Kearney, Neb. – For the second week in a row, the Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team will face the No. 1 ranked team in the USA Today/WBCA Division II Top 25 poll.

The Lopers (4-4, 0-2) head to Gross Memorial Coliseum Saturday afternoon to face the rival Fort Hays State Tigers (8-0, 2-0). Hays upset set then-No. 1 Emporia State, 71-70, last Saturday to vault four spots in this week's national poll.

Prior to the tilt with the Tigers, UNK plays at Southwest Baptist (5-2, 1-1) Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Check the Loper schedule page for media links.

UNK has yet to beat SBU as an MIAA-member. The Bearcats handed the Lopers an 81-69 loss in the Health & Sports Center last year after beating UNK at home in 2014 and 2013.

SBU, with three seniors on a 16-player roster, are coming off a 93-87 home loss to unbeaten and current No. 17 Missouri Western State. The 'Cats have played six of its' seven games in Bolivar.

Head coach Kelsey Keizer has a group scoring 72 points per game and one that shoots 41% from the field, including 32% from behind the arc. SBU averages five threes per game and shoots 73% from the free throw line.
 
Having plus rebounding (+4.4) and turnover (+2.4) margins, the 'Cats are led by 6-2 freshman post Caylee Richardson and 5-7 senior guard Dilonna Johnson.
 
Richardson is at 14.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game while making 60% of her shots. On the perimeter, Johnson had made 13 of SBU's 37 threes to be at 11.3 points per game. She also averages nearly four assists a night.
 
Minus Division II Player of the Year Kate Lehman, Fort Hays has used offensive balance and turnovers to be the new No. 1 in the Division II polls.
 
Through eight games, six coming in Gross Memorial, Hays is forc­ing 24 turnovers a night. The Tigers, who only play the Lopers this week, are allowing 49.8 points per game with Upper Iowa (62) and ESU the only teams to crack the 55 point barrier.
 
Dwight senior guard Beth Bohuslavsky (12.9), Bellevue senior southpaw bomber Chelsea Mason (12.1), Beatrice junior wing Jill Faxon (11.3) lead in scoring with three others between 6.1-10.0 points per game. Bohuslavsky also averages a team-best 3.3 assists per game and is one of six Tigers with a double digit steal total.
 
UNK has dropped nine in a row to the Tigers, the last win being a buzzer beater in Gross, 55-54, early in the 2008-09 season.
 
The Lopers currently have allowed the third fewest threes (29) in the MIAA. Averaging out to 3.6 per game, teams are shooting just 29% from the arc against UNK's perimeter defense. Inside, Alabama sophomore Imani Kyser leads the league in blocks at 1.5 per game. As a team, UNK has 12 swats, good for nearly four per game.
 
Another newcomer, Kansas senior Bri Starks, leads the MIAA in free throw shooting as she has sunk 23 of 24 freebies (95.8%). Last year in nine games for Illinois-Springfield, the forward was 18 of 25 (72.0%) at the line.
 
Offensively, UNK is averaging 69.0 points per game, virtually identical to last year's final tally of 68.8. Currently 10th in the league in scoring offense, the Lopers are fourth in assists at nearly 16 a night.
 
Prior to a Holiday break, Kearney plays at Central Missouri on the afternoon of December 19th. The Jennies are 2-5 (1-1) and are at ESU Saturday afternoon. They then host Hays on December 17th.