• U of Nebraska (NCAA Division I) / Barry University (Final Season: 2002-03)

• Head Coach: Nicci Hays (305) 899-3000

• Sports Information Director: Dennis Jezek (305) 899-3897

Pre-Season Big XII Conference Freshman of the Year.

**Blackbird Leaving NU (Posted 11/12/2001. Written by Rob Garton)
Nebraska basketball player Candace Blackbird will no longer be with the Huskers.
Blackbird, a 6-foot junior from South Sioux City, told coach Paul Sanderford of her
decision to transfer before practice Monday. Blackbird says she wants a chance to
compete and contribute to a team on the court, but added she has no regrets about
coming to Nebraska. Blackbird appeared in 22 games last season, including one start, and averaged 1.6 points per game. Blackbird scored 1,079 points in her high school career as South Sioux City won four consecutive Class B state championships. She was one of Sanderford's first recruits to sign at Nebraska.
 

**Candace Blackbird, #416-0, Sophomore Guard/ForwardSouth Sioux City, Neb. (South Sioux City)
Blackbird's Honors

Nebraska High School Player of the Year (1998)
First-Team Nebraska Super State (1998)
First-Team Nebraska Class B All-State (1998)
Led South Sioux City to Four Consecutive Class B State Team Titles
OutlookAfter making solid contributions for the Huskers as a true freshman in
1998-99, Candace Blackbird took a redshirt season in 1999-2000.
The 6-0 sophomore guard/forward from South Sioux City, Neb., returns to challenge for major playing time for the Huskers this season.
Blackbird appeared in 19 games including a pair of late-season starts for the
Huskers as a true freshman in 1998-99. Blackbird showed that she was dangerous off the dribble and could also hit the outside shot for the Huskers. She averaged 1.7 points and 0.8 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per contest.
Blackbird underwent two surgeries to alleviate pain in her calves caused by
compartment syndrome during her redshirt season with the most recent surgery coming in late April of 2000.
A talented all-around athlete, Nebraska Coach Paul Sanderford said Blackbird should play a role in Nebraska's fortunes if she stays healthy.
"Candace has worked really hard at her game and is very aggressive," Sanderford
said. "She plays extremely hard and is very physical. She has improved her
ball-handling and her passing during her redshirt season. She just needs to stay
healthy."

1999-2000 (Sophomore) Blackbird redshirted during her true sophomore season. She underwent two separate surgeries during the year to alleviate pain in her calves
caused by compartment syndrome. Her second surgery in late-April repaired scar
tissue in her legs.
 

1998-99 (Freshman) Blackbird provided a spark for the Huskers down the stretch during her freshman season at Nebraska, starting a pair of regular-season Big 12 Conference games against Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
Against the Aggies, Blackbird posted a career-high four assists, while grabbing
three rebounds in a career-high 18 minutes to help the Huskers notch their first Big
12 Conference road win of the season.
Blackbird appeared in 19 games in 1998-99 and averaged 7.4 minutes, 1.7 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. In Big 12 Conference play, Blackbird appeared in 10 games, including a pair of starts, averaging 6.3 minutes per contest. She managed 0.1
points and 0.4 rebounds per game.
Blackbird scored a career-high seven points in the Huskers' rout of Troy State on
Dec. 8, and added six points in the loss to No. 12 UCLA in the Rainbow Wahine
Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Nov. 27. She also posted a career high with two
steals against the Bruins.
 

High School: Blackbird was named Miss Basketball in the state of Nebraska and the
Gatorade Circle of Champions Nebraska Player of the Year in 1998, after leading
South Sioux City to its fourth consecutive state championship. With Blackbird in the lineup, the Cardinals went undefeated for three consecutive seasons, as she finished her career ranked in the school's top 10 in points, rebounds, assists and steals.
Blackbird ranked fourth in school history in career scoring with 1,079 points,
fourth in steals with 263, sixth in assists with 249 and seventh with 413 career
rebounds. She capped her senior season by earning first-team Super-State and first-team Class B all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star, while leading the Cardinals to a Class B state title.
Blackbird was also named the Sioux City Journal's Female High School Athlete of the Year. As a senior, she averaged 17.3 points, 5.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds. As a
junior, Blackbird was a second-team Super-State selection. An excellent all-around athlete, Blackbird earned letters in track, soccer and volleyball, to go along with her letters in basketball.

