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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Jake Walker & RJ Pair
Corbey R. Dorsey
68
Neb.-Kearney UNK 5-9,5-9 Mid-America Intercollegiate
79
Winner Fort Hays St. FHSU 5-8,5-8 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Neb.-Kearney UNK
5-9,5-9 Mid-America Intercollegiate
68
Final
79
Fort Hays St. FHSU
5-8,5-8 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Neb.-Kearney UNK 33 35 68
Fort Hays St. FHSU 35 44 79

Next Game:

Central Oklahoma

2/4/2021 | 7:30 p.m.

River 93.1 KRVN FM & 106.9 FM

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Full Schedule
Feb. 04 (Thu) / 7:30 p.m.
 Central Oklahoma
History

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Hays Hits 13 Threes to Pull Away from UNK

Kearney, Neb. – The Fort Hays State Tigers sunk a season-high 13 three pointers and got an unlikely performance from reserve Jordan Pumphrey to pull away from Nebraska-Kearney, 79-68, Saturday evening in Kansas.

This marks the fourth straight year the two longtime rivals split the season series, each winning on its home court. Hays is now 5-8 while UNK falls to 5-9.

The Lopers came in as one of the MIAA leaders in three-point percentage defense (28.6) with the Tigers averaging just 33 percent from the arc. However, those numbers went out the window as Hays stuck 13 of 26 treys including a 6 of 10 effort after the break. A dunk by redshirt freshman guard Kaleb Hammeke broke a 52-52 tie and started a 18-4 Hays run that featured two triples. UNK didn't get the deficit closer than nine after that five-minute explosion.

"In the first half we pretty much dominated but in the last five minutes they were able to come back and go in ahead two," UNK head coach Kevin Lofton said on the KRVN radio postgame show. "They jumped on us at the start of the second half but we fought back. At about the 10-minute mark we had a one-point lead … then they hit the gas and we didn't respond very well."

A 6-4 junior guard, Pumphrey had tallied 54 points over the first 12 games (4.5 avg.) thanks to eight made threes. He made 9 of 11 shots tonight, going 7 of 9 from long distance, while adding five rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes. He was equally effective in both halves, having four threes in the first and three more in the second.

"We had great spacing, the ball was moving, players were moving. That's how we came back and took the lead," Lofton said. "Coming out of the timeout that ball movement stopped, the player movement stopped and we just weren't as sharp. We also had a couple of defensive breakdowns."

Hays senior forward Jared Vitztum, averaging a double double on the year, went for 22 points and six rebounds. He made 9 of 14 shots with the Tigers ending the night at 52.6 percent (30 of 57).

"(Pumphrey) got a couple to go early. The first one, okay, I get it … after that he hit two straight against our zone. At that point we should've identified him and done a little bit better job," Lofton said. "It's just something you can't let happen if you're going to come on someone else's home court and beat them."

UNK was a respectable 9 of 25 from the arc and had three score in double figures. Alliance senior forward Austin Luger made 8 of 17 shots to score 18, Utah senior guard Jake Walker went 7 of 7 at the line to tally 17 with Texas senior guard RJ Pair hitting two three to score 12 off the bench. Walker also had five assists with Luger at six boards and two steals.

"We have too many stretches right how where we have blown defensive assignments or maybe we get the right play call and get the shot we need but we're not converting," Lofton said. "We had good looks throughout the course of the game even during their hot stretch. We couldn't them to go."

The Lopers host Central Oklahoma (5-5) and Neman (2-11) next weekend.

 
 
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Players Mentioned

Austin Luger

#30 Austin Luger

F
6' 8"
Junior
RJ Pair

#10 RJ Pair

G
6' 0"
Junior
Jake Walker

#23 Jake Walker

G
6' 2"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Austin Luger

#30 Austin Luger

6' 8"
Junior
F
RJ Pair

#10 RJ Pair

6' 0"
Junior
G
Jake Walker

#23 Jake Walker

6' 2"
Junior
G