Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball is in Missouri this week to tangle with the Truman State Bulldogs and the Southwest Baptist Bearcats.

UNK (5-11, 2-6) faces Truman Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. and then heads to Bolivar to play at SBU on Saturday around 3:30 p.m. Visit the schedule page for multi-media links.

Both of the Lopers MIAA wins have come away from home; last Saturday's 74-66 decision at Missouri Southern State and a 60-57 win at Northeastern State on January 5th.

Not surprisingly, those are the best two defensive efforts by UNK this season. In every other game, the opposition has tallied at least 72 points.

Currently second in the league in 3-point percentage defense (31.9%), the Lopers face a Truman squad (6-10, 3-5) that will join the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) on July 1st.

Averaging 71 points per night, Truman is just 3-7 at home this season. Upsetting Washburn, 64-56, last week, the 'Dawgs rank fifth in the MIAA in turnover margin (+ 1.8) and are fourth in threes made per game (7.6).

Head coach Matt Woodley has a 15-player roster that features six Iowa natives. A balanced attack is led by 6-9 junior post Mike Carlson (16.3 points & 5.9 rebounds per game), who shoots 53% from the field (15 made 3's) and 88% at the line.

Carlson also leads TSU in blocks (21), steals (27) and defensive rebounds (69). The backcourt includes 5-9 senior Tom Norton (12.7 ppg; 37 made 3's) and 6-3 sophomore Seth Jackson (11.1 points & 4.3 rebounds pg).

Truman and Kearney have never met in men's basketball.

Southwest (5-11, 3-5) is only 1-7 on the road but 3-4 at home. Two weeks ago, SBU beat both Emporia State and Northeastern in Bolivar.

Veteran head coach Jeff Guiot, who coached against UNK in the 2004 NCAA Central Regional while at Bemidji State, has an 11-player squad that includes five freshmen. His wife, Tina, serves as his top assistant.

Giving up 74.8 points per game, SBU has a minus 1.9 rebounding margin and a minus 1.2 turnover margin. Guiot's son, Preston, is second in scoring (11.0) as he shoots 89% at the line with 35 made threes to his credit.

As a team, SBU has made 125 triples and given up 128. Four others besides Guiot have sunk at least 10 threes. Inside, 6-6 Damion Hooks (11.2 points & 2.9 rebounds) has the best numbers.

The only games between the two game in 1991-92; both clubs won at home.

For the Lopers, sophomore Tyler Shields (Kearney H.S.) has been on a tear of late, scoring 28 points and grabbing 20 rebounds the past two games. Still solid from the triple line (32 of 82/39.5%), Shields now leads in rebounds (6.8) and defensive rebounds (74).

Also on a nice streak is sophomore wing Pierre Newton (Laveen, Ariz.). The former Arizona State Sun Devil has reached double digits in the last three games, tying his season best effort (24) in last Saturday's win at Southern.

On the year, Newton is second on UNK in scoring (13.3) and first in free throws made (66) and attempted (85).

The Lopers host Emporia State (Wed.) and Central Oklahoma (Fri.) next week.