Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney basketball teams host a key double header Wednesday night at the Health & Sports Center when the Northeastern State RiverHawks visit the Health & Sports Center for the first time.

This is the annual "Soup or Chili Bowl Cookoff" night with the games starting at the usual 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

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 Loper men (12-12, 8-9) are in a three-way tie for seventh place in the MIAA standings; seeds five through eight host an MIAA Tournament first round game Tuesday night.

On the women's side, UNK (8-16, 4-12) is in 13th place but two wins could vault the team into a ninth place tie. The 12-team women's tourney begins Monday on campus sites.

NSU, from Tahlequah, Okla., beat the Lopers in the 2003 Elite Eight in Lakeland, Fla. Head coach Larry Gipson went on to lead the squad to the national title and will be retiring at the end of the 2014 season after 21 years as a college head coach.

His current group (13-11, 8-9) has an identical league mark as the Lopers and comes in having dropped six of nine. Owning two road wins, the RiverHawks are led by 6-0 senior guard Bryton Hobbs, the MIAA scoring leader at 22.8 points per game.
 
To reach that total, he shoots 43% from the field (44 made 3's) and 82% at the line. Hobbs attempts 14 free throws a night; he made 15 in a 90-85 win over UNK in January.
 
The 170 pounder also is third in the MIAA in assists (5.6), handing out 10 vs. the Lopers. Finally, he is third on NSU in rebounds (4.6).
 
Besides Hobbs, junior guard Dalen Qualls and junior forward Curtis Evans average 9.5 points per game. Qualls scored 18 vs. UNK with Evans (12 points, 8 rebs., 3 blocks) productive as well.  

A nine-player NSU women's roster has gone 1-7 on the road and dropped four straight. Allowing just over 60 points per game, Northeastern shoots 38.7% from the field and has a - 2.9 rebounding margin.
 
Five-five junior guard Fontana Tate leads in scoring (11.3) thanks to a team-best 50 made 3's and 39 free throws.  Next, 5-11 senior forward Carrington Fox is at 6.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
 
She almost registered a triple double in a 64-61 win over UNK in Tahlequah (eight blocks, nine points & 11 rebounds) on January 18th.
 
Blocking 13 shots and having a plus seven rebounding margin, NSU rallied from a 53-42 deficit with 7:20 to play to record the unlikely win
 
The Kearney women began the year 5-0 at home but have lost four straight in the friendly confines. They also have been out rebounded in the last two games after having a plus margin in this area for four straight contests.
 
On the perimeter, senior Nicole Arp (Kearney H.S.) is coming off a career-high 19 points at Fort Hays State with her 105 assists putting her just outside the UNK all-time top 10 list for dimes in a season.
 
Fellow senior Sarah Hix (Broomfield, Colo.) will wrap up her home career as well this week. Coming off the bench of late, she leads the team in threes made (29) and three point percentage (42.6).
 
UNK's third senior is wing Shelby Zimmerman, among the team leaders in most statistical categories (12.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals & 1.1 assists per game).
 
On the men's side, posts Mike Dentlinger (Omaha) and Kendal Glidden (Benkelman) hope to have three home games left in their collegiate careers.
 
The pair rank 1-2 on the squad in field goal shooting and are one reason why UNK ranks fifth in the MIAA in field goal percentage (48.5).
 
Guard Kevin Dineen, a true frosh from Creighton Prep, not only provides good defense but also has a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio. Offensively, he has been in double figures in three of the past five games, reaching his season-high of 13 twice.
 
The Central Oklahoma Bronchos stop by Friday night; they are at Fort Hays State on Wednesday.