KEARNEY, Neb. (Feb. 18) - In a game that lived up to it's billing, No. 16 Central Missouri went on the road and took down No. 12 Nebraska-Kearney 70-66. Each team held double-digit leads, but the game still came down to the final seconds. UCM's win puts them at 17-2 on the season and keeps them in a tie for first place in the MIAA standings with Fort Hays State.
How it Happened
• The Jennies shot 43% for the game and hit four three-pointers. The Lopers hit a season-best 10 threes and were 39% from the floor and 35.6% from deep.
• UCM grabbed 42 rebounds to the Lopers 36 with 15 offensive boards. UCM scored 18 second chance points to UNK's 11. In their first meeting the Lopers outrebounded UCM by 12.
• Neither team turned the ball over much. The Jennies lost it just nine times and Lopers eight. UCM made the most of those miscues, scoring 11 points off turnovers while the Lopers had just three on the Jennies nine turnovers.
• Nebraska-Kearney scored the first five points in the game. UCM didn't get on the board until a
Brooke Littrell layup at the 7:20 mark.
• The Jennies got it to one, 5-4, before the Lopers went on an 8-0 run, pushing the lead to nine, 13-4.
• The lead stayed at that 7-9 range the rest of the quarter.
Olivia Nelson hit a layup and the Jennies defense didn't allow a shot on UNK's final possession and UCM was down seven, 17-10 after one. The Jennies were just 4-16 from the field in the frame while UNK went 7-13.
• The Lopers scored on their first two possessions of the second quarter, extending their lead to a game-high 11, 21-10, and that was it for them. UNK scored just one point over the final 8:52 in the quarter going 0-15 from the field during that stretch.
• That allowed the Jennies to climb back. They scored 14 straight points.
Graycen Holden scored six of the 14,
Olivia Nelson four,
Morgan VanHyfte hit a three and
Brooke Littrell a free throw.
• In the final minute, Nelson went in for a spinning layup and UCM led at the half, 26-22. After going 7-13 in the first quarter, the Lopers were just 2-19 from the field in the second while the Jennies went 7-12.
• The Jennies got the lead to six, 28-22, on a
Gigi McAtee layup to start the third, but the Lopers started a run soon after. They hit five three-pointers in that third quarter and regained the lead, 39-36.
• UCM responded though finishing the quarter on a 15-4 run.
Charley Bovaird tied the game at 39 with a three and gave UCM the lead with two at the free throw line.
•
Nija Collier then took over with consecutive three-point plays.
Olivia Nelson joined the party with a three-point play of her own to give UCM their largest lead, 51-40.
• In the closing seconds, the Lopers hit their fifth three of the quarter at the buzzer and UCM was up eight, 51-43 going to the fourth.
• Early in the fourth,
Morgan VanHyfte got the lead back to double-digits with a step-back three, her second of the period, and UCM led 59-49.
• The Lopers though kept chipping away at the lead, getting it down to two, 65-63, with 1:04 left to play. Collier brought it back to a two-possession game with an offensive rebound and a layup, 67-63 Jens.
• UNK hit another three, their 10th of the game, getting within one, 67-66, with 30 seconds left. Forced to foul,
Olivia Nelson went 1-2 at the line. Back on the defensive end,
Gigi McAtee came up with a big steal and was sent to the line herself where she went 1-2 pushing the lead back to three, 69-66.
• The Lopers missed a three on the ensuing possession with McAtee grabbing the rebound. She made it a four-point game, 70-66, with five seconds left hitting another free throw and the Jennies survived in Kearney.
It Was Over When...
• The Lopers had been hot from three, but trailing by three, 69-66, missed with under 10 seconds to play and
Gigi McAtee grabbed the rebound. She made it a two-possession game at the free throw line to put the Lopers away for good.
Jennies Stat Leaders
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Nija Collier finished with a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double.
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Graycen Holden also record a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards.
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Olivia Nelson was 7-15 and scored 16 points. She also dished out five assists.
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Morgan VanHyfte was 3-4 from three for nine points and had two steals.
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Gigi McAtee added four points with four rebounds and five assists.
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Charley Bovaird hit a three and scored five points.
For the Lopers
• Klaire Kirsch scored 16 points with a game-high 15 rebounds.
• Elisa Backes scored a game-high 18 points with a pair of three-pointers.
• Haley Simental was 4-9 from three for 14 points.
• Kelsey Sanger scored seven with seven assists.
• Brooke Carlson added nine points and nine rebounds.
News and Notes
•
Morgan VanHyfte scored her 100th point this season with a three-pointer in the second quarter.
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Graycen Holden grabbed her 100th career rebound.
• This is the third straight double-double for
Nija Collier.
• The Jennies held the Lopers to just five second quarter points. It's the eighth time this season the Jennies have held an opponent below 10 points in a quarter this season and 68th time since 2016-17. They are 7-1 this season and 62-6 during that stretch.
• The Jennies are the first team to score 70 points on the Lopers this season.
• The win clinches a top-four seed in the upcoming MIAA Tournament, meaning they will host at least a quarterfinal round game March 3 at the Multi.
• This was the first time the Jennies have played in Kearney since 2017.
• UCM avenges their first loss of the season which came at the hands of UNK 68-56 in January.
Up Next
• Things won't get easier for UCM. They stay on the road to take on No. 8 Fort Hays State Saturday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. with first place in the MIAA on the line.
