Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team finishes up a three-game road swing with a Saturday afternoon tilt at longtime rival Fort Hays State.

The 133rd all-time meeting between the two tips at 4 p.m. from Gross Memorial Coliseum. UNK (12-7, 6-4) currently is in fifth place tie in the MIAA standings with the Tigers (8-11, 1-9) bringing up the rear. They are coming off a 90-49 win over Kansas Wesleyan on Tuesday night.

Back in early December UNK posted a 74-60 win over Hays as it shot 62% (18 of 29) in the second half and 53% overall. Both clubs had four score in double figures with the Lopers sinking eight threes and the Tigers missing seven of 21 free throws. FHSU still holds a health 80-52 all-time series lead.

Currently second in the MIAA in turnover margin (+3.0), assists per game (16.3) and steals per game (7.6), the Lopers are 3-5 on the road this winter and are aiming to sweep the Tigers for the first time since 2016-17.

There's a good chance the contest will go down to the wire and be decided in the final five minutes. An incredible seventy-one percent of UNK's games since the start of the 2017-18 season have been decided by 10 points or less. The Blue & Gold is batting just above .500 (28-27) in those games with the mark being 7-5 to date this year.

Individually Bellevue senior forward AJ Jackson continues to lead the MIAA in field goal percentage (61.0). The school record (175-299 attempts) for a single season is held by All-American Nick Svehla in 1999-00 (62.4). Jackson is at an even 13.0 points per game while also third on the team in board work (4.1) and second in swats (nine).

Next Iowa senior forward Kyle Juhl needs to make two threes to reach 155 for his career. That'll place him on UNK's all-time top 10 list and just behind fellow Western Iowa product Trey Lansman (165/2015-18). Juhl has been in double figures in three of the last four games to push his career point total to 733, most on the team.

Finally Kansas senior forward Morgan Soucie is seventh in the conference in scoring (16.5) after a 34 point outburst last Saturday at Missouri Western State. He also ranks among the MIAA leaders in four other categories including minutes (31.9).

UNK hosts Central Oklahoma and league newcomer Newman next week.