OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha women's basketball team opened the 2014-15 season with a 59-39 win over Alcorn State on Saturday afternoon at Sapp Fieldhouse. Junior Brianna Bogard scored 20 points to lead the Mavericks.
Bogard scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half as Omaha pulled away. The junior shot 6-12 from the floor and 6-8 from the free throw line to lead all scorers in the game. She also dished out four assists. Cathleen Cox added nine points and five rebounds.
Olivia Brown led Alcorn State with 13 points off the bench. Misha Jones had four points to go along with a game high nine rebounds.
Omaha shot 13-27 (48.1 percent) in the second half, outscoring Alcorn State by 20 after halftime. The Mavericks picked up their defensive intensity in the second half, limiting the Lady Braves to just 5-37 (13.5 percent) shooting. Omaha held a 44-39 rebounding advantage and recorded 7 blocked shots. UNO had 22 points in the paint and scored 17 points off turn-overs in the win.
The Mavericks scored the first two buckets of the game and stretched its lead to as many as seven points midway through the first half. Turn-overs allowed Alcorn State tie the score up at 22-22 at halftime.
Omaha exploded out of the gates in the second half outscoring Alcorn State 21-2 to put the game out of reach. Taijhe Kelly gave the Mavericks their largest lead 51-29 with a jumper in the paint at the 6:10 mark of the second half. The Lady Braves cut the lead to 14 points with 2:32 remaining in the game. Kelly blocked three shots in the final 1:37 as Omaha's defense clamped down and did not allow Alcorn State to score the remainder of the game. Madi Robson and Brianna Bogard each hit a pair of free throws down the stretch to make the final score 59-39.
The Mavericks are now 1-0, while the Lady Braves drop to 0-1. Omaha will open its road schedule on Monday, Nov. 17 against the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. (CT) and will be available on the Mountain West Network. Last season, Omaha defeated Air Force 84-56. The Mavs return home on Friday, November 21 against Graceland University at 7:00 p.m.
