CHADRON, Neb. – Nebraska-Kearney took charge of the game in the third quarter, as the Lopers outscored Chadron State 29-13 in the period on their way to an 86-59 women's basketball victory over the Eagles Saturday afternoon in the Chicoine Center. 

Guard Camren Morris led Chadron State with 18 points on 8 of 13 shooting. Ashayla Powers added 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals, making 5 of 10 field goal attempts and 6 of 6 free throws. 

With the loss, Chadron State falls to 1-5 ahead of their RMAC conference opener next Thursday. Nebraska-Kearney improved to 6-2. 

The visiting Lopers enjoyed a 50-32 advantage in points in the paint. Grad student forward Kia Wilson had a game-high 19 points and shot a perfect 9-for-9 from the field. Nebraska-Kearney out-rebounded CSC 43-28, which included 16 offensive rebounds that led to 23 second-chance points for UNK.

For the game, Chadron State shot 39 percent from the field, 21 percent from three (5-23) and 67 percent from the line (10-15). Nebraska-Kearney shot 52 percent from the field, 36 percent from three (5-14) and 58 percent from the line, making 21 of 36 attempts.

The two teams went back-and-forth in the early going. After a UNK three-pointer on the opening possession, Chadron State used two Powers free throws and a Camren Morris three to take a 5-3 lead. Another mini 5-0 run by the Eagles courtesy of a Kylie Krise three and Powers layup put the home team up 10-7 four minutes into the game. 

The Lopers went on a big run over the second half of the first quarter, however, using a 14-2 run to flip that three-point deficit into a 23-14 lead. They would maintain that advantage over the second quarter, outscoring the Eagles by one point (14-13) in period two to lead it 37-27 as the teams headed to the locker room.

Nebraska-Kearney put the game out of reach with their 16-point advantage across the third period. In the third quarter, the Lopers shot 69 percent from the field as a team and made both their three-point attempts. The Eagles cut the lead down to 21 points on two occasions in the fourth quarter before settling on the 27-point final margin of victory.

The Eagles finished with 13 assists and 18 turnovers, compared to 17 assists and 14 turnovers for UNK. The Lopers had a 16-4 advantage in fastbreak points and a 34-15 advantage in bench points.

The Chadron State women's team will begin its RMAC conference schedule with a Thursday game against South Dakota Mines at home in the Chicoine Center. Tipoff will be at 5 p.m.

Chadron State— Camren Morris 18, Ashayla Powers 16, Allison Richards 7, Megan Counts 7, Kylie Krise 3, McKenzi Petersen 3, Jordyn Stokes 2, Olivia Waufle 2, Bati Assefa 1. Totals: 22-56 FG, 5-23 3PT, 10-15 FT. 59 points, 28 rebounds, 13 assists, 18 turnovers.

Nebraska-Kearney— Kia Wilson 19, Bailee Sobczak 16, Jillian Aschoff 14, Saniya Simmons 11, Brinly Christensen 8, Meg Burns 6, Samantha Moore 5, Jordan Sears 3, Alex Flattery 2, Alma Rashelbach 2. Totals: 30-58 FG, 5-14 3PT, 21-36 FT. 86 points, 43 rebounds, 17 assists, 14 turnovers.