**Super 25 girls basketball rankings (1998 — Final rankings)
23. South Sioux City, Neb. (24-0)
Last week: 23. Recap: Won fourth consecutive Class B title as winning streak reached 39. Candace Blackbird averaged 17.3 points, 5.4 assists and 4.0 steals. Team averaged school-record 27 steals.
 

**Monday, December 02, 2002
MIAMI SHORES, Fla.--The Barry women's basketball team roped the Puerto Rico-Bayamon Cowgirls 56-45 in the Health & Sports Center Monday night. The Bucs trailed 27-29 with 2:23 left in the first half after Bayamon's Tanaira Tapia sank a layup. But Candace Blackbird keyed a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 27-26, capping it with a three-point play with :10 second left. In the second half, Barry quickly built a working lead and held on down the stretch as the Cowgirls went cold from the field, hitting only one of their last seven shots. Candace Blackbird had a double-double to lead the Buccaneers with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Amra Alagic added 11 points of her own. Yoliana Cabrera was the only Cowgirl in double figures with a game-high 15 points.

**Friday, April 10, 1998 NU, Sanderford land Blackbird
By Terry Douglass - The Independent
Nebraska women's basketball coach Paul Sanderford is apparently making good on his pledge to keep the state's best talent at home.  The Cornhuskers received a national letter of intent from South Sioux City star Candace Blackbird on Wednesday. Blackbird is the second player to join Sanderford's first recruiting class.
"We think Candace Blackbird is the best player in the state of Nebraska," Sanderford said. "She is an outstanding athlete from a great program. We are also pleased that we have started the tradition of keeping the best players from the state at home at the University of Nebraska."

Blackbird, a 6-foot guard/forward, was named Nebraska's Miss Basketball after
leading South Sioux City to its fourth consecutive state championship. Blackbird
averaged 17.3 points, 5.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds during her senior season.
Blackbird finished her prep career with the Cardinals ranking in the top 10 in all
four major categories. She ranked fourth all-time in scoring with 1,079 points,
fourth in steals (263), sixth in assists (249) and seventh in rebounds (413).
Although Blackbird received interest from as many as 25 NCAA Division I programs, including Arizona and Iowa State, she said she never considered going anywhere but Nebraska.

"I am real excited," Blackbird said. "I can't wait to come play for the Huskers."
Blackbird joins 5-6 point guard Karsen Muller from Arapahoe High School in
Littleton, Colo., in Sanderford's first recruiting class at Nebraska. Blackbird will
be the second South Sioux City product on the Husker roster along with Charlie
Rogers.
 

*Candace Blackbird wins the Female Buccaneer of the Week for Dec. 9 after averaging 14.5 points in the Bucs's four games, including 24 against Colorado Christian.

*Candace Blackbird is the Female Buccaneer of the Week for January 20 after leading the Bucs to a 2-0 SSC record on the week. She 22 points in both wins, over Eckerd and Saint Leo, shooting 77.3 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. Behind the arc, she was 5-of-6 and she led the team with 10 assists.

*Blackbird Named SSC Player of the Week
Monday, January 20, 2003
ORLANDO, Fla.--Senior guard/forward Candace Blackbird was named Sunshine State Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for January 20 after she led Barry University to two SSC victories last week with 22.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0
rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game. In a win against Eckerd, she netted
22 points on 9-of-12 shooting -- including a perfect 3-for-3 performance from
three-point range -- and collected seven assists, five rebounds and three steals.
The native of South Sioux City, Nebraska later repeated her scoring output against
Saint Leo, notching 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field. She also recorded
three rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and two steals in the contest. In both
games combined, Blackbird converted an outstanding 77% (17-22) of her field goal
attempts, 83% (5-6) of her three-point attempts, and 71% (5-7) of her free
throws.