OMAHA, Neb. – Despite grabbing 38 rebounds and going 11-for-12 from the foul line, the Omaha women's basketball team suffered its third-straight loss after falling to Utah Valley 74-59 on Tuesday afternoon at Baxter Arena.
The Mavericks wrap up non-conference play with a 7-5 record. The Wolverines snap a six-game skid to improve to 7-6 on the year.
Mikaela Shaw once again led Omaha with 20 points and eight rebounds. Shaw was 7-for-16 from the floor, including a 2-for-3 effort from beyond the 3-point line. She also was 4-for-4 at the free throw line. Shaw has been in double-digit points every game this season and it is the 11th time in her UNO career going over 20 points in a game.
Freshman Kalen Phillips scored a career-high nine points and grabbed three rebounds. Bobbi Beckwith had a season-high eight points. Abi Lujan grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Caroline Hogue continued to show her shot blocking prowess with two more blocked shots.
Utah Valley had four players in double digit points led by Mariah Seals' 13 points. Seals went 5-for-8 from the floor and 3-for-4 from 3-point distance. Karlee Norris added 12 points off the bench. Sam Loggins and Taylor Gordon each had 11 points. Georgia Agnew had five points, six assists, and seven rebounds.
The Mavericks shot only 33.9 percent (20-59) from the floor, while the Wolverines hit 48.4 percent (30-62). Utah Valley was 52.9 percent (9-17) from 3-point range, while Omaha was 38.1 percent (8-21). UNO held the advantage at the charity stripe by hitting 91.7 percent (11-12) compared to 38.5 percent (5-13) for UVU. Utah Valley was ranked second in the country in free-throws made and first in the nation in free-throw attempts.
Omaha looked to be the stronger team in the opening minutes of the game as they raced out to a 7-2 lead. Remy Davenport gave Omaha its first lead of the game with a 3-pointer from the corner, 5-2. Davenport then took a pass from Shaw to put Omaha up five with 6:58 left in the quarter. Utah Valley held Omaha without a bucket the final 5:05 of the quarter as they stretched the lead to 16-10.
Marissa Preston drained a 3-pointer off a pass from Vanessa Barajas to open the second quarter as UNO cut UVU lead in half, 16-13. Utah Valley stretched its lead to 20 points, 35-15, as Omaha went scoreless over a span of 6:43 in the quarter. A jumper from Hogue snapped the Maverick cold spell with 3:13 left in the half. Ellie Brecht nailed a trey with less than two minutes remaining. The Wolverines scored the final five points of the half to make the score at the break 40-18.
Utah Valley extended its lead to as many as 28 points early in the second half, 51-23. A pair of free throws and a jumper from Amber Vidal got the Omaha offense going midway through the third quarter. UNO inched closer on a 3-pointer from Beckwith and a lay-up from Shaw, 53-32, with 3:43 left in the third. Phillips converted an old fashioned three-point play to make the score 60-42 at the end of the third quarter.
Omaha cut the lead to 14 points with 7:48 left in regulation on baskets by Vidal and Shaw, 60-46. Utah Valley responded with a 13-3 run midway through the quarter to increase the lead back to 24, 73-49. UNO closed the game on a 10-1 run, but it was not enough. Phillips and Shaw combined to score the Mavericks final 10 points of the game.
The Mavericks return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 30 against North Dakota State in both team's Summit League opener. Tip-off from Baxter Arena is set for 7:00 p.m.
