The University of Nebraska at Omaha men's basketball team found itself trailing by 16 points to St. Cloud State early in the second half, but led by
Michael Jenkins' milestone performance, UNO rallied back for an 84-82 victory Wednesday night at Sapp Fieldhouse, advancing to the North Central Conference semifinals.
The Mavericks (22-6) shot 61.5 percent in the first half, but still trailed the Huskies (17-11) by 14 points at halftime, 51-37.
Michael Jenkins hit two free throws to open the second half, cutting the lead to 12.
Justin Petersen got whistled for a foul and took a technical when he protested. The Huskies sank all four ensuing free throws for a 16-point lead, 55-39.
From there, however, UNO took command. Jenkins slashed to the hoop for a layup, sparking a run of 11 straight points for the Mavericks, and a 17-3 run over five minutes, quickly cutting the deficit to two points at 58-56.
A layup by
Jerry Bennett with 11:28 to play gave UNO its first lead of the game at 62-61. The score would be tied five more times down the stretch as the teams jockeyed back and forth. St. Cloud State center Ross Winnekins' 3-pointer with 2:03 left put the Huskies back ahead, 82-79.
Jenkins took two points right back with a layup off a baseline drive, making it 82-81. The Mavericks got the stop they needed on the Huskies' ensuing possession, forcing a difficult shot, with
Denny Johnston grabbing the key rebound. Johnston would score the winning basket with nine seconds left off a backdoor pass from
Andrew Bridger. Johnston hit an insurance free throw with 0.4 seconds remaining.
Jenkins led the Mavericks with 20 points, giving him 1,016 for his career, making him the 29th UNO player to reach the 1,000-point mark. Johnston scored 15 with eight rebounds, while
Mitch Albers scored 14. Bennett notched his eighth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 boards. Petersen also scored 10. Bridger had eight points and tied a career high with 10 assists.
Winnekins led all scorers with 23 points, hitting four 3-pointers, as the Huskies shot 11-for-23 on 3-point tries. Matt Schneck scored 17 with a team-high eight rebounds.
The Mavericks advance to the semifinals of the conference tournament, and will take on the No. 1 seed, Minnesota State, Mankato, at MSU, Saturday at 4 p.m.
