By Terry Douglass
terry.douglass@theindependent.com

Back in December and even early January, that fact probably would've amazed Lopers' co-coach Tom Kropp. UNK started the season 1-4 and dropped to 4-8 following a 76-73 overtime home loss to Colorado State-Pueblo on Jan. 3.

But since then, the Lopers (16-12) have gone 12-4 and take a three-game winning streak into Friday's 5 p.m. CST semifinal game against Colorado Christian (17-11) at Pueblo, Colo.

"We've been in the conference for 14 years and at one point this year, we thought, 'Hey, this might be the first year that we don't make the conference tournament,' when we were 4-8 and 2-3 in the conference," Kropp said. "So we're tickled to be there and we're just going to go out and do the best that we can."

UNK swept the regular-season series from Colorado Christian, winning 71-67 on Jan. 31 at Kearney and beating the Cougars again 75-68 on Feb. 16 at Lakewood, Colo.

If the Lopers can pull the trick a third time, they'll make an unlikely appearance in Saturday's RMAC Tournament title game, which will be televised by Altitude (Charter cable channel 20, DirecTV channel 661 and Dish Network channel 445).

"I think early in the year, people were talking and it was the truth we were looking at having maybe the worst season we've had around here in 30 years," Kropp said. "That's the direction we were going, so I think that kind of had an impact on our kids.

"Now, all of the sudden, here we sit at 16-12 and in the final four of our conference I really feel good about that, especially considering where they came from."

UNK is led by Ravenna sophomore Drake Beranek, who averages 20.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Including Beranek, the Lopers have five players who average double figures in points, including Jeff Martin (13.5 per game), Garrett Lever (12.5), Josiah Parker (10.8) and St. Edward freshman Jeremy Cruise (10.1).

Inexperience and injuries hit UNK hard early on. Lever was hurt to start the season and freshman Max Froehlich, expected to start at the other guard spot, only played five games due to injuries.

Then consider Nebraska-Kearney's youth in the starting lineup. Lever and Cruise are freshmen, while Beranek, Martin and Parker are all sophomores.

"It's just a matter of picking it up on defense and we've jelled," Lever said. "Since we were basically a new team in that first semester, we've gotten better and better together in the second semester.

"It's all coming together."

One thing's for sure: The Lopers are battle-tested. Of their 28 games this season, Kropp said 19 of them have been decided in the final five minutes.

Lately, UNK has been winning more of those games than it has lost.

"This team has improved more than any team we've ever had since I've been here," Kropp said. "We had a lot of improving to do, but credit the kids because they've done it."

* WOMEN

UNK women facing Metro State

The UNK women have also advanced to the RMAC Shootout and will face Metro State at 7 p.m. CST at Pueblo.

The Lopers (25-5) have won both of their meetings with the Roadrunners (19-9) this season. UNK beat Metro State 87-82 back on Feb. 2 in Kearney and then swept the regular-season series with a 63-58 win at Denver on Feb. 15.

A victory would advance UNK into Saturday's championship game, which will be televised by Altitude. There, the Lopers would likely play top-seeded Fort Lewis, which beat Nebraska-Kearney 68-64 on Dec. 13 at Grand Junction, Colo

Nebraska-Kearney is fifth in the NCAA Division II North Central Region rankings. The Lopers trail South Dakota, North Dakota, Concordia-St. Paul and Fort Lewis.

RMAC Shootout

At Pueblo, Colo.

MEN

Friday's Games

Fort Lewis (22-5) vs. Western New Mexico (17-11), 1 p.m.

Nebraska-Kearney (16-12) vs. Colorado Christian (17-11), 5 p.m.

Saturday's Game

Championship, 7 p.m.

WOMEN

Friday's Games

Fort Lewis (26-2) vs. CSU Pueblo (19-9), 3 p.m.

Nebraska-Kearney (25-5) vs. Metro State (19-9), 7 p.m.

Saturday's Game

Championship, 9 p.m.