Con Marshall
CHADRON, Neb. – Five Chadron State College players scored in double figures Saturday night as the Eagles downed Nebraska-Kearney 87-71 in a men’s non-conference basketball game played in Chadron. The win was the Eagles’ fourth in the last seven games between the longtime in-state rivals.
Zy Wright and Treyson Neff finished with 16 points, Jalen Thomas had 15, Darrius Miles had 14 and John Jenkins 13 for Chadron State, who is now 3-4 on the season. All five scorers started the game for CSC except Neff, who came off the bench about six minutes into the game.
The 16 points are a Division II career high in the young NCAA career of Treyson Neff, who transferred to CSC this year from College of the Redwoods in California. At halftime, Neff was the game’s leading scorer with 11 points after sinking 3 of 4 three-pointers and also nailing a jumper from inside the arc. He finished 4 of 9 from beyond the arc.
Both teams finished with 27 total field goals, but the Eagles sank nine three-pointers, three more than Kearney, and outscored the visitors by 13 points at the free throw line, where CSC was 24-of-29 and UNK was 11-of-15.
Much of the difference at the charity stripe occurred late in the contest, when the Lopers frequently putting the Eagles at the line in an effort to slow down the clock. The hosts responded by making seven of their last eight free shots in the final two minutes and 18 seconds. Zy Wright led the Eagles from the line, making 8 of 10 free throw attempts for the bulk of his 16 points.
The Eagles jumped out to an early 4-0 lead. UNK took a 7-6 lead three-and-a-half minutes after tipoff, but two free throws from Zy Wright put the Eagles back in front. With the score tied at 10-10, Wright hit back-to-back threes to put Chadron State up 16-10, and the Eagles led the rest of the way.
Chadron State was on top 39-29 at halftime. In the second half, the difference dipped below 10 points just once, when UNK battled back to make it 57-48 with 10:26 left to play. Senior John Jenkins hit a layup 25 seconds later put the Eagles ahead by 11 and they led by at least that margin the rest of the way. Their largest lead was 21 points—81-60—with 3:22 left on the clock.
Like its scoring, Chadron State’s rebounding was balanced. Thomas pulled down seven boards while Jenkins, Miles and Wright each grabbed six. For the game, CSC finished with 44 rebounds, two more than UNK.
The Eagles shot 43.5 percent from the field, 30 percent from three and 83 percent from the line. UNK shot just 35.5 percent from the line, 17.6 percent from three-point land and 73 percent from the stripe. Jalen Thomas (7-11) and John Jenkins (4-7) both shot better than 50 percent from the field for Chadron State.
The Eagles won despite UNK holding the edge in points in the paint (40-28), fastbreak points (17-10) and points off turnovers (16-8). Chadron State’s bench outscored UNK’s 29-12.
The Lopers are now 1-5 for the season. Two players—5-10 Ja’Bryant Hill and 6-3 Allen Taylor—led Kearney in both scoring and rebounding. Each totaled 20 points, while Hill claimed nine rebounds, one more than Taylor.
Chadron State will launch its conference schedule at home this coming Thursday night, Dec. 5. South Dakota Mines will be the Eagles’ guest at the Chicoine Center, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. after the women’s game.