Thursday, Jan. 26
Northwest Missouri State at No. 13 Nebraska-Kearney
5:30 p.m. | Health and Sports Center
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Jan. 28
Northwest Missouri State at Fort Hays State
2:00 p.m. | Gross Memorial Coliseum
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
 
The Northwest Missouri State women's basketball squad travels to No. 13 Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State for the second contest of the season between the teams.
 
The Bearcats enter the week with a 10-8 overall record and a 5-7 conference record.
 
Nebraska-Kearney is 18-3 overall, 11-2 in conference play. The Lopers are 10-0 at home this season.
 
Fort Hays State has an overall record of 15-6 and a conference record of 10-3.
 
About Northwest
The Bearcats are averaging 61.9 points per game this season and their opponents average 61.1 points per game. Northwest is shooting 40.3 percent from the field, 31.7 percent from three, and 68.3 percent from the free throw line. Northwest forces its opponents into an average of 12.8 turnovers per game while averaging 6.8 steals per contest.
 
About Nebraska-Kearney
UNK holds an 11-5 advantage over Northwest and has won seven straight games against the Bearcats. Northwest has not beaten the Lopers since Jan. 24, 2019, as UNK was defeated 74-62 in Kearney, Neb.
 
Earlier this season, Kearney posted a 77-51 victory over Northwest inside Bearcat Arena.
 
UNK ranks No. 1 in scoring defense in the MIAA giving up just 50.0 points per game. On offense, the Lopers average 67.5 points per game.
 
Nebraska-Kearney has two players averaging double figure scoring with Shiloh McCool at 11.8 ppg and Elisa Backes at 10.7 ppg. Backes ranks 10^th in the conference in three-pointers per game at 1.8. Klaire Kirsch ranks fourth in the conference in rebounds with 7.9 per game and is shooting a team-best 40.3% from beyond the arc.
 
 About Fort Hays State  
Hays is 18-7 in the all-time series against Northwest. The Tigers have won eight straight in the matchup. The Bearcats last win over Fort Hays came Jan. 21, 2017, in Maryville with a final score of 92-80. Last time Northwest played against FHSU in Hays, Kan., the Bearcats lost by just three points.
             
The Tigers are 10-3 in the conference with their three losses all coming to ranked opponents (No. 11 UCM, No. 11 Missouri Southern, No. 19 UNK).
 
Fort Hays ranks No. 2 in the MIAA in scoring defense giving up 56.2 points per game. Offensively, the Tigers score 67.6 points per contest.
 
Hays has two players averaging 10 or more points per game with Katie Wagner at 13.5 ppg and Olivia Hollenbeck at 12.7 ppg. Wagner is third in the conference in free throw percentage at 82.0% and ninth in rebounding at 7.1 rebounds per game.
 
 BEARCATS GETTING HOT ON OFFENSE
Over the last four games, Northwest has shot 44% or better from the field with the highest field goal percentage being 48.0%.
 
In two of the last three games, the Bearcats have shot at least 40% from beyond the arc.
 
In the last three games combined, Northwest has drained 23-of-56 three-pointers which is 41.1%.
 
 LAST WEEK
In Northwest's most recent game against Lincoln, the Bearcats gave up just 48 points. This is the third time this season that Northwest has given up 50 points or less to its opponents.
 
In the Bearcats one-point loss to No. 5 Central Missouri, Northwest shot a season-high 44.0% from three as the team knocked down 11-of-25 attempts.
 
 HARTNETT STAYING STRONG OFFENSIVELY
Sophomore guard Molly Hartnett is averaging 12.9 ppg so far this season. This is the third straight season Hartnett has averaged double figures in the scoring column.
 
She ranks No. 7 in Div. II in free throw percentage and No. 1 in the MIAA in free throw percentage
(90.9%) as she has made 60-of-66 free throws.
 
Hartnett has handed out a team-high 58 assists on the year. She has dished out five or more assists in five games so far this season.
 
