Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team, after a week off, gets back on the bus this weekend to face Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma.
 
The Lopers (6-7, 3-4), coming off a January 9th home win over NW Missouri State, are at Northeastern State on Thursday (5:30 p.m.) and Central Oklahoma on Saturday (1:30 p.m.).

The games can be heard on KGFW AM 1340 and be seen (for purchase) on America One. Live stat links are available on the UNK schedule page.
 
Northeastern had 12 players in the preseason but now has just nine, each averaging over 10 minutes per game.

Playing a deliberate pace, NSU averages 63 points per game and allows 60.0. They have a 37.0% field goal percentage defense and force 15 turnovers per game.
 
Offensively, a balanced attack is led by Fontana Tate (12.0) and Che'Ron Lewis (9.6). Five others are between 5.7-8.6 points per game.

 Last year in Tahlequah, NSU hit 15 3's in an 85-57 win over the Lopers.  
 
A 17-person UCO (9-5, 4-3) roster includes four six footers and 15 Oklahoma natives. Sporting a 5-1 home record, the Bronchos began 4-0.
 
Five-ten senior guard Jill Bryan (14.5 points & 5.4 rebounds pg) and 5-11 sophomore forward Julia Mason (11.1 points & 5.6 rebounds pg) lead a balanced offense.
 
UCO has a plus 2.8 turnover margin and a minus 1.5 rebounding margin. They have held three of four MIAA opponents to under 65 points in Edmond.
 
Last winter, Kearney won 72-60 over the Bronchos as they had a plus 15 rebounding margin to overcome a one-point halftime deficit. Bryan had 15 points and seven boards to pace UCO.
 
Searching for its second road win of the 2013-14 season (1-6), UNK has held its last two MIAA opponents to under 60 points.
 
Those clubs combined for 36 turnovers and a 32.8 field goal percentage. On the season, the Lopers rank third in the conference in steals (10.2 per game) with guards Nicole Arp and Laramey Lewis each averaging two per night.
 
Offensively, UNK has six players between 4.5 and 8.6 points per game with senior Shelby Zimmerman (11.7) and junior Amarah Williams (10.5) in double digits.
 
Zimmerman led the team in scoring in each of the first four games but five different Lopers have led the way since.
 
Next week, UNK has two games, playing at Pitt State Wednesday and hosting South Dakota Mines Friday night.