TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Junior forward Mikaela Shaw scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Omaha past Indiana State, 51-50, at the Hulman Center on Saturday evening.
The Mavericks improved to 2-1 with the win, while the Sycamores dropped to 1-3 on the season.
Shaw scored 12 of her team-high 14 points in the first half and finished 6-of-14 from the field and 2-of-3 from the free throw stripe. Shaw also had a team-best six assists. Three other Mavericks chipped in six points each. Sophomore center Vanessa Barajas went 3-of-4 from the floor for her six points and grabbed five rebounds. Freshman guard Amber Vidal was 2-of-11 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the line for her points and dished out four assists. Freshman center Caroline Hogue added six points off the bench with a 2-of-6 effort from the floor and 2-of-2 from the free throw line.
Omaha shot 39.6 percent from the field, making 21-of-53 attempts, while Indiana State shot 32.1 percent (17-of-53) and went 3-of-15 from 3-point range. The Mavericks made 6-of-9 free throws. The Sycamores were 13-of-18 from the charity stripe.
The Mavericks lost the rebounding battle, 40-31, but Omaha scored 30 points in the paint compared to 24 from Indiana State. UNO also scored 13 points off 11 ISU turnovers.
Indiana State's Cierra Ceazar led all players with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Teammate Kelsey Dirks added 12 points.
Ceazer scored the game's first basket and a Dirks bucket gave Indiana State a 5-4 lead at the 6:31 mark in the first quarter. It was the last lead the Sycamores would have in the game. Shaw and Abi Lujan each converted lay-ups to give Omaha the lead with 3:43 remaining in the quarter, 8-5. Ceazer brought the Maverick lead to one with a lay-up, but UNO's Hogue scored in the paint for a 10-8 lead with 2:00 remaining in the quarter. Neither team would score the final two minutes of the quarter.
Omaha opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run. Shaw opened up with another bucket in the paint, before Ellie Brecht took a pass from Remy Davenport and scored Omaha's first 3-pointer of the day. Hogue's jumper in the paint gave the Mavericks their first double digit lead of the game, 18-8. Two made free throws and a bucket by Dirks cut UNO's lead to four points midway through the second quarter, 20-16. Sara Echelberry's scored two quick buckets to push Omaha's lead back to eight points, 26-18, with under four minutes left in the half. Shaw scored the final three points of the half.
The Mavericks led 31-22 at the half, but the course of the game changed in the final seconds of the third quarter when the Sycamore's Jennifer Mackowiak hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Indiana State outscored UNO 17-9 in the period. Things started off in Omaha's favor as Lujan scored off a pass from Shaw to push the lead to nine points, 33-24. Bobbi Beckwith knocked down a 3-pointer at the 5:03 mark of the quarter for a 38-31 Omaha lead. The Sycamores would hold the Mavericks scoreless over the next 4:13 as they chipped the Omaha lead to 38-36. Vidal snapped the UNO drought with a pair of free throws with 50 seconds remaining to push the lead back to four points, 40-36. Mackowiak grabbed a defensive rebound with less than 10 seconds left in the half and pushed the ball up the court and got a three pointer off before the buzzer sounded. At the end of the quarter, Omaha had just a one point lead, 40-39.
After a pair of Hogue free throws early in the fourth quarter, Indiana State's Alexis Newbolt tied the game at 42-42 with a 3-pointer. Omaha quickly regained the lead as Davenport drained her only trey of the game. Omaha extended its lead to five, 51-46, on a jumper from Barajas with 1:45 left in regulation. Indiana State held Omaha scoreless the rest of the game and converted 4-of-6 free throws, but missed a game tying free throw with four seconds left as the Mavericks prevailed, 51-50.
Omaha returns home after its quick two game road trip Tuesday, Nov. 24 against Waldorf. Tipoff from Baxter Arena is set for 7 p.m. Links to live stats, audio, and video will be available on OMavs.com.
