This Week:  The UNO women's basketball team finishes off the pre-Christmas half of its schedule when it hosts the Bemidji State University Beavers on Friday, Dec. 19 at 5:30 p.m. at Sapp Fieldhouse.

The Records:  The Mavericks are 3-4 this season and 1-2 in the MIAA. They earned their first league win of the year with an 87-63 victory over Northwest Missouri State last Saturday at home. The Beavers are 2-8 on the season following an 83-70 loss at home to Upper Iowa.

The Coaches:  Patty Patton Shearer is in her fifth season at UNO. She is 70-53 all time at UNO. Last year, the Mavericks started 14-1 (the best start in school history) and recorded their third-straight winning season at 17-12. A native of Marana, Ariz., Patton Shearer is a 1990 graduate of Rocky Mountain College. Mike Curfman is in his fourth season guiding the Beavers' program. The 1992 graduate of Concordia College is 42-52 all-time in Bemidji, Minn.

The Series:  The Mavericks and Beavers have met just once prior to Friday's game. The Mavericks earned an 81-66 win at Sapp Fieldhouse on Dec. 3, 1993.

Coming Up:  The Mavericks will return from Christmas break and jump right into the heart of MIAA play. They'll visit the ninth-ranked Emporia State University Hornets on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 5:30 p.m. They'll conclude that week against the Missouri Western State University Griffons on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Joseph, Mo.