OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha women's basketball team hits the road for South Dakota this Saturday, Jan. 20. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, S.D., and Donny Baarns will have the radio broadcast on 1180 Zone 2. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
About the Omaha Mavericks
• Omaha enters the game on a five-game losing streak after falling 85-74 to Denver on Jan. 19.
• The Mavericks are 8-9 overall and 0-5 in Summit League action.
• Three UNO players average double-figure scoring: junior guard
Amber Vidal (12.0 ppg), junior guard
Jess Walter (11.7 ppg) and junior guard
Ellie Brecht (10.6 ppg).
• UNO won seven straight games from Nov. 17-Dec. 6, its longest winning streak since the 2007-8 season.
• This season Vidal has led the Mavericks in scoring eight times while Walter has led the team three times.
• Three Mavericks have had at least one 20-point scoring performance this season with Vidal going for 20+ four times.
• Omaha shot .500 or better as a team in three straight games from Nov. 30-Dec. 6 and four times overall this year.
• The Mavericks were picked fifth in the league's 2017-18 preseason poll.
• Last season, UNO finished 16-15 overall and fifth in the Summit League with a mark of 8-8.
• Omaha returns two of five starters from last season's team, including juniors
Courtney Vaccher and
Amber Vidal.
• UNO also returns juniors
Ellie Brecht and
Kalen Phillips, along with sophomore Bridgeman.
• Walter and sophomore
Sara Echelberry return to action after redshirting in 2016-17.
• The Mavericks welcome six newcomers in juniors
Alicia Mountain and
Romekia Wallace, and freshmen
Kylee Coulter,
Emily Dewey,
Claire Killian and
Emily Petersen.
About the South Dakota Coyotes
South Dakota enters the weekend with a 14-5 overall record and leads the Summit League with a 5-0 record. The Coyotes defeated Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla. on Jan. 17, 73-68.
The trio of Allison Arens (12-1 ppg, 4.1 rpg), Ciara Duffy (11.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and Jaycee Bradley (10.2 ppg, 2.1 apg) pace USD this season.
As a team, USD averages 73.2 points per game while holding the opposition to 59.2 points per game. The Coyotes are shooting a league-best .466 (499-of-1070) from the field this year and rank 21st nationally. South Dakota also force 18.8 turnovers per game.
Head coach Dawn Plitzuweit is in her second season at USD with a record of 37-14. Plitzuweit has a career mark of 225-107 over her 11-year head coaching career.
Series History
Saturday is the 78th all-time meeting between Omaha and South Dakota. Last season, the Coyotes swept the Mavericks in the regular season, but UNO topped USD, 64-58, in the 2017 Summit League Tournament.
Looking Ahead
Omaha returns to Baxter Arena, welcoming North Dakota State on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and Donny Baarns will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
