Final Stats

OMAHA, Neb. - It took two overtimes, but the UNO women's basketball team earned a thrilling 79-75 win over Northern Arizona on Sunday afternoon at Sapp Fieldhouse.

The Mavericks improved to 3-0 to start the season for the first time since 2007-08. UNO didn't trail in the game until 3:49 remained in the first overtime, when the Lumberjacks ended the Mavs' streak of 106:49 without trailing. But the Mavericks didn't panic and reclaimed the lead for good just seconds into the second overtime period.

Jamie Nash led three Mavericks who had double-doubles with 22 points and 11 assists. Paige Frauendorfer had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Carolyn Blair-Mobley had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Frauendorfer played the entire 50 minutes, while Nash played 49 and Blair-Mobley played 47. The Lumberjacks (0-4) got a game-high 28 points from Tyler Stephens-Jenkins, who hit 8-of-17 from long distance to get Northern Arizona back into the game after it trailed by as many as 16 in the second half.

UNO controlled the game in the first half after jumping out to an 8-0 lead and leading by as many as 13 in the opening session. The Mavs picked up where they left off after the break, as Frauendorfer connected and Nash hit a 3-pointer for a 40-24 lead with 19:05 left in the second half.

But the Lumberjacks rallied from a 50-38 deficit with a 13-2 run to get within 52-51 when Stephens-Jenkins knocked down a triple with 8:32 left in the half. The Mavs built the lead back to 58-53 with 4:30 left on a Blair-Mobley bucket, but that would be the last point for UNO in regulation.

NAU's Paige Haynes scored on a fastbreak layup to cut the Mav lead to 58-55 with 2:01 left. With 9.7 seconds left, NAU grabbed the rebound off a missed Maverick free throw and moved the ball into the front court, where Stephens-Jenkins hit a would-be tying 25-footer that didn't count because head coach Sue Darling had called timeout just before the shot with 4.1 seconds left.

But the Lumberjacks' misfortune turned to great fortune, as center Aubrey Davis received the inbounds pass on the wing and with every other player guarded tightly, fired up a 3-pointer that banked off the glass and in at the buzzer to tie the game. It was her first 3-pointer of the season and just the second of the senior's career.

In the first overtime, Nash and Blair-Mobley hit one free throw each to make it 60-58, but Stephens-Jenkins gave the Lumberjacks their first lead of the game with 3:49 left in OT with a 3-pointer. Ericka House rebounded a blocked shot though and scored on a six-footer in the paint to regain the lead for the Mavs, 62-61, with 3:15 left. Jasmine Sneed put NAU back in front by one with a 3-pointer with 2:23 left, but House drilled one from the corner to make it 65-64 UNO with 2:08 to play. Raven Anderson sank one-of-two free throws for NAU with 1:31 left to tie the game, but Frauendorfer scored from the baseline to make it 67-65 at 1:01. Amy Patton answered immediately with a seven-footer to tie the game at 67-67, and Nash missed a shot with 25 seconds left, giving the Lumberjacks one last chance to win. But the Mavericks played stout defense and forced Patton into a long-distance 3-point attempt that was well short as the buzzer sounded.

In double overtime, House drilled a trey in the opening seconds, and after Nash stole a Lumberjack pass, Frauendorfer scored from the corner and was fouled. Frauendorfer missed the free throw, but NAU threw it away trying to advance the ball up court, giving UNO possession with a 72-67 lead and 3:42 remaining. Nash drew a foul and sank one free throw for a 73-67 lead. Haynes then hit a wide-open 3-pointer to cut the lead in half, 73-70. But Nash was hacked on her way to the basket on the ensuing possession and connected on one-of-two again for a 74-70 lead. Stephens-Jenkins answered with a long triple at the top of the arc to reduce the lead to one, 74-73, with 2:54 left.

On the next possession, House chased down an offensive rebound and Frauendorfer worked her way into the paint and scored while drawing a foul from Haynes. Frauendorfer missed the free throw, but the ball went off NAU and out of bounds on the rebound attempt. The Mavs failed to convert, but NAU turned it over on their next possession with 1:11 left. Frauendorfer then scored a putback after an offensive rebound on a missed House 3-pointer with 55 seconds left to make it 78-73. Anderson then scored from close for the Lumberjacks to cut it back to three at 78-75 with 32 seconds left. With 30 seconds left, Blair-Mobley hit one-of-two free throws for a 79-75 lead. The Lumberjacks then failed to connect on four different shots on their final possession, and the Mavs escaped with the victory.

UNO dominated the paint, 38-16, and forced NAU into 33 3-point attempts. The Mavs' bench came up with 22 points to just six for the Lumberjacks. House led the charge with 11, while Casse Vaughn contributed six points in a key stretch in the first half, and Taijhe Kelly finished with five.

The Mavs are back at home on Wednesday to host Saint Louis at 2 p.m. before the Thanksgiving break.