Kansas City, Mo. -- The Northwest Missouri State University women's basketball team (23-6 overall, 16-6 MIAA) advances to the MIAA semifinals for the first time since 2010-11, with a 64-42 trampling over the No.7-seeded University of Nebraska Kearney Lopers. 

Kelsey Fields secured her tenth career double-double, third of the season, with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Caely Kesten piled on 16 points and seven rebounds. Molly Hartnett finished with nine points, nine rebounds, and five assists. 

Northwest scored its first two shots on back-to-back triples from Hartnett and Laini Joseph. Hartnett scored nine out of the teams 16 points in the first quarter, while Fields secured four points, six boards, and two blocks as Northwest led 16-10 after one. 

The Lopers sparked a quick 6-0 run, but was erased after another Joseph three ball to give the 'Cats a 22-16 advantage midway through the second quarter. Fields led the Bearcats with 11 points and eight rebounds to finish off a strong half from Northwest. At the break, Northwest held a 30-20 lead. 

Lindsey Kelderman knocked in her first triple of the game to give the Bearcats a 42-27 lead with 2:55 to go in the third. With one quarter to go, Northwest led 44-32. 

Green would draw a shooting foul with 8:32 to go, while making the first and missing the second. Fields would then continue her dominance on the glass off the missed free-throw and secure the offensive rebound and add two more to the Bearcat lead. Joseph nailed a jumper right before the media break to extend Northwest's lead to 51-35 with 4:52 to go. 

Northwest hit a trio of three-pointers to take its largest lead of the game of 24 with just under two minutes to play to secure the 64-42 win over Nebraska Kearney. All cheers from the Bearcat faithful as a new five ran on the floor as Northwest would advance to the MIAA semifinal on Saturday. 

The Bearcats shot 25-of-61 (41.0%) from the floor and only turned it over nine times. As for the Lopers, they shot 15-of-57 (26.3%) from the field, making only one three-pointer (1-of-13), and turned it over eleven times. 

Northwest will return to Municipal Auditorium on Saturday, March 9, matching up against the winner of the No. 3-seed Fort Hays State and No. 6-seed Central Missouri at 2:15 p.m.