 LINDSEY IS LIGHTING IT UP
Redshirt freshman Lindsey Kelderman has made her way into the starting lineup. Kelderman has started each of the last four games. In those games, Northwest is 3-1 with its lone loss coming against No. 5 Central Missouri which was a one-point defeat.
 
 Kelderman is now shooting 36.7% from beyond the arc. She has made at least one three-pointer in 10 of Northwest's last 11 games.
 
 POST EFFICIENCY FROM EIMAN
In Northwest's last four games, Eiman is shooting 68.8% from the field making 11-of-16 shot attempts.
 
 FIELDS SETTING CAREER-HIGHS
Fields had a career-high 16 boards in Northwest's last game against Lincoln. In that game, she also had a career-high 20 points.
 
 The last time a Northwest player had a 20 point 15 rebound game was Tanya Meyer back in the 2017-18 season. Meyer had 21 points and 18 rebounds against Henderson State Nov. 11, 2017.
 
 PK FOR THREE
Sophomore guard Peyton Kelderman has knocked in at least one three-pointer in 13 of Northwest's 18 games this season. She has sank a team-best 33 three-pointers and is shooting 37.9% from beyond the arc.
 
 FIELDS ON THE GLASS
So far this season, Kelsey Fields has grabbed 164 rebounds. She is averaging 9.1 rebounds per game. Fields needs 87 more to make it in the Northwest record book for rebounds in a season. With 10 guaranteed games left in the season before the MIAA tournament, Fields needs to average 8.7 rebounds in each contest to make it on that list.
 
 VAZQUEZ RACKING UP STEALS
Sophomore guard Evelyn Vazquez had 26 steals during the 2021-22 season. Vazquez has 35 steals so far this season.
 
 NORTHWEST IN MIAA STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
Rebounding:
Kelsey Fields ranks No. 2 in the MIAA in rebounding. Fields averages 9.1 rebounds per game.
Free Throws:
Molly Hartnett ranks No. 1 in the MIAA in free-throw percentage (90.9%), draining 60-of-66 attempts.
Three-pointers:
Peyton Kelderman is No. 9 in three-pointers made per game (1.8).
Steals:
Evelyn Vazquez is No. 5 in the MIAA in steals with 2.3 per game and 35 total steals.
Blocks:
Jayna Green ranks No. 6 in blocks with 1.4 per game.
Assists:
Molly Hartnett is No. 7 in assist to turnover ratio (1.8) and No. 12 in assists with 3.2 per game.
 
 Double-Digit Scoring Performances This Season
Molly Hartnett – 12
Peyton Kelderman – 6
Kelsey Fields – 5
Evelyn Vazquez – 4
Jayna Green – 2
Lindsey Kelderman - 2
Jillian Fleming – 1
Emma Atwood – 1
Ella Moody – 1
Lauren Gillig - 1
Lauren Eiman – 1
 
 Career Double-Digit Scoring Performances
Molly Hartnett - 43
Peyton Kelderman - 19
Paityn Rau - 13
Jayna Green - 9
Kelsey Fields - 7
Evelyn Vazquez - 6
Jillian Fleming - 5
Emma Atwood - 4
Lindsey Kelderman - 2
Ella Moody - 1
Caely Kesten - 1
Lauren Eiman - 1
Lauren Gillig – 1
 
 KELDERMAN CLOSES IN ON 3-POINT CHART
Sophomore shooting guard Peyton Kelderman has drained 90 three-pointers so far in her Bearcat career. Kelderman had 57 made three's last season and has 33 makes so far this season. She needs just 16 more to tie her for tenth place on the career record list.
 
Northwest's Three-Pointers in a Career
1. Jaelyn Haggard (2017-21) 256
2. Kelli Nelson (2005-08) 202
3. Shelly Martin (2008-10) 170
4. Laura Friederich (2003-06) 163
5. Brooke Hogue (2002-04) 143
6. Mallory McAndrews (2015-19) 139
7. Tanya Meyer (2014-18) 132
8. Katie O'Grady, (2004-07) 125
9. Ashleigh Nelson (2011-2014) 121
10. Lauren Williams (20015-08) 106