JACOB ROTH
rothjd@lopers.unk.edu
Over the last month, UNK women’s basketball hasn’t had much to complain about. They have been one of the hottest teams in Division II sporting an 11-game winning streak. The Lopers hit a bump in the road losing at No.24 Central Missouri 75-65.
“They are a team of great size.” said coach Carrie Eighmey. “Against a team like UCM you have to do the little things right, it’s not can you make big plays, but can you box-out and do the little thing right.”
The Lopers got off to a slower offensive start not scoring until the 6:51 mark on a Klaire Kirsch (Rapid City, South Dakota) layup.
Both teams jostled for the lead trading free throws early in the second until Megan Skaggs a senior guard hit a three-pointer with 56 seconds left to give UCM the lead at 27-23 going into the half.
The third quarter featured both teams going on runs fighting for and jostling back and forth for the lead. The closest the Lopers came to jumping in front came with only 18 seconds left in the quarter, when Madison Dreckman (LeMars, Iowa) hit a layup bring UNK within one at 43-42.
It was all Jennies in the fourth, in large part to the senior backcourt for the Jennies. Morgan Fleming and Megan Skaggs scored 23 of the teams 32 fourth-quarter points.
Despite the best efforts from the Lopers they were not able to overcome the deficit.
Earlier in the week in Jefferson City, Missouri the Lopers had a more favorable result against Lincoln University.
The game started out as a defensive battle with both teams fighting for the lead trading layups and short jumpers.
Two points were the largest advantage either side got in the first quarter. UNK led 12-10 going into the second quarter.
It wasn’t until 5:33 remaining in the first half that the Lopers offense began to catch fire.
Brook Carlson (Elkhorn, Nebraska) started the run with a layup to tie the game at 16-16.
UNK poured on 13 points in a 13 to three-run to go into the locker rooms up 29-19.
The Lopers started the third off strong with a three from sophomore guard Klaire Kirsch (Rapid City, South Dakota).
As the third quarter clock kept winding down the Lopers kept hitting threes. Grad transfer guard Haley Simental (Pueblo West, Colorado) had two threes in the quarter.
With that offensive explosion in the third, the Lopers went into the final ten minutes up 45-38.
UNK played good defense to close the game out holding their lead for the remainder of the way.
The Lopers are at home against Northeastern State at 5:30 on Thursday, February 20 and against Rogers at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 22.
