Kearney, Neb. – New Mexico Highlands would use the efforts of three players that would score at least twelve points to beat University of Nebraska Kearney, 86-72, Saturday night in Las Vegas, N.M.
Nebraska Kearney on the season drops to 6-9 and 4-7 in the RMAC, while New Mexico Highlands improves to 12-4 and 8-4 in the RMAC. New Mexico ends an 11 game winning streak by Nebraska Kearney; however Nebraska Kearney still leads the all-time series 20-2.
UNK played this game a bit shorthanded as co-head coach Tom Kropp and junior wing Max Froehlich, the team' s second leading scorer on the season, stayed home due to illness. Also, sophomore post Drew Sankey missed his fifth straight game due a different illness.
The Cowboys and Lopers would play the first two minutes of the game to a two all tie, scoring the basket opening basket for the Cowboys was Derek Freeman on a layup, the Lopers would answer with a jumper by true freshman Mike Dentlinger (Omaha) with 19:03 left in the first half.
Another true freshman Tim Billingsley (Parker, Colo.) would break the two all tie on free throws to give Nebraska Kearney 4-2 lead; which turned out to be there only lead of the game.
New Mexico Highlands would go on 11-2 scoring run that would span over three minutes to lead 15-6 with 14:41 left till halftime, during the scoring run New Mexico Highlands got nine of the eleven points by Momcilo Latinovic and the other two points from Ryan Daniels.
The Lopers would go on their own 12-3 scoring run to tie the game for the fourth time at 18 with ten minutes left in the half. Junior reserve forward Beau Baker (Denver, Colo.) would eight of his ten points of the first half points during the comeback, while Billingsley scored the other four points.
Highlands would lead rest of the half by single digits, but push its lead to double digits just before halftime to lead 43-33 at the intermission.
UNK would cut the HU lead to single digits during the first three minutes of the second half on baskets by senior forward Michael McLeod (Brownlee), senior Ben Klien (Plainview) and Billingsley. From the seventeen minute mark on HU would lead rest of the game by double digits.
Nebraska Kearney would hold the RMAC leading scorer Thomas Manzano seven points under his scoring average of 23 points per game. New Mexico Highlands won all the major stat areas, but Nebraska Kearney would have a better shooting percentage (42.6 to 39.2) and free throw percentage (88.9 to 60.9), plus had two more fast break points (4-2).
Highlands was lead in scoring by Latinovic with 21 points on 3-5 three point shooting, followed by Manzano with 16 points, three rebounds, Chris Newsome was the last double digits scorer with 12 points by going 5-6 from the free throw line, pulled down seven rebounds, and three steals and assist.
UNK also had three players score at least ten points. Dentlinger lead UNK with 17 points, Baker was second in scoring with 14 points and four blocked shots, Billingsley would finish the game with ten points by going 6-6 from the line and pulling down five boards.
Nebraska Kearney starts a four game home stand next weekend against Colorado-Colorado Springs & CSU-Pueblo.
