December 3, 2004

Dragons Use Late Rally to Beat Women Cagers

Jones Has Career-Night

            Kearney, Neb. –The Nebraska-Kearney women’s basketball team got a career-night from Lexington junior Erin Jones but another late dry spell hurt the Lopers in an 80-69 loss at Minnesota State-Moorhead Friday night.

            The Dragons, from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, improve to 6-2 on the year, while UNK (1-5) has now lost five in a row.

            The game was tied at 64 all with 6:34 to play. Up to that point, neither team had led by more then six points and there had been five ties and four lead changes.  

            Moorhead took a one point lead after Jackie Doerr (game-high 18 points) made one of two free throws with 5:58 to go and then the lead went to three after a Jessica Trautwein bucket.

            This would be the start of a 14-0 run as Moorhead out scored the Lopes 18-5 in the final 6:34. During the final six minutes, UNK was 1 of 9 from the field with four turnovers.

            Jones set career-highs in points (16), rebounds (10) and threes made (four) in the losing effort. Making 6 of 13 shots from the floor, she also had three steals and one assist on the night.

            Also have a big effort was Lincoln freshman Melissa Hinkely, who had a season-high 15 points and four rebounds on 4 of 7 shooting.

            Junior posts Kalee Modlin (Knoxville, Ia.) and Anne Manning (North Platte) each tallied 13 points and combined to pull down seven rebounds.

            UNK was in foul trouble a bit as Jones, Hinkley, Modlin and Leigh sophomore Liz Fischer each ended the game with four fouls a piece.

            Doerr netted her 18 points on 6 of 12 shooting from the field. Dana Weibel scored 16 points thanks to a 10 of 11 effort at the line while Allison Swenson came off the pine to score 13 points and grab eight rebounds.

            MSUM out shot UNK, 45-39 percent, and also won the battle on the glass, 38-29. Seventeen of those boards came on thee offensive end and led to 23-second chance points.

            UNK plays at nationally-ranked North Dakota Sunday afternoon to end is tough six game road swing.