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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Cedric Johnson
Corbey R. Dorsey
85
Winner Neb.-Kearney UNK 5-7, 5-7 MIAA
75
Pittsburg State PSU 5-7, 5-7 MIAA
Winner
Neb.-Kearney UNK
5-7, 5-7 MIAA
85
Final
75
Pittsburg State PSU
5-7, 5-7 MIAA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Neb.-Kearney UNK 34 51 85
Pittsburg State PSU 27 48 75

Next Game:

at Missouri Southern

1/23/2021 | 3:30 p.m.

River 93.1 KRVN FM & 106.9 FM

Next Game

Full Schedule
Jan. 23 (Sat) / 3:30 p.m.
at Missouri Southern
History

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Career Nights for Johnson & Walker Equal Another Road W

Kearney, Neb. – Senior guard Jake Walker tallied a career-high 30 points, 22 coming in the second half, and Nebraska-Kearney sunk a season-best 12 three pointers to beat Pittsburg State, 85-75, Thursday night in Kansas.

The Lopers (5-7) win for the third time in four outings and avenge a 2020 MIAA Tournament loss to the Gorillas (5-7). UNK also wins at Pitt State for the third straight time.

"I want to congratulate our women's basketball team. They got one heck of a year going and are fun to watch. They are building momentum and I think they can make a deep run," UNK head coach Kevin Lofton said on the KRVN Radio postgame show. "Our guys watch them and are raising their level."

The Gorillas are a taller and bigger team than the Lopers. However, Alliance senior forward Austin Luger worked around a bum wheel to go almost all 40 minutes with the other Loper posts managing to get around foul trouble. UNK, going to a 2-3 zone once again, was plus 10 on the glass and finished 12 of 25 from behind the arc. Pitt countered with its own zone that the Lopers eventually carved up.

"The first 11 games didn't go quite as we had hoped. But of late we're playing better basketball," Lofton said. "Austin showed great grit and has been our backbone."

Having four starters score in double figures, the Lopers led the entire way. Up 34-27 at the break, the lead zoomed to 47-31 after a Luger layup.  Pitt, of course, had a run in them and they got the deficit to four, 59-55, by the 9:08 mark. But that's when Walker (Centerville, Utah) went nuclear, hitting three bombs in less than two minutes to get the lead back into double digits. Pitt didn't get closer than nine the rest of the way with January hero Myles Arnold (Fontana, Calif.) hitting another three for good measure.

"Talent wise night in and night our we're up against it and that's fine. That's where the grit has to come in and you have to play for each other," Lofton said. "I didn't think we'd get that much out of the zone but we needed it. We have been working hard at it."

Among the MIAA three point leaders a year ago, Walker was 12 of 23 (6 of 14 threes) from the field while also having five boards, four assists, and two steals in 30 minutes. His previous career-high of 25 points was achieved in three different games. All six of Walker's treys came in the second half, pushing his UNK career total to 98. 

"When he's shooting it like that … if you like it, I love it," Lofton said. "He shot it well. They went to their zone and we knew they would because they had success with it last year down in Kansas City. We didn't have an answer then but we attacked it pretty well tonight."

Next, Bellevue redshirt sophomore Cedric Johnson tallied a career-high 18 by making six shots and three free throws. He also had a career-best nine rebounds and three assists over 35 minutes. Finally, Arnold (16 points, five rebounds, and three dimes) remained hot, Luger provided 11 points and Utah junior Darrian Nebeker (eight points & seven boards) was strong off the pine.

"We're building. Central Missouri it started … went home and played well against Missouri Western and had a decent showing against Northwest Missouri," Lofton said. 

Pitt got a combined 30 points from starters Ryan Pippins and Quentin Hardrict Jr.

UNK heads to Missouri Southern State on Saturday. The Lions (5-6) fell to Fort Hays State tonight in overtime, 102-94. 

 
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Players Mentioned

Cedric Johnson

#24 Cedric Johnson

G
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
Austin Luger

#30 Austin Luger

F
6' 8"
Junior
Jake Walker

#23 Jake Walker

G
6' 2"
Junior
Myles Arnold

#3 Myles Arnold

G
6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
Darrian Nebeker

#5 Darrian Nebeker

F
6' 6"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Cedric Johnson

#24 Cedric Johnson

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
G
Austin Luger

#30 Austin Luger

6' 8"
Junior
F
Jake Walker

#23 Jake Walker

6' 2"
Junior
G
Myles Arnold

#3 Myles Arnold

6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
G
Darrian Nebeker

#5 Darrian Nebeker

6' 6"
Junior
F