Kearney, Neb. – Having won three of its last four games, the Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team hopes to remain hot when it heads to Washburn and 12th-ranked Emporia State this weekend.

Back in December, the Ichboads, 57-48, and Hornets, 75-50, both beat the Lopers (7-12, 3-8) in the Health & Sports Center.

Currently tied for 10th place in the MIAA standings, UNK faces Washburn Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and the powerful Hornets Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Note the tip time at E-State was pushed back two hours from the original schedule; check the Loper schedule page for media links.

Not surprisingly, in its last three wins, UNK is averaging 69.3 points per game with 10 made three pointers a night. In its last three losses, the Lopers are at 53.3 points per game with 10 total made triples.

Assisting on many of those made buckets was senior point guard Alexa Hogberg (Chandler, Ariz.). Now starting for a third straight season, she needs just 11 more assists to break Tami Tully's career record of 373. Tully achieved that total in the mid-1990's.

Kearney also has three players with over 800 points in their careers. Junior wing McKenzie Brown (830) and Hogberg (816) are among the top 35 scorers in Loper lore with junior Michalea Barry (811) having amassed her total at Wayne State, Hastings College and UNK.

Thanks to the recent hot streak, Barry (15.0) and Brown (11.7) account for 41% of the Loper offense as the duo has combined to make 80 shots from behind the arc. Brown, with 165 career made treys, has a chance at breaking Beth Swift's school record of 247, set in the early 2000's.

It'll be tough to make shots against the Ichabods (13-7, 6-5) and Hornets (17-3, 8-3) as both clubs are among the MIAA leaders in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.

Currently sporting an 8-3 record in Topeka, the 'Bods are 6-4 since beating UNK back on December. Ranked sixth in the MIAA in scoring defense (59.4), Washburn no longer has the services of post player Felisha Gibbs (7.9 points & 5.4 rebounds per game). She had a team-best nine boards in the win over UNK.
 
A balanced attack has three players between 10.4-11.4 points per game, led by 6-2 senior post Alyxis Bowens. She is shooting 59% percent from the field and also leads Washburn in rebounds (7.0) and blocks (31). Bowens played just 13 minutes against UNK in the first meeting, finishing with five points, three boards and two blocks.

Senior guard Jharian Bowen (11.1 ppg on a team-best 41 3's) leads on the perimeter.
 
UNK has played well in Lee Arena, falling 68-61 in OT (2014-15) and winning 61-53 (2013-14). The Lopers didn't play in Topeka last winter.
 
The Hornets are 11-0 at home heading into Wednesday's game against Fort Hays State. Emporia has lost three games of late but they came by a total of 14 points.
 
Star guard Kelly Moten is at 18.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 45% from the field and 82% at the line. She has made 25 three pointers and has gone over 25 points five times.
 
Ranked second in field goal percentage defense (35.9) in the MIAA, the Hornets also have a healthy plus 14.7 rebounding margin. Six-one redshirt senior Kathryn Flott (9.4) is the leader with four others over 4.0 per game.
 
In a 75-50 win over UNK back in December, Emporia held the Lopers to six points in the second quarter to lead 35-16 at the break. Five players scored in double figures with 6-1 sophomore reserve post Shelby Baker (5.1 ppg) going 6 of 6 from the field.

UNK hosts Northeastern State and No. 8 Central Oklahoma next weekend. Those are the team's final home games of the 2016-17 season.