Lizzie Nessling posted her first career double-double Saturday and the Lincoln Blue Tigers picked up their first Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association victory this season after claiming a 90-68 win against Nebraska-Kearney at Jason Gym in Jefferson City.
Nessling, a junior, scored 16 points after going 4-for-5 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and grabbed 11 rebounds as Lincoln (6-4, 1-3 MIAA) posted its first 20-point victory against a league opponent since the Blue Tigers were a member of the Heartland Conference during the 2009-10 campaign.
Hunter Yoakum scored 19 points, while Kate Frazier added 18 and Dorian Briggs chipped in with 16 off the bench to lead Lincoln, which rebounded from a 61-56 loss against Washburn on Thursday in decisive fashion.
The Blue Tigers were 32-of-65 from the field and 7-of-16 from 3-point range, while limiting Nebraska Kearney (5-6, 1-3 MIAA) to 37-percent shooting.
Amarah Williams scored a game-high 25 points to go along with 11 rebounds to lead the Lopers. MeKenzie Brown added 14 points and Laramey Lewis finished with 12 for Nebraska-Kearney.
Lincoln led 42-33 at the end of the first half before breaking the game open with a 12-0 run to take a 70-50 lead with 10:48 to play and the Blue Tigers were able to cruise from there.
Lincoln will have two weeks off for the holiday break before resuming play against its toughest opponent to date when the Blue Tigers travel to take on Emporia State, the No. 1 team in the USA Today Division II Coaches Poll, at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 3.
III
The Lincoln men posted its highest point total this season, but it wasn't enough as the Blue Tigers suffered a 95-85 loss to Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday in a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association matchup at Jason Gym.
Joshua Buie tallied a double-double and four Lincoln players scored in double figures in the Blue Tigers' third straight loss.
Buie scored 18 points and recorded 12 assists, while Victor Scott finished with a team-high 22 points to lead Lincoln (4-9, 1-3 MIAA). Malcolm McDonald finished with 16 points and Aaron Spudich added 10 to give the Blue Tigers a boost off the bench.
Lincoln had a 42-39 lead at the half and extended it to 10 with 16:04 left in the game, but Nebraska-Kearney (7-3, 3-1) went on a 15-5 run to take a one-point lead with 10:35 remaining and the Lopers didn't trail from that point on.
Lincoln was 32-of-57 from the field, but only went 14-of-18 from the free-throw line. Nebraska-Kearney was 26-of-48 from the field and 31-of-41 from the stripe.
The Blue Tigers return to action at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 3 at Emporia State.