Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team finishes up a three-game MIAA home stand when Central Missouri visits the Health & Sports Center Wednesday night.

UNK (4-10, 1-15) then heads to Joplin, Mo., Saturday for a date with the Missouri Southern State Lions. The UCM game tips around 7:30 p.m. with the MSSU game going off around 3:00 p.m.

Kearney's depleted bench will get a boost Wednesday as mid-year transfer Taylor Shipley (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) is now eligible to play. The 5-10, 180 lbs. junior point guard spent the 2008-09 season at Division I Pacific  (Calif.) and then battled through a couple of injuries while at Los Angeles Trade-Tech the past two years.

Lacking a true point, UNK has a minus -5.1 turnover margin this year. The blue and gold had just nine miscues in an upset win over Northeastern State on January 5th but has had seven games this year with 16 or more turnovers.

As with most seasons, the Lopers are solid at the line as the team currently has four different players shooting 80% or better at the charity stripe. Overall, UNK ranks second in the MIAA at 76.6% and has made almost as many free throws (200) as the opposition has taken (230).

Senior wing Jon Henderson (Salt Lake City, Utah), shooting a Loper-best 86% at the line, also ranks in the MIAA top 10 in scoring (15.6) and 3-point shooting (42.6%) while ranking No.1 in minutes played at 33.5 per game.

UCM (10-3, 4-1) has the longest winning streak in the MIAA (four games) after beating Northeastern, 77-69, and Pitt State, 80-73, last week at home.

A 17-person roster features 15 transfers and eight seniors. Veteran head coach Kim Anderson, 232-85 in 12 years, has an impressive six assistants on his staff.

Ten Mules average 10 plus minutes per game with 6-6, 185 lbs. senior forward Dominique Long (14.5) and 6-0 senior guard Widgett Washington (11.6) leading in scoring. Both shoot over 70% at the line with Washington at a teambest 4.3 assists per game.

Inside, three players average between 5.0-5.2 rebounds per game with 6-8, 250 lbs. senior Matt Webb (5.2) in the lead.

UCM averages a solid 74.7 points per game and ranks third in the MIAA in turnover margin (+ 2.9).

Kearney heads to Truman State (Thurs.) and SW Baptist (Sat.) next week

The all-time series is tied at two a piece with the last meeting coming in 1979. In each of the games, the winning team has scored over 100 points.

The Lions (8-5, 3-2) are 5-1 at home this year and are coming off a 99-80 road win at Lincoln. They fell to Lindenwood, 95-69, earlier in the week. Southern hosts Pitt on Wednesday night.

Ranking third in the conference in steals at 8.6 per game, Southern's 13-player roster features no seniors and four transfers. Head coach Robert Corn, in his 24th year, has one of the top scoeres in the MIAA in 6-4 junior guard Marquis Addison.

He is at 17.4 points per game on 46% field goal shooting (16 made 3's) and 82% free throw shooting. Addison also leads in assists (35) and steals (34).

The other double digit scorer is 6-5 junior forward Jordan Talbert (12.9 points and a team-best 7.0 rebounds pg).

UNK leads the all-time series, 19-7, with the last game between the two coming in the 1988-89 season.