OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha women's basketball team dropped a 69-68 decision to North Dakota on Sunday at Baxter Arena.

Leaders for Omaha
Freshman Sophie Johnston scored a game-high 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including four 3-pointers, to lead the Mavericks.  Junior Rayanna Carter added 18 points, three rebounds and three assists.  Senior Romekia Wallace chipped in seven points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Leaders for North Dakota
Julia Fleecs led three Fighting Hawks in double figures with 15 points and six rebounds.  Jill Morton had 11 points and four boards, while Alaina Jarnot added 10 points and five assists.

Team Stats
Omaha shot 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the field including a 46.7 percent (7-of-15) effort from long range.  The Mavericks also hit 75.0 percent (15-of-20) at the free throw line.

North Dakota converted 44.3 percent (27-of-61) of its shots from the floor and 31.3 percent (5-of-16) from 3-point distance.  The Fighting Hawks also shot 71.4 percent (10-of-14) at the charity stripe.

Inside the First Half
Johnston opened the game on fire, hitting 2-for-2 from the field with two free throws and a 3-pointer for seven points.  A back-and-forth start included two lead changes and three ties, and Omaha pushed its lead to five points, 14-9.  UND outscored UNO 6-4 the final 3:29 of the period as the Mavericks led 18-17 after the opening 10 minutes.

Omaha got off to a strong start in the second quarter as Johnston dropped a pair of 3-pointers to help the Mavericks build a 31-19 edge with 4:41 left in the half.  The Fighting Hawks cut the lead to four, 33-26, with less than two minutes left on two free throws by Fleecs.  Freshman Josie Filer converted in the paint to help the Mavericks build a 37-31 edge at halftime.

Inside the Second Half
Omaha pushed its lead to 48-40 on a Wallace layup midway through the third quarter.  North Dakota responded with 3-pointers from Fleecs, Jarnot and Melissa Leet to pull within two points with less than a minute left on the clock.  The Fighting Hawks then forced a turnover and tied the game at 53-53 to end the period.

The fourth quarter saw North Dakota build a 66-57 advantage with 3:11 left.  Omaha trimmed the lead to one at 66-65 with 47 seconds remaining on a 3-pointer from freshman Mariah Murdie.  Fleecs converted a layup and Jarnot went 1-for-2 at the line for a four-point lead.  Carter drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make the final 69-68 for the Fighting Hawks. 

The loss dropped the Mavericks to 7-15 overall and 1-8 in Summit League play, while the Fighting Hawks moved to 9-14 (4-6).

Up Next
Omaha returns to the hardwood on Wednesday, Feb. 6 as the Mavericks visit South Dakota at 7 p.m. in Vermillion, S.D.