Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team will try and become the ninth Loper squad to reach 25 wins when it hosts Northeastern State and Rogers State this weekend at the Health & Sports Center.

These are the final home games of the 2019-20 season. No. 31/26 UNK (23-3, 12-3) heads to Newman and Central Oklahoma next weekend to finish up the regular season with the MIAA and NCAA Tournaments set for March.

UNK is currently tied with Emporia State (19-5) for second place in the MIAA, both 2.5 games behind leader Central Missouri (21-4, 15-1). The top 10 teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the league tourney, set for March 4-8 at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium.

Last month in Oklahoma the Lopers downed both NSU (5-18, 3-13) and RSU (4-21, 2-14). Visit the women's basketball schedule page for tip times and media links.

Currently 12-1 on the Buckle Court, UNK will not have a "Senior Night" on Saturday as the entire roster is set to return in 2020-21. The young Lopers, soon to be listed in the all-important NCAA Region Rankings, currently pace the MIAA in nine categories. They include field goal percentage (46.3), free throw attempts (19.5 per game) and rebounds (40.5 per game).

Individually sophomore guard Klaire Kirsch is now up to an even 8.0 rebounds a night, thanks to having a double digit total in three of the last four games. Her total of 207 puts her well within reach of the UNK all-time top 10 effort for a single season; each member of the last list is at true post. In the lane Elkhorn sophomore Brooke Carlson has reached double figures in eight straight contests, the longest such streak by a Loper this year. She is now shooting 53.6 percent from the field and averaging 11.7 points per game.

NSU is on a six-game losing streak and is 0-8 away from Tahlequah this season. Averaging 60.1 points per game, Northeastern shoots 40% from the field but 74% at the line.
 
Having a minus 6.7 rebounding margin, the 'Hawks are led by a pair of 5-9 junior guards in Cenia Hayes (15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals per game) and Shae Sanchez (12.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists per game). Hayes has made 54 3's with Sanchez sinking 33; they pair also both shoot over 77% at the line.

UNK had 21-point second and third quarters to win in Tahlequah last month, 69-46. Sanchez came off the bench to score 22 as she made 10 of 19 shots (1 of 7 threes).
 
Rogers, with 10 players listed on its roster, is 0-11 on the road heading into a Thursday game at Fort Hays State. No player averages double digits but eight are between 5.0 and 8.9. Scoring 62 a night, RSU has a -8.5 rebounding margin and a -1.2 turnover margin. The 'Cats do average six made triples a night.

Five-eight sophomore guard Vanessa Gajdosova, from Slovakia, has started all 25 games and comes in at 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Five-eight senior guard Alicia Brown has a team-best 8.9 scoring average.  UNK downed RSU in Claremore, 79-47, in January as they made 12 3's and took advantage of 21 turnovers.

Winningest Teams in UNK History
1. 28      1996-97
2. 27      2000-01
    27      2007-08
4. 26      1995-96
    26      1997-98
    26      1998-99
7. 25      2002-03
    25      2003-04
-- 23      2019-20