GREELEY, Colo. - The Omaha women's basketball team surrendered a late lead and Northern Colorado came back for a 78-73 win over the Mavericks at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks fell to 3-5 on the season. Northern Colorado, a WNIT qualifier the past two seasons, improved to 4-3.
The Mavs led most of the second half, by as many as seven points, but gave up the lead to the Bears at the 5:39 mark when a Kim Lockridge 3-pointer gave UNC a 63-61 lead. The Mavs fell down 76-73 with 23 seconds left and had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but Ericka House's 3-pointer from the wing with five seconds left was off the mark, and the Bears clinched the win with two free throws.
Felicia Anderson matched her career high with 20 points, and she hit 6-of-12 from 3-point range to pace the Mavs. House had 18 points. Mikaela Shaw had nine points and 11 rebounds.
The Mavericks jumped out to a 9-5 lead early, but the Bears outscored the Mavs 15-6 over the next 4:53 to take a 20-15 lead with 8:42 left. But the Mavs clawed back into it and a layup by Sami Pawlak regained a 24-23 lead for the Mavs with 5:44 left in the half. After a UNC free throw, Anderson drilled a 3 and Pawlak hit two free throws for a 29-24 Maverick lead. House's 3-pointer with 26 seconds left extended the lead to 37-30, and the Mavs went into the break ahead 38-31.
In the second half with a 51-50 lead, the Mavs scored six straight courtesy of an Anderson 3-pointer, a free throw and a bucket from Victoria Trowbridge to take a 57-50 lead. But the Bears went on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 57-57 with 7:51 to go. The first five points of the run came on free throws after the Mavs reached the bonus.
The Bears took their first lead of the second half on a Lockridge jumper with 5:39 left for a 63-61 lead. But Anderson answered with a three to put UNO back into the lead, 64-63. Tied at 65-65, Stephanie Lee scored in the paint and Lockridge sank a free throw for a 68-65 UNC lead with 3:15 to go. A free throw by Taijhe Kelly cut the deficit to 68-66 with 2:38 left. But Lee scored for the Bears after an offensive rebound gave them an extra possession, making it 70-66. House knocked down a pair of free throws to get back within 70-68 with 1:26 remaining.
After Lockrdige answered to make it 72-68, House drilled a 3 to get within one, 72-71, with 50 seconds left. But UNC's Shelby Dougherty hit a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left to go back up four, 75-71. Two free throws by Robson made it 75-73 with 25 seconds left. After the Mavs fouled, Lee hit one of two free throws to go up 76-73 with 23 seconds left. But House's 3-pointer from the right wing was off the mark on the Mavs' attempt to tie the game. Lockridge hit two free throws with 2.4 seconds left to seal the win for UNC.
Lee had a game-high 31 points with nine rebounds to lead UNC in the victory. Lockridge had 13 points. The Mavs got eight points and three rebounds from Kelly, six points and six rebounds from Pawlak and five points and six rebounds from Trowbridge.
Rebounds were even at 43-43. The Mavs committed 15 turnovers to nine for the Bears. UNC outshot UNO, 43.1 percent to 36.5 percent. But the Mavs were 9-of-22 from long distance, while UNC was 5-of-13. The Mavs outscored Northern Colorado in bench points, as Anderson, Trowbridge and Pawlak combined for 31 points to just 14 for the Bears.
The Mavericks return home this week to host Air Force on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Eureka on Thursday at 7 p.m.
