Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team returns to the court Wednesday night after a 16 day layoff.

This will be the Lopers (2-3) first-ever MIAA game as the Lincoln U. Blue Tigers (1-7) come to the Health & Sports Center for a 7:30 p.m. tip off. On Saturday, UNK ventures to Maryville, Mo. for a 3:30 tip against the 12th-ranked NW Missouri State Bearcats (6-0).

Multimedia links for both games can be found on the UNK schedule page.

In the very early going, UNK ranks second in the MIAA in free throw percentage (76%) and 3-point percentage (44%).

The Lopers have made at least five threes in all five games, sinking a season-best 10 in the win over Colorado Mines and nine in a loss to Hastings. UNK shot a season-high 69% (9 of 13) at Hastings and have shot no worse than 35% so far this season.
    
Individually, sophomore Tyler Shields (55%/11 of 20) and senior Jon Henderson (50%/12 of 24) have had the hottest hands from
downtown.

Henderson currently is second in the league in scoring (20.0), thanks to efforts of 25 and 30 in the first two games. Also, sophomore wing Pierre Newton (Laveen, Ariz.) leads the MIAA in minutes at 34.0 per game

Lincoln University
Picked last in the MIAA preseason poll, Lincoln has gotten off to a slow start but four of its losses have come by eight points. Of note, Wayne State beat the Blue Tigers by a 77-61 score earlier this year in Bolivar, Mo.

Lincoln is giving up 79 points per game and letting the opposition make 47% of its field goals. Also getting out rebounded by nearly six per might, the Tigers shoot just 63% at the line.

Six-two senior guard Cedric Ridle Jr. is one of the top scorers in the MIAA, coming in at 18.4 per night. He has a team-high 15 made 3's and shoots 70% at the line while pulling down 5.9 rebounds per game.

Six-foot seven junior forward Charles Cole (14.4 points & 6.1 rebounds per game) is the other Blue Tiger to watch.

UNK is 0-3 all-time vs. Lincoln but the two schools haven't met since 1963.

NW Missouri State
The 12th-ranked Bearcats are coming off a 22-7 season and were picked third in the preseason poll, receiving one of the 15 first place votes.

Northwest has won its first six games in easy fashion but two of the victories came against non-D2 competition with another against D2 newcomer William Jewell. They did beat NSIC members Upper Iowa, 59-52, and SW Minnesota State, 74-62, on back-to-back nights.

Holding teams to just 54.6 points per night, Northwest is led by 6-0 senior guard Alex Sullivan (16.0 ppg), 6-3 senior guard DeAngelo Hailey (15.5 ppg) and 6-8, 250 lbs. junior post Dillon Starzl (13.6 ppg).

Of note, Starzl and teammates Grant Cozad (6.2 ppg) and Tyler Funk (2.0 ppg) all hail from Kearney, Mo.
    
The Bearcats host Lindenwood on December 5th to start league play.

Amazingly, Northwest and UNK have never played a regular season game but the two have faced each other in closed exhibitions in recent seasons.