Kearney, Neb. – With a fourth straight win over rival Fort Hays State, the Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team can go a long way in securing one of the top four seeds in next week's MIAA Tournament.

The 127th all-time meeting between the Lopers (18-8, 11-6) and Tigers (16-9, 10-7) will be Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Check the schedule page for media links.

UNK is currently tied with Central Missouri for second place in the MIAA. Three teams, including Hays, are a game back with three others two off the pace. After the regular season ends, and tie breakers likely enforced, the top four teams will receive a first round tourney bye and advance to Kansas City.

While the Lopers have beaten the Tigers the past three times, they came either at home or on a neutral court. UNK hasn't won in Gross Memorial Coliseum since December 2006, a stretch of six straight defeats. The last three L's, however, came by 26 combined points.

Back in January, the Lopers beat the Tigers 86-69 as junior forward Trey Lansman had a double double (15 points & 12 rebounds) and fellow Harlan (Ia.) native Kyle Juhl made 5 of 6 three point shots to score a season-best 17.

Hays got 26 points from its star, senior guard Rob Davis. He has a 21.9 season average and had efforts of 42 (at Emporia State) and 29 (at Colorado) points, respectively, this year.

The only other Tiger in double digits is junior forward Hadley Gillum (12.8). As a team, Hays hasn't cracked the 80-point mark since mid-December; UNK is averaging 80.7 points per night, third highest in the MIAA.

Trying to get to 5-5 in true road games, Kearney likely will be involved in another close call this week or next. They've now played five games in a row that were decided by 10 points or less. On the year, the Lopers are 9-5 in such contests.

On Saturday, the regular season concludes at Southwest Baptist. The Bearcats (14-12, 7-10) host the Tigers Thursday night