Kearney, Neb. – Nebraska Kearney junior Vanessa Leeper (Colorado Springs, Colo.), would score career high 25 points, but that was not enough as Western State College had four players score at least twelve points in a 88-67, win in Gunnison, Colo., Saturday night.

The Lopers falls to 11-10 and 10-7 in conference play, while the Mountaineers to 9-12 and 7-10 in conference play. The Lopers won 85-82 to open conference play on December 3rd in Kearney. The Mountaineers now have won three of the last four meeting; however the Lopers lead the all-time series 19-3.

Western State would start the game on 8-3 scoring run would cover the first three minutes of the game, during the run Natalie Giese would score half of the points while Nikki Trujillo and Brooke Pendergraft each scored two points.

Nebraska Kearney answered Western State scoring run by going on their own 9-3 run to lead 12-11 with 14:16 left in the first half. True freshman Nicole Arp (Kearney) would score five of the nine points while sophomore post Bailey Halbur (Manning, Ia.) and Leeper had the other points during the scoring run.

WSC regained the lead on its next trip down the floor on a jumper by Pendergraft to lead 13-12 with 14:09 left till halftime. WSC would keep the lead at single digits rest of the half to lead by nine (39-30) at intermission.

UNK got the first three points of the second twenty minutes on a free throw by junior guard Kim Rickels (Iowa City, Ia.) and another true freshman Shelby Zimmerman (Beatrice),who got her first career start as a Loper, added a jumper with 18:58 left in the game to trail by six (39-33).

The Mountaineer would push the lead up to 11 points on a layup by Giese with 17:12 left in the game, after that the Lopers would get no closer rest of the game.

WSC was led in scoring by Pendergraft with 20 points on 3-4 shooting for the line and had five rebounds, Giese would add 17 points on 7-9 shooting from the floor and pulling down eight boards, Katie Hall would have a double-double 12 points and 11 rebounds, finally Hannah Kingsbury would chip in 12 points by going 2-3 from the floor and perfect 6-6 from the free throw line.

UNK was led by Leeper with 25 points by going 11-13 from the charity stripe and pulled down nine boards; Arp would add nine points, three assist and two steals, and finally Rickels contributed seven points and four rebounds.

Nebraska Kearney is back in action next weekend versus Regis and Metro State.