This Week
After three straight games on the road, the Omaha women's basketball team returns home this weekend, hosting South Dakota State on Saturday, Jan. 28. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Baxter Arena, and Donny Baarns will have the radio call on 1180 AM Zone 2. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Maverick Notes
• The Omaha Mavericks enter Wednesday at 10-11 overall and 3-5 in Summit League play after a 65-62 loss at Fort Wayne Wednesday afternoon.
• UNO sits in a three-way tie for fifth place in the Summit League standings with Oral Roberts and North Dakota State.
• Senior forward Mikaela Shaw leads the team and is second in the Summit League in rebounding with 7.9 rebounds per game. Shaw also leads the team and ranks third in the conference averaging 16.8 points per game.
• Junior guard Remy Davenport leads the team and is fourth in the league with a 2.1 assist to turnover ratio.
• Sophomore center Courtney Vaccher leads the team and the Summit League with a .613 field goal percentage (65-of-106). Freshman forward Jay Bridgeman is second on the team with a .611 field goal percentage (33-of-54).
• As a team, the Mavericks are averaging 69.1 points per game while giving up 63.0 per game. Omaha is outrebounding the opposition, 37.5 to 32.5.
• In Summit League play only, Omaha limits its opponents to a .385 percent field goal percentage, the second lowest in the league. Also, the Mavericks hold the opposition to a .300 percent from 3-point range, second lowest in conference play.
Scouting the South Dakota State Jackrabbits
South Dakota State carries a record of 16-4 (7-1 Summit League) into Saturday's matchup at Omaha. The Jackrabbits currently rank fifth in the collegeinsider.com mid-major Top 25.
Madison Guebert averages 15.2 points per game to lead SDSU. Kerri Young averages 13.0 points per game, while Ellie Thompson comes in at 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Head coach Aaron Johnston has a career record of 408-137 in 18 seasons at South Dakota State. SDSU leads the all-time series with UNO, 38-32, and won the last meeting in Brookings, 76-64.
Omaha Quick Hits
• Two Omaha starters average double-digit scoring: Mikaela Shaw (16.8) and Michaela Dapprich (13.0).
• Shaw became the only player in school history to reach the 1,600 points, 800 rebounds 280 assist milestone earlier in the month.
• Shaw (19.3) and Dapprich (17.5) average double-figures in conference play this season.
• The Mavericks finished 7-6 in non-conference play, marking their second straight season finishing .500 or better against non-conference opponents.
• Nine of Omaha's 10 wins this season have been by 20 points or more, and UNO has won those nine games by an average margin of 29 points.
• Omaha played eight non-conference road games and one neutral-site game to start the 2016-17 season, including games against Abilene Christian, Colorado State, Creighton, North Texas, Nebraska and UCF.
• Shaw made her 107th consecutive appearance and reached double-figure in scoring for the 52nd straight game.
• Head coach Brittany Lange has used two different lineups through the first 21 games this season.
• Shaw earned her first Summit League Player of the Week award of the season on Dec. 19.
• Twelve different Omaha players have had at least one 3-pointer this season. As a team, UNO is shooting 36.3 percent (175-of-482) from long-range.
• Nine different Mavericks have scored in double figures over the first 19 games this year.
• Shaw has had a double-double five times this season. Sophomore center Courtney Vaccher is the only other Maverick to accomplish the feat this season.
• Omaha returns eight letterwinners from its 2015-16 team, including three starters in Mikaela Shaw, Remy Davenport and senior guard Abi Lujan.
• The 2016-17 Preseason Summit League Coaches' Poll picked UNO to finish fifth, and Shaw earned Preseason All-Summit League First Team accolades.
• The Mavericks will play 29 games this season, including 12 contests at Baxter Arena and one at Sapp Fieldhouse.
Last Time Out: Omaha Falls Short at Fort Wayne, 65-62
Omaha rallied from a 13-point deficit to tie it in the second half but came up short in its game at Fort Wayne Wednesday afternoon, falling 65-62 at the Gates Sports Center.
Mikaela Shaw led the Mavericks with a game-high 23 points, six rebounds and five assists. Michaela Dapprich had 10 points, while Courtney Vaccher added a career-best 12 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Amber Vidal and Marissa Preston each had six points. Vidal added five assists and two steals.
De'Jour Young led the Mastodons with 16 points, seven rebounds and four steals, and Zaria Atkins went for 15 points and six assists. Rachel Rinehart added 14 points, while Anna Lappenkuper had 11.
As a team, Omaha shot 49.1 percent (26-of-53) from the floor to Fort Wayne's 41.8 percent (23-of-55). The Mavericks finished at 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from beyond the arc, while the Mastodons came in at 41.7 percent (5-of-12). UNO managed to shoot 60 percent (6-of-10) from the free throw line, while IPFW finished at 77.8 percent (14-of-18) from the stripe.
