Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball team looks to make a final push with six regular season games remaining, starting this weekend at home vs. Northeastern State and Rogers State.

After some COVID makeup games on Monday and Tuesday, UNK (17-5, 12-4) is sitting in fourth place in the league standings. Right in front are Fort Hays State and Missouri Southern (both 13-3) and Missouri Western (12-3). MWSU comes to Buckle Court in two weeks. Right behind the Lopers is defending region champion Central Missouri (12-5); UNK visits UCM next Thursday.

Northeastern State (5-17, 3-13) is coming off a stunning 67-58 upset of Hays Monday afternoon in Tahlequah. That stopped a five-game losing streak, a stretch where each setback came by 12 points or less. That included a 58-46 loss to the Lopers on January 25, another COVID makeup date. Winthrop (D1) transfer Maleeah Langstaff went for 24 points, seven boards, three assists, three steals and two blocks in the win over Hays. Eight 'Hawks scored but none were in double figures in the loss to UNK.

The Hillcats of Rogers State (10-13, 6-11) have won three in a row to put themselves into the 10-team MIAA Tournament race. UNK won in Claremore back in early January, 61-53. RSU is one of the top free throw shooting squads in the league (72.1 pct.) with forward Bailey Kliewer at a team-high 13.4 points per game. She was one of two 'Cats to go for 21 in the first meeting with UNK.  

The Lopers, 5-4 over its last nine games, is 8-3 at home and 8-1 on the road. They are 16-2 all-time vs. NSU and 5-0 against RSU. UNK sports the MIAA's top-ranked scoring defense at 55.0 points per game. That figure ranks 16th nationally as the Lopers allow opponents just five made threes per game on 29.7 percent shooting from  the arc.  Kearney also has a plus six rebounding margin and a plus one turnover margin.

Offensively, six players average between 7.7-11.8 points per game. Forward Elisa Backes (Salina, Kan.) leads at 11.8 and also ranks first on the team in blocks (18), threes made (33) and field goals made (97). She's been in double figures in seven of the last eight games, pushing her career point total to 1,076.

Next, forward Shiloh McCool (Pleasant Hill, Ia.) has reached double figures in each of the last three games while also pulling down 17 boards. She leads the team in field goal percentage (56.4) and offensive rebounds (45) and is one of eight Lopers with more assists than turnovers. Finally, wing Klaire Kirsch (Rapid City, SD) is barreling down on the all-time rebounding record of 906, set by Heather Steffen between 2001-04. She has had seven games this winter with a double digit total, including 12 last Saturday at Newman, to push her career total to 844. Kirsch should pass Steffen during the final regular season weekend or in the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City. 

The Lopers head to Warrensburg and Jefferson City next weekend.