UNK Women Roll South Dakota Mines Sunday, 80-67

Kearney, Neb. – Redshirt senior point guard Jillian Aschoff scored a career-high 31 points and became Nebraska Kearney's all-time assist leader as the Lopers rolled South Dakota Mines, 80-67, Sunday afternoon at the Health & Sports Center.

UNK closes out the fall semester at 7-6 while the Hardrockers, from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), drop to 4-7.

Aschoff (Lincoln Pius) began the year needing 79 assists to break the career record of 390, set by Alexa Hogberg between 2014-17. The two-time All-MIAA pick missed a game in mid-November due to injury but made up for lost time by handing out 24 assists in the previous two contests. Today, she had four dimes by the break and got to 391 midway through the fourth quarter when Polish senior Malgorzata Byczkowska hit one of her three triples. That was her eighth and final assist as she left the game with a few minutes remaining.

"Jill is a pretty good basketball player and it's starting to become one of those things that's effortless again. She's been able to get downhill, she's been able to find teammates," said UNK head coach Drew Johnson. "Jill wants to be a pass-it-first point guard but her ability to score it when people are not letting her throw it to the next person is special."

Offensively, Ashoff had her best game as a Loper by going 14 of 20 (2 of 5 threes) from the field and 1 of 2 at the line. She had 25 points by the break with her previous career best of 30 coming in a March 2025 win over Fort Hays State. Finally, Aschoff had nine rebounds (all defensive); she had her first career triple double in Monday morning's win over Southwestern (Kan.) College.

"I've mentioned this before but, in this era of college basketball, it's special that she stayed. She redshirted, didn't play too much as a redshirt freshman…there's a million people in the country that would've gone somewhere else," said Johnson. "She found a fit here with us and a system that fits her style."

UNK shot 64% (19 of 30) to lead by as many as 20 points, but the 'Rockers kind of hung around thanks to eight threes. Besides Aschoff's heroics, Byczkowska (13) and Serbian sophomore Tara Biocanin (11) reached double figures with the pair combining for 14 rebounds as well. As a team, the Lopers finished plus 13 on the glass.

SDMT was led by starter Savea Mansfield (16 points, four rebounds) and reserve Abigail Dille (13).

The Lopers start a three-game home stand Jan. 1 when Missouri Western (5-7) comes to town.