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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Thursday, November 20th, 2025, at The Elmen Center, in Sioux Falls, SD (Photo by Peyton Bartsch)
Peyton Bartsch
58
Neb.-Kearney UNK 3-4,0-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate
66
Winner Augustana (SD) AUGIE 1-2,0-0 NSIC
Neb.-Kearney UNK
3-4,0-0 Mid-America Intercollegiate
58
Final
66
Augustana (SD) AUGIE
1-2,0-0 NSIC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Neb.-Kearney UNK 14 17 9 18 58
Augustana (SD) AUGIE 12 20 13 21 66

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Wayne State

11/29/2025 | 2 p.m.

The River 93.1/106.9 KRVN FM

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Nov. 29 (Sat) / 2 p.m.
 Wayne State
History

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Short-Handed Lopers Battle But Drop Another Close One, 66-58

Keanrey, Neb. – The Augustana Vikings had nine different scorers and used a couple of big second half runs to get past Nebraska Kearney, 66-58, Thursday night in South Dakota.

This was the Lopers (3-4) first trip to Augie (1-2) in nearly 20 years. Finishing up a stretch of seven games in 14 days, each of UNK's contests have been decided by 11 points or less.

The new-look Vikings, with just two returners off last year's squad, were picked fifth in the 16-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) preseason poll and received a first-place vote. Meanwhile, UNK was down a total of five players as true freshman Kelsey Hatcher (Kearney H.S.), redshirt freshman Timotea Najbrtova (Czechia) and starting post Bailee Sobczak (Rapid City, S.D.) are out for the year with starters Jillian Aschoff (Lincoln Pius) and Brinly Christensen not playing tonight due to lingering ailments. Christensen (Lincoln SW) had already sat out two previous contests.

"I'm proud of our fight. We had the opportunity to come in here and say we're down a bunch of players. Are we going to roll over and lay down or are we going to come in here and fight?" said UNK head coach Drew Johnson on the KRVN Radio post-game show. "That was a game about who we are as a program and who we are as people. I really appreciate how hard we played."

The Lopers got big efforts from senior Malgorzata Byczkowska (Poland), junior Jordan Sears (McPherson, Kan.) and freshman Myleigh Weers (Diller) to more than stick around. UNK led 14-12 after the first period thanks to 11 combined points from Weers and Byczkowska and then trailed by just one at the break as three different players tallied two buckets in the second period.

UNK started the second half on a 9-2 run that featured a three from Byczkowska and four points from Sears. However, the Lopers wouldn't score for the next eight minutes as Augie built a 49-40 lead. The 14-0 spurt included two triples and two made free throws. The Blue & Gold didn't go down quietly, never leading again but trailing 54-53 after a Sears three with 4:17 left and then 56-55 a minute later after two Weers freebies. But once again AU went on a run, scoring 10 of the final 13 points. 

"Would you have liked a couple of more shots to go down or go get a couple of defensive rebounds that could've given you a chance? Yeah, but that is what it is. I'm just proud of how we fought," said Johnson.

Byczkowska went for a game-high 20 thanks to 6 of 13 three-point shooting while also having three boards in 35 minutes of work. Next, Weers had 17 points, five steals, five rebounds and four assists with Sears providing 15 points, four steals and four rebounds.

"Gosia is finding some rhythm and hunting threes. Really playing aggressive and playing with confidence, which is awesome," said Johnson. "When you recruit her, this is kind of what we thought she could do; go get a couple of rebounds and knock down some open threes. We challenged her to hunt them (threes) tonight."

Augie was led by senior transfers Kristin Edmonds (12 points), true freshmen reserve shooter Greta Dillinger (12 points; 4 of 5 threes), and 6-1 sophomore post transfer Ella Bockenstedt (11 points, eight rebounds). The Vikings were plus 18 on the glass, out shot UNK by four percentage points and overcame 30 turnovers thanks to 11 treys.

The Lopers are now off until Nov. 29 (Sat.) when they host Wayne State.
 
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Players Mentioned

Jillian Aschoff

#22 Jillian Aschoff

G
5' 7"
Redshirt Senior
Brinly Christensen

#20 Brinly Christensen

F
6' 0"
Junior
Timotea Najbrtova

#32 Timotea Najbrtova

G
5' 11"
Redshirt Freshman
Jordan Sears

#21 Jordan Sears

F
5' 10"
Junior
Bailee Sobczak

#44 Bailee Sobczak

F
6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
Kelsey Hatcher

#12 Kelsey Hatcher

G
5' 9"
Freshman
Myleigh Weers

#23 Myleigh Weers

G
5' 9"
Freshman
Malgorzata Byczkowska

#33 Malgorzata Byczkowska

G/F
5' 11"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Jillian Aschoff

#22 Jillian Aschoff

5' 7"
Redshirt Senior
G
Brinly Christensen

#20 Brinly Christensen

6' 0"
Junior
F
Timotea Najbrtova

#32 Timotea Najbrtova

5' 11"
Redshirt Freshman
G
Jordan Sears

#21 Jordan Sears

5' 10"
Junior
F
Bailee Sobczak

#44 Bailee Sobczak

6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
F
Kelsey Hatcher

#12 Kelsey Hatcher

5' 9"
Freshman
G
Myleigh Weers

#23 Myleigh Weers

5' 9"
Freshman
G
Malgorzata Byczkowska

#33 Malgorzata Byczkowska

5' 11"
Senior
G/F