Kearney, Neb. – Riding its second five-game win streak this season the Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball heads back out on the road this weekend to face Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western State.
 
The Lopers (17-2, 6-2) are tied with nationally-ranked Fort Hays State for third place in the MIAA standings. Those two squads meet next Saturday in Kansas, the only game for each that week. Right above these two are Central Missouri (13-3, 7-0) and Central Oklahoma (14-3, 8-1).
 
This is the only meeting with both Northwest (8-8, 3-4) and Mo West (13-3, 5-2) this season. Check the women's basketball schedule page for tip times and media links. 
 
UNK is 4-1 away from the Health & Sports Center and currently is among the national leaders in several categories including assists per game (18.9), threes made per game (9.9) and scoring offense (80.7). The Lopers also are already close to a school record as the need just 15 more triples to break the mark of 295, set back during the 2001-02 season (30 games).
 
A still balanced attack features nine players between 5.6-11.9 points per game with five of those pulling down at least 3.0 rebounds a night. UNK also has had nine players appear in all 19 games with each logging at least 13 minutes.
 
Northwest is 4-2 at home after a 71-53 setback to Missouri Western last week. That was NW's third straight loss. Third in the MIAA in scoring defense (54.8) and tied for 13th in scoring offense (60.6), the 'Cats are the best free throw shooting team in the conference at 82.3%. UNK is 11th in the league in that area (63.9).
 
Having a minus 6.1 rebounding margin they are led by 5-6 senior Kenedy Eaton (14.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game) and 5-9 junior guard Mallory McConkey (10.7 points & 2.4 rebounds per game). McConkey missed the first seven games of the year which included to contests in Kearney. The 'Cats won last year's lone matchup, 74-62, to grab a 7-6 all-time series lead over the Lopers.

MWSU first-year head coach Candi Whitaker, formerly the head coach at Texas Tech and Division I Missouri-Kansas City, has a new-look roster that is off to a 13-3 start. The Griffs are 8-0 at home, heading into a Thursday tilt with Hays, are 4-2 on the road and 1-1 at neutral sties.
 
Second in the MIAA in field goal percentage defense (36.3) and rebounding margin (+6.6), MWSU has three starters averaging in double figures. The top two are 5-10 senior forward Chris Wilson (15.1) and 6-0 junior forward Corbyn Cunningham (14.9). Wilson almost averaged a double double (13.2 & 8.7) last year at D2 Flagler (Fla.) with Cunningham coming in from Howard (Texas) J.C. Both shoot well over 50% from the field and combine for nearly 16 rebounds a night. Note Wilson missed the last game with injury.

MWSU leads the all-time series 24-17 that includes a 55-47 decision in the 2019 MIAA Tournament. The Griffs also beat UNK in the 2018 MIAA tourney, 60-57, a game held on Buckle Court.