Fort Wayne forced 20 Omaha turnovers and turned them into 24 points while committing only nine turnovers resulting in 10 UNO points. The Mavericks held a 35-22 advantage on the boards.
The Mastodons took advantage of five early Maverick turnovers to build an 11-4 lead midway through the first quarter. The lead grew to 12 points late in the period before a Dapprich jumper made the score 18-8 at the end of the frame.
Fort Wayne took its biggest lead of the game early in the second quarter on a layup from Rinehart, 23-10. Omaha responded with an 8-0 run over the next 1:12 to cut the lead to five thanks to four points each from Shaw and Vidal. A 3-pointer from Ellie Brecht and a jumper from Dapprich evened the game 29-all with 2:43 left in the first half. A Young jumper in the closing seconds of the half put the Mastodons on top 31-29 at the half.
Omaha started the second half strong, taking a 38-36 lead on a 3-pointer from Davenport with 6:25 left in the third quarter. Back-to-back layups from Shaw and Vaccher pushed Omaha's lead to six points (42-36). Moments later Fort Wayne countered with an 8-2 run, capped by a jumper from Lappenkuper to tie the game at 44-all with under two minutes remaining. The Mavericks answered with a Preston trey to take a 47-44 lead into the fourth.
Fort Wayne tied the game in the first minute of the final frame. Neither team would build a lead of more than two points until the final two minutes. A Dapprich basket with 1:28 remaining put Omaha ahead 57-56. Fort Wayne regained the lead with 1:03 left on the clock on an Atkins 3-pointer. Rinehardt converted three of four free throws build the lead to 62-58 with 22 seconds remaining. A Shaw jumper drew Omaha within two points, but the Mastodons were able to make their free throws in the final seconds to secure the win 65-62.
One of a Kind
Mikaela Shaw became the only player in Omaha women's basketball history to score 1,600 points, grab 800 rebounds and dish out 280 assists. Shaw ranks fourth all-time in points per game (15.2) and seventh in rebounds per game (7.8).
Caring is Sharing
As a team, Omaha ranked second in The Summit League and 18th nationally with 360 total assists and 23rd with 17.1 assists per game. Mikaela Shaw averages 4.1 assists per game and has a team-leading 86 assists. Remy Davenport averages 3.7 helpers per game and has 78 so far this season. Four other Mavericks have 25-or-more assists on the season - sophomore guard Amber Vidal (66), Michaela Dapprich (39), junior guard Marissa Preston (34) and Abi Lujan (28).
Points, Points, Points
The Mavericks have five players averaging 5.0-or-more points this season. Mikaela Shaw and Michaela Dapprich lead the way averaging 16.8 ppg and 13.0 ppg, respectively. Remy Davenport averages 9.1 points per game followed by Courtney Vaccher's 7.4 ppg. Sophomore guard Ellie Brecht chips in 5.1 points per game.
Ms. 1,600
Mikaela Shaw passed Sandy Skradski (1,582 points) to become the fifth player in program history to score 1,600 career points. Next up on the list for Shaw is Mary Henke Anderson (1979-83) in fourth place with 1,629 points. Niece Jochims (1975-79) is the program's all-time leader with 1,939 points.
Marvelous Michaela
Michaela Dapprich reached double figures 13 times this season and scored 20 or more points four times. She averages 13.0 points per game but averages 17.5 points in conference play.
Arc Madness
The Mavericks rank 12th nationally in total 3-pointers made (175) and 18th in 3-pointers made per game (8.3). Their .363 field goal percentage is 30th nationally and fourth in the Summit League. Every player on the roster has connected on at least one trifecta. UNO has made 10 or more threes nine times this season.
The 800 Club
Mikaela Shaw is in sole possession of seventh place in career rebounds. The senior has 833 boards and needs 29 more to pass Laura Anderson for sixth place. Shaw is also the program's all-time leader in defensive rebounds with 598, surpassing Tanya Hammes' (1999-2002) mark of 502. She needs only five offensive boards to set the program record.
The One to Count on
Mikaela Shaw made her 100th consecutive start on New Year's Day and is fourth all-time in games started with 107. Lindsey Petersen is the career leader with 110 starts.
Got a Minute?
This season nine different Mavericks are averaging 10-or-more minutes per game. Mikaela Shaw averages 31.6 minutes per game to lead Omaha. Two other Mavericks – Remy Davenport (30.6 mpg), Michaela Dapprich (25.6) – average over 25 minutes per game.
