DULUTH, Minn. -- The University of Nebraska at Omaha men's basketball team saw its eight-game win streak snapped as Minnesota-Duluth shocked the No. 10 Mavericks, taking a 73-56 North Central Conference victory Saturday afternoon at Romano Gymnasium.
The Bulldogs improved to 8-11 on the year, 1-1 in NCC play, while the Mavericks fell to 15-2, 1-1.
UMD was determined to stay with UNO from the outset, keeping the game tight through the first several minutes. The Mavs were able to open up an eight-point lead midway through the first half after consecutive layups by
Justin Petersen and
Jerry Bennett, followed by a 3-pointer from Petersen. Undeterred, the Bulldogs scored seven straight points, taking a one-point lead on a 3-pointer by Jordan Nuness with 6:36 left in the half. Another triple by Nuness closed out the first-half scoring, with UMD holding a 32-26 lead.
The Mavericks chipped away at the deficit to start the second half, retaking the lead at 37-36 on a 3-pointer by
Denny Johnston. Another layup by Bennett with 12:29 remaining put UNO up 46-44. But another trey from Nuness with 11:45 to play sparked a 15-0 run that gave the Bulldogs what would prove to be an unsurmountable lead.
UMD took care of the ball, committing only four turnover in the game, compared to a reasonable 13 by the Mavericks. The Bulldogs held a 35-30 advantage in rebounds, while shooting 43.1 percent. Nuness finished as the game's leading scorer with 18 points including four 3-pointers.
Michael Jenkins led the Mavericks with 15 points, with Johnston scoring 12,
Andrew Bridger 11, and Bennett 10 points with seven rebounds.
The Mavs face their toughest challenge to date this season in their next contest, visiting No. 3 South Dakota on Thursday, before coming home to face North Dakota next Saturday.
