SETTING THE SCENE
OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha opens the second half of the Summit League schedule on the road against Western Illinois on Saturday, Jan. 30. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. at Western Hall in Macomb, Ill., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
Live Video: Saturday's game will be available nationally on ESPN3. A link for the broadcast can be found on OMavs.com.
Live Radio: Jon Green will also have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2. Fans can stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media's app “1620 The Zone.”
Live Stats: Links to stats will be available on OMavs.com for Saturday's game.
Follow the Mavericks: Fans can follow the Mavericks all season long on Twitter (@UNOWBB), Facebook (/UNOWBB), and Instagram (UNOWBB) for all the latest news, notes, and behind the scenes photos. Follow @omavs for the latest on all 15 Omaha Athletics programs.
OPENING TIP OVERVIEW
The Mavericks picked up their first Summit League road victory of the season on Thursday night at Fort Wayne, 60-58. The Mavs enter Saturday's action in a two-way tie with Western Illinois for fifth place in the league standings at 4-4. Omaha is 11-9 overall this season.
Western Illinois lost to Summit League co-leader South Dakota at home on Wednesday night, 102-77. The Leathernecks enter Saturday's contest on a two-game skid and tied with Omaha for fifth place in the league standings. WIU is 11-10 overall this season.
THE OMAHA STORY
The Mavericks are 11-9 overall with a 4-4 mark in the Summit League after a 60-58 win over IPFW on Thursday. Mikaela Shaw leads the Omaha offense in almost every offensive category. The junior guard averages 18.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Shaw leads the Summit league in scoring and is fourth in rebounding. She is also second in the league with a 53.5 percent field goal percent.
Remy Davenport averages 10.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. The sophomore ranks fourth in the conference with a 41 3-point field goal percentage. Ellie Brecht leads the conference in that category connecting on 43.4 percent of her shots from behind the arc. Caroline Hogue leads the league in blocked shots (52) and blocks per game (2.6).
ABOUT WESTERN ILLINOIS
Western Illinois is 11-10 overall this season with a 4-4 mark in the Summit League. The Leathernecks are led by a pair of seniors in Michelle Maher and Sophie Reichelt. Reichelt currently leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while Maher averages 13.8 points per game this season to rank second on the team. Maher also runs the offense, as her 92 assists are tops for the Leathernecks. Emily Clemens is the third member of the WIU squad averaging in double-figures with 10.8 points per game.
Western Illinois is the top 3-point shooting team in the Summit League making 202-of-639 three's on the season. Nationally, they have made the third-most and attempted the fourth-most 3-pointers. WIU has the second leading offense in the league averaging 76.3 points per game.
THE OMAHA-WESTERN ILLINOIS SERIES
The series history between Omaha and Western Illinois is a short one as the teams have only met since the Mavericks started the transition to Division I in 2011. The Leathernecks lead the all-time series 5-4, but Omaha has won the last two meetings.
UNO topped WIU earlier this season at Baxter Arena, 79-66. Remy Davenport had a game-high 27 points and was one of three players to score in double-figures for the Mavericks. Mikaela Shaw posted 17 points and Caroline Hogue chipped in 11.
Omaha High Points
1,089– Career points by Mikaela Shaw.
594 – Career rebounds by Shaw.
110 – Career 3-pointers made by Remy Davenport.
52 – Career blocks by Caroline Hogue and Vanessa Barajas and is 14th all-time.
31 – Points scored by Shaw against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 6.
30 – Points scored by Davenport against Denver on Jan. 17.
25 – Points scored by Caroline Hogue against South Dakota on Jan. 9.
18 – Straight games in double-figures by Shaw.
14 – Rebounds by Shaw against North Dakota State on Dec. 30.
12 – Rebounds in a game by Abi Lujan. She accomplished the feat against Eastern Illinois and UMKC.
11 – Wins on the season this year by the Mavericks.
10 – Made 3-pointers by Remy Davenport against Denver.
9 – Blocked shots by Vanessa Barajas against Illinois State on Nov. 29.
8 – Double-doubles by Mikaela Shaw this year.
7 – Assists by Amber Vidal against SIUE.
5 – Steals from Kalen Phillips against Waldorf on Nov. 24.
.434 – Three-point field goal percentage by Ellie Brecht, tops all-time.
Up Next
Omaha returns to Baxter Arena for a three-game homestand against South Dakota State, South Dakota, and Fort Wayne. The Mavericks welcome SDSU Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. followed by a visit from USD on Saturday at 2 p.m. The three-game set wraps up with IPFW coming to Omaha on Thursday, Feb.11 at 7 p.m.
