The Basics
The Omaha men's basketball team continues its three-game road swing this Saturday, Jan. 11 with a stop at South Dakota. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, S.D.
The game will be broadcast live on YurView Cox Channel 13, Midco and ESPN3 with Jay Elsen, Brad Newitt and Kelly Stewart on the call. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2, and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
• Omaha (3-0) is the only remaining undefeated team in Summit League play after North Dakota lost Wednesday and North Dakota State fell Thursday.
• The Mavericks carry a season-long four-game win streak into the weekend.
• Fall 2019 grades were released this week, and the Mavericks had a 3.14 semester GPA as a team. It marked their third straight semester with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
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Matt Pile ranks fourth nationally for total rebounds (189) and 17th for rebounds per game (10.5).
• The 2019-20 season is the 107th overall in program history and the ninth of the Mavericks' Division I era. All-time, the program is 1,191-1,194.
• The Mavericks have shot 50.0% as a team five times this year and have 18 straight wins when shooting 50.0% or better.
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JT Gibson,
KJ Robinson,
Ayo Akinwole and
Matt Pile will serve as first-time team captains this season.
Scouting the South Dakota Coyotes
South Dakota has a record of 10-7 (1-2 Summit League) after an 80-78 home win Sunday over Denver. Tyler Hagedorn paced the Coyotes with 26 points and six rebounds while Tyler Peterson had 17 points on a 5-of-5 shooting effort and Cody Kelley added 16 more with four 3-pointers.
Hagedorn has averaged a Summit League-leading 18.3 points alongside a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game this season. USD was picked second in the Summit League's preseason poll, and Triston Simpson and Stanley Umude were both first-team Preseason All-Summit selections while Hagedorn was a second-team pick.
Head coach Todd Lee is in his second season in Vermillion with a record of 23-24 and has a career record of 177-105 over 10 years.
All-Time Against South Dakota
Saturday marks the 94th meeting between Omaha and South Dakota, and the Coyotes lead the all-time series 47-46. In the Mavericks' Division I era, Omaha has an 8-7 series lead and is 3-3 in Vermillion. The two teams last met in a home game for USD on Feb. 7, 2019 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., where Omaha prevailed 107-102 in overtime.
Mitch Hahn hit a 3-pointer with six seconds left in regulation to second the game to the extra period.
Last Time Out: Mavericks Remain Undefeated in League Play, Top North Dakota 66-62
Omaha team remained undefeated in Summit League play Wednesday night, weathering the storm to defeat North Dakota 66-62 at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center for their fourth straight win. The senior duo of
KJ Robinson and
JT Gibson led the way for Omaha, putting up an identical 17 points apiece. Robinson was 4-of-6 from deep off the bench and drained a late triple to put the Mavericks up four in the final minute.
Marlon Ruffin joined them in double figures with 10 points alongside seven rebounds.
Wanjang Tut added eight points and five rebounds, and
Matt Pile pulled down a team-leading 11 caroms.
Zach Thornhill had eight points and six rebounds.
Omaha shot 42.6% (26-of-61) from the field to UND's 34.5% (19-of-55), holding the Fighting Hawks under their league-leading 77.0 points per game. The Mavericks also outrebounded the Fighting Hawks 42-36, had a 30-22 advantage in the paint and an 11-6 edge in second-chance points.
Up Next
Omaha visits Denver on Saturday, Jan. 18, with tipoff set for 2 p.m. CT at Hamilton Gymnasium in Denver, Colo. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1180 Zone 2, and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
