Kearney, Neb. – It'll be a battle of nationally-ranked teams when the Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team squares off against the Fort Hays State Tigers Saturday afternoon in Gross Memorial Coliseum.

The Lopers (19-2, 8-2), in second place in the MIAA standings, are 31st in the Division II Sports Information Directors of America poll with Hays (16-3 7-3), in a three-way tie for fourth in the league, currently 16th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll. Tip time is set for 2 p.m. with this being the 94th all-time meeting between the two.

UNK, one of only four teams to win in Gross since the start of the 2015-16 season, downed the Tigers back in early December by a 73-65 count. The Lopers won the fourth quarter 30-14 and got 20 bench points on the night. South Dakota sophomore Klaire Kirsch posted a double double (16 rebounds, 12 points) with two others scoring in double figures. Finally Kearney sunk 11 threes with Hays just 3 of 16 from behind the arc.

The Tigers, coming off a 70-59 win at Northwest Missouri State, is now minus 6-3 senior wing Lanie Page (8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds & 2.1 assists per game) who suffered a season-ending injury in the 10th game of the year. They are 8-1 without her in the lineup.

Allowing just 56 points a night, Hays is led by 6-0 senior guard Kacey Kennett (12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 1.6 assists), 5-8 junior guard Jaden Hobbs (11.6 points, 4.6 assists, 1.8 rebounds) and 6-0 senior forward Belle Barbieri (10.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 steals). They combined for 43 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and four steals in the setback to the Lopers.

Riding a seven-game win streak UNK enters the weekend needing just two made treys to set a new school-record. The 2001-02 Lopers, who went 27-3 in reaching the NCAA Tournament, sunk 195 to set the school standard. UNK is currently 194/527 (36.8 pct.) from downtown to rank 12th in the nation in made triples per game (9.5).
 
Individually Elkhorn sophomore post Brooke Carlson (38 points, 20 rebounds, five assists) and Iowa freshman Madison Dreckman (25 points, seven rebounds) played well last week in wins at Northwest and Missouri Western. Carlson (10.7) is now one of three Lopers averaging double figures on the year with Dreckman at a team-best 55.7% from the field.
 
The Lopers return home next week to face Central Oklahoma and MIAA newbie Newman.