Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team will try and defend two of the top players in the MIAA this weekend in Oklahoma.

The Lopers (5-8, 2-5) are at Northeastern State on Thursday and Central Oklahoma on Saturday. The game against the RiverHawks (10-4, 5-2) starts at 7:30 p.m. with the tilt against the UCO Bronchos (10-4, 4-3) going off at 3:30 p.m.

Both games can be heard on KGFW AM 1340 and available (for purchase) on America One. Live stat links are available on the UNK schedule page.

Last year, UNK upset NSU, 60-57, in Tahlequah, holding NSU to a season-low point total. The 'Hawks finished 19-9 and received an at-large bid to the NCAA's.

This year's Northeastern team is led by MIAA Player of the Year candidate Bryton Hobbs, averaging 23.5 points, 5.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Shooting 46% from the field and 82% at the line, the 6-1, 170 lbs. senior guard tallied 40 in a 97-71 win over Southwest Baptist on January 9th. Hobbs had 11 points and eight assists in last year's game vs. the Lopers.

Besides Hobbs, 6-7 JUCO transfer Curtis Evans is at 9.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting 55% from the floor. Five others are between six and nine points per game.

Always a high scoring team, UCO is coming off a 92-79 loss to Missouri Southern to be 5-2 in Edmond this season.
 
MIAA Player of the Year candidate Josh Gibbs is averaging a double double (22.1 points & 12.8 rebounds pg). The 6-5, 235 lbs. senior forward shoots 71% at the line and is one of three Bronchos to have made 30 or more 3's (35).
 
Last year, UCO beat the Lopers 85-75 in Kearney with Gibbs going for 23 points.
 
To average 84.4 points per game, UCO makes nine triples a night with the other shooters being 6-7 sophomore wing Cal Andrews (11.9 ppg) and 6-0 sophomore guard Seth Heckart (11.1 ppg).
 
Since 6-7 sophomore post Ethan Brozek (Norfolk Catholic H.S.) joined the Lopers at the start of this semester, UNK has seen its rebounding margin go from a plus 1.3 to a plus 4.8.  Kearney is also shooting a bit bet­ter, going from 47.5% to 50.0%.
 
Individually, senior post Mike Dentlinger is averaging 16.0 points and 5.8 rebounds over the last four games; he was at 12.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in his first five games.
 
Finally, the Lopers are blocking 2.8 shots a night now that Brozek is a part of the team. That number was at 1.8 during first semester.
 
In the backcourt, junior point guard Davion Pearson has had at least five assists in each of his last three games.  Ranking fourth in the MIAA in assists at an even 5.0 per game, he has had eight games with five or more assists.
 
Next week, UNK is at Pittsburg State on Wednesday and then hosts South Dakota Mines Friday night.