FARGO, N.D. – Mikaela Shaw scored a career-high 38 points as the Omaha women's basketball team defeated North Dakota State, 73-65, at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse in Fargo, North Dakota on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks improved to 8-17 overall and 3-10 in Summit League play, while the Bison dropped to 9-16 overall and 5-8 in league play.
Shaw was 15-of-26 from the field and went 6-of-7 from the free throw line. She also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Shaw's 38 point effort was the third highest single game total in Maverick basketball history. Former Maverick Darcy Stracke scored 43 points against Nebraska-Kearney on December 1, 1999.
Remy Davenport added 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting from the floor, including a trio of three-pointers. Davenport grabbed six rebounds. Lanese Bough chipped in eight points, four rebounds, and four assist. Taijhe Kelly scored six points and blocked four shots, while Madi Robson dished out a game high ten assists.
North Dakota State had three players score in double-digits. Holly Johnson had a team high 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting from the floor. Brooke LeMar added 12 points and five assists, while Marena Whittle had a double-double with 10 points and 20 rebounds.
In the first half, Omaha jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a Davenport layup at the 18:36 mark. North Dakota State answered with a 7-2 run of their own to cut the lead down to 8-7 on a 3-pointer by Taylor Thunstedt at 14:10.
A Shaw jumper in the paint pushed the Omaha lead to 11 points, 24-13, with 5:55 left in the half. Johnson cut the Maverick lead to nine points, 26-17, on a pair of free throws at the 3:52 mark. Omaha finished the half with a 9-4 run to lead 37-21 at the intermission.
In the second half, Omaha extended the lead to 17 points at 42-25 on a Shaw 3-pointer with 16:42 left to play. The Bison responded with a 22-5 run to tie the game at 47-47 with 8:46 remaining.
UNO pushed the lead back to seven points on a Davenport 3-pointer and a pair of Shaw free throws. The Mavericks extended the lead back to double digits at 60-50 on a Shaw jumper at the 4:56 mark.
North Dakota State used a 13-6 run to cut the Omaha lead to 66-63 on a three-point play from LeMar. A Davenport 3-pointer ended the NDSU comeback attempt and the Mavs would end the game on a 7-2 run for a 73-65 victory.
Omaha shot 47.5 percent (29-of-61) from the field and 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from 3-point distance. The Mavs shot 83.3 percent (10-of-12) from the free throw line. NDSU shot 37.3 percent (28-of-75) from the field and 27.8 percent (5-of-18) from long range. The Bison hit 57.1 percent (4-of-7) from the free throw line.
North Dakota State out rebounded Omaha, 45-35. The Mavericks committed a season low seven turnovers, while forcing the Bison into 10.
Omaha starts a three game home stand on Wednesday, Feb. 18 against South Dakota State. Tipoff from Sapp Fieldhouse is set for 7:00 p.m. Jon Green will have the radio call of the game on 1180 Zone 2, and fans can also stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media's app "1620 The Zone." Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
