Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Junior guard Davion Pearson came up with a last second steal and sophomore forward Connor Beranek scored 40 as the Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team outlasted Lindenwood, 98-96, Friday night at the Health & Sports Center.
 
UNK improves to 4-5 (2-2) while the Lions fall to 6-7 (1-2). This marked LWU's first road game of the season.
 
In a contest that featured 19 lead changes and 16 ties, it was fitting that it came down to the final seconds. After junior guard Darius Smith (team-high 31 points) made two free throws with seven seconds left to finish the scoring, UNK tried to inbound the ball to Beranek, an 85% free throw shooter.
 
However, Lindenwood knew who the ball was intended for and guarded him tightly. A hard charging Beranek was forced to save the ball before it went out of bounds in one corner of the court.
 
His errant pass fell into the hands if forward Garrett Reeg near the three point line. Before he could get a potential game tying shot off, Pearson (Las Vegas, Nev.) stole the ball from Reeg near the free throw line as the final seconds went off the clock.
 
Lindenwood lost despite shooting 64% (36 of 56) from the field, including a 7 of 7 effort to start the contest. Sinking half their 14 three point attempts, the Lions were done in at the free throw line where they were just 5 of 9 over the final five minutes.
 
The Lopers countered this hot shooting by having a plus 12 rebounding margin, 34-22, and by sinking 15 threes, two off the school record. Junior Tyler Shields (Kearney H.S.) hit UNK's final trey of the night, a shot from the corner that gave the Lopers a 96-94 lead with 37 seconds left.
 
Shields finished with a career-high 25 points on 7 of 14 (6 of 12 threes) shooting. He also had a team-best eight rebounds in 28 minutes of work.
 
Kearney appeared to be in trouble at the 3:18 mark as they were down 90-84 after Smith converted a three point play. But, Beranek scored five points in 12 seconds thanks to a three, a steal and a layup.
 
The reigning MIAA Player of the Week, Beranek went 11 of 19 (4 of 8 threes) from the floor and 14 of 15 at the line. Playing all 40 minutes, he also had five rebounds, two blocks, two assists and two steals.
 
Scoring a then-career high 38 points in last Friday's win over Lincoln, he now is averaging 23.9 points for the season. This is believed to be just the eighth 40 point game in school history and the first since Drake Beranek went for 40 at New Mexico Highlands on December 13th, 2008.
 
Current co-head coach Tom Kropp holds the school record for points in a game, tallying 51 in a loss at Central Missouri on December 16th, 1974.
 
Besides Shields and Beranek, Omaha freshman Kevin Dineen had 10 points and four assists, Ceresco freshman Nicholas Christensen came off the bench to supply nine points and three assists and Pearson finished with six points, six assists, four boards and that critical steal.
 
The lightening quick Smith reached his point total by going 8 of 9 at the line and by making 11 of 16 shots (1 of 3 threes). He did miss a potential game tying jumper with 17 seconds left.  Three other Lions starters reached double digits as well, including guard Tyler Ressel (19).
 
UNK is off until Saturday, January 4th, when they play at Central Missouri. The Lopers also will not practice until Monday, December 30th.