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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Trinity Law
Corbey R. Dorsey
61
Winner Neb.-Kearney UNK 8-1,3-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate
56
Fort Hays St. FHSU 7-1,2-1 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Neb.-Kearney UNK
8-1,3-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate
61
Final
56
Fort Hays St. FHSU
7-1,2-1 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Neb.-Kearney UNK 12 8 18 23 61
Fort Hays St. FHSU 11 14 22 9 56

Next Game:

Newman

12/17/2021 | 5:30 p.m.

The River 93.1/106.9 KRVN FM

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Full Schedule
Dec. 17 (Fri) / 5:30 p.m.
 Newman
History

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

#17/14 UNK Takes Down Rival and #1/2 Hays

Kearney, Neb. – The No. 17/14 Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team erased a 12-point third quarter deficit and got another double double from forward Shiloh McCool to stun top-ranked Fort Hays State, 61-56, Saturday afternoon in Kansas.

The Lopers (8-1, 3-0) win in Gross Memorial Coliseum for the fourth time in its last six trips. Meanwhile the Tigers, who are ranked number one in the WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Assoc.) Top 25 and 2nd in the Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) poll, fall to 7-1 (2-1).

"Wow … we just beat the number one team in the country. Credit to each and every single person out there. They are the ones that do it and buy in," said UNK assistant coach Devin Eighmey on the KRVN radio post-game show. "We just kept sticking with it, sticking with it."

This is believed to be the first time a Loper women's basketball team has beaten a No. 1 ranked team. In January 2016, UNK won at No. 5 Missouri Western State, 82-76, with the 1999-00 Lopers besting No. 5 Emporia State, 68-65.  

As expected between these two teams, it was a defensive struggle with UNK using an 8-0 run to erase an early 11-4 deficit. However, the
Shiloh McCool
Shiloh McCool .. four straight double doubles
Lopers missed its first 11 three-point attempts with Hays seeing guard Jaden Hobbs sink three long range bombs, one coming right before the end of the half to make it 25-20. The Lopers were 8 of 27 (29.6) from the field over the first 20 minutes with Hays just slightly warmer (11 of 31; 35.5%). 

"We didn't fold, we didn't blink. Heck of a job by our team," said Eighmey. "We were in a great spot at half. We were 0 of 9 (from the arc), down five and they stuck a three late. I thought we had great looks but they just didn't pop."

Things didn't get off to a good start in the third as the Tigers grabbed a 32-22 lead three minutes in and then moved ahead 40-28 after a bucket by post Olivia Hollenbeck at the 4:43 mark. UNK whittled the deficit to seven but the Tigers sunk the first shot of the fourth to still lead by double figures at 49-38.

That's when the Lopers made its move, going on 13-0 run over the next three minutes. A three from point guard Haley Simental (Pueblo West, Colo.) started the spurt with junior forward Elisa Backes (Salina, Kan.) knocking down back-to-back triples to tie things at 49. A Simental jumper gave UNK the lead for good at 6:28 and forced the Tigers to call timeout.

"Haley did an unbelievable job of leading us today. She's a winner and it goes from there," said Eighmey. "She could average 20, 25 but she does whatever it takes to get a win."

Lincoln native Katie Dilsaver hit an unlikely three and then a shot in the lane to tie things at 52 and 54, respectively. But the Lopers always had a response, getting a layup from Simental at the 2:47 mark and then seeing the Tigers slip on the floor and throw the ball out of bonds. That led to another Backes bucket and a 58-54 lead with 1:52 to play. Three Simental free throws and a couple of defensive stops sealed things for UNK.

The Lopers finished plus five on the glass, plus nine in bench points, plus 10 in paint points and also out shot the Tigers, 46-42%. McCool (Pleasant Hill, Ia.), the current MIAA Player of the Week, recorded her fourth straight double double by having 16 points and 16 rebounds (four offensive). She was 7 of 10 from the floor, drew six fouls and had half of her offensive output in the third. She's the first Loper with four straight double doubles since All-American Jade Meads accomplished the feat in four of the first five games in 2008-09. Next, reserve guard Sarah Schmitt (Swisher, Ia.) came off the injured list to provide 10 points on 5 of 5 shooting and tough defense on Hobbs.

"Sarah is heck of a player, heck of a person," said Eighmey. "Kudos to Shiloh. She was hurt a couple of years ago. She has stuck with the process. But what makes our team great is they don't care about individual awards … they just want to win."

Next, Simental had 10 of her 12 in the fourth with Backes tallying all 12 of her points in the second half. The pair combined for 22 of UNK's 41 second half points. Finally, Backes got close to a double as she had nine rebounds (eight defensive).

Hobbs, an Oklahoma State transfer, had a team-best 12 on 4 of 6 three-point shooting with Hollenbeck at 11 & 6 and guard Katie Wanger at 10 points on 5 of 10 shooting.

UNK is home next Friday night and Sunday afternoon against Newman and Central Oklahoma.  
 
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Players Mentioned

Elisa Backes

#5 Elisa Backes

G/F
6' 1"
Sophomore
Shiloh McCool

#25 Shiloh McCool

G/F
5' 11"
Sophomore
Haley Simental

#10 Haley Simental

G
5' 8"
Graduate Student
Sarah Schmitt

#3 Sarah Schmitt

G
5' 8"
Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Elisa Backes

#5 Elisa Backes

6' 1"
Sophomore
G/F
Shiloh McCool

#25 Shiloh McCool

5' 11"
Sophomore
G/F
Haley Simental

#10 Haley Simental

5' 8"
Graduate Student
G
Sarah Schmitt

#3 Sarah Schmitt

5' 8"
Redshirt Sophomore
G