OMAHA, Neb. – Four different players scored in double figures as the Omaha women's basketball team snapped a six-game losing streak with an 80-67 victory over North Dakota State on Wednesday evening at Baxter Arena.
The win lifted the Mavericks to 9-10 on the season and 1-6 in Summit League play, while the Bison fell to 8-12 overall and 1-5 in conference play.
Leaders for Omaha
Junior
Amber Vidal led the Mavericks with 21 points and six assists, shooting 8-of-13 from the floor with two three-pointers off the bench. Junior
Jess Walter added 19 points and eight rebounds. Junior
Alicia Mountain, making her first start of the season, tallied a career-high with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. Freshman
Claire Killian chipped in 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting with two steals.
Leaders for North Dakota State
Reilly Jacobson led NDSU with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Rylee Nudell added 13 points, five boards and five assists.
Team Stats
North Dakota State outshot Omaha .500 (29-of-58) to .469 (30-of-64), including .400 (6-of-15) to .368 (7-of-19) from behind the three-point arc. The Mavericks outrebounded the Bison 38-26 including an impressive 15-6 margin on the offensive glass. UNO forced 15 NDSU turnovers while committing only 12.
Inside the First Half
North Dakota State built a 7-0 lead early in the game before a Walter three-pointer got Omaha on the board. The Bison advantage then stretched to 17-5, but Omaha responded with a 7-0 run when Vidal scored five straight points and Vaccher added a layup to cut the lead to 17-12 with 2:20 left in the period. NDSU outscored UNO 7-4 down the stretch to take a 24-16 lead after the opening 10 minutes.
The Bison scored the first basket of the second quarter to increase the lead to 10 points before the Mavericks responded with a 5-0 run thanks to back-to-back buckets from Mountain. Omaha ended the second quarter on an 11-0 run when Vaccher hit a pair of free throws and Walter drained a trey. Baskets by Mountain and Killian finished the half and gave UNO a 41-35 lead at intermission.
Inside the Second Half
Omaha kept North Dakota State off the scoreboard the first 4:41 of the third quarter and built its lead to 49-35. NDSU cut the lead to 10 points with 4:26 left in the period before a Vidal three-pointer pushed Omaha's lead back to 14. Vidal closed the quarter with a crucial trey to make it 61-46.
NDSU outscored Omaha 6-2 in the opening 90 seconds of the fourth quarter and cut the UNO lead to 63-52. The Mavericks then put the game out of reach thanks to a three-pointer from Killian and a three-point play by Mountain that pushed Omaha's advantage to 17 points with 7:56 left in regulation. With UNO up 78-60 with 2:25 remaining, the Bison showed they had a little fight left in their tanks and delivered a 7-2 run to make the final 80-67.
Noting Tonight's Game
- Mountain made her first career start, setting career-highs in points (12) and rebounds (6).
- Walter grabbed a career-best eight boards.
- Vidal's scoring effort was her fifth 20-point performance of the season.
Up Next
Omaha plays its final non-conference game of the season, welcoming Peru State on Monday, Jan. 29. 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.
