OMAHA, Neb. – Solidified by a strong second-quarter performance, the Omaha women's basketball team began the year with a 75-60 win over Central Florida Saturday afternoon at Baxter Arena. With the win, the Mavericks start the year at 1-0, while the Knights begin the season at 0-1.
The Mavericks saw eight different players contribute in points and rebounds and had four individuals sink a shot from 3-point range for a well-balanced attack. Mikaela Shaw and Remy Davenport paced UNO with 18 points each on the night. Shaw was 5-for-7 from the field and 8-for-10 at the free throw line, while Davenport went 5-for-14 from the field and 3-for-4 at the line. Shaw also grabbed six boards with four steals and four assists. Davenport grabbed three boards and had two assists. Amber Vidal had 11 points in her first college game. Vidal also had a game high five assists.
Overall, the Mavericks shot 36.9 percent from the field with 10 three pointers, while the Knights shot 33.8 percent from the field with only three from beyond the arc. UCF outrebounded Omaha, 49-37, but committed 19 turnovers compared to 14 by UNO.
Omaha's Abi Lujan grabbed a team-best nine boards, while Vanessa Barajas added six boards. Caroline Hogue had eight points and blocked three shots in her first collegiate action. Fellow freshman, Ellie Brecht added nine points.
Lujan scored the first points in Baxter Arena for the women's basketball team with a pair of free throws in the third minute of play. Davenport sank the team's first 3-pointer of the year with 1:08 left in the quarter to give Omaha a one point lead, 13-12. Brecht took a pass from Davenport and drained a trey with three seconds left in the quarter to put Omaha up, 16-14.
Davenport hit back-to-back three pointers and Brecht added another to open the second quarter, sparking an increase in pace from the Mavericks. Shaw scored her first points of the game with five minutes left in the half on a lay-up. Back-to-back makes by Shaw and Marissa Preston kept the Omaha lead at five, 31-26. Six straight points from Vidal in the final two minutes of the half put Omaha up ten points. UCF hit a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left to make the halftime score 40-32 in favor of Omaha.
The third quarter proved to be the game's turning point as the Mavericks stepped up their defense and found their shooting stroke. Davenport scored the first six points of the quarter on two 3-pointers. Lay-ups from Shaw and Vidal increased the Omaha lead to 18 points just two minutes into the second half, 50-32. Central Florida went on a 6-1 run to cut the Omaha lead to 12 points at the end of the quarter, 59-47.
Omaha stretched its lead back to 17 points at 64-47 on a pair of buckets from Hogue early in the fourth quarter. The Knights stepped up their pressure midway through the quarter in the hopes of making a comeback. UCF held Omaha scoreless for 2:26, while cutting the lead to nine points with 3:44 left in the game. Four straight points by Shaw brought the Mavericks lead back to 13 points with less than three minutes left to play. UCF made one last push as they cut they lead to eight points with 90 second remaining. Shaw and Davenport would not allow the comeback attempt to be successful as they combined for final seven points of the game.
The Mavericks hit the road for the first time this season on Tuesday, Nov. 17 when they visit North Dakota. Tip-off from the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on AM 1180 KZOT Zone 2. Links to live stats and video will be available at OMavs.com.
Single game and season tickets are still available at the Omaha ticket office or online at OMavs.com.
GAME NOTES: Marissa Preston returned to the court after sitting out last season due to transfer rules…Preston had seven points and an assist in her return to action…Five players first Omaha appearance on Saturday…Omaha's 39 three-point attempts set a school record, the previous mark was 33 attempts last set in 2009…UNO won its third opener in the last four seasons and two straight…the attendance for Saturday's game was 846.
