The third-seeded Cougars (19-11) advance to the finals Saturday night where they'll face top-seed and NCAA Division II No. 16th-ranked Fort Lewis (23-5). The Skyhawks beat fourth-seeded Western New Mexico 90-66 in Friday's early game.

For UNK (16-13), the loss will likely end the 2007-08 season. The Lopers, currently ranked ninth in the North Central Region, were hoping to earn a seventh straight bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 64-team Division II field will be announced Sunday night at around 9:30 p.m.

The 2008 RMAC Player of the Year, Stamer had a double-double by half time (19 points, 14 rebounds) and finished 16-of-24 from the field and went 8-of-11 at the free-throw line. His rebound total, which included 17 on the defensive end, set a new RMAC Tournament record.

Stamer is the first player to score 40 points against a Kearney team since Otis Frazier of Chadron State went for 46 in a Feb. 2000 win at the Health and Sports Center.

While UNK beat Colorado Christian twice during the regular season, it never stopped Stamer. He had 26 points in both setbacks and finished the year shooting 61 percent (39-of-64) against the Lopers.

Finally, Stamer's record-setting effort also helped the Cougars end an 18-game losing streak to UNK, which dated back to the 1999-2000 season.

UNK trailed by just a 17-12 score at the 9:38 mark of the first half but Christian hit four 3-pointers down the stretch to open up a 14-point cushion, 38-24, by halftime.

One of the top 3-point shooting teams in the RMAC, CCU was only 6-of-31 from the arc against UNK during the regular season. In the second half, the Cougars missed all six 3-point shots it took.

The Lopers, who sank 26 threes in its last two games, were also cold from the perimeter, going 4-of-15 on the night.

Despite Stamer and the 3-point troubles, UNK still mounted a second-half comeback. Getting the ball inside to sophomore center Josiah Parker on four straight possessions, the Lopers cut the deficit to 47-39 with 14:21 to play.

But a three-point play from Stamer stopped the momentum and then neither team scored for more than two minutes. In the final 10 minutes of the game, UNK could only cut the deficit down to seven.

Before fouling out, Ravenna sophomore Drake Beranek grabbed five offensive rebounds and scored a team-high 18 points on 8-of-19 shooting, including 2-of-4 threes.

Parker, who fouled out as well, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds while tallying 17 points and blocking two shots. Also, sophomore Jeff Martin scored seven of his 13 points in the final 2:25 with freshman Garrett Lever playing all 40 minutes and supplying 14 points and seven rebounds.

Lever also had four steals, giving him an even 90 for the season. That broke the school record of 89, set by Mike Hancock in 1995-96. For most of the year, Lever has led Division II in steals per game (3.6).

UNK shot just 40.3 percent (29-of-72) with Christian at a solid 50.9 percent (28-of-55). The Cougars also had a plus-three rebounding margin and sank 11 more free throws then the Lopers.

Besides Stamer, Peter Bailey scored 12 points off the bench for CCU and Rory Morgan added 11 points and six rebounds.

COLORADO CHRISTIAN 78,

NEB.-KEARNEY 68

COLORADO CHRISTIAN (18-11)

Long 0-1 0-2 0, Morgan 3-8 2-2 11, Puckett 2-7 2-2 6, Stamer 16-24 8-11 40, Neuhaus 2-4 3-6 7, Olson 0-1 0-0 0, Caulk 0-2 0-0 2, Bailey 4-7 2-2 12, House 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 28-55 17-25 78.

NEB.-KEARNEY (16-13)

Lever 6-16 2-4 14, Cruise 1-7 0-0 2, Martin 5-11 1-1 13, Beranek 8-19 0-0 18, Parker 7-13 3-5 17, Johnson 0-3 0-0 0, Cooney 0-0 0-0 0, McCullough 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 29-72 6-10 68.

HalftimeCCU 38, UNK 24. 3-point goalsCCU 5-15 (Long 0-1, Morgan 3-6, Puckett 0-1, Stamer 0-1, Olson 0-1, Caulk 0-2, Bailey 2-3), UNK 4-15 (Lever 0-1, Cruise 0-4, Martin 2-5, Beranek 2-4, Johnson 0-1). Fouled outBeranek, Parker. ReboundsCCU 40 (Stamer 21), UNK 37 (Parker 8). AssistsCCU 18 (Long 6), UNK 7 (Lever, Cruise 2). TurnoversCCU 12, UNK 7. Total foulsCCU 10, UNK 21. TechnicalsNone. A1,579.