Omaha women's basketball is set to close the non-conference portion of its schedule on Monday, Dec. 29 when it travels to Utah Valley.  Tipoff from the UCCU Center in Orem, Utah is set for 4 p.m. (CT).

THE TEAMS

Omaha (5-6, 0-0 Summit League) dropped a 67-50 decision to crosstown foe Creighton University on Dec. 20.

Utah Valley (5-8, 0-0 WAC) lost a pair of games to Montana and Saint Louis in the Lady Griz Classic last weekend.

MAV NOTES

• Freshman guard Remy Davenport had a game-high 15 points against Creighton on Saturday.  Davenport went 5-for-6 from behind the 3-point arc.
• Junior guard Brianna Bogard has scored in double-digits six times this season, which is the most on the team.
• Junior guard Bobbi Beckwith made her season debut on Saturday against Creighton.  The junior had eight points in 27 minutes of action.
• Mikaela Shaw and Brianna Bogard lead the Mavericks in scoring this season.  Shaw averages 12.4 points per game, while Bogard averages 11.6 points per game.
• Shaw also leads the team in rebounding (10.4 boards per game).
• Senior guard Lanese Bough leads the team in assists (50) and steals (28).  Bough is also second on the team in rebounds (57).
• Senior center Taijhe Kelly leads the team with 28 blocked shots.  Kelly has blocked four or more shots in a game four times this season.
• Omaha is 1-2 against teams appearing in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25.  The Mavs lost to Northern Colorado (RV) and North Dakota (RV), but defeated #14 Bakersfield, 80-68.
• The Mavs average 63.4 points per game, while allowing only 63.0 points per game.
• This season, Omaha averages 39.9 rebounds and 13.2 assists per game.
• UNO leads the Summit League in scoring defense, field goal defense, and 3-point field goal percentage defense.
• The Mavs are third in the Summit League in steals and blocked shots.  They are also ranked fourth in assists, assist/turn-over ratio, turnover margin, and defensive rebounds.

SCOUTING THE UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES

Utah Valley enters Monday's game with a 5-8 overall record (0-0 WAC).  The Wolverines are coming off a pair of losses at the Lady Griz Holiday Classic hosted by Montana on Dec. 19-20.  The Wolverines lost against Montana 68-44 on Friday evening, then they were defeated by Saint Louis in the consolation round on Saturday, 68-66.

Rhaiah Spooner-Knight averages 14.4 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game.  Spooner-Knight shoots 51.7 percent (76-for-147) from the field and 77.3 percent (34-for-44) from the free-throw line.  Mariah Seals averages 12.3 points and 3.2 assists per game.

Cathy Nixon is in her 20th season as the head coach.  Coach Nixon has guided Utah Valley in the transition from junior college to NCAA Division I status.

THE SERIES

Monday's game between Omaha and Utah Valley will be the first meeting between the two programs.

ON AIR

Monday's game will be broadcast live on the WAC Digital Network (wacsports.com).  Links to live stats and live radio can be found at WolverineGreen.com.                                          

UP NEXT

Omaha opens the Summit League schedule on Friday, Jan. 2 against South Dakota.  Tipoff from Sapp Fieldhouse is set for 7 p.m.  Jon Green will have the call of the game live on The Mighty 1290 AM KOIL, and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.

INDIVIDUAL SUMMIT LEADERS

• Lanese Bough leads the Summit League in assists and steals.  Bough also ranks 20^th in rebounding.
• Mikaela Shaw is second in rebounding with a 10.4 rebound per game average.  Shaw also ranks eighth in scoring and tenth in field goal percentage.
• Brianna Bogard is 11^th in scoring with 11.6 points per game.  Bogard also ranks 12^th in free-throw percentage.
• Freshman guard Remy Davenport is tied for third in 3-point field goals made per game, while senior guard Felicia Anderson ranks 14^th.
• Taijhe Kelly is second in the league with 28 blocked shots.

BECKWITH MAKES HER DEBUT

Bobbi Beckwith played her first game for the Mavericks against Creighton on Dec. 20.  The former Iowa Western standout had to wait until the year's first semester ended to become eligible to play for the Mavericks after transferring from Indiana State.  The junior had eight points in 27 minutes of action.

FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE

Omaha has shot over 70 percent from the free-throw line four times this season, including a 94.7 percent (18-for-19) performance against Eastern Illinois.  In fact, the Mavs topped the 80 percent mark in consecutive games, Eastern Illinois and Milwaukee.

PUTTING IN THE TIME

Two Omaha players have topped the 300-minute mark this season.  Sophomore guard Mikaela Shaw leads the team with 341 minutes, averaging 31 per game.  Shaw has started all 11 games this season.  In five starts and time in all 11 games, senior guard Lanese Bough has played 311 minutes so far and averages 28.3 per game.  Junior guard Brianna Bogard will be the next player to top 300, sitting on 291 minutes, with an average of 26.5 minutes per game.

PLAYING “D”

Omaha's opponents are shooting only 35.4 percent (234-for-661) from the field, which leads the Summit League.  This season the Maverick defense has held seven opponents under 40 percent shooting from the field and three of those teams were held under 30 percent shooting for the game.

DEFENDING THE THREE

Omaha holds opponents to under 30 percent (60-for-214) from beyond the 3-point arc, which also leads the Summit League.  In eight games this season, the Mavericks have held the opposition to 30 percent or below in shooting from long distance.  Earlier this season, the Mavs limited Air Force to just 8.3 percent (1-for-12) and SIUE to 10 percent (1-for-10) from deep.