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By David Boyce  |  Northwest vs. Nebraska-Kearney  |  Thursday, January 19, 2017  |  Bearcat Arena  |  Maryville, Mo.  |  5:30/7:30 p.m.
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MARYVILLE, Mo. - An injury prevented junior Tanya Meyer from playing in Northwest Missouri State's women's basketball team's last two home games Sure, it was frustrating for her.
 
Over the last two summers, Meyer has molded her game to become one of the most dynamic post players in the MIAA. She has not only become more proficient scoring inside, but added range on her shots. She is knocking down three-pointers, sometimes five feet beyond the arc.
 
Meyer wants to be there for her teammates in each game. Missing those home games on Jan. 5 and Jan. 7 against Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State ate at her because it was the second time this season she has missed two games.
 
"It was tough," Meyer said. "I was actually thinking the other day that I have been very fortunate that this is my first year, even since high school, that I had to miss games because of an injury."
 
Meyer returned last week, scoring 22 points at Central Missouri and 19 in a 79-72 victory at Southwest Baptist.
 
"Since she's come back, you can tell she has a different fire lit," Northwest coach Buck Scheel said. "I think she will continue to play with that same assertiveness when she is out there."
 
Northwest returns to action 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Bearcat Arena against Nebraska-Kearney. The promotion for the women's and men's doubleheader is Operation Sellout.
 
One thing that is almost certain is Meyer's parents will be at Bearcat Arena Thursday evening, making the 7-hour, round-trip drive from Sioux City, Iowa. They try to make every home game, even the ones Meyer missed because of an injury.
 
"They are not just coming to watch me," Meyer said. "They watch the team and want to still show support for them even when I am not on the court playing. It helps knowing you have that support system from your family and the fans and the community. It helps a lot on the court."
 
The women's basketball team is eager to show their fans the improvement it has made since the last home game a couple of weeks ago.
 
After a disappointing loss at Central Missouri, the Bearcats flipped a competitive switch at Southwest Baptist. From the opening tip to the final buzzer, the Bearcats competed in each possession.
 
Before the victory at Southwest Baptist, Scheel told the team the losing will end only when you get sick of getting pushed around by opposing teams.
 
"We pretty much went to our roots on why we play the game," Meyer said. "We needed to go out there and have fun. I think that is what happened on Saturday. We played like we had nothing to lose."
 
Scheel and Meyer agreed this is an important week. They want to build on the momentum established on Saturday.
 
"Now we have to come out this week and be ready to go and not be a one-game wonder," Scheel said. "We played really competitive on Saturday, but now you have to carry that over to the next game. That is what competitive teams do."
 
The focus early this week is on Nebraska-Kearney. After Thursday's game, the Bearcats will play Fort Hays State, which only has two conference losses.
 
"I think it is a great opportunity," Scheel said. "Thursday game is going to be tough. Kearney is a much better team than the record shows. On top of that, a lot of the returners have a bad taste in their mouth when we beat them last year. They are going to come in hungry and we have to be ready to go against them We can't afford to look past anybody.
 
"Going into Saturday against Fort Hays, I think it is a great opportunity to play one of the top teams in the league on our home court. Hopefully, we are still on the positive track after Thursday."
 
Scheel is glad the Bearcats are going into these two games with Meyer. Northwest is a much better team with Meyer on the court instead of on the bench. She is averaging 20.5 points and 9.4 rebounds.
 
"When she is not out there, it really shakes things up," Scheel said. "One thing about having her out there, teams really have to stretch their defense out and guard her because she can knock the three-pointer down. She makes one out of two, I can live with that. Fifty percent behind the line is good. Her confidence is building. Her confidence in her teammates is building even more. I think that is really starting to show as well."
 
During the losing streak, Meyer said the players still believed in each other.
 
"I know the season isn't going how we wanted it to be going," she said. "Knowing we haven't given up on each other helps going into every game. We compete for each other and for our coaches."