WINONA, Minn. – No. 3 ranked Winona State overcame a tenacious defensive effort by the Mavericks to record its 28th straight win Sunday night and end the University of Nebraska at Omaha season with an 80-67 victory in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II North Central Regional at McCown Gymanisium.

The Mavericks, who recorded a school-record 25th win in the first round Saturday night, ended the year 25-7. Winona State, 34-1, will play Northern State Tuesday night in the regional final.

The Warriors put five players in double figures and shot 57.6 percent from the field in the second half. Quincy Henderson, who hit five of nine three-pointers, led the team with 19 points. John Smith added 15.

Junior guard Michael Jenkins led the Mavericks with 24 points, hitting 8 of his 11 shots, while Andrew Bridger added 11 and four assists. Senior center Jerry Bennett, who got into foul trouble early in the second half, pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Mavericks' tenacious defense held the Warrriors to just 28 percent shooting the first half and held Winona State to just one field goal in the final six minutes of the half. The Mavericks survived a couple of scoreless stretches themselves, but were buoyed by Bennett, who held Smith to just four points and two rebounds while pulling down 10.

But Bennett picked up two quick fouls in the opening 2:30 of the second half with UNO leading, 31-29. In the four minutes he sat out, Winona State went on a 15-4 run. Bennett reentered the game with UNO down, 44-35, its biggest lead of the game to that point. UNO sliced the lead with a layup and a three-pointer by senior Denny Johnston.

The Mavericks pulled within a point on Bridger's only three-pointer of the game, 51-50, with 8:56 left. But David Johnson restored the momentum for the Warriors with a layup and a three and the Mavericks never got it down to less than a two possession game again.

UNO finished the game shooting 47.1 percent from the field and hit 6 of 14 three-pointers. Winona State shot 43.1 percent for the game and hit 10 of 25 from behind the three-point arc.

The second-round loss by the Mavericks was the fourth in their basketball history.

Notes
Winona State's only loss came in overtime on Nov. 24 to NCAA Division III St. Thomas...The last time the Mavericks faced Winona State came in the first round of the 2005 North Central Regional tournament in Denver, Colo...The Warriors won that contest, 64-58…UNO committed nine turnovers the first half and seven before the Warriors had their first...Winona State ranks second in NCAA II for fewest turnovers and UNO is sixth…UNO finished with 17 turnovers to just seven by Winona State…UNO was outscored 22-7 when Bennett sat out with foul trouble in the second half…With Augustana's loss to Northern State in the first game Sunday, UNO was the final NCC men's team to play a game.