Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Junior post Ben Patterson scored 25 points to help Southwest Baptist beat Nebraska-Kearney, 70-60, Thursday night in Bolivar, Mo.
The Bearcats, who've played every game at home this season, improve to 6-2 (2-1) while the Lopers fall to 4-4 (1-2). UNK is now 0-3 at SBU since joining the MIAA in 2012.
A 6-8, 230 lbs. junior college transfer, Patterson went 8 of 12 from the field and also added nine rebounds (three offensive). A bit undersized, UNK was out rebounded by a 37-29 margin.
The deeper Bearcats, with a 17-player roster, were also plus 25 in points off the bench, 27-2.
Down 33-24 at the break, the Lopers started the final half with a bang, getting back-to-back threes from Pierce sophomore
Lane Rohrich and Ravenna senior
Connor Beranek to lead 45-43 with 11:09 remaining.
The game was scoreless for the next four minutes with SBU then scoring five of the next seven to grab the lead back. Four Patterson free throws broke a 51 all tie with just over four minutes left and the 'Cats never trailed again.
UNK did have a chance to tie things at 63 but a Beranek triple attempt misfired with 1:06 left. SBU went 5 of 6 at the line, and got a fast break layup, to salt things away.
Going mainly with seven players, the Lopers got a game-high 26 from Beranek. He was 9 of 19 from the field (2 of 6 threes) and 6 of 6 at the line while also pulling down six defensive boards.
Before fouling out late, Iowa sophomore forward
Trey Lansman had 14 points and seven boards (six defensive). He was 6 of 14 from the floor to reach his point total. Finally for the Lopers, Danielson hit three treys to score nine.
"We knocked them out of the conference tournament last year and they were pretty determined and focused. It was a lot like the way we played last year at home against Missouri Southern," said UNK head coach
Kevin Lofton. "It was a back and forth affair. We battled back but weren't efficient as we needed to be in order to get the job done."
Besides Patterson, SBU got 11 points from junior reserve guard Eli Sample with Florida Gulf Coast transfer Logan Hovey at eight points, seven rebounds (all defensive), three assists and a block.
UNK is at Fort Hays State (6-2, 0-2) Saturday afternoon.
