Lincoln basketball teams swept at Nebraska-Kearney

KEARNEY, Neb. - The Lincoln Blue Tigers let a halftime lead slip on the road, falling 75-67 to Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday despite a game-high 30 points from Terrance Smith.

Lincoln (16-7, 9-5 MIAA) used a 15-4 run to take a 24-16 lead with six minutes to play in the first half and led 32-27 at the break. But the Lopers started the second half on an 11-3 run.

Amariontez Ivory scored 10 points, while Jonell Burton added 14 points, five rebounds and four steals. Burton's layup with 10 minutes to go tied the game at 45, but Nebraska-Kearney hit two straight 3s to pull away. The Lopers shot almost 50 percent overall in the second half.

Burton also scored four points inside the final minute to make the score 71-67, but Nebraska-Kearney made free throws to ice the win. Lincoln shot just 57 percent at the foul line in the loss and had 23 turnovers to the Lopers' 10.

The Blue Tigers stayed in fourth place in the conference standings despite the loss thanks to Lindenwood beating Fort Hays State. Lincoln plays at 4 p.m. at Fort Hays State Saturday in its final road game of the season.

III

A bad offensive first quarter on the road Thursday put the Lincoln Blue Tiger women in an early hole they could not climb out of, as they fell 72-59 to Nebraska-Kearney.

Lincoln (10-13, 2-12 MIAA) scored four first-quarter points and trailed 15-4 after the first period and 35-20 at halftime.

Zhanesha Dickerson was the Blue Tigers' leading scorer with 22 points, and added nine rebounds and three blocks. Bre Coleman's double-double of 17 points, 12 rebounds and Kaloni Pryear's 15 points accounted for almost all of Lincoln's scoring. Zoi Thompson was the only other player to score, contributing five points off the bench.

The Blue Tigers shot 32 percent from the field in the loss.

Lincoln plays Saturday at Fort Hays State, with the game scheduled to tip at 2 p.m.