UNK WBB: Balanced Attack Helps Lopers Win at Northern, 69-65

The Nebraska Kearney women's basketball team had nine different players score, including three in double figures, to win at Northern State, 69-65, Saturday afternoon in Aberdeen, S.D.

This was an annual MIAA/NSIC Crossover event with the MIAA going 4-0 on the weekend. Both the Lopers and Pittsburg State beat Minnesota-Crookston and Northern. The NSU Wolves were picked second in the preseason poll.

UNK overcame foul trouble in the first half by getting 20 points off its bench. After making 13 threes in a 99-53 win over UMC on Friday, the Lopers were just 1 of 14 from downtown today. However, they held the Wolves to a 5 of 23 effort and also posted a plus seven turnover margin.

In a back-and-forth game were each team led for about 16 minutes but not by more than seven points, the Lopers moved ahead for good after buckets from sophomore reserve post Bailee Sobczak (Rapid City, S.D.) and junior point guard Jillian Aschoff (Lincoln Pius). That made it 61-57 with 3:57 remaining and while the Wolves followed with two free throws, Madelyn Bragg was dinged with personal and technical fouls. She initially fouled junior reserve guard Saniya Simmons (Olathe, Kan) on a driving layup.

The Lopers went 2 of 4 at the line and then iced things after grad post Kia Wilson (St. George, Kan.) converted a three-point play at the 1:26 mark. That made it 66-61 and the margin ballooned to seven before NSU hit a last second three.

Simmons and Moore scored 12 apiece with Sobczak adding 11. The trio combined to go 11 of 23 from the field and grab 17 rebounds. Next, Wilson worked around four fouls to get close to a double double (eight points, seven rebounds) with Aschoff and grad wing Meg Burns (Ankeny, Ia.) at nine points apiece. Finally, UNK sunk 20 of 29 free throws led by Simmons 6 of 8 effort.

NSU got 21 points from Decontee Smith with Michaela Jewett having a double double (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Bragg at 15 points before fouling out.

The Lopers host the College of St. Mary (1-2) Tuesday night. The Flames are coming off a 108-45 loss to Division I Nebraska Omaha.