Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team has a rare January home game when NW Missouri State visits to the Health & Sports Center Thursday night around 7:30 p.m.

This will be the Lopers (4-7, 2-4) first home game since December 20th. After Thursday, UNK doesn't play in Kearney until January 24th vs. D2 independent South Dakota Mines.

The four-game road swing starts Sunday afternoon at 17th-ranked Hastings (12-4). That game tips at 2:00 p.m.

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

Northwest (8-5, 3-1) had a home game with league leader Northeastern State postponed on Monday. The game will be played later this year.

On January 4th in Maryville, the 'Cats saw a four-game winning streak come to an end with a 81-77 loss to Central Oklahoma.

Sporting a 1-2 road record, including a 74-72 setback to defending national champ Drury, Northwest has four starters and a reserve in
double figures. To average a healthy 80.9 points per game, Northwest shoots 51% from the field (44% 3-point line).
    
Senior post Dillon Starzl (6-8, 250 lbs.) shoots 65% from field to average a team-best 16.5 points per game. Also a 71% free throw shooter, he pulls down a team-best 5.7 rebounds per game.
    
The backcourt is led by senior DeShaun Cooper (13.2 points, 3.9 assists & 3.3 rebounds pg) and sophomore Conner Crooker (12.1 points, 2.2 assists & 3.0 rebounds pg) with 6-8 junior post Grant Cozad (11.6 points & 3.8 rebounds) also a force.

Both Cozad and Starzl hail from Kearney, Mo. Last year, Northwest beat the Lopers by scores of 90-60 (Maryville) and 68-50 (Kearney).

Heading into a Wednesday night road game at Nebraska Wesleyan, Hastings is ranked 17th in NAIA Division II thanks to a 9-1 start.

Averaging 80.1 points per game, Hastings is led by 6-2 senior guard Brady Lollman (20.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists pg). An 83% free throw shooter, he has sunk 41 of the team's 103 threes (39.8%).
    
Six-seven senior Dylan Finn (11.9) and 6-2 senior guard Jake Hamburger (11.0) also average in double digits with former Loper Akeem Morissaint averaging 4.9 points & 2.3 rebounds per game.

Last year, the Broncos beat the Lopers by scores of 87-75 (Hastings) and 95-83 (Kearney).

UNK is 4-1 at home this season, having a plus 10.8 scoring margin and a plus 11.0 rebounding margin. The Lopers do have a minus 1.2 turnover margin at home (- 3.0 overall), an area that cropped up this past weekend.

Kearney had a season-high 25 turnovers in a loss at Central Missouri and then had 18 more Monday at Missouri Western. Prior to last weekend, UNK had only two games with 15 or more miscues.

Individually, Norfolk sophomore Ethan Brozek is shaking the rust off after a nearly two-year break from college basketball. Joining the blue and gold in late December, he has 21 points and 13 rebounds (nine offensive) through two games. 

His play gives UNK more options and size inside. Senior Mike Dentlinger benefited from that by having 25 points and nine boards in the loss at Western.

On the perimeter, junior Tyler Shields now ranks second in the MIAA in triples made per game (2.7). He is 30 of 79 from behind the arc, pushing his career made total to 101.

Next week, UNK heads to Oklahoma for a second straight year to face Northeastern State (Jan. 16th) and Central Oklahoma (Jan. 18th).