Kearney, Neb. – With a successful week, the Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team could finish as high as fifth in the final MIAA standings.

The Lopers (14-12, 10-10), having its highest win total since 2009, close the regular season with games at Central Oklahoma on Thursday night and Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon. Check the Loper schedule page for tip time and media links.

UNK is currently tied with UCO (16-10, 10-10) for seventh place in the standings. Fifth-place Washburn (15-11, 11-9) has road games at nationally-ranked Missouri Western State and Emporia State with sixth place Missouri Southern (17-10, 11-10) hosting rival and nationally-ranked Pittsburg State Saturday.

The Lopers haven't won in Edmond since joining the MIAA and have dropped three straight to the Bronchos. That includes a 73-65 setback back on January 14th.

In that game, senior guard McKenzie Solberg went for 27 points and seven rebounds. She came off the bench last March in the MIAA Tournament to score 26 in a 90-70 win over UNK. On the season, Solberg is at 15.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Riding a three-time losing streak and having a 7-4 home mark, UCO is the second best free throwing shooting team (77%) in the MIAA. They sunk 28 of 31 freebies to beat UNK in the Health & Sports Center.

Northeastern State (8-18, 5-15) is also in good position to make the MIAA tourney. Hosting nationally-ranked Fort Hays State Thursday, they are currently in 11th place in the standings.

Over the last five games, the RiverHawks have been minus top player MaryJane Buschmann (13.0 points & 5.3 rebounds), a 5-11 junior forward, due to injury.

Senior guard Kate Bellamy (10.3) is the other NSU player averaging in double digits. With Buschmann out, six-foot freshman guard Cailyn Long has increased her scoring, now at 9.2 for the season.

UNK has won four in a row over NSU, including this year's 82-49 victory in the H & S Center.

Bound for the MIAA tourney for a third straight winter, the Lopers are currently 6-6 in true road games. The '09 squad is the last (10-3) to have a winning road record for the season.

For most of the season, UNK has been atop of the MIAA in stopping the three point shot, currently second in made threes allowed per game (4.5). Over the last three contests, Loper opponents are 7 of 52 (13.4%) from behind the arc.

UNK also has been strong on the glass, having a plus 3.1 rebounding margin. Senior guard Laramey Becker (5.7) leads with five others between 3.3 and 5.1.

Offensively, Becker's current 17.35 scoring average would rank ninth in UNK history for a single season. Among the league leaders in field goal, free throw and three point shooting, she needs 49 more points to reach 500 for the season.

Only nine players have ever reached the 500 mark in a season, the last being guard Liz Fischer in 2008-09.

The MIAA Tournament pairings and bracket will be released Saturday evening after all games have been completed.