Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Kearney, Neb. – Senior Vanessa Leeper Jones became the 23^rd Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball player to score 1,000 points in a career but the Lopers still dropped games at Western State, 76-51, and Colorado Mesa, 73-61, this weekend.
 
Once again, turnovers hurt the Lopers (0-6) as they had 32 at Western Friday night and 25 more against the Mavericks on Saturday. These turnovers led to a total of 62 points for the opposition.
 
Leeper Jones (Colo. Springs, Colo.) came into the weekend needing 31 points to reach the 1k milestone. She tallied 15 points in Gunnison and then tallied 16 in Grand Junction. Her 1,000 th point came on a three point play with 5:08 left in the second half. 
 
Senior Debi Johnson (Elsie) reached 1,000 career points last season. She had 11 in the loss to the Mountaineers (3-5, 2-0 RMAC) and a team-high 23 in the setback to Mesa.
 
Both Leeper Jones (15.8) and Johnson (18.5) have been in double figures in all six games this season.
 
Against the Mavs (4-2, 2-0 RMAC) , UNK led 13-4 early on but was down 30-27 by the half. With the game tied at 41 early in the second half, Mesa used a 13-0 run to take control.
 
This key spurt started with a Mesa three point play and ended with the Maverick three pointer. During this time, UNK had four of its 25 turnovers.
 
Out rebounding Mesa 32-31, Kearney made 39% (20 of 52) of its field goals. The Mavs, mean while, shot 45% from the floor and sunk 25 of 32 free throws.
 
Johnson went 8 of 16 from the floor to tally her game-high 23 points with Leeper Jones reaching 16 by making all seven free throws she took.
 
Also for the Lopers, sophomore Shelby Zimmerman (Tri-County H.S.) came off the bench to have nine points and four rebounds in 19 minutes.
 
Three Mesa starters were in double figures, led by 6-1 junior guard Katrina Selsor with 18. She also had nine rebounds and three steals.
 
On Friday at Western, the Mountaineers led 14-4 nine minutes in and by 14 points, 33-19, at the break.
 
With Western ahead 40-29 at the 15 minute mark of the second half, both teams failed to record a point for over two minutes. The Mountaineers broke the drought with a jumper and, quickly, led 54-31 at the halfway point.
 
Scoring 36 points off 32 Lopers miscues, Western had two starters and two reserves in double figures. Leading this group was senior post Brooke Pendergraft (16 points & 10 rebounds) with junior guard Jessica Lankston having seven points and a game-high seven teals.
 
UNK did pull down a season-best 16 offensive rebounds but made just 10 of 20 free throws and shot only 33% (18 of 55) from the field.
 
Before fouling out in 24 minutes, Johnson hit three triples to reach 11 points with Leeper Jones having a team-high nine rebounds along with her 15 points. Finally, Zimmerman had eight rebounds in just 14 minutes.
 
Nationally-ranked Metro State comes to town Friday and then Regis visits Sunday afternoon.