Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team hopes to remain unbeaten at home when it hosts Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western State this weekend.

The Lopers (12-3, 4-3), currently tied for sixth place in the MIAA, are 7-0 in the Health & Sports Center for the first time since 2007-08. UNK plays eight of its last 12 regular season games on the Buckle Court.

Northwest (1-15, 0-8) stops by Thursday night and Mo West (10-7, 3-5) on Saturday afternoon. Check the Loper schedule page for tip times and media links.

Coming off a 78-64 road win at Fort Hays State last Saturday, the Lopers have now won four of its last five games. A solid 3-3 in true road contests, UNK swept perennial MIAA power Pittsburg State, 97-95 (OT), and Missouri Southern State, 72-67 (OT), at home way back in late November and early December. 

The Bearcats come in having not visited Kearney in 1,469 days. Back on January 9, 2014, "Wrecking Ball" was on the Top 40, "Lone Survivor" was in theaters and the Seattle Seahawks were about to win its first Super Bowl. More currently, Northwest has lost 13 in a row since a mid-November win over Peru State.

UNK fell two years ago in Maryville, 62-32, but avenged that performance last year, 69-64. Senior guard Michaela Barry (Battle Creek) had 21 points in that victory and is 14 shy of 1,200 for her career.  

Senior McKenzie Brown (G.I. Northwest), the only Loper to have played against NW at home, has vaulted up to 20th on UNK's all-time scoring list (1,139). She also needs nine more threes to past Taryn Ninemire (2002-04) for second place on that all-time list. Currently, Brown has 215 made triples.

Brown had nine points and four boards in UNK's 82-76 win over then-No.5 Missouri Western back in January 2016. The Griffons avenged that loss in the MIAA Tournament quarters, 64-53, and also beat the Lopers last year in St. Joe, 55-51. MWSU last came to Kearney in January 2015. 

This Griffs team has lost back-to-back overtime contests at home to nationally-ranked Central Missouri and Southwest Baptist. They have a rare three-game week as they played SBU Monday and are at Ft. Hays on Thursday.

Kearney heads back out on the road next week when it travels to Lindenwood (Thursday) and Lincoln (Saturday). Those are the only meetings with the Lions and Blue Tigers this year.
 
Northwest Missouri State U. Bearcats
2017-18 Record: 1-15 (0-8)

2017-18 Notable Results: Beat Peru State, 84-69

Player to Watch: 5-10 senior forward Tanya Meyer (14.2 points & 8.9 rebounds per game)

Team Numbers: 60.8 points per game, - 13.3 scoring margin, - 3.9 rebounding margin, - 3.2 turnover margin, 37% from the field
 
Missouri Western State U. Griffons
2017-18 Record: 10-7 (3-5)

2017-18 Notable Results: Beat No. 19 Central Oklahoma, 71-59;  Lost to No. 10 Central Missouri, 70-48, and 80-76 (OT)

Players to Watch: 5-9 junior guard Brittany Atkins (13.7 points, 2.3 rebounds & 1.8 assists per game) and 5-4 junior guard Melia Richardson (11.2 points and 3.6 assists per game)

Team Numbers: 68.8 points per game, + 6.6 scoring margin, + 2.7 rebounding margin, +5.8 turnover margin, 73% at the line, MIAA-best 19.8 forced turnover per game