KEARNEY, Neb. – The University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers posted a 68-51 victory over the visiting Northwest Missouri State University women's basketball team in a Wednesday night MIAA contest.
 
The Lopers (21-6 overall, 16-5 MIAA) used a 46-26 scoring advantage in the paint and a game-high 23 points from Brooke Carlson to record the win. At one point, Carlson drained 8-of-9 of field goals in the second and third quarters.
 
Northwest (17-10 overall, 12-9 MIAA) got double-figure scoring efforts from Molly Hartnett (13 points) and Peyton Kelderman (12 points) in the loss.
 
The first quarter featured three ties and five lead changes. The Bearcats shot 7-of-12 from the floor and got a team-high seven points from Peyton Kelderman. UNK led at the end of one, 18-15.
 
The Bearcats played from behind the entire second quarter, but only trailed by one at the break, 30-29. Northwest encountered a six-point deficit at 24-18, but answered with a Caitlyn Jordon triple with 6:54 left to cut it in half. Mallory McConkey drained a trey with 5:59 to cut the margin to two, 26-24. Molly Hartnett buried a three-pointer with 1:13 to play in the half to snip the UNK lead to a single digit at 30-29. Northwest shot 54.5% from the floor in the opening half by making 12-of-22 shots. UNK shot 44.4% from the field (12-of-27).
 
The Lopers pulled away in the third period when the home squad focused its scoring efforts around Brooke Carlson. Carlson netted 12 of UNK's first 14 points in the third quarter. Carlson ignited an 11-2 run for the Lopers that pushed the home team's lead to 47-35 with 4:22 to play in the quarter. UNK went 11-of-14 from the field in the quarter and out-scored Northwest, 26-10, to take a 56-39 lead through three.
 
Northwest managed to cut the UNK lead to 12 at 56-44 with 7:12 to play, but could not get any closer. The scoring was even at 12-12 in the fourth quarter between the two teams.
 
UNK shot 52.7% from the floor for the game, while Northwest shot 40.8% from the field. UNK went 17-of-28 (60.7%) from the field in the second half. Northwest managed to make 8-of-25 (32.0%) second-half shots.
 
Northwest will wrap up the home portion of its regular season schedule Saturday against the No. 6-ranked Fort Hays State Tigers. Tip is set for 1:30 p.m. in Bearcat Arena. Northwest will honor its trio of seniors (Kylie Coleman, Caitlyn Jordon and Mallory McConkey) prior to Saturday's contest.
 
NOTES: UNK out-rebounded Northwest, 34-23 … UNK holds an 11-6 lead in the all-time series with Northwest … the Lopers have won five straight matchups with the Bearcats … head coach Austin Meyer dropped to 1-5 all-time against UNK … … freshman Peyton Kelderman has made at least one three-pointer in all 27 games this season … she is the only MIAA women's player to have made a three-pointer in every game this year … Kelderman has made at least two three-pointers in 19 of Northwest's 27 games … Kelderman secured her 12th double-figure scoring game this season … Molly Hartnett recorded her 29th career double-figure scoring game.