Box Score
LINCOLN, Neb. – The UNO women's basketball team gave a spirited effort against the No. 20 Nebraska Cornhuskers, but fell short in the end, 80-44, on Friday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Sophomore guard Paige Frauendorfer led the Mavericks with 12 points, while fellow junior Heather Pohl added eight. The defeat was the first of the year for the Mavs (2-1). The Huskers, led by freshman phenom Jordan Hooper's 25 points, improved to 5-0 in winning their 36th consecutive regular season game.
Nebraska took advantage of its size advantage early on, as Hooper scored the first eight points for the Huskers to push NU out to an 8-2 lead. After a Frauendorfer jumper from the baseline to make it 8-4, the Huskers reeled off a 13-0 run to claim a 21-4 lead, sparked by back-to-back 3-pointers by Kaitlyn Burke.
A 3-pointer in transition by Jamie Nash made it 21-7, but the Huskers answered with eight points to go up 29-7. However, the Mavs battled at both ends of the court, and strong defensive play keyed an 8-0 run by the Mavs toward the end of the half. Nash made a driving layup, and then got free on a breakaway for another layup. Carly Cator hit a long jumper, and then Jasamine Reeves put home a basket to pull within 29-15 and force a Nebraska timeout.
After the Huskers built a 37-17 lead, Frauendorfer and Pohl hit 3-pointers to pull the Mavs within 39-23 at halftime. The Mavs made seven first half steals, and forced a total of 11 Husker turnovers. The Huskers' 39 first half points scored were four below their season average in the first half.
The Huskers opened the second half with a 13-0 run over the first 3:30 to take a commanding 52-23 lead. Dominique Kelley hit two 3-pointers to spark the Huskers out of the break.
The Mavs were cold out of the gate, misfiring on their first six shots before Frauendorfer hit her second 3-pointer of the game from the corner, and then converted a driving bank shot to make it 52-28. Pohl nailed a 3-pointer after an NU bucket, and Katie Kane converted a shot in the paint to cut the score to 55-33, finishing off a 10-3 UNO run.
The Mavs were unable to get any closer after that, as NU outscored UNO 25-11 the rest of the way. UNO forced a total of 19 Nebraska turnovers and only put the Huskers at the free throw line eight times. The Huskers, however, used their size advantage to out-rebound the Mavs, 43-26, and outscore the Mavs in the paint, 38-18.
For UNO, Frauendorfer and Pohl hit four of the Mavs' six 3-pointers, and Reeves blocked three NU shots on the defensive end. Nash finished with seven points, a team-best five rebounds and three steals.
UNO returns home Saturday for a contest against the Calumet College of Saint Joseph (Ind.) Crimson Wave (3-5). Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Sapp Fieldhouse.
