UNK Women Take Down Texas-Tyler, 56-46

True freshman Myleigh Weers converted a three-point play and senior Saniya Simmons drew two late fouls to help Nebraska Kearney down 20th-ranked Texas-Tyler, 56-46, Sunday night in Billings, Mont.

This was the third and final day of the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Tip Off Classic at the Trailhead. UNK went 2-1, beating Colorado School of Mines (0-2; late game Sunday) and falling to Colorado State-Pueblo (1-2) while the UTT Patriots went 1-2.

It was a tail of three games as UNK led 30-13 with two minutes left in the first half. Tyler missed its first 10 three pointers with the Lopers shooting 53% (7 of 13) in the second quarter. However, a defensive minded UTT squad returned the favor with a 31-9 run over the next 17 minutes of game action.

"I know all of our listeners were wondering if the Loper women could guard anybody…so we finally guarded which was awesome. In the third quarter we went ice cold and couldn't find the right looks," said UNK head coach Drew Johnson on the KRVN Radio post-game show. "Proud of our team for fighting and leading by 17 points in the second quarter again. We do have to find a way to stay as aggressive as we were early." 

Weers (Diller) hit a jumper to start the comeback with senior transfer Malgorzata Byczkowska (Poland) hitting a three to tie things up at 44 with 4:27 left. After UTT scored, Weers sunk a jumper and then converted a three-point play to give UNK a 49-46 lead with just 1:25 remaining.  Simmons (Olathe, Kan.) drew an offensive foul which led to Weers game-tying shot.

Tyler called a timeout but missed a three which Simmons rebounded. That led to another Weers bucket, and a Simmons foul drawn. This one was a technical and Weers hit the subsequent freebies and then two more after she was fouled again. She then finished the scoring with another free throw at the 21 second mark.

"We're asking some of these newcomers to play as hard as they possibly can and let what happens happen and the results be the results," said Johnson. "Gosha had been trusting the process and learning the system. We know she's going to be capable of hitting threes and they hadn't all gone in yet but she's going to get there. And Myleigh is so talented and we're happy she's a Loper."

Weers went 8 of 12 from the field (2 of 4 threes) and 6 of 7 at the line to reach her game-high point total. In playing nearly 33 minutes, she also had six defensive rebounds, two steals and two assists. Simmons drew four fouls overall while having four steals, four rebounds, three points and an assist. Finally, junior forward Jordan Sears (McPherson, Kan.) went for nine points and five rebounds with Byczkowska at six points and six rebounds (four offensive) over 23 minutes.

"Being able to give Myleigh the ball in the fourth quarter and say go get us one. The MIAA has players like that and can go get one when it matters and she was able to go get it today," said Johnson. "Her tools allow her to play through some of that physical contact and be able to get her shot off."

UNK out shot UTT by seven percentage points, finished plus 17 on the glass but committed 23 turnovers. The Pats finished 7 of 27 from deep and were only 1 of 1 at the line. Meanwhile, the Lopers went 11 of 17 at the stripe.

Tyler was led by Russian junior Polina Latysheva (10 points, two threes) and Australian freshman Hayley Cumming (11 points, two threes).

The Lopers face Minnesota-Crookston (Fri.) and Southwest Minnesota State (Sat.) next weekend at the Health & Sports Center.