Nifty 50
Mikaela Shaw has now scored in double-figures in 52 straight games. The last time she scored less than 10 points was Feb. 26, 2015 against Fort Wayne.
Impressive PrestonMarissa Preston scored a season-best 11 points against North Dakota State. Early in the second quarter, the junior guard nailed three straight 3-pointers. She has appeared in every game averaging 16.9 minutes per game. Preston is shooting .452 percent (33-of-73) from the field and .442 percent (23-of-52) from beyond the 3-point arc.
Shaw-me the Way
Mikaela Shaw leads the Mavericks in points, rebounds, assists, blocked shots and minutes played per game. Shaw collected her 26th career double-double against Western Illinois. She scored a season-high 26 points against Denver and grabbed a season-best 14 boards against Indiana State.
Since the transition to NCAA Division I, only Shaw and Paige Frauendorfer have over 10 double-doubles. Frauendorfer accomplished the task 17 times in two seasons at the Division I level.
In the Paint
Courtney Vaccher tallied her first career double-double against UMKC. In that game, the sophomore post set career highs in points (17) and grabbed 11 rebounds. Vaccher set a career mark against Fort Wayne with 12 boards. This season, she is averaging 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. She leads the team and Summit League with a .613 field goal percentage (65-of-106).
Remy of All Trades
This season Remy Davenport is doing a little bit of everything for the Mavericks. The Blue Springs, Mo., native is averaging 9.1 points, 3.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals per game and 0.7 blocks per game. Davenport set a career record with eight assists against Western Illinois and grabbed a career-best nine rebounds against Denver. Earlier this season, she scored a season-high 21 points against UMKC. Last game out, Davenport blocked three shots to set her career-best.
Bridge Work
Jay Bridgeman is second on the team with a .611 (33-of-54) field goal percentage. She has scored in double figures three times this season. Bridgeman had double-digit games against Creighton (11), York (11) and Lincoln University (11).
Downtown
Remy Davenport the Mavericks with 45 3-pointers this season and has connected from deep in 19 games this season.
The junior guard now ranks second in program history with 172 career treys. She needs 43 more treys to become the program's all-time leader. She connected on 65 3-pointers as a sophomore and set the UNO single-game record with 10 made treys against Denver on Jan. 17, 2016.
Br3cht from Deep
Ellie Brecht scored a career-best 22 points against Lincoln University. The sophomore guard went 8-of-13 from the field including a 6-of-10 effort from 3-point distance. Brecht added two more treys against Kansas State. She is now 17th all-time in made treys with 70 and needs two more to move past Jill Dau (1985-89) into 16th place.
In the Summit
Omaha is one of the strongest defensive teams in the Summit League, holding the opposition to the conference's second-lowest shooting percentage (.385) and allowing only 63.0 points per game.
UNO is second in rebound margin (+5.0), field goal pct. (.444), 3-pointers attempted per game (23.0), 3-pointers made per game (8.3), assists per game (17.1) and opponent's 3-point pct. (.300). Nationally, the Mavericks rank 43rd overall with a 1.13 assist/turnover ratio.
Mikaela Shaw leads the league in defensive rebounds (124) and is second in total rebounds (166) and rebounds per game (7.9). She is third in assists (86) and the top five in four other categories.
Winner, Winner
Nine of Omaha's 10 wins have come by an average margin of 29 points this year. The Mavericks have won by 20 three times this season and have beaten the opposition by at least 49 points on two occasions.
UNO's 106 points were the most scored in a single game this season eclipsing the 98 points scored against Lincoln University on Dec. 1, 2016.
Shaw Selected Summit League Player of the Week
The Summit League named Mikaela Shaw as its women's basketball player of the week for her performance Dec. 12-18. Shaw collected her first player of the week selection this season and the second of her career. She led the Mavericks with 22 points and nine rebounds in a 70-50 win over Florida A&M on Sunday. Shaw added five assists and three steals with just one turnover against the Rattlers. The senior shot 61.5 (8-of-13) from the field and had a 5.0 assist/turnover ratio.
Tough Enough
Five teams on Omaha's non-conference schedule appeared in the postseason last year – Abilene Christian, Colorado State, Creighton, Kansas State and Nebraska. Abilene Christian and Colorado State won conference titles and had a combined record of 57-6 last year. CSU won the Mountain West and played in the NCAA National Tournament, while ACU won the Southland Conference regular-season title and appeared in the WNIT. Kansas State finished the 2015-16 season 19-13 overall and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Creighton and Nebraska also earned berths in the WNIT.
At a Glance: 2015-16
Omaha finished the 2015-16 season with a record of 15-15 (7-9 Summit League). Mikaela Shaw and former Maverick Caroline Hogue earned All-Summit League recognition, as Shaw garnered First-Team accolades and Hogue earned a spot on the All-Newcomer team.
