MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team (7-7, 0-4 MIAA) came up just short in a 48-46 low-scoring battle against Nebraska-Kearney (10-3, 3-1 MIAA) on Saturday at Bearcat Arena.  
 
The Bearcats suffered only their second loss under Head Coach Austin Meyer when holding opponents under the 50-point threshold (20-2). 
 
Caely Kesten led all scorers with 16 points, hitting 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Lindsey Kelderman posted a season-high 14 points, sinking the Bearcats' other four three-pointers. Kelsey Fields contributed eight points and nine rebounds (four offensive) before fouling out late in the game.  
 
Northwest started slowly on offense, with Kesten's three-pointer from the left corner accounting for the team's only points before the first media timeout. Both teams struggled to find rhythm early, with UNK holding a slim 6-3 lead. Northwest closed the first quarter on a 5-1 run, capped by another Kesten triple, trailing just 9-8.  
 
UNK opened the second quarter with a 9-2 run, stretching its lead to 18-10 at the 7:34 mark. The Lopers outscored the Bearcats 18-9 in the period, as Northwest connected on just 23.3% (7-of-30) from the field in the half, including three made triples. The Bearcats' 17-point first-half total was their second lowest of the season, trailing only their Dec. 19 game against Texas Woman's (12 points).  
 
The Bearcats found momentum early in the third quarter. Kelderman knocked down a deep three, followed by a Molly Hartnett layup to cut the deficit in half. Moments later, Kesten hit a step-back three at the shot-clock buzzer, trimming the Lopers' lead. Northwest tied the game at 35 with 30 seconds left in the quarter on another Kesten triple, but UNK's Jordan Sears answered with a buzzer-beating finger roll, giving the Lopers a 37-35 edge heading into the fourth.  
 
Northwest claimed its first lead of the game in the final period when Hartnett sank two free throws with 6:30 to play. Kelderman later drilled her fourth three-pointer to push the Bearcats ahead 43-41 at the final media timeout. However, Fields fouled out on a rebound attempt with just under two minutes remaining, giving UNK an opportunity to capitalize at the foul line.  
 
With 28 seconds remaining, Meg Burns hit a free throw to give UNK a 48-46 lead. Northwest had a chance to tie or win in the closing moments but was unable to get a clean look, sealing the Lopers' narrow victory.  
 
The Bearcats shot 28.1% (16-of-57) from the field and 40% (8-of-20) from three-point range. UNK made the most of its opportunities at the free-throw line, finishing 11-of-21 compared to Northwest's 6-of-10. The Bearcats were called for 19 fouls, while the Lopers committed 14.  
 
Up Next:
Northwest prepares for road trips to Central Missouri on Thursday, Jan. 9 (5:30 p.m.) and Washburn on Saturday, Jan. 11 (1 p.m.).