Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Junior guard
Laramey Lewis had another big game and the Nebraska Kearney women's basketball team used a balanced attack to hold off Missouri Western State, 86-81, Monday night at the Health & Sports Center.
UNK improves to 7-7 (2-4) while MWSU falls to 6-5 (1-4).
The Lopers led nearly the entire way, including by as many as 13 points. However, Western hung around thanks to the exploits of 6-0 junior guard LaQuinta Jefferson.
The Tennessee native scored 40 points, 19 coming in the first half and 21 after the break. She was 14 of 26 from the field (3 of 6 threes) and 9 of 11 at the line with two of her misses coming from long range in the final 32 seconds. The Jefferson College transfer also had six boards, four assists and two steals.
Outside of Jefferson, the rest of the Griffons were a combined 16 of 41 (39%) from the field.
Scoring 28 points off of 22 Western turnovers, UNK led 44-34 at the break and was up 75-64 with 5:10 to play. The Griffons refused to go away, however, going on a 14-3 run capped by five straight from Jefferson.
Coming off the disabled list, Grand Island freshman
McKenzie Brown hit a three with 48 seconds remaining to break the 78 all tie and give UNK the lead for good.
After a missed shot by the Griffons, sophomore guard
Alexa Hogberg (Chandler, Ariz.) made two free throws and then Jefferson missed back-to-back threes. Senior post
Amarah Williams (St. Louis, Mo.) grabbed the rebound on the second miss and went one of two at the line to make it 84-78.
"We played with a lot of heart and for all 40 minutes," said UNK head coach
Kevin Chaney. "We got the lead early, exactly what we wanted to do. Missouri Western is very deep and I knew they would keep coming at us and it would be a 40 minute game."
The Lopers finished 27 of 35 at the line (77%), the third time this winter they've made 23 or more freebies in a game. And while Western had a plus 12 rebounding margin, 44-32, they turned 20 o-boards into just 16 points.
Lewis (Trenton) scored a team-high 25 points on 10 of 11 free throw shooting and by making six of 12 shots (3 of 4 threes). This was her third straight 20 point game as she had 22 vs. Oklahoma Panhandle State and 23 against Central Missouri.
She also had eight rebounds (seven defensive) and seven assists in playing all 40 minutes.
Williams (18) and Hogberg (10) were the other starters in double digits with Brown coming off the bench to tally 15 on 3 of 6 triple shooting. Finally, Hogberg had eight assists, many of them going to Williams in the paint.
UNK is at NW Missouri State (4-10, 0-5) on Thursday night.
