Kearney, Neb. – The road weary Nebraska-Kearney basketball teams have one more away game before starting a long home stand this Friday.

On Wednesday, UNK heads to Southeastern Kansas to face the Pittsburg State Gorillas. The doubleheader can be heard on KGFW AM 1340 and available (for purchase) on America One. Live stat links are available on the UNK schedule page.

The Pitt women (11-6, 4-3) are coming off back-to-back road losses to Emporia, 80-78, and Washburn, 70-60. Having a solid 5-1 home record, Pitt is led by 5-11 junior wing Lizzy Jeronimus, one of the league's best players.

She is at 18.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.9 steals per game, all team-highs. Shooting 45% from the field and 81% at the line, Jeronimus also has three made three pointers.
Nine others average at least 10 minutes per game with six between 5.2 and 7.9 points per game. That group includes 6-1 senior post Alex Muff (5.2 & 4.5 rebounds per game). She also has 10 blocks with 6-2 Kylie Gafford at a team-best 20.
    
Last year in Kansas, Pitt got 14 points from Jeronimus and held UNK to 28% shooting in a 62-43 win.
 
The Kearney women (6-9, 3-6) let fly 48 threes last week in losses at Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma. They made 17 of them, pushing their season average to just over five per game.
 
UNK does rank second in the MIAA in steals (9.8 per game) and is fifth in three point percentage defense (29.8%).
 
Individually, junior post Amarah Williams has scored 41 points over the last three games and now leads the team with a 10.9 average. She is among the MIAA leaders in field goal shooting (53.1) as well as blocks (1.2).
 
On the men's side, Pitt (6-8, 2-5) is 4-1 at home and led by six-six junior wing Devon Branch, a Maryland native who transferred in from the University of Oregon.
 
Among the MIAA scoring leaders (19.8), he is shooting 53.5% from the field and 72.9% at the line. He has attempted 17 three pointers while also pulling down five boards per game.

Two more Gorillas are in double digits in 6-5 sophomore Jake Bullard (14.2) and 6-0 junior Sam Pugh (10.6). Pugh leads the team in threes made (33) while Bullard joins Branch at 5.0 rebounds per game.
    
Pitt gives up 81.3 points per game and has a minus 3.4 turnover margin. However, they out rebound their opponents by one and shoot 48% from the field.  
    
Last year at home, Pitt shot 60% in the second half to beat UNK, 76-62.
 
The Gorillas will certainly be keying in on the Loper post trio of seniors Mike Dentlinger (Omaha) and Kendal Glidden (Benkelman) and sophomore Ethan Brozek (Norfolk).
They are a combined 128 of 205 from the field so far this year, a 62.4% mark. Both Dentlinger (67.9) and Glidden (60.9) make 60% of their shots with Brozek close behind at 56.9%.
    
Over the last five games, or since Brozek rejoined the Loper squad, Dentlinger has gone 29 of 40 from the field (72.5%).
 
Defensively, UNK hopes to not hear the whistle as they try and win a second game away from Kearney this year. In nine road games, Loper opponents are making on average 24 freebies, helping them tally 90 points a night.
 
On Friday, the Lopers step out of the MIAA to host Division II independent South Dakota Mines, who battles Fort Hays State Thursday night. In November, Mines beat the UNK men, 84-76, in Rapid City.
 
This is the start of four-game home stand that will bring Washburn (Jan. 30th), Emporia State (Feb. 1st) and the rival Tigers (Feb. 5th) to the Health & Sports Center.