KEARNEY – The seventh/eighth-ranked Nebraska Kearney women’s basketball team closes out the 2022-23 regular season tomorrow afternoon against rival Fort Hays State.The games tips at 2 p.m. with four super seniors – Elisa Backes (Salina, Kan.), Brooke Carlson (Elkhorn), Maegan Holt (Council Bluffs, Ia.) and Klaire Kirsch (Rapid City, S.D.) – to be honored post-game. Classmate Shiloh McCool (Pleasant Hill, Ia.) is returning next year as she missed 2019-20 due to injury. Two Loper men’s seniors, as well as seniors from cheer and dance, will be recognized at this time as well.UNK (26-3, 19-2) can win the 2022-23 MIAA regular season title outright with a win over the sixth-place Tigers (19-10, 14-7). The Lopers took round one, 53-52, back on January 14 in Kansas. FHSU still has a healthy lead, 60-42, in the all-time series with 11 of those victories coming at Buckle Court since November 2009.Riding a 13-game win streak and having won 18 straight at home, UNK is also looking to lock up the number one seed in next week’s MIAA Tournament in Kansas City. A top seed would have the Lopers playing Thursday night (6 p.m.) and then possible Saturday night (6 p.m.) and Sunday afternoon (3:30 p.m.). The 10-team bracket will be announced Saturday night after completion of all regular season games.Finally, Kearney is hoping to host the NCAA Central Regional March 10-13. Ranked number one in the region at the moment, with Hays 10th, the Lopers can fight off Minnesota-Duluth and others for the top spot by continuing to win. The NCAA will announce the 64-team field on Sunday, March 5, at time to be announcedSuper Senior Class Notes (games played through Feb. 19; not including McCool’s individual career stats)
- 114 wins (.765 win pct.)
- 3 NCAA Tournament appearances (2021, 2022, 2023)
- 1 MIAA Tournament title (2021)
- 1 MIAA Regular Season title (2023)
- 11 combined All-MIAA honors
- 16 combined MIAA Academic Honor Roll qualifiers
- 5,007 combined points
- 2,952 combined assists
- 908 combined assists
- 515 combined steals
- 325 combined blocks
- 589 combined appearances out of a possible 596
- 13,424 combined minutes
