Nebeker Ties Career-High Point Total of 25
Kearney, Neb. – Lincoln University posts Kevin Kone and Sai Witt (pronounced say) combined for 25 points and 29 rebounds to help the Blue Tigers get past Nebraska Kearney, 63-49, Saturday evening at the Health & Sports Center.
The Blue Tigers (16-6, 12-6) bounce back from a buzzer beating loss at Fort Hays State on Thursday and remain in a tie for third place in the MIAA with Emporia State. They also have taken five of the last seven games with UNK (5-19, 3-15).
Kone (6-9, 228 lbs.) and Whitt (6-8, 250 lbs.) gave LU a huge size advantage and not surprisingly they were plus 14 on the glass and tallied 12 second chance points. The nation’s leading rebounder at 12.5 per game, Kone went for 21 (16 defensive) tonight including 13 in the second half. The Frenchman also had three dunks to finish with 12 points on 6 of 11 shooting.
“They weren’t on fire either from the three-point line. Neither team was burning the nets up so it kind of became a bully-ball game,” said UNK head coach Kevin Lofton. “A game of who was going to get rebounds and manufacture points in the paint. They did a god job of that.”
A lefty, Witt went for 13 points and eight boards and also was 6 of 11 from the field. Six others Blue Tigers were between three and nine points with senior guard Artese Stapleton (eight points) having five assists and two steals as well.
“(Kone) is one of the best rebounders in the country. Our kids are getting inside position and we’re pushing back but you got some athletes behind you. The officials aren’t going to punish them for being tall and athletic,” said Lofton. “They imposed their will a little bit.”
UNK missed its first 16 three pointers but made two of its last four to whittle a 14-point deficit to eight, 52-44, with 5:35 remaining. However, Kone followed with back-to-back alley-oop dunks to get the LU back into double figures.
Lincoln was just 4 of 21 from behind the arc but went 22 of 40 (55%) from two-point land. They also got 18 bench points and limited UNK to 37% shooting.
“It wasn’t like we were forcing shots up. We were having good looks but we just couldn’t get anything to go especially in the first half,” said Lofton. “They were able to establish some stuff around the basket with their rebounding. They are a force to be reckon with when the shot goes up.”
Utah super senior Darrian Nebeker tallied 17 of his game-high 25 points in the second half. He made 10 of 19 shots (1 of 6 threes) and went 4 of 5 at the line to boost his UNK career point total to 967. Nebeker also had a team best three assists, pushing his season total to 104. That ranks second-best in the MIAA.
Next, Wahoo senior forward Winston Cook had seen boards, points and two times with South Dakota redshirt sophomore Ryder Kirsch at nine points and four rebounds.
Finally, Iowa redshirt sophomore guard Jaleque Dunson had four points, two assists and three rebounds off the bench.
UNK heads to Missouri Southern (15-9, 11-7) and Pittsburg State (6-18, 3-15) next weekend.
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