Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team looks to get back on track when it hosts the Central Oklahoma Bronchos and Newman Jets this weekend at the Health & Sports Center.

UNK (12-8, 6-5) is currently in sixth place in the MIAA with UCO (7-15, 4-9) sitting 12th and NU (8-14, 2-11) 14th. Check the Loper schedule page for tip times and media links. Later this month Kearney will visit Edmond and Wichita for round two with the 'Chos and Jets.

The Lopers enter the week still among the league leaders in turnover margin (+2.9), assists per game (16.1) and threes allowed (6.9 per game). Individually Bellevue senior AJ Jackson is first in the field goal percentage (61.0) with Kansas senior Morgan Soucie fourth (53.3) in that category.

Both Jackson (13.6 ppg) and Soucie (16.4) are having banner senior seasons. Jackson now ranks 17^th in NCAA Division II in field goal percentage and is coming off a career-high 23 point effort at rival Fort Hays State. He's been in double digits in nine straight games and could challenge the single season field goal percentage record (.624; Nick Svehla/1999-00).

Soucie, with two 30-point efforts to date, ranks in the MIAA top 12 in scoring, field goal pct., free throw attempts (81) and minutes per game (31.9). He is tied for the team lead in rebounds (115), assists (55) and blocks (10) while ranking third in steals (20).

On the other side of the court Central Oklahoma is on a six-game skid and has lost seven of eight. They are coming off an 84-79 loss at No. 1 Northwest Missouri State to fall to 3-11 in games decided by 10 points or less. Maintaining a minus 2.4 turnover margin and shooting 45% from the field, UCO has two in double figures in 6-5 junior wing Dashawn McDowell (11.6) and 6-8 sophomore forward Camryn Givens (11.3). A transfer from Division I Seattle, McDowell shots 49% from the field and 73% at the line with Givens pulling down a team-best 5.8 boards a night. UCO swept the season series last year to lead the all-time series by a healthy 13-4 margin.
 
This will be first-ever meeting in men's basketball between and Newman, formerly of the Heartland Conference. NU has dropped three in a row and seven of eight heading into a road game at Fort Hays Thursday night.
 
A 19-player roster features 11 transfers including three from Division I. The Jets average 73 points a night and are plus 3.4 on the glass but also have a -0.6 turnover margin and allow its opponents to shoot 46% from the field.
 
Six-five senior wing Marshawn Blackmon, formerly of Eastern Illinois, is at a team-best 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He also has 41 assists, 27 steals and shoots 49% from the floor. Next 6-7 junior DeAndre Johnson (12.5 points & 7.3 rebounds) is close to a double double as well with 6-3 senior wing Juwan Davenport (11.4 ppg) at a team-best 29 threes.
 
The Lopers head to Jefferson City (Lincoln) and Warrensburg (Central Missouri) next weekend.