparent.

It's February, when surviving a day will likely require a constant mental tug-of-war between apathy and devotion. Players constantly fight off feelings of fatigue by reinforcing an urgency for improvement.

“It's the grind,” senior Kelsey Griffin said. “Your body, it just doesn't want to do what you've been asking it to do for such a long time.”

So does Nebraska handle it? That may be the final hurdle positioned between NU and the program's first regular-season Big 12 title.

The Huskers (21-0, 8-0) haven't earned a conference championship since they won the Big Eight 22 years ago. But they're in sole possession of first place at the midway point, holding a three-game lead in the loss column over the other contenders.

Half of Nebraska's final eight games are against teams in the bottom third of the Big 12 standings. The Huskers won their only regular-season meeting with Oklahoma State (18-5, 6-3), one of three teams tied for second place. Iowa State (18-4, 6-3) already lost to NU and will visit Lincoln next week.

But senior Cory Montgomery's not feeling comfortable just yet.

“We came out strong and we're sitting on top of the conference right now, which is always a good thing,” she said. “But we can't afford a letdown in any game ... We know we have a lot of work to do.”

Nebraska's already had landmark success this year, though.

The Huskers moved up to No. 3 in Monday's AP poll, leaping over No. 4 Notre Dame even though the Irish haven't lost since dropping a 70-46 game to Connecticut. Nebraska, which defeated two top 15 teams to begin the month, actually received a second-place vote for the first time in the 40-member poll. UConn (23-0) is still the unanimous No. 1.

But as they have all season, the NU players still consider the rankings an unimportant sideshow.

“We've realized how irrelevant it is,” Griffin said. “It really doesn't matter.”

According to the players, what's important now is navigating their way through the season's most difficult month, what usually turns into a natural separator. Some teams, often motivated by postseason aspirations, find another gear. Many others sputter to the finish.

Nebraska hasn't had a winning record in February since the 1997-98 season. This year, the Huskers, who play at Kansas on Wednesday, want to be one of the squads that keeps improving.

“Everybody's just got to keep pushing forward,” Montgomery said. “I think it's the mentality that our team has. We want to have a great season. And we can have a really special season if we finish strong.”

Contact the writer:

402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com

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