Box Score Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team used a 31 point fourth quarter to pull away from the Lincoln Blue Tigers, 75-49, Thursday night on the Buckle Court at the Health & Sports Center.
 
With the win, UNK (13-12, 9-10) stops a two-game losing streak while Lincoln (8-17, 4-15) drops a fourth straight. The Lopers are now tied with Southwest Baptist for eighth place in the league standings with three games left to play.
 
Back in December, Kearney easily defeated LU, 69-36. In that game, the Lopers had a plus 30 rebounding margin and held the Blue Tigers to 27% shooting.
 
Things were vastly different tonight for three quarters. Both teams were hovering around 30% from the field with Lincoln holding its own in the paint.
 
Down 29-20 at the half, Lincoln outscored UNK by three in the third quarter. A three from guard Sarah Neptune made it just a three point game, 40-37, with 11 minutes to go.
 
Two free throws from sophomore Courtney Aitken (Dannebrog) and a bucket inside from freshman Kennedy Sander (Lincoln Pius X) pushed the lead back to six, 44-38, and gave UNK the momentum heading into the final 10 minutes.
 
That's when the Lopers finally got hot, sinking 12 of 18 shots. Senior guard Laramey Becker (Trenton) tallied 10 of her game-high 20 points during this period as UNK scored the night's final 13 points.
 
"Laramey really got going in the fourth and was asking for the ball. She knew she could beat her defender off the dribble," said UNK head coach Carrie Hofstetter. "We really didn't have an (offensive) answer until Laramey and Bri (Starks) got going."
 
Four of UNK's five starters scored in double figures with the Lopers shooting 41% from the field. Kearney also had a plus 13 rebounding margin, leading to 18 second chance points.
 
"We had some really open looks and when those aren't falling, and you're not creating anything at the rim right away, you do get nervous," said Hofstetter. "You have to get a little creative and try some new ways to get the shots you want."
 
Becker was 4 of 6 from the floor in the fourth quarter to reach her point total while also having six rebounds, three steals and two assists. Next, junior point guard Alexa Hogberg was close to a double double (13 points & eight assists), as was Starks (13 points & seven rebounds).

Finally, sophomore guard McKenzie Brown made three of UNK's five triples to score 12. Off the bench, Sander had eight points and four rebounds in 16 minutes.
 
Forwards Zuri Hill and Jasmine Guthrie each scored 10 points for the Blue Tigers.
 
UNK hosts Lindenwood Saturday at 2:00 p.m. The Lions (7-18, 3-16) have lost 14 in a row after an 84-66 loss tonight at nationally-ranked Fort Hays State.