Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team returns from a 20 day break when it hosts the York College Panthers Friday evening.
The game tips at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by the Loper men's game against Benedictine College (Kans.). Check the
women's schedule page for media links; there'll be no local radio coverage for either of these contests.
The Lopers (3-8) and Panthers (0-14) have met only once before in women's basketball. UNK downed York, 80-56, midway through the 2009-10 year.
This Panthers squad, members of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conf. (KCAC), haven't played since a 79-67 setback at Oklahoma Wesleyan on December 13th. This contest is considered an exhibition for York and will not count on its record.
A deep team has seen 12 different players appear in 11 games with five averaging between 5.0-7.6 points per game. A pair of 5-5 guards, junior Justine Manjarrez (7.6) and senior Jacqueline Esquivel (7.4), pace the offense.
Manjarrez has made 29 of York's 80 threes and shoots 93% (14 of 15) at the line while Esquivel has sunk a team-best 26 free throws and is second in steals with 15.
Having a minus eight rebounding margin, York is led on the glass by 5-7 guard Greer Kleber (4.4). She has grabbed 20 o-boards and also is tied for third in scoring at 6.9 points per game; the Panthers average 55.4 points a night.
UNK will look to stop a three-game losing streak before beginning MIAA play next week against Southwest Baptist and Central Missouri.
Junior guard
Michaela Barry (Norfolk Catholic) continues to lead the Lopers, ranking first in points (12.8), threes (21) and free throws (20) made and steals (15) while being second in assists (20) and third in rebounding (3.6).
She is one of seven Lopers to have appeared in all 11 games and joins senior point guard
Alexa Hogberg (Chandler, Ariz.) as UNK players with 11 starts. Hogberg (team-best 4.3 assists per game) needs two made threes to move into 10th place on UNK's all-time list. She has sunk 88 threes; Angie Osborn made 89 between 1993-1995 to currently rank 10th.
Later in January, Hogberg (327) will break Tami Tully's school record for assists in a career (373). The record breaking dime may come the weekend of January 26-28 when UNK hosts Lincoln and Lindenwood.
Finally for Kearney, the Lopers are 3-3 at home after posting a 9-5 mark in the Health & Sports Center last year.
