The University of Nebraska at Kearney men’s basketball team had a 16-point lead in the first half over a struggling Central Missouri squad yet to have a win in the MIAA.
ABOVE: UNK freshman guard D’Aundre Samuels (3) drives to the basket while being guarded by Central Missouri’s Jalen Knott during Saturday’s game at the UNK Health and Sports Center LEFT: UNK’s Taden King drives around Central Missouri’s Raeshaun Ambris during Saturday’s game at the UNK Health and Sports Center.
Getting 32 points off the bench from Keith Kiner III, a 6-foot-6 senior transfer from Division I Niagra, the Mules (6-6) rallied for a 76-73 victory over the Lopers.
Kiner made 14 of 17 shots and grabbed eight rebounds to spark the Mules’ comeback. He also had four steals.
“He got himself going. I mean, there’s good players in this league and when you get yourself going, you end up having a game,” UNK interim coach Antoine Young said.
Kiner had 17 points at halftime and never looked back, especially after the Lopers’ Damiri Lindo fouled out with nine minutes let in the game.
But by then, momentum clearly had swung to the Mules.
“I thought we did some good things for about a half, maybe about a half and the first 12 minutes, and then we kind of went back to being where we’ve been — not guarding, turning it over and that usually get your beat,” Young said.
Twenty-one of Central Missouri’s points, 14 in the second half, came directly from UNK’s turnovers. The Lopers (5-8, 2-6) also got outscored 20-10 in the paint.
UNK freshman guard D’Aundre Samuels (3) drives to the basket while being guarded by Central Missouri’s Jalen Knott during Saturday’s game at the UNK Health and Sports Center.
Central Missouri cut the lead under double digits with 12 minutes left in the game. Two minutes later, it was a one-possession game.
Turnovers played a part. So did missed shots, from the inside and the outside.
“You’re gonna miss them threes,” Young said. “It’s a 12-point game and you go and you miss five layups, right at the rim. If you can’t make layups, you’re gonna turn it over and you’re not gonna rebound, it’s probably hard to win,” Young said.
Central Missouri tied the game at 66 with 3½ minutes left, but didn’t go ahead until Kiner got a fast-break dunk at 2:24.
The teams traded the lead but UNK didn’t score in the last minute and a half.
Freshman point guard D’Aundre Samuels returned to the starting lineup to lead the Lopers with 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and three steals. He also had six of UNK’s 13 turnovers.
“I just thought we needed to change things. up,” Young said of the lineup change. “I liked it for the most part.
“D’Aundre I think he had nine or 10 boards, which is what you need, so I really liked what he did. He’s gonna make some mistakes as a freshman so you have to live with some things.”
Sean Evans hit 5 of 10 3-pointers to add 19 points for the Lopers. Taden King added 13 points and Miguel Robles came off the bench to contribute 10 points.
UNK goes on the road this week, playing at Pittsburg State on Thursday and Missouri Southern on Saturday.
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