Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Freshmen forwards Ethan Brozek and Tyler Shields combined for 36 points and 26 rebounds to help the Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team rally from a 21 point deficit to beat Colorado State-Pueblo, 67-65, Friday night at the Health & Sports Center.

UNK improves to 14-10 (12-8 RMAC) and keeps it hopes alive for an RMAC Tournament home game. The Lopers were tied with Colorado Mesa for fourth place entering tonight's action; the top four teams host a first round contest on February 28th.

The Lopers shot a season-high 61.5% from the field in beating the ThunderWolves (12-11, 9-10 RMAC), 89-71, earlier this year in Colorado. However, the tables were turned in the first half as UNK missed nine of its first 10 shots and went into the halftime with a 32% (10 of 32) effort from the floor.

Pueblo, mean while, hit six triples in the first 20 minutes and not only led 14-4 but eventually surged to a 44-23 advantage right before intermission.

Down 47-29 early in the second half, UNK started to warm up on the offensive end while picking up its defensive pressure. Pueblo, relying on the perimeter shot all night, not only started to miss but also was getting beat on the glass and committing costly turnovers.

After UNK got the deficit to nine points, Pueblo's Kevin Coates made a layup with 9:21 to go to make it 59-48. The T-Wolves didn't score again for almost five minutes, a stretch where they committed four turnovers and missed three, three point shots.

A three from sophomore reserve guard Tim Billingsley (Parker, Colo.) tied the game at 59 with 4:58 to play but Pueblo's scoring drought ended when reserve guard Jed Knafelc hit a three 48 seconds later.
 
With the shot clocking winding down, and a defender in his face, junior Jon Henderson (Salt Lake City, Utah) launched a three that knotted the game back up with 3:33 left. After Pueblo missed another triple, Henderson gave UNK its first lead since early in the first half on a layup with 2:58 left.

Down the stretch, the T-Wolves had two chances to erase a 65-63 deficit but missed two threes. Shields (Kearney H.S.) made two free throws with 10 seconds left to finish the Lopers scoring and then Pueblo hit a meaningless bucket as time expired

Four of the Lopers five starters played the entire second half and most did so while working around foul trouble. Bronzek (Norfolk Catholic) finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds (nine offensive) with Shields having a team-high 19 points and 13 boards (10 defensive).

The pair combined to go 13 of 22 from the field and 7 of 11 at the line. Henderson was big down the stretch and ended with 14 points, four assists and a steal in 38 minutes.

UNK ou trebounded Pueblo, 48-33, including a 19-10 advantage on the offensive glass. That extra work led to 16 second chance points for the Lopers.  Neither team was hot from behind the arc as Pueblo finished 9 of 34 (26.5%) and UNK went 6 of 25 (24.0%). The T-Wolves did get 20 points from its bench but its 14 turnovers led to 16 points for Kearney.

Four T-Wolves reached double digits, led by guard Andre Martin (16).

UNK hosts Colorado-Colorado Springs tomorrow night.