Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team starts a three-game home stand Wednesday night when Missouri Western State stops by the Health & Sports Center.

On Saturday, 12th-ranked Washburn comes to town for a 2:00 p.m. tip. Multi-media links can be found on the UNK schedule page.

After taking on now 20th-ranked Pittsburg State (9-3, 2-1) last week along with Northeastern State (8-4, 3-1), the Lopers tangle with a Western squad that is 9-3 (2-2) and a Lady Blues team (8-2, 1-1) that was picked to win the MIAA.

Things don't get any easier next week when 15th-ranked ranked Central Missouri (10-1, 2-1) visits Wednesday night and then UNK has to travel to Missouri Southern State (8-3, 2-1).

The current combined record of the Lopers first five MIAA opponents is thus 52-16.

UNK (4-7, 1-3) is 3-0 at home this season and currently ranks fifth in the MIAA in steals (9.9) and sixth in 3-point percentage defense (30.1%).

Sophomore post Melissa Norman (Elk Grove, Calif.) ranks in the top 10 in rebounding (7.3), defensive rebounds (6.0) and blocks (1.6) with leading scorer Shelby Zimmerman (Beatrice) fifth in field goal shooting at 55.8%.

Zimmerman is at 11.4 points per game and has scored at least nine points in nine games this season.

Of late, senior point Ivy Jones (Vallejo, Calif.) has picked up the pace, scoring in double digits in each of the last four games while handing out five or more assists in two of these contests. She currently is second on the Lopers in scoring (8.2) and first in assits (3.1).

First-year head coach Rob Edmisson, formerly of NAIA power Oklahoma City U., has the Griffons off to a solid start. Last year, Western was 7-20 (5-15) and, thus, picked 11th in the preseason poll.

Owning wins over RMAC-member Metro State, 66-55, and Division I Missouri-Kansas City, 68-51, Western has plus rebounding (3.2) and turnover (2.7) margins.

Coming off a 78-76 loss at Missouri Southern, the Griffons 14-person roster features 11 transfers, including 6-3 senior post Heather Howard (Oklahoma State) and 5-7 senior guard Alicia Bell (NW Missouri State).

Eleven different players average 10 minutes or more per game with only Howard (13.9) averaging double digits. However, seven others are between six and nine points per game. Howard, who has sunk 22 threes, also pulls down 10.1 rebounds per game and has blocked 23 shots.

UNK beat the Griffons in 2000, 78-77, and 2001, 75-74, but still trails in the series, 17-13.

The MIAA preseason favorites currently rank second in the conference in field goal percentage defense (34.4%) and third in scoring defense (54.6). The Lady Blues also have an astounding plus 12.4 rebounding margin, nearly four boards better than the second place team.

A 16-person roster features seven seniors, including 5-7 guard Laura Kinderknecht (15.7 points, 3.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds pg) and 6-1 forward Tiara George (13.3 points, 7.7 rebounds 1.1 blocks pg).

Ten players average at least 10 minutes per game with the squad averaging 69.4 points per game and shooting 44% from the field.

Washburn suffered back-to-back losses to Western Washington, 64-62, and Wisconsin-Parkside, 50-47, in Las Vegas in late December and is coming off a 62-58 win at Central Oklahoma.

The Lady Blues hold an 18-10 series lead over the Lopers with the last game between the two, in November 2001, being a very memorable one.  Washburn ended UNK's still Division II record 87-game home court win streak by hitting a last shot to win, 46-45.

On Thursday, WU is at 18th-ranked Fort Hays State.