UNK Men Pick Up Win Over York University 92-49

Kearney, Neb. – Fifth-year senior Chase Thompson scored 23 points and redshirt junior Ja’Bryant Hill added 17 to help Nebraska Kearney roll past York University, 92-49, Tuesday night at the Health & Sports Center.

The Lopers (1-4) pick up their first win of the 2024-25 season while the Panthers remain at 2-5 per NAIA rules. This also marks the first win for first-year head coach Marty Levinson. He won 191 games in at the junior college level.

“It feels great. Gets a little burden off my back but it’s more for the kids. They are the ones doing all the work,” said Levinson. “I’ve been through the ups and downs of basketball, just living the life of it. You don’t get too high; you don’t get too low. You have to trust your work and the kids did that. They deserve it and they needed that.”

UNK, who dropped its first four games by a total of nine points, led by just a 35-25 margin with two minutes left in the half before finishing on a 6-1 run. The Lopers then dominated the second half by a 51-23 margin as they shot 59% from the floor and committed only one turnover.

“We’ve lost four games by nine points, so we probably were a little tight (at the beginning). Coach (Tom) Kropp has the best saying…be free swinging. Allow yourself to read the basketball and make the right basketball play out of it. I felt like we settled in,” said Levinson.

Thompson (Omaha Westside) had 14 of his points in the first half and finished 8 of 15 (3 of 6 threes) from the field and 4 of 6 at the line. He also had six rebounds (three offensive) and two assists. The 23 points is four shy of his D2 career-high, set for Florida Tech against Lynn (Fla.) last winter.

Next, Hill (Duncanville, Texas) was 8 of 12 (1 of 3 threes) from the field and had a team-best six assists with Mullen redshirt freshman Clayton Moore close to a double double (12 rebounds, eight points, five assists, two blocks and two steals). Finaly, North Platte sophomore River Johnston (11 points, two assists), Omaha senior Tre’Vion Crawford (5 points, two rebounds) and Philadelphia senior Chereef Knox (seven rebounds, four points) were all big off the bench.

“We’re so new. If you have returners, and you’ve been around each other, everyone kind of knows what position they slide into,” said Levinson. “We had to do so much of that teaching and there’s nothing like putting yourself into the battle. You learn in the game, and we just hope we’ve learned from those first four.”

Ten of the 11 Lopers who suited up scored as UNK held York to 26% shooting and totaled 24 points off 17 Panthers turnovers. Finally, both teams made 14 free throws with the Lopers plus three on the glass.

York had three starters reach double figures including Ikechukwu Nwaobi (13 points).

UNK is at Chadron State (2-4) on Saturday at 6 p.m. Central