Final Stats
VERMILLION, S.D. - The Omaha women's basketball team fell to South Dakota, 62-57, at the DakotaDome on Sunday afternoon.
The loss was the first for the Mavericks in three road games this season. They fell to 9-3 overall and 1-1 in Summit League action. South Dakota, fresh off of a week's rest, improved to 6-8 overall and 1-0 in Summit League play.
Carolyn Blair-Mobley led the Mavericks with 17 points, and she chipped in eight rebounds.
Casse Vaughn had 15 points off the bench, and
Jamie Nash added 12 points, four assists and three steals. The Mavs shot just 35.1 percent (20-of-57) from the floor and hit just eight field goals in the second half. South Dakota shot 46.4 percent (26-of-56) from the floor, the best an opposing team has shot against the Mavs in Chance Lindley's tenure.
A 21-6 South Dakota run spanning both halves gave the Coyotes control. UNO led 20-18 with 7:01 remaining in the first half, but the Coyotes scored the next seven points and finished the half on a 16-6 run for a 34-26 halftime lead. The Coyotes scored the first five points out of the gate in the second half and took a 39-26 lead with 17:58 left, its largest of the game.
But down 40-29, UNO battled back with an 8-0 run to cut it to 40-37.
Paige Frauendorfer hit two free throws and Blair-Mobley hit a 3-pointer, a bucket in the paint and a free throw to cut it to 40-37 with 14:40 left. But the Mavs couldn't cut into the deficit on their next possessions, and USD scored at the 12:59 mark to end a 4:00 scoring drought and make it 42-37. The Coyotes scored again on their next possession to make it 44-37 and built the lead back to nine points at 48-39 with 9:27 left.
Omaha would not quit though. Trailing 52-43, Vaughn converted an old-fashioned three-point play, and
Ericka House drilled a 3-pointer to cut it back to three at 52-49 with 7:13 left. But the Coyotes used a 7-2 spurt to again extend the lead, this time to 59-51 with 5:15 left.
UNO whittled the margin down to 60-55 and had possession with a minute left, but Vaughn's layup missed. Still down five with the ball again, Nash drove to the hoop and was fouled with 23.3 seconds left. She hit both free throws to make it 60-57, but USD's Tempestt Wilson hit two free throws at the other end to push the lead back to five, 62-57, and the Mavs failed to score on their last possession.
USD had four players in double figures, led by Lisa Loeffler's career-high 14 points off the bench.
The Mavs return to Omaha to host their first Summit League contest on Thursday, Jan. 3 against Oakland at 7 p.m.
