Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team begins the 2010-11 regular season this weekend with a game at Missouri S & T on Friday (6:00 p.m.) and then a contest at NW Missouri State on Monday (7:00 p.m.).

Loper fans can listen to the Northwest game on KGFW AM 1340 and via lopers.com. For Friday's contest in Rolla, live audio, live stats and live video (for a price) are available.

Missouri S & T, formerly known as Missouri-Rolla, used to compete in the MIAA but is now a member of the GLVC (Great Lakes Valley Conference). The Lady Miners were just a game from making it to Kearney for the 2008 Elite Eight as they posted a 24-7 record and reached the finals of the Great Lakes Region.

Last year, they posted a 14-10 mark (8-8 GLVC) and return three starters from that squad. Picked to finish second in the West Division of the GLVC, S & T's leading returning scorer is junior guard/forward Julie Meyers (10.2).

The Lopers and Lady Mines have meant once before and there was a lot more riding on that contest. In 1996, UNK won its first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament game by beating S & T, 83-60, in a game played in Abilene, Texas.

Northwest and UNK have played each other three times with the Lopers holding a 2-1 series edge. The last matchup came in Maryville during the 1994-95 season, a 58-55 UNK victory.

All five Bearcat starters return from a team that went 14-15 (9-11 MIAA) last season. Selected ninth in the MIAA preseason poll, Northwest is led by junior guard Abby Henry (17.1 ppg) with 6-5 senior post Kyla Roehrig, a Papillion native, having played volleyball at Minnesota for four years (2005-08).

Live stats for the game are available as well as video via America One.