UNK MBB: Lincoln Races Past Lopers
Kearney, Neb. – The Lincoln Blue Tigers used a couple of big runs and feasted on turnovers to down Nebraska Kearney, 90-67, Thursday night at the Health & Sports Center.
LU (9-3, 4-2) stops a two-game skid and beats UNK (5-7, 2-5) for the sixth time in the last eight meetings. The two will meet again Feb. 17 in Jefferson City, Mo.
A jumper from junior lefty Damiri Lindo (Oakland) and a wing three from junior lefty Taden King (Rexburg, Idaho) made it a 61-53 game with 11:40 to play. The back-to-back shots, as well as a defensive stop, forced Lincoln to call timeout. The break worked as the Blue Tigers closed on a 29-14 run. In the first half, LU not only erased a 24-21 deficit but went into the locker after a 13-3 spurt. A buzzer beating triple by junior reserve guard Tyson Robinson capped that key stretch.
“The biggest problem was the turnovers. When you give a team 28 points off your turnovers, it’s tough to win a game,” said UNK interim head coach Antoine Young. “Up until halftime I thought we controlled the boards and that allowed us to get out and run. We were kind of in the game at that point.”
Having four players score in double digits, Lincoln tallied 28 points off 16 Loper miscues. Many of the turnovers were of the live ball variety with five coming over the last 11:40. Lincoln capitalized on each, scoring 11 points. They also finished plus 12 on the glass.
“While they are a good a team and have some athleticism, I don’t think it was their defense. We had some lackadaisical turnovers that you just can’t have in this league,” said Young. “I’m trying to find that happy medium (playing the young guys). They are good players, and you must give them a chance to get out there. But they must understand when you go out there, we can’t allow a 13-3 run.”
Six-eight, 270-pound senior forward Elijah Farr, who previously was at Division I Murray (Ky.) State and Western Illinois, scored a game-high 20 thanks to 8 of 13 shooting. A load to handle around the rim, he also hit a three, had five caroms and dished out three assists. Next, junior reserve guard Trey Boston went for 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting with French junior Franck Yetna (14) and veteran guard DJ Richardson (13) combining for 27 more points. As a team, LU shot 55% from the field and went 11 of 12 at the line.
“We’re averaging close to 70 points per game so we can score with anybody. But we’re putting so much pressure on our offense to score 90 every night because we’re giving up close to that,” said Young. “We have to clean that up.”
UNK also had a balanced attack as four starters reached double digits with four others scoring as well. King and New Zealand junior forward Sean Murphy had 13 apiece with Lindo at 11 and junior guard Sean Evans (Parker, Colo.) finishing with 12. Finally, Lindo had a team-best five rebounds with junior point guard Miguel Robles (East L.A.) at a team-best seven assists.
UNK hosts Central Missouri on Saturday afternoon. The Mules (5-6, 0-5) lost tonight at Fort Hays State, 61-51.
