Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney men's basketball team heads South this weekend to face the Pittsburg State Gorillas and Missouri Southern State Lions.

The league standings currently has MSSU tied for sixth (.491), the Gorillas eighth (.464) and UNK ninth (.391). Due to the COVID pandemic the MIAA is using a point system, not league record, to determine standings this season. The postseason league tourney will have anywhere between eight and 10 teams. 

Those not in attendance can catch the action via The MIAA Network or on KRVN radio (93.1 FM/106.9 FM). Live stats are available as well. 

Pitt, with three Division I transfers, has a roster with five players standing at least 6-6. That group is led by 6-7, 225-pound graduate student Bobby Arthur-Williams Jr. (15.0 points & 7.3 rebounds). The Wisconsin-Milwaukee transfer shoots 51% from the field and attempts nearly almost eight free throws nightly.

The Gorillas (5-6) are 3-2 at home and coming off road losses to Emporia State and Washburn. Pitt has made 174 free throws to date while its opponents have sunk 173. Finally, the Gorillas and its opponents have each grabbed 390 rebounds.

Last year UNK posted an 81-80 overtime victory over Pitt to grab a 31-10 all-time series lead. Current post Antonio Givens II (6-9, 260 pounds) came off the bench to have 22 points and eight boards to lead the Gorillas.

Missouri Southern is led by All-American post Cam Martin. The former Jacksonville (Ala.) State Gamecock is at 25.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 55% from the field and 72% at the line. He got closer to a triple double (26 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists) in an 89-77 win over UNK last winter. The Lopers still lead the all-time series, 25-14.  

That Lions team went 2308 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament but graduation hit the program hard. MSSU is 5-5 to date, has a minus 3.1 turnover martin and is allowing 79 points every outing. Besides Martin, Oakland (Mich.) University transfer Stan Scott is at 12.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. He is one of five D1 transfers on the roster.

Both Pitt and Mo Southern will have redshirt sophomore Myles Arnold (Fontana, Calif.) in their scouting repots. He came off the bench last weekend to tally a combined 39 points against nationally-ranked Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri. The guard is now shooting 57% from the field to rank fifth on the team with a 6.6 scoring average.

UNK has sunk at least seven threes in each of its last five games with Alliance post Austin Luger (20) and Utah guard Jake Walker (18) combining for 38 of the teams 83 makes. Finally, all 11 Loper games have been decided by 12 points or less; 20 of the team's 29 games last winter were decided by the same margin. The last time the Lopers played a game with a bigger margin of victory or defeat was an 85-72 home win over Newman on February 8, 2020.

The Lopers have just one game next week, a Saturday date at rival Fort Hays State.