UNK Women Get Road Win at Emporia State, 79-68

Graduate Meg Burns scored 20 points on six made threes to help Nebraska Kearney out last Emporia State, 79-68 in double overtime, Saturday night in Kansas.

This was the Lopers (11-3, 4-1) only game of the week as a Tuesday night affair at Fort Hays State was postponed until late February. UNK has now won five in a row over the Hornets (7-8, 2-4) who'll visit Buckle Court next month. Additionally, Kearney’s last double OT game came late in the 2017-18 season, an 88-79 home win over Northwest Missouri.

The Blue & Gold missed its first 10 three pointers and was just 1 of 12 from downtown in the first half. However, the long-range shots started to fall over the final 40 minutes with Burns (Ankeney, Ia.) leading the way. She made 6 of 15 threes, tying her career-high, with each coming after the break. Overall, UNK ended 10 of 34 from behind the arc.

In the second extra session, the Lopers scored the first 10 points to finally end the night. Burns broke a 64-64 tie with a three at the 4:51 mark. Senior Samantha Moore (Mullen) followed with a turnaround jumper after a Hornet turnover, Burns hit another trey and then sophomore reserve post Bailee Sobczak (Rapid City) hit two free throws to end the run. UNK was 7 of 8 at the line and 3 of 5 from the field in the second overtime.

In regulation, the Lopers were up 58-54 with a minute to go but E-State got back-to-back jumpers from graduate guard Katie Horyna. Junior guard Saniya Simmons (Olathe, Kan.) had a chance to win it but her layup at the buzzer didn't drop. Two Sobczak freebies made it 64-63 with 1:48 left in the first overtime period. UNK missed four free throws and had two turnovers down the stretch. Emporia sort of took advantage with true freshman forward Elizabeth Tjaden tying things by going 1 of 2 at the line with 27 seconds left.  

For the Lopers, Burns finished 7 of 16 from the field in playing a team-best 44 minutes. Her career-high of 21 points came in a November loss to Adams State. Next, four others were in double digits including Sobczak (10) and Moore (13). She added a career-best 14 rebounds to make this her first career double double. Finally, junior point guard Jillian Aschoff (Lincoln Pius) had seven assists, six boards, four points and a steal.

Hornya had 15 with junior guard Gracie Gilpin going 5 of 9 from deep to score a team-high 19. Two Hornets fouled out with Horyna logging a game-high 49 minutes.

UNK hosts Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western next weekend.