OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha women's basketball team returns home this Sunday, welcoming South Dakota to Baxter Arena at 7 p.m.
Following the Mavericks
The game will be broadcast on YurView Cox Channel 1013, Midco and ESPN+, with Donny Baarns on play-by-play and former Maverick
Mikaela Shaw providing analysis. Jon Schriner 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 erased Western Illinois' 25-point fourth quarter lead Wednesday evening but fell short 78-70 at Western Hall.
• Senior
Kalen Phillips scored a career-high 25 points, including 22 points in the fourth quarter.
• Freshmen
Mariah Murdie and Ellena Pilakouta each missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds apiece.
• Redshirt freshman
Kylee Coulter scored a career-best nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field.
• The Mavericks rank second in the league in defensive 3-point percentage (31.3 pct.) and points per game allowed (64.3 ppg).
• UNO limits the opposition to a 39.9 shooting percentage from the floor, third lowest in the league.
• Coaches and members of the media picked Omaha to finish eighth in the Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Omaha has assisted on 204 of its 376 made free throws this season.
Getting to Know the Omaha Mavericks
Omaha enters Sunday's contest with a 6-11 overall record and a 1-4 mark in the Summit League. The Mavericks have dropped seven of their last eight games, including a 78-70 decision at Western Illinois on Wednesday.
Carter paces the Mavericks offensively, averaging 10.1 points and 1.9 assists per game. Sophomore
Claire Killian averages 9.9 points and 1.5 steals per game. Pilakouta chips in 9.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.
As a team, Omaha averages 60.8 points and 38.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 39.0 percent (376-964) from the floor. The Mavericks shoot 30.1 percent (92-306) from 3-point distance and 69.6 percent (190-273) from the free throw line. Defensively, UNO gives up 64.3 points and 36.4 rebounds per contest. The opposition is limited to shooting 39.9 percent (410-1,027) from the field and 31.3 percent (128-409) from long range.
Scouting the South Dakota Coyotes
South Dakota is 16-3 (4-1 Summit League) heading into the weekend. The Coyotes captured a close 76-72 decision against Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla. on Friday evening. Allison Arena scored a game-high 26 points, while Ciara Duffy added 25.
CollegeInsider.com has USD third in the latest rankings, and the Coyotes are receiving votes in the Associated Press (7) and USA Today/Coaches' Poll (1) this week. South Dakota also is ranked 26th in the latest RPI list.
USD, which finished 29-7 (14-0 Summit League) a year ago, was voted second in the conference's preseason poll. Allison Arens and Ciara Duffy were Preseason All-Summit First Team selections while Madison McKeever was a Second Team choice.
Head coach Dawn Plitzuweit holds a 67-19 record in four seasons at South Dakota and a career mark of 256-112 in 13 years.
Series History
Sunday is the 80th all-time meeting between Omaha and South Dakota with USD leading the series 44-35. In the last meeting, the Coyotes topped the Mavericks 72-50 in Omaha on Feb. 14, 2018.
Up Next
Omaha visits Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday, Jan. 23, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. in Fort Wayne, Ind. Donny Baarns will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2. 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.
