OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha women's basketball team dropped a 65-47 decision to South Dakota State on Thursday evening at Baxter Arena. The Mavericks are now 11-11 overall and 4-6 in Summit League play, while the Jackrabbits improved to 18-4 overall and 8-1 in league play.
Mikaela Shaw led the Mavericks with a game high 15-points. Shaw added seven rebounds and two steals. Abi Lujan had 10 points, nine rebounds, and two assists. Caroline Hogue chipped in seven points, six rebounds, and five blocked shots.
Macy Miller and Alexis Alexander each had a team-high 11 points for SDSU. Miller added six rebounds and three steals. Clarissa Ober had seven points and eight boards. Kerri Young added nine points and five rebounds.
South Dakota State opened the game on a 9-0 run and did not look back. The Jackrabbits had a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Shaw put the Mavericks on the board with a pair of free throws. The Mavericks cut the lead to six less than a minute later on Remy Davenport's 3-pointer, 11-5. SDSU outscored UNO 10-2 the rest of the quarter.
The Jackrabbits increased their lead to 20 points on a 3-pointer by Gabrielle Boever midway through the second quarter, 27-7. Hogue put the Mavs into double figures after being fouled on a made layup. She converted the free throw to cut the lead to 27-10. South Dakota State went on another offensive spurt to increase its lead to 24 with less than two minutes left in the period. UNO trailed at the half, 40-18.
Both teams struggled to put points on the board to start the third quarter as Omaha outscored South Dakota State 8-6. Shaw had four of the Maverick points in the period, while Hogue and Preston each had two.
The fourth quarter saw the two teams combine for 40 points with 21 points being scored by the Mavericks. A pair of Kalen Phillips free throws cut the lead to 20 points early in the quarter, 48-28. SDSU quickly extended its lead back to 25 after a jumper by Young with 7:11 remaining. Hogue's jumper in the paint brought the Mavs within 21, 57-36. Lujan scored six straight points for Omaha as the lead was cut to 18 with 2:55 left in regulation. Ellie Brecht wrapped up the scoring for the Mavs with their final five points of the game.
Omaha shot 29.2 percent (14-of-48) from the field, while South Dakota State shot 33.8 percent (25-of-74). The Mavs connected on 77.8 percent (14-of-18) from the free throw line and 23.8 percent (5-of-21) from the 3-point arc. The Jackrabbits were 70 percent (7-of-10) from the line and 32 percent (8-of-25) from deep.
The Mavericks return to action on Sunday, Feb. 7 as they host South Dakota in Summit League play. Tipoff at Baxter Arena is set for 2 p.m.