In its first year after completing its transition to Division I, UNO picked up its first Summit League Tournament victory, defeating third-seeded IUPUI, 62-51.
As a team, Omaha led the Summit League with 5.8 blocks per game last year. The Mavericks were also first in free throw percentage (72.2) and second in opponents' field-goal percentage (38.5).
Meeting the Mavs
UNO returns three starters from the 2015-16 squad, including the Summit League's leading scorer and a First-Team All-Summit selection in senior forward Mikaela Shaw (18.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists), as well as senior guard Abi Lujan, and junior guard Remy Davenport (10.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg).
Returning are sophomore guards Ellie Brecht (5.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg), Sara Echelberry (1.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg), Kalen Phillips (2.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg) and Amber Vidal (5.9 ppg, 2.6 apg). Marissa Preston appeared in 30 games with three starts and averaged 2.7 points per game last season.
Leader of the Pack
Last season, Mikaela Shaw led the Mavericks in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals (1.6 spg). Shaw earned First Team All-Summit League honors and was a Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Dapprich Ready to Debut
Michaela Dapprich is making the most of her senior season for the Mavericks. Before transferring to Omaha last season, Dapprich played a pivotal role as Wichita State won three regular season Missouri Valley Conference Championships, three MVC Tournament Champions and three NCAA Tournament berths.
Dapprich played in 95 games and made 72 starts in her career while averaging 9.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. She connected on 94 career 3-pointers, ranking eighth all-time in Wichita State history, plus her career 34.7 3-point field goal percentage ranks ninth on the all-time list.
Ready Redshirts
Along with Michaela Dapprich, the Mavericks will look for contributions from two other Division I transfers –Courtney Vaccher and redshirt junior guard Moriah Dapprich – and freshman Jay Bridgeman.
Moriah Dapprich played two seasons for the Shockers, appearing in 46 games and averaged 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds. Vaccher appeared in four games as a freshman at Texas Tech.
Shaw in the Summit
Mikaela Shaw earned Preseason All-Summit League First Team accolades for the second straight season. As a junior, she was a first-team All-Summit League selection and named to the Summit League All-Tournament Team. Shaw led the Summit League in points per game and was second in total points (549).
Summit League Poll Released
Omaha was picked to finish fifth in the 2016-17 Summit League Preseason Poll; the conference office announced. The poll was tallied in a vote of the league's head coaches, communications personnel and media.
South Dakota State was the favorite to win the Summit League, garnering 30 first-place votes for 542 points. IUPUI was second with 438 points, while South Dakota earned three first-place votes and 393 points for third. Oral Roberts came in fourth with one first place vote and 391 points, followed by Omaha, which received 325 points for fifth. Western Illinois was sixth in the poll with 250 points, while North Dakota State (156), Denver (150) and Fort Wayne (80) rounded it out in seventh, eighth and ninth places, respectively.
Shaw Named to Academic All-America Third Team
Last season, Mikaela Shaw was a Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-American. Shaw became the fifth Academic All-American in Omaha women's basketball history, with Paige Frauendorfer being the first Academic All-American in the Division I era. Other women's basketball honorees include Laura Anderson (1988), Amy Loth (1997), and Stacie Kaiser (1997).
Omaha Basketball Schedule Set
UNO's 2016-17 schedule includes 29 games, and the team will play nine states against schools from eight other Division I conference. The schedule has two opponents from the Big 12 and one each from the AAC, BIG East, CIAA, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, Southern and WAC. Three opponents – Colorado State, Kansas State and Summit League Tournament champion South Dakota State – played in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
Mavericks Announce 2017-18 Signing Class
Omaha announced its four-member 2017 signing class, as Kylee Coulter (Fayetteville, Ark./Fayetteville), Emily Dewey (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada/ Westwood Collegiate), Claire Killian (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer) and Emily Petersen (Omaha, Neb./Bellevue West) have all signed National Letters of Intent.
Getting to Know Coach Lange
Brittany Lange enters her fourth season as the head coach for the Mavericks and sixth with the program overall. Last season, UNO finished with a 15-15 overall record and earned the program's first berth into the Summit League Tournament as the sixth seed. In the tournament quarterfinals, Omaha upset third-seeded IUPUI, 62-51.
Lange's assistants are Lee Aduddell, Rodney Rogan, and Kirk Walker. Sadie Murren is in her first season as the director of basketball operations.
Up Next
Omaha returns to action on Thursday, Feb. 2, visiting IUPUI. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT at The Jungle in Indianapolis, Ind., and Donny Baarns will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2 and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
