UNK women rediscover their offense in 90-33 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan
Sam McKewon, with the Omaha World-Herald, breaks down the Nebraska vs Wisconsin football game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Saturday, Nov.
23, 2024.
Nebraska won the game, 44-25.
After back-to-back losses, the University of Nebraska at Kearney womens basketball team needed a lift.
Nebraska Wesleyan delivered.
The Lopers shot 60 percent from the floor through three quarters Saturday afternoon at the Health and Sports Center while coasting to a 90-33 victory.
We needed to see the ball go in the hole, UNK coach Drew Johnson said.
I mean, honestly, we didn't guard the way we were supposed to guard, really, in the last three games.
And the defense derailed the offense.
When it doesn't go well for two or three games ...
it's really hard to find that confidence again, he said.
UNK's Meg Burns (#33) defends the basketball from NW's Brynn Sebek.
For a good chunk of the first quarter, Nebraska Wesleyans women made a game of it.
The undersized Prairie Wolves (0-4), with only two players taller than 5-foot-9, trailed the Lopers 10-8 a few ticks short of the six-minute mark.
Then UNK showed its superiority.
A 21-1 run over the next eight minutes launched the Lopers, who have seven players taller than 5-9, to a 31-9 lead that just grew and grew.
While UNK (5-2) lit up the scoreboard, Wesleyan suffered from cold shooting, turnovers and a near-complete lack of rebounds.
It's one thing to make shots in practice.
It's another thing to make shots in a game when there's jerseys on the floor, Johnson said.
So credit to Nebraska Wesleyan, they sped us up, especially early, and we had to find a way to settle in.
Once we did, though, it was great to see the ball go through the hole.
UNKs run started with a 3-pointer by Meg Burns, who hit another 3 and a 2-pointer before the end of the first quarter.
She went on to lead the Lopers with 19 points, making 4 of 5 3-point shots.
By halftime, UNK had made 5 of 10 3-pointers and forced 19 turnovers.
The Lopers also had a 21-6 advantage in rebounds.
One of the things that we've talked about is, you've got to play the game ...
and it was going to be about us.
We didn't do much of a scouting report on them, we just said we've got to get back to what we do defensively, get back to who we are and what we do, Johnson said.
Those lop-sided statistics stayed at that level for most of the second half even though every Loper in uniform played at least nine minutes.
The overwhelming numbers resulted from turnovers.
Wesleyan committed 36 turnovers that led to 52 Loper points.
That's a lot.
I thought we got back to some on-ball pressure that we had needed and got back into some passing lanes that we had needed.
Probably we got out of that mode a little bit, which was a struggle, Johnson said.
All 11 UNK players put their name in the scoring column.
Kia Wilson and Brinley Christensen joined Burns in double figures, scoring 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Point guards Jillian Aschoff and Saniya simmons and wing guard Samantha Moore had five assists each.
Simmons had four steals.
For Wesleyan, Tessa Skelton, who ended the Prairie Wolves first-half drought with their only three baskets in the second quarter, led the team with eight points.
UNK's Brinly Christensen (left) guards Nebraska Wesleyan's Tessa Skelton.
UNK's Jillian Aschoff (#22) drives past NW's Maddie Demke.
UNK's Brinly Christensen (left) goes for layup over Nebraska Wesleyan's Mya Sohl.
UNK's Meg Burns (#33) defends the basketball from NW's Brynn Sebek.
UNK's Kia Wilson (#15) goes for layup over NW's Mya Sohl.
UNK's Brinly Christensen (with ball) goes for layup over Nebraska Wesleyan's Brynn Sebek.
UNK's Alma Rashelbach (#30) contests NW's Mackenzie Griffin.
UNK's Jordan Sears (#21) shoots over NW's Maddie Demke.
UNK's Alex Flattery (#11) defends NW's Maddie Demke.
UNK's Saniya Simmons defends NW's Mackenzie Griffin.
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