North Dakota shot 58.3 percent the second half in coming from behind to hand the Mavericks their first home loss of the season Thursday night at Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse, 69-62.
UNO, led by
Ryan Curtis' 18 points and 12 rebounds, dropped to 10-9 overall and 1-2 in the North Central Conference while losing for the second straight game to North Dakota, which improved to 10-6 and 2-0.
The Fighting Sioux surged out front by 20-12 the first half, using an 11-3 run, before the Maverick defense shut down the Sioux, producing a 15-0 run over the final seven minutes. UNO took a 27-20 lead into the break while holding UND to just 25.9 accuracy the first half.
Jimmy Hoy scored the first two field goals of the second half to start the Sioux rally and UND tied the game on a three-pointer by Evan Lindahl at 31 five minutes into the half.
UNO regained the lead briefly as
Ryan Curtis hit two free shots and
Calvin Kapels a layup. But North Dakota ran off 11 straight points to take the lead for good, 42-35, with 10:56 to play, as Lindahl scored twice and Josh Doyle drained a three-pointer to get the run started.
The Mavericks fell behind by as many as 11, then started their own rally, pulling within six three times in the closing minutes. The Sioux responded at the free throw line and built the lead back up to 12 at 61-49 with a minute left.
But UNO wasn't finished as Kapels scored on a layup, Curtis converted a three-point play and
Jamaal Byers hit from behind the arc for an 8-0 run to pull the Mavs within 61-57 with 41 seconds left. After Hoy and Caro Nobles each hit one of two foul shots, Kapels scored inside again.
Doyle hit two free shots for a 65-59 lead with 15 seconds left, but the Mavs answered with a three-pointer by
Zac Robinson with 9.8 seconds to play. The Sioux salted away the win as Doyle and Hoy each hit a pair of free throws.
Kapels added 17 points and six rebounds for UNO, which shot 38.1 percent from the field.
Doyle's 18 points led North Dakota, while Hoy added 17 points and 11 rebounds and Lindahl 15, all in the second half.
UNO will be in action again Saturday afternoon at Upper Iowa at 3.
