Loper Women Go Cold in the 2nd Half, Fall at UAFS

The Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions had four score in double figures and finished on a 25-8 run to beat Nebraska Kearney, 67-49, Thursday night in the Granite State.
This was the only meeting between UAFS (4-17, 3-9) and UNK (11-13, 4-9) this season. The Lopers fall to 1-7 in true road games while the Lions snap a three-game losing streak.
UAFS came in shooting just 26 percent from the three-point line but made six of their first 10 long range shots to lead throughout the first half and by as many as seven points. A couple of the made triples were flat but hit the back iron and rolled in. UNK weathered that unlikely storm as Lincoln junior Brinly Christensen hit three treys to help the Lopers trail by only two at the break, 32-30.  
The second half started off great as Serbian junior post Tara Biocanin made a paint bucket and Christesen sunk her fourth three. However, it was all Lions after that as their big game-ending run included an 11-0 spurt. The Lopers tallied only 19 second half points on 8 of 34 (23.5%) shooting.
“They did what they wanted to do tonight. Too many turnovers from us and I don’t have a lot of answers right this second. Scoring 19 second half points is going to make it hard to win,” said Loper head coach Drew Johnson on the KRVN Radio post-game show. “We have to go back to the drawing board and keeping fighting.”
A balanced Lions attack featured a double double from 6-3 junior post Marie-Rose Priscilla Balowa Kasambu Babenesha Wemba (10 points, 16 rebounds), a big night from 6-3 freshman reserve Shawna Beatty (10 points; 3 of 6 threes) with 5-8 sophomore guard Keytonna Ross Wilson leading the way (15 points, six boards and four assists).
Scoring a season-low 49 and committing 16 turnovers, UNK was led by Christensen and Kansas junior forward Jordan Sears who scored 12 apiece. Finally, Biocanin made 4 of 5 shots to have eight with Sears (nine) getting close to a double double.
“We missed a couple of layups (in the second half) that need to go in if we’re going to make a comeback. We were hunting, begging for fouls instead of going to score,” said Johnson. “You score 49 and you’re not going to win very many.”
UNK is at Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon. The RiverHawks (16-5, 8-4) fell tonight to No. 8 Fort Hays State, 68-63.