Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team had four players score in double digits to record a 79-64 win Saturday night in Chadron.
Winning its second road game of the year, the Lopers improve to 6-7, 5-4 in the RMAC, while Chadron falls to 2-11, 0-9 in the RMAC. Kearney now leads the all-time series 51-12 with the two teams splitting last year's games.
The Eagles scored the first points of the game on a three by Kelsey Scott, which would be Chadron's only lead of the game. The Lopers scored the next 11 points to lead by eight with 14:50 left in the half. The game deciding run featured baskets by senior forward Megan Becker (Beaver City) and juniors Debi Johnson (Elsie) and Vanessa Leeper (Colorado Springs, Colo.).
CSC would get within four points on a layup by Betsy Moler with 12:09 left till halftime. However, UNK closed the half on a big 24-8 run. This second big spurt featured eight points from Leeper, Johnson scoring six, freshman point guard Sarah Hix (Broomfield, Colo.) supplying four and three others with two a piece.
To get out to a 37-17 lead, UNK shot 58.3 percent (14-24) from the floor while holding the Eagles to a cold 18.8 percent (6-32) effort..
Chadron started the second twenty minutes on 8-2 scoring run to cut tinto the large deficit. However, the Lopers pushed the lead back to 18 three separate times within a minute. During this time, UNK got back to back baskets from junior wing Lea Ann Jameson (Minden) and a layup by Johnson.
Later, the Eagles would get withing nine of UNK but really never made a serious run.
The Lopers again shoot over 50 percent from the field by going 13-25 (52 percent) while Chadron warmed up and made 45.5 (15 of 33) of its second half field goals.
UNK was led in scoring by Becker (23), who went 8 of 11 from the floor and 7-9 from the free throw line. Jameson came off the bench to add a season high 18 points as she went 6-8 from the field and 6-6 from the line.
Finally, Johnson chipped in with 15 points, four assists and two blocks and Leeper pulled down eight rebounds and added 14 points thanks to a a perfect 6-6 effort from the line.
UNK remains on the road with games at Western New Mexico and New Mexico Highlands next weekend.
