Skip To Main Content

University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Chase Winchester
Paul Pack
62
Winner Nebraska-Kearney UNK 9-5,3-2 MIAA
58
Rogers State RSU 11-4,3-3 MIAA
Winner
Nebraska-Kearney UNK
9-5,3-2 MIAA
62
Final
58
Rogers State RSU
11-4,3-3 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Nebraska-Kearney UNK 25 37 62
Rogers State RSU 31 27 58

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Kardiac Kids Pull Out Another One, 62-58

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team closed on a 31-18 run to upset Rogers State, 62-58, Thursday night in Claremore, Okla.

The Lopers (9-5, 3-2) improve to 6-3 in games decided by 10 points or less while the Hillcats (11-4, 3-3), an MIAA newcomer, lose a third straight game and drop its first home contest in seven tries.

UNK ground out another one against a squad picked to finish in the top half of the league and that came in averaging 79 points per game. The Lopers slowed the pace down, took advantage of 24 turnovers and made some plays down the stretch to win a another close ballgame.

"Anytime you win one on the road it feels like two. I'm unbelievable proud of our team … they competed their backsides off," said UNK head coach Kevin Lofton. "We talk about being tough and gritty and they were that tonight. We talk about playing hard on the defensive end and we did that tonight."

Down 40-31 with 14 minutes to play, the Blue & Gold used a 17-6 spurt to not only erase its biggest deficit of the night but also grab the lead back. A bucket by Utah junior guard Jake Walker made it 48-46 at the 6:09 mark and then the two teams traded blows the rest of the way.

"I told our guys this was like a boxing match. We wanted to go inside and deliver body punches and then smother them down the stretch. We didn't want them to get away from us and then hope they might make a mistake at the end," Lofton said.

Kansas senior forward Morgan Soucie drained two free throws with just over two minutes remaining to cut into a 55-52 deficit. After RSU missed a decent look from three point land, Soucie sunk his 11th career three to give the Lopers the lead for good.

"Morgan hung in there. They were really packing it in but he hit three big ones (jump shots). They were kind of daring him and AJ (Jackson) to shoot from the elbow," Lofton said. "When he hit the first one you could see him relax and the pressure was off."

While the 'Cats tied things up at 57, a Loper team offensive rebound led to another Soucie bucket with 22 seconds remaining. Rogers had a chance to knot things up at 59 all but senior Marques Sumner, a 73% percent free throw shooter, missed the first of two freebies. UNK closed things out by going 3 of 4 at the line over the final three seconds.

Soucie warmed up to tally a team-best 19 points thanks to six buckets and a 6 of 6 effort at the line. Next, Bellevue senior forward AJ Jackson also made six shots to tally 14 with Walker at 14 thanks to, guess what, six made field goals. Finally Texas senior point guard Chase Winchester supplied five points, two assists, two boards and a steal before fouling out late.

Plus eight on the glass and out shooting UNK by a 52-43% margin, RSU was led by 6-8, 260 pound Oral Roberts transfer Christopher Miller (16) and senior guard Tavian Davis (10) who combined for 26 points on a combined 12 of 19 shooting.

The Lopers head to Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon. The RiverHawks (10-5, 3-3) downed Fort Hays State tonight, 76-70.
 
Print Friendly Version