Box Score

TOPEKA, Kan. - The Mavericks cut a 16-point deficit down to seven in the final three minutes but couldn't close the gap in a 63-55 loss at No. 15 Washburn Saturday evening.

Nebraska-Omaha fell to 10-8 overall and 5-6 in the MIAA while the Lady Blues snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 14-3 and 8-3 in the league.

#Alyssa Green led the Mavs with 17 points and Ashley Nelson# had 11 as she fouled out with 2:30 left in the game. She led UNO with eight rebounds. #Heather Pohl and Jessica Zaruba# each scored nine points.

The Mavericks shot just 31 percent in the opening half while the Lady Blues were 39 percent. UNO shot 41 percent in the second half and ended up out-shooting Washburn overall, 36 percent to 34 percent.

Washburn led by eight at halftime and then scored the first four points in the second half to lead by 12, 34-22. A 7-0 run for UNO cut the lead to five and then a lay-up by Nelson at the 12:53 mark cut Washburn's lead to three at 38-35.

The Lady Blues pushed the lead back into double figures and then nearly put the game out of reach when Brette Ulsaker's free throw at 2:59 gave them a 56-40 lead.

UNO didn't give up. A 9-2 run put the Mavericks within seven points with just under a minute to play. Green started that run with a 3-pointer, UNO's first after missing the first 12 of the game. Pohl followed with a second straight 3 and then Zaruba's shot from long distance ended UNO's run.

Ulsaker then hit a pair of free throws to put her team up by nine before Pohl nailed another three to cut the lead to six with 30 seconds left. Washburn then hit four free throws down the stretch to hold on.

Dayna Rodriguez led Washburn with 23 points and Hope Gregory had 13.

The Mavericks led early, 8-2 when Zaruba hit a basket at the 15:24 mark. The Lady Blues then erased that with an 8-2 run of their own to tie the score at 10-10.