UNK Women's Basketball 2024 // UNK Communcations
KEARNEY – The Nebraska Kearney basketball teams continue their home stand this weekend when Emporia State visits Thursday night.
The games will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. and approximately 7:30 p.m. Both contests will be on The MIAA Network.
The Loper women (12-5, 6-5) look to get off the schneid against new-look Hornets squad (9-8, 6-5). E-State is led by first-year head coach Brian Ostermann, formerly a Kansas State assistant, and he brought in seven transfers.
E-State has rebounded from a 1-3 start by having a four-game win streak and by taking three of their last five games. That includes a win over then-nationally-ranked Pitt State. Their lone road victory came at Lincoln, 68-62.
Six-foot Oral Roberts transfer Faith Paramore (14.2 points, 8.8 rebounds) leads the way as she is shooting 81% at the line and averages four makes a night. Five others are between 6.8-9.4 points per game with the Hornets averaging 25 threes nightly. They have attempted a MIAA-best 431 triples and are at 27% from the arc. UNK has taken three straight in the series, but the Hornets still have a big lead, 36-16.
The UNK men (5-11, 2-9) also are looking to get back on the winning track after a tough battle against No. 30 Fort Hays State last Saturday, 57-49. Led by veteran head coach Craig Doty, the Hornets (12-7, 5-6) are also looking to right the ship as they have lost four of five. The one victory came at home against Pitt State, 70-61.
Having taken the second most threes (423/22 per game) in the conference, E-State had two 17-point scorers in 6-3 transfer Solomon Oragebu and 6-7 senior wing Alijah Comithier. Both are solid at the line with Comithier making 51% of his field goals. Finally, senior wing Owen Long needs in threes made (50) with the series knotted at 24 apiece.
Since moving into the starting lineup, freshman guard D’Aundre Samuels (Denver East) is at 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while making half his shots and sinking 73% of his free throws. On the year, he’s at 12.0/5.0/3.9. He also ranks second on the Lopers in o-boards with 24. Next, UNK ranks 70th in Division II in FG pct. (.470) and 82nd in 3-point pct. (.361) to see its scoring average bump up eight points from last season. Finally, the Lopers are looking for their fifth home win.
The women are averaging 64 points over the last three contests with the opposition 42 of 48 (.875 pct.) at the line. The Lopers have sunk 17 of 25 freebies during that same stretch. Individually, Mullen junior Samantha Moore (9.3 ppg), Fremont sophomore Macy Bryant (.800 FT pct.) and Lincoln freshman Brinly Christensen (.500 FG pct.) have all provided a spark of late with Bryant battling hard defensively in the post. Among veterans, Iowa forward Shiloh McCool needs 16 points to become the 17th Loper with 1,300 in a career.
On Saturday afternoon, the Washburn Ichabods come to Buckle Court.
