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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

UNK WBB
Ryan Weaver
67
Winner Central Mo. CentMo 22-4,19-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
57
Neb.-Kearney UNK 23-4,19-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Central Mo. CentMo
22-4,19-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
67
Final
57
Neb.-Kearney UNK
23-4,19-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Central Mo. CentMo 15 17 19 16 67
Neb.-Kearney UNK 17 15 13 12 57

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Run Ends in Regional Final, 67-57

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Kearney, Neb. – Freshman forward Brooke Littrell recorded her seventh double double of the year and Central Missouri hit seven three pointers to beat Nebraska-Kearney, 67-57, Monday night in the NCAA Tournament Central Regional Final in Warrensburg.

The fourth-seeded and 20th-ranked Jennies (22-4) advance to the Elite Eight next week in Columbus, Ohio, while the second-seeded and ninth-ranked Lopers end a historic year at 23-4. This was UNK's third trip to the "Sweet 16" and first NCAA appearance in 12 years.

In a very "2020 moment" tipoff was delayed for almost an hour due to severe weather in the area. The teams returned to their locker rooms with 40 minutes left on the warmup clock and fans were ushered into the hallways of the Multipurpose Building.

"Congratulations to Central Missouri. They are a great team. They are well coached and played a great game today," UNK head coach Carrie Eighmey said. "This is our third time playing them and each one has been a battle. Tonight, they made plays down the stretch and made shots when they needed to. They deserved to win today."

Named tournament MVP, Littrell led UCM with 17 points and 16 rebounds (four offensive). She made 6 of 10 shots including 4 of 5 from the three-point line. She hit 3 of 4 triples in Saturday's win over top-seeded Fort Hays State after having only 11 treys over the first 23 games.

Littrell hit two threes and had eight points in the second quarter as the Jennies erased a 22-15 deficit. The 2018 Division II National Champions, UCM then used a 10-0 run in the third quarter to move ahead for good. The spurt featured a banked in Littrell three and five points from MIAA Defensive Player of the Year Morgan VanHyfte. That made it 44-36 and, for good measure, UCM hit a three right before the third ended to make it 51-45. UNK came in among the national leaders in three-point percentage defense but the Jennies finished 7 of 15.  UNK WBB

"They made some timely shots and hit seven threes," Eighmey said. "We had our chances … we cut it to two with a couple of minutes left in the game but just couldn't get a shot to go there."

Getting 19 points from Elkhorn junior post Brooke Carlson and 11 from South Dakota sophomore reserve guard Trinity Law, UNK hung around until the bitter end. A bucket by South Dakota junior Klaire Kirsch, her third of the quarter, made it 59-55 with 3:36 left. After a stop and timeout Law just missed a game-tying three but Carlson sank her last shot at the 1:53 mark to make it just a one possession game. However, Kearney didn't score again as they had a turnover, missed layup and a missed three. Meanwhile, UCM sunk 6 of 8 free throws.

"Brooke was really good for us. She was really aggressive in the first half and was able to get to her spots in the post. She got her eyes on the target and finished," Eighmey said. "Second half they have her some double teams and made her catches a little bit tougher. We weren't able to get her the ball quite like we did in the first half."

UCM was just 3 of 11 (27%) from the field in the fourth but overcame that by making 10 of 14 free throws. Finishing plus 11 on the glass, they also had three others score in double figures; freshman guard Olivia Nelson (15), VanHyfte (14) and senior post Nija Collier (10). She added seven boards, four assists and three blocks.

Carlson reached her team-high point total by going 8 of 12 from the field with Law hitting three of UNK's four threes. The Lopers finished 4 of 18 from behind the arc and 9 of 16 at the line. Finally, Kirsch scored 10 with Crofton senior Kelsey Sanger at five points, an assist and steal. Kirsch sets a new school record for rebounds per game in a season (9.52), besting Ginger Keller's 1993-94 mark of 9.43, with this Sangers' 108th and final game as a Loper. UNK will also lose guard Shelby Megyeri to graduation.


 
Gallery: (3-15-2021) UNK Women's Basketball NCAA 3rd Round

 
 
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Players Mentioned

Brooke Carlson

#45 Brooke Carlson

C
6' 1"
Junior
Klaire Kirsch

#20 Klaire Kirsch

G
5' 11"
Junior
Trinity Law

#23 Trinity Law

G
5' 9"
Sophomore
Shelby Megyeri

#3 Shelby Megyeri

G
5' 7"
Senior
Kelsey Sanger

#32 Kelsey Sanger

G
5' 8"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Brooke Carlson

#45 Brooke Carlson

6' 1"
Junior
C
Klaire Kirsch

#20 Klaire Kirsch

5' 11"
Junior
G
Trinity Law

#23 Trinity Law

5' 9"
Sophomore
G
Shelby Megyeri

#3 Shelby Megyeri

5' 7"
Senior
G
Kelsey Sanger

#32 Kelsey Sanger

5' 8"
Senior
G