OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha women's basketball team continues Summit league play this week, visiting Western Illinois on Wednesday, Jan. 16. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Western Hall in Macomb, Ill.
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.
The Opening Tip
• Omaha fell 68-57 to North Dakota last Wednesday in Grand Forks, N.D.
• Freshman
Elena Pilakouta led the Mavericks with 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
• Sophomore
Claire Killian added 10 points, five boards and four steals.
• Pilakouta ranks in the top 10 in The Summit League in rebounding. Filer ranks third with 7.8 rebounds per game, while Pilakouta is eighth with 5.9 boards per game.
• The Mavericks have assisted on 190 of its 350 made field goals this season.
• Three Omaha players average 9.0 points per game or more this season:
Claire Killian (10.4 ppg),
Rayanna Carter (10.1 ppg) and
Elena Pilakouta (9.3 ppg).
• Omaha holds the opposition to 63.4 points per game, second lowest in The Summit League.
• UNO limits the opposition to a 39.8 shooting percentage from the floor, third lowest in the league.
• The Mavericks rank second in the league in defensive 3-point percentage (31.2 pct.) and points per game allowed (63.4 ppg).
Getting to Know the Omaha Mavericks
Omaha enters Wednesday's game with a 6-10 overall record and a 1-3 mark in the Summit League. Last time out, UNO defeated North Dakota State 78-61 on Sunday afternoon at Baxter Arena.
Elena Pilakouta (13) and
Claire Killian (10) each scored in double-figures to lead the Mavericks.
Killian paces the Mavericks offensively, averaging 10.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Carter averages 10.1 points and 1.8 assists per game.
Elena Pilakouta adds 9.3 points, 6.1 boards and 1.8 assists.
As a team, Omaha averages 60.2 points and 38.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.8 percent (350-901) from the floor. The Mavericks shoot 29.8 percent (82-275) from 3-point distance and 70.3 percent (182-259) from the free throw line. Defensively, UNO gives up 63.4 points and 36.2 rebounds per contest. The opposition is limited to shooting 39.8 percent (384-966) from the field and 31.2 percent (119-382) from long range.
Scouting the Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks
Western Illinois is 6-12 (2-3 Summit League) after a 92-80 victory over North Dakota on Sunday. Olivia Kaufmann leads WIU with 15.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Taylor Higginbotham adds 13.9 points and 7.6 boards per game.
WIU, which finished 22-10 (10-4 Summit League) a year ago, was voted third in the conference's preseason poll. Higginbotham was a Preseason All-Summit First Team selection.
Head coach J.D. Gravina holds a 127-109 record in seven seasons at Western Illinois and a career record of 240-170 in 14 years.
Series History
Wednesday is the 17th all-time meeting between Omaha and Western Illinois with WIU leading the series 12-4. In the last meeting, the Fighting Leathernecks topped the Mavericks 97-57 in the quarterfinals of The Summit League Championship on March 4, 2018.
Up Next
The Mavericks return home to host South Dakota on Sunday, Jan. 20. The game begins at 2:05 p.m. and can be seen live on Yurview (Cox channel 1013).
Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Social Media Shout Outs
Fans are encouraged to connect with the women's basketball team on Facebook (OmahaWBB), Instagram (@OmahaWBB) and Twitter (@OmahaWBB). Supporters also are urged to use #EveryoneForOmaha in social media posts.
