ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Missouri Western used a 10-0 run in the closing minutes to pull away from the Mavericks and post a 72-61 non-conference win Wednesday night, ending UNO's three-game winning streak.
The loss dropped No. 25 ranked UNO to 4-5 on the season, while the Griffons remained unbeaten at 6-0.
Calvin Kapels led the Mavericks with 16 points,
Keith Price added 13 and
Ryan Curtis recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in his return to the lineup after missing four games with a hand injury.
The Mavericks could point to a crucial turning point with just under five minutes left in the game that led to their undoing. After Curtis and Kapels sliced a six point deficit to just two, Kapels got the ball back with a steal, but the Mavs missed inside. The Griffons' Kyle Kirschner answered with his only three-pointer of the game for a 58-53 lead, launching the 10-point run.
"That was a big play, a five-point turnaround," UNO Coach
Derrin Hansen said.
The Mavs led by as many as seven points the first half before the Griffons finished the first half with a rush to take a 29-27 lead and expanded that to 38-33 in the opening minutes of the second half.
"We finished the first half and started the second half very poorly," Hansen said.
Hansen praised the play of Price, who played a season-high 21 minutes. "Keith did a good job. He shot the ball well, and I liked the things he did tonight."
Demarius Bolds led Missouri Western with 17 points, Jason Warren added 13 and Rickey Quarels 10.
The Mavericks will get back to action Saturday night when they host Nebraska-Kearney at Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse at 7.
