Fourth Loper Reaches 1k in Points; Burns Has Another Big Effort
Kearney, Neb. – Redshirt junior forward Shiloh McCool reached 1,000-career points and redshirt sophomore wing Meg Burns had another career-night to help 11th-ranked Nebraska Kearney fight off Lincoln, 76-66, Saturday afternoon at Buckle Court.
UNK (24-3, 17-2) pushes its win streak to 11 straight and its home court win streak to 18. The Lopers are also in first place by a full game over Missouri Western (22-5, 16-3).
The Lopers blasted the Blue Tigers (5-19, 3-15) on New Year’s Eve, 72-37, but a short-handed LU group made things more than interesting today. Dressing just seven, LU shot 53% from the field (26 of 49) and 67% (10 of 15) from the three-point line. The trey percentage is a season-best for a Loper foe with the field goal percentage tally the second-highest UNK’s nationally-ranked defense has allowed this winter.
“Anytime you have an emotional win (60-57 vs. #10 Central Missouri on Thursday), you have to reset yourself and that’s a challenge. They also shot it really well from the three-point line,” said Loper head coach Carrie Eighmey. “A few of those I didn’t think we contested as well as we could’ve but two or three were tough shots.”
UNK’s biggest lead of the day came midway through the third quarter, 45-33, after a triple from Kansas super senior Elisa Backes. However, the Blue Tigers didn’t fold as they made it a 54-52 ball game with six to play.
“Defensively we were being challenged for sure. Offensively they were doing some unique stuff … guarding us half a possession in zone and then switching to man.
Obviously, we had an advantage in the paint so they were trying to minimize that,” said Eighmey. “After the first quarter we did a good job of adjusting and knowing where we needed to go with the ball.”
The Lopers game-ending 22-14 run began with a free throw from South Dakota senior Klaire Kirsch. McCool (Pleasant Hill, Ia.) then knocked two more in to push the lead to seven and give her exactly 1,000 points. She joins classmates Backes, Kirsch and post Brooke Carlson in the 1k club and becomes the 29th Loper with four figures. McCool had 13 of her 19 points in the second half with the total her third best effort of the winter.
LU, who shot 67% in the second half, didn’t get closer than five the rest of the way with two freebies from Burns (Ankeny, Ia.) making it a 12-point game again with 2:05 to play. Burns went for a career-high 18 points thanks to an 8 of 8 effort from the line and four buckets. She had a career-high 16 on Thursday vs. Central Missouri with then a career-best 15 coming on January 28 vs. Missouri Western.
“As well as they were shooting it, there was some concern (down the stretch). They also have the ability to get downhill so they stretch your defense out,” said Eighmey. “We did a good job of locking into possessions and not panicking and making plays when we needed to.”
Using its size advantage, UNK had 40 paint points, 12 second chance points and recorded a plus five rebounding margin. Kirsch (nine) led the way here with she and point guard Sarah Schmitt (Swisher, Ia.) each having six assists. Finally, Backes had two blocks and was one of three Lopers with two steals.
Lincoln had all seven of its players between six-14 points. That group included sophomore wing Aliyah Bello (14) and 5-5 guard Niyah Jackson (12) with starter Ashlyn Alloway close to a double double (10 rebounds, seven points).
UNK faces nationally-ranked Missouri Southern (21-5, 13-5) and Pittsburg State (19-5, 14-4) on the road next weekend. Pitt downed MoSo, 74-64, today in Kansas.
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