UNK Men's Basketball // UNK Communications
OKLAHOMA – The Nebraska Kearney men’s basketball team starts MIAA play this weekend in Oklahoma with games against Rogers State (Thursday) and Northeastern State (Saturday).
These are the only meetings with the Hillcats (1-2) and RiverHawks (4-1) this year. The game in Claremore vs. RSU begins at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday’s game in Tahlequah set for 3:30 p.m. The contests are available on The MIAA Network. Due to the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, there’ll be no UNK radio coverage, but Rogers will have a broadcast.
Rogers will be well rested as they’ve been off for two weeks. The scheduling quirk is because the ‘Cats are headed to Las Vegas in mid-December for some non-con games. They are coming off a home win over in-state rival Cameron, 74-64, and started the year with losses to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conf. (NSIC) members Minot State and Concordia-St. Paul.
Having a 5-2 all-time record against UNK, the ‘Cats are led by veteran forwards Isaac Johnson (13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds) and Kofi Hamilton (13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds). Johnson spent time at Division I Western Illinois and Nicholls (La.) State with Hamilton playing at Southeast C.C. in Lincoln. Next, senior guard Rodney Battle (12.7) was a first-team all-league pick for D2 Miles (Ala.) College last winter. Finally, RSU shoots 52% from the field, 62% at the line and has minus rebounding and turnover margins.
NSU, who hosts Fort Hays (4-1) on Thursday, got past D3 Ozarks (Ark.) by a 72-70 score in its last outing. They are 2-1 vs. D2 foes with the wins coming against Texas-Tyler and Northwestern Oklahoma State.
Sophomore wing Anthony Allen (19.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists) has some of the best numbers in the MIAA to date. He’s shooting 64% from both the floor and field. He appeared in 22 games last winter, averaging 3.5 points a night. Grad transfer Trey Quartlebaum (11.8 points, 3.0 rebounds) is the other ‘Hawk in double figures for a team averaging 75 points and limiting the opposition to 29% three-point shooting. UNK has dropped three straight to NSU but is 14-6 in the series since 2013.
UNK comes in ranked eighth nationally in field goal percentage (53.1) as well as 54th in scoring offense (85.5). The Lopers have tallied at least 76 points three times, have seven players shooting at least 50% from the field and six in double figures.
Point guard Miguel Robles (15.3) continues to lead the team in scoring and threes made (10) with junior guard Sean Evans (12.8) 7 of 14 from behind the arc and 6 of 6 at the line. Next, freshman guard D’Aundre Samuels leads in assists (4.5) with junior forward Sean Murphy (10.3 points, 8.8 rebounds) almost at a double double per night. Finally, junior lefty Taden King (10.3) has seven made 3’s and is one of several Lopers with nearly a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
UNK hosts Missouri Western (5-0) and 15th-ranked Northwest Missouri (3-2) next weekend at Buckle Court.