Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team heads to rival Wayne State Saturday night to begin the 2016-17 season.

The game tips at 6:00 p.m. Check the Loper schedule page for media links; due to football, KGFW AM 1340 will not be broadcasting the game locally.  

Last year in the Health & Sports Center, UNK got 18 points from sophomore post Kennedy Sander (Lincoln Pius X) and 15 points from junior guard McKenzie Brown (G.I. Northwest) to record a 76-59 win over the No. 23 'Cats. The Lopers led by nine at the break and used a 25-16 third quarter to pull away.

Wayne went on to post a 17-12 (13-9 NSIC) record. In the preseason NSIC coaches' poll, they are picked second among 16-teams and second in the South Division.

Junior posts Paige Ballinger (15.0) and Maggie Schulte (14.5) led Wayne in scoring and rebounding last season. Both also pulled down 6.3 boards a night with Ballinger swatting 41 shots and Schulte knocking down 42 threes.

Schulte went 7 of 7 at the line and made seven shots from the field to tally 21 points last year against UNK. She also pulled down nine rebounds with Ballinger limited to 12 minutes due to foul trouble.

The top returning guard is Haley Moore (6.3 points & 1.2 assists pg), who began her career at Division I Eastern Michigan. The newcomers include 6-4 post Taylor Wangerin from Minnesota.

The Lopers were 7-7 in true road games last season. They haven't won in fabled Rice Auditorium since the fall of 2008.

While two starters must be replaced, senior point guard Alexa Hogberg (Chandler, Ariz.) leads a deep and talented Loper roster. The 2016 All-MIAA selection needs 84 assists to break Tami Tully's school record of 373. Hogberg has had efforts of 142 and 124 dimes, respectively, the past two winters.

Next, Brown (9.83 points pg) is on-pace to challenge Beth Swift's career three point record. The two-year starter has made 126 triples over her first 55 games (2.3 avg.). Swift sunk 247 treys during the 1999-2002 seasons.

Brown, Hogberg (9.0) and Sander (8.2) are UNK's top returning scorers with Alabama junior post Imani Kyser the leader in rebounds (4.7) and blocks (28).

A large newcomer class features senior post Nieka Wheeler (10.4 points & 5.7 rebounds at D1 Loyola, Ill.) and junior guard Michaela Barry (12.6 ppg at Hastings in 2014-15).This is a Homecoming of sorts for Barry as she was a Wildcat during the 2013-14 season.

UNK returns home on Wednesday, November 15th, to face Omaha's Grace University Royals.