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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Cedric Johnson
Corbey R. Dorsey
72
Newman NEWMAN 8-16,2-12 MIAA
85
Winner Neb.-Kearney UNKMBB 14-8,8-5 MIAA
Newman NEWMAN
8-16,2-12 MIAA
72
Final
85
Neb.-Kearney UNKMBB
14-8,8-5 MIAA
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Newman NEWMAN 34 38 72
Neb.-Kearney UNKMBB 40 45 85

Next Game:

at Lincoln U.

2/13/2020 | 7:30 p.m.

The River 93.1 KRVN FM

Next Game

Full Schedule
Feb. 13 (Thu) / 7:30 p.m.
at Lincoln U.
History

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Lopers Shoot Past the Jets, 85-72

Kearney, Neb. – Junior guard Jake Walker scored a season-high 25 points to help Nebraska-Kearney hold off Newman, 85-72, Saturday evening at the Health & Sports Center.

This was the first-ever meeting between the Lopers (14-8, 8-5) and Jets (8-16, 2-13). The rematch is set for later this month in Wichita.

To send NU to its first straight loss UNK shot a season-best 55.9 percent (33 of 59) from the field which included an 11 of 20 effort from behind the arc. The Lopers led for 34:28 and by as many as 16 points. Jake Walker

However the Jets hung around thanks to the play of three Division I transfers in Juwan Davenport (Coppin State, Md.), Marshawn Blackmon (Eastern Illinois) and Kaleb Allison (Mississippi Valley State). Cranking up the pressure on both ends of the court midway through the second half NU got the deficit down to seven, 68-61, with 4:52 to play. An 11-3 spurt was capped by Blackmon put-back.

Like it has much of the season, UNK responded as Iowa senior Kyle Juhl made two free throws, Walker (Centerville, Utah) hit a jumper and Bellevue junior AJ Jackson scored inside. That got the back to 10 points and then Walker nailed the door shot with his seventh and final triple of the game.

"Shooting the ball helped us. Second half it really opened up for us … Kyle hit a couple and obviously Jake got it going. It always helps when you put the ball in the basket," UNK head coach Kevin Lofton said. "Defensively we played well enough to stretch it to a pretty good lead. They made some plays and fought their way back into it, mainly from the foul line. That means we have to defend without fouling."

In double figures for the 15th time this winter Walker was 9 of 15 from the floor (7 of 11 threes) to surpass the 23 points he tallied in a loss to nationally-ranked Missouri Southern State. Seventeen of his points came and five of his treys came after the break

Three others starters were in double figures in Kansas senior Morgan Soucie (16), Jackson (14) and Juhl (10). Soucie added five assists and Jackson had five rebounds with Juhl having all of his points in the second half.

"We kept our composure (late). We executed well against their press which is something I was glad to see. Teams tend to press us at times and when you handled it like we did today, breaking it and scoring on the other end, it makes it a little bit harder for them to stay in that (defense)," Lofton said. "We got some momentum back so hopefully now we can go out on the road and have some success."

Off the bench Bellevue redshirt freshman lefty Cedric Johnson had his best game to date; seven points, seven rebounds, six assists, one steal and no turnovers.

For the Jets Blackmom had a double double (21 points & 10 rebounds), Davenport was hot early to tally 18 with Allison having 11 of his 14 in the second half. NU finished the night just 2 of 13 from the three-point line and 16 of 26 from the line.

UNK heads to Lincoln (Thurs.) and Central Missouri (Sat.) next week.
 
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Players Mentioned

AJ Jackson

#5 AJ Jackson

F
6' 5"
Senior
Cedric Johnson

#24 Cedric Johnson

G
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
Kyle Juhl

#32 Kyle Juhl

F
6' 5"
Senior
Morgan Soucie

#15 Morgan Soucie

F
6' 5"
Redshirt Senior
Jake Walker

#23 Jake Walker

G
6' 2"
Junior

Players Mentioned

AJ Jackson

#5 AJ Jackson

6' 5"
Senior
F
Cedric Johnson

#24 Cedric Johnson

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
G
Kyle Juhl

#32 Kyle Juhl

6' 5"
Senior
F
Morgan Soucie

#15 Morgan Soucie

6' 5"
Redshirt Senior
F
Jake Walker

#23 Jake Walker

6' 2"
Junior
G