OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha plays the first of two exhibition games of the 2015-16 season Wednesday, Nov. 4 when Washburn visits Baxter Arena.  Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and links to live stats and video streaming will be available at OMavs.com.

For Starters

• The 2015-16 season marks the 46th in the history of Omaha women's basketball.
• The Mavericks have won their last three exhibition games.  The last set back came in 2009-10 when UNO fell to Creighton.
• The Mavericks have now completed their four-year transition to Division I and are fully eligible to compete in the conference tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
• UNO returns four letter winners from last year's squad, including all-conference selection Mikaela Shaw (15.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg).
• The Mavs also welcome six freshmen to this year's roster -- Ellie Brecht, Jay Bridgeman, Sara Echelberry, Caroline Hogue, Kalen Phillips, and Amber Vidal.
• Also new to the roster are five transfers -- Michaela Dapprich, Moriah Dapprich, Abi Lujan, Marissa Preston, and Courtney Vaccher.
• Omaha was picked to finish seventh in the preseason by league coaches and media.  Mikaela Shaw was tabbed first team All-Summit League.

Information on the Ichabod's

• Last season, Washburn finished 16-12 overall and had an 8-11 mark in the MIAA.
• Washburn graduated six seniors, including four of the top five scorers, but returns eight letterwinners in 2015-16.
• Haley Pfau and Jayna Smith return as seniors, Smith led the team in rebounding (6.4 per game) and added 5.3 points per game.
• Junior Erika Lane is the top returning scorer, as she averaged 5.8 points per game with a 40.4 field goal percentage last season.
• Washburn has five new players on its 2015-16 roster, including one NCAA Division I transfer and four junior college transfers.
• Head Coach Ron McHenry enters the 2015-16 campaign 26 victories away from career (and Washburn) win No. 400.

Washburn's Last Game: L, at Kansas State, 48-75

            Stat Leaders:

                        Points: 10; Haley Pfau

                        Rebounds: 5; Pfau, Felisha Gibbs, and Cindy Demosthene

                        Assists: 3; Alyxis Bowens and Erika Lane

                        Blocks: 1; Jayna Smith

                        Steals: 2; Lane and Erin Dohnalek

Series History

• Washburn leads the all-time series, 6-2.
• The last meeting came during the 2010-11 season when Omaha was a NCAA Division II member in the MIAA.  UNO upset then ranked No. 6 Washburn, 87-83, in Omaha.

Meeting the Mavericks

Omaha returns its top two scorers from last season in forward Mikaela Shaw and guard Remy Davenport.  Shaw, a junior, earned Preseason First Team All-Summit League honors by averaging 15.4 points per game and 8.7 rebounds.  Davenport, a sophomore sharp shooter, averaged 9.2 ppg and 2.8 rpg last season.  Davenport connected on 34.6 percent of her 3-point shots last year.

Vanessa Barajas and Bobbi Beckwith were part-time starters last season for the Mavs.  As a freshman, Barajas averaged 1.8 ppg and 1.0 rpg.  She also blocked 10 shots.  Beckwith sat out the first half of last season per NCAA transfer rules, appeared in 16 games with three starts last season.  She averaged 3.6 ppg and 2.2 rpg.

Newcomers Ready to Shine

The Mavericks have 11 new faces on the court this season, including six freshmen.  Caroline Hogue and Amber Vidal were named nominees for the 2015 McDonald's All-American game. Joining the duo are Ellie Brecht, Jay Bridgeman, Sara Echelberry, and Kalen Phillips.

As a senior, Brecht was a repeat first-team all-state selection from Sioux Falls Lincoln High School.  She averaged 18.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.  Bridgeman led Westside High School to the Nebraska Class A state title and averaged 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a senior.  She was named captain of the Nebraska All-State Basketball team.  Echelberry averaged 15.4 pts, 8.0 rebounds and 2 blocked shots as a senior at Conway Springs High School (Kan.).  Phillips, a guard from South Jones High School in Ellisville, Miss., was ranked a 3-star recruit on ESPN.  During her senior season, she averaged 19.0 points, 7.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 4.9 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game.

Infusion of Transfers

Omaha will also see five transfers on the roster this season.  Michaela Dapprich, Moriah Dapprich, Abi Lujan, Marissa Preston, and Courtney Vaccher will add valuable experience to a young Maverick squad.  Michaela Dapprich, Moriah Dapprich, and Courtney Vaccher will have to sit out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA Division I transfer rules, but will be valuable assets on the scout team this year.  The Dapprich sisters spent last season at Wichita State, while Vaccher was a member of the Texas Tech team. 

Lujan spent the past two seasons at Western Nebraska Community College.  She averaged 6.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in her sophomore year and was named to the Region 9 All-Defensive team.  Preston joined the Mavericks last season from Wichita State, but had to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules.  In her one season with the Shockers, she played in 26 games and started one and averaged 2.3 points in 9.9 minutes per game.

Up Next

The Mavs wrap up their exhibition season against NAIA Division I member Peru State on Sunday, Nov. 8.  Tipoff at Baxter Arena is set for 2 p.m.  Links to live stats and video streaming will be available at OMavs.com.