Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Six-two sophomore post Caylee Richardson scored 19 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to help Southwest Baptist beat Nebraska-Kearney, 65-62, Thursday night at the Health & Sports Center.
 
SBU is now 10-3 (2-2) while the Lopers fall to 4-9 (0-5).
 
UNK tallied just 22 points in the first half and trailed by 15 with 8:22 left in the third quarter. That's when the Lopers made its move, going on a 19-2 run over a five-minute span to lead 42-40.
 
The advantage grew to four, 55-51, after junior Michaela Barry (Battle Creek) nailed a three with 5:27 remaining. However, SBU closed the night on a 14-7 run that featured five points from Richardson. During this stretch, UNK was 1 of 8 from the field and 5 of 8 at the line.
 
"It takes a lot of energy to work back and just get even. We have to start better and not dig ourselves a hole," said UNK head coach Carrie Eighmey. "You have to put 40 minutes together to beat teams in the MIAA."
 
SBU grabbed 38 boards, shot 44 percent from the field and made 17 free throws. Getting 17 points from its bench, the 'Cats also went 2 of 9 from behind the arc. UNK finished at 37 percent shooting (6 of 23 threes) and went 12 of 18 at the line. Like on the glass, the teams had the same amount of turnovers (10).
 
"I thought we came out in the first half a little bit slow, a little big sluggish. They hit a couple of early threes and I think defensively we panicked a bit. We started isolating and chasing our man," said Eighmey. "We adjusted and our team defense was better in the second half but we dug ourselves a big enough hole it was a battle just to work our way back."
 
Barry (19) and senior point guard Alexa Hogberg (15) paced the Kearney offense as they combined to go 13 of 27 from the field. Before fouling out, Dannebrog senior wing Courtney Aitken went 4 of 4 from the floor to have 10 points and nine boards (four offensive).
 
Also for the Lopers, Alabama junior post Imani Kyser came off the pine to have seven points, seven rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes.
 
Richardson reached her point total by going 8 of 12 from the field and 3 of 6 at the line. Ten of her rebounds came at the defensive end and she also had two steals in 37 minutes.  SBU also got 11 points and four assists from its leading scorer on the season, Megan Rosenbohm.
 
UNK hosts Central Missouri Saturday afternoon. The Jennies (10-2, 3-1) saw a 10-game winning streak end tonight at Fort Hays State, 69-59.