Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Senior guard Laramey Becker scored 31 points as the Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball held off Lindenwood, 72-67, Saturday afternoon in St. Charles, Mo.

The Lopers (8-7, 4-5) have won three of its last four games with the Lions dropping to 7-8 (3-6) and losing a fourth straight.

UNK led for nearly the entire way, thanks to 22-point first half from Becker (Trenton). However, the Lions hung around, never letting the deficit get larger than 14 points.

Lindenwood's star, junior guard Kassidy Gengenbacher, made two free throws with 29 seconds left to tie the game at 66. In the previous 90 seconds, each team had a turnover with UNK missing a shot.

Eight seconds after Gengenbacher's free throws, Becker was fouled. She went to the line and knocked down both freebies. LWU's Jenny Rocha couldn't say the same as she went 1 of 2 at the line with 14 seconds left.

Forced to foul, Lindenwood put Arizona junior Alexa Hogberg on the line. She made two more freebies, making the score 70-67. Gengenbacher missed an off-balance three soon after and then the Lions missed two more free throws.

Finally, Becker capped the scoring with two free throws. She finished 9 of 17 from the field (7 of 9 threes) and 6 of 6 at the line. The seven triples are a career-best with the point total two off her career-high, set last year in a win over SW Minnesota State.

Becker is also just the sixth Loper to have multiple 30-point games in a career. Over the first 20 minutes, she was 6 of 7 from behind the arc to help UNK grab a 38-29 halftime lead that included a 24-point second quarter.

"She works and prepares as hard as anybody in the country. Anytime you do that, good things are going to happen," said UNK assistant coach Brandon Rohr. "Laramey really carried us in the first half and then made some big free throws down the stretch."

While the Lopers were out rebounded by a 33-22 margin, they tallied 20 of its points off of 22 Lions turnovers. UNK also was 10 of 17 from behind the arc with Lindenwood just going 5 of 17. On the season, Kearney's opponents are shooting only 29.9% from the three point line, making an average of four per game.

Besides Becker, Hogberg had 12 points with Kansas senior post Bri Starks supplying eight points, five assists, two steals, two boards and a block. Off the bench, Holdrege freshman guard Jenna Gillespie had four points, three boards and two assists in 31 minutes.

"This win was a testament to our girls. They just went out there and competed hard and found a way," said Rohr.

Gengenbacher, who scored 37 vs. UNK last year, went 7 of 17 from the floor (4 of 12 threes) to tally a team-best 21. She also had six rebounds, three steals and two assists in playing 36 minutes.

The Lopers host Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State next week.