March 3, 2005

Women's Basketball Finishes at .500

Mathis Has Another Big Game

            Kearney, Neb. –   The Metro State women's basketball team got out to a 17-6 lead and never looked back in beating Nebraska-Kearney, 86-63, in a RMAC Tournament first round game last night in Denver.

            Metro, in line for an NCAA bid, improves to 22-6 on the year while the Lopers end at 14-14.

            In losing in the RMAC first round for the first time (10-1), UNK will see its run of making the NCAA Tournament at nine straight years.

            Millard North graduate Amy Mathis capped one of the finest freshmen seasons in school history by going for 23 points and a season-best 14 rebounds.

            Her third double double of the year, Mathis was 8 of 18 from the field, including 3 of from the arc, and 4 of 4 at the line. Seven of her boards came on the offensive end.

            Mathis, whose season-high point total of 26 came earlier this year vs. Metro, ends the year with the third most threes made by a UNK freshman (34) and the sixth most points ever scored (336) by a first year Loper.

            Also for UNK, junior center Kalee Modlin (Knoxville, Ia.) and junior forward Anne Manning (North Platte) each tallied 11 points and combined for nine rebounds.

            Modlin played only 18 minutes as she fouled out midway through he second half. Also going to the bench early due to a fifth foul was senior guard Amber Whitlock (Stoneham, Colo.).

            In beating the Lopers for the third time this year, the Roadrunners out shot UNK 50-40 percent and forced 28 turnovers while committing only 18.

            The 28 turnovers tied a season-high for UNK, done twice before.

            Both squad shot 45 percent in the first half but Metro warmed up to 56 percent with the Lopers cooling down to 36 percent.

            Four 'Runners were in double figures, led by the likely RMAC Freshman of the Year, Paige Powers (19). She was 7 of 12 from the field, including a 5 of 7 from the three point line.

            Modlin finishes the year ninth on the UNK scoring list (1,328) and has a very good chance of ending her career second on that list. Currently, Allison Kruger ('04) and Jessica Kedrowski ('98) are tied for that spot with 1,682 points.