Mostly, her teammates just call her Nic, but Nicolette Smith may be in line for a new nickname.

Smith drained 4-of-7 3-point shots, swished a couple of clutch free throws and snatched 10 rebounds to lead Kansas University to a 76-72 victory over Hartford in the women’s basketball opener for both schools Sunday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.

“Green Light Nic?”

Perhaps, because the 6-foot-2 freshman from Tulsa, Okla., definitely won’t be seeing any yellow or red lights from KU coach Bonnie Henrickson.

“She has the green light to the tip of the beak,” Henrickson said, referring to the massive Jayhawk in the middle of the Allen Fieldhouse floor.

“She has deep range and a quick release,” Henrickson continued. “When she has her feet set and doesn’t rush it, she’s as good a shooter as I’ve ever coached.”

Smith’s deadly shooting has been a welcome breath of fresh air for a team that finished dead last in the Big 12 Conference in shooting percentage last season. In fact, her accuracy may be contagious.

Kansas nailed 11 of 16 3-point shots against the Hawks, the preseason favorite to capture the America East Conference championship.

“I understand we won’t live at the 3-point line like that,” Henrickson said, “but I’ll take it.”

KU’s coach will also take the 19-of-22 accuracy at the free-throw line, and there, too, Smith set the tone by making all seven of her charities, including four in the last 15 seconds when a barrage of 3-pointers by the Hawks’ MaryLynne Schaefer nearly wiped out the 10-point lead the Jayhawks had enjoyed with 1:21 remaining.

Smith nailed the first two foul shots with 15 ticks left, then clinched the victory with two more at :04.7.

“I had butterflies,” Smith said about those two trips to the line. “I had to take a deep breath and calm myself down.”

Smith also had the jitters prior to the tipoff, and the yips showed in the first half when she went 1-for-3 from 3-point range and scored just three points in 15 minutes.

“I think I was a little nervous in the first half,” she said.

In the second half, Smith was 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and finished with game highs in points (19) and rebounds (10).

“I really didn’t know I had that,” Smith said of the double-double in her first college game.

And she did it coming off the bench, entering early when starter Taylor McIntosh picked up two fouls in the first 3 1/2 minutes. Smith logged 31 minutes in all.

In retrospect, Smith’s storybook collegiate debut confirmed her decision to choose Kansas last year when she was a senior at Kelley High in Tulsa, choosing the Jayhawks over Middle Tennessee State, Missouri and Texas A&M.

“Kansas was my last visit,” she said. “After sitting down and visiting with Bonnie, I felt like I wanted to commit right then. Bonnie talked about winning the national championship, and that’s what I want to do.”

Sade Morris added 17 points and Danielle McCray 13 – all in the first half. McCray also had seven boards. Hartford standout Danielle Hood, a two-time all-conference pick, had 13 points and six rebounds, but played only 24 minutes because of foul trouble.

Kansas will entertain UMKC at 7 p.m. Wednesday.