DENVER, Colo. – The Omaha women's basketball program dropped a hard-fought road contest to the Denver Pioneers, 66-60, Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Gym.
 
The Mavericks fall to 6-12 overall and 1-4 in league play as the Pioneers improve to 8-11 and 2-4 in Summit League action.
 
NOTES

• Mariah Murdie's team-high 16 points marks her eighth double-digit scoring game on the season.
• Omaha falls to 0-7 on the road and falls to 3-3 in games decided by 5-10 points.
• The game saw 11 lead changes and six ties.
• Omaha's largest lead of the game was four at the 7:23 mark left in the fourth quarter.
• The Mavericks led for a total of 5:45 in the game.

 
LEADERS FOR OMAHA
Murdie paced the Mavericks with 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Claire Killian also had double figures with 12 points, while Josie Filer followed with eight on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting and 2-for-2 from three.
 
LEADERS FOR DENVER
Madison Nelson scored a game-high 33 points and 11 rebounds. Uju Ezeudu scored 12 points with nine rebounds.
 
TEAM STATS
The Mavericks went 23-of-63 from the floor (36.5%), 7-for-23 from deep (30.4%) and 7-for-10 from the charity stripe. Omaha's 70% from the line marked the first time in three contests that the team shot under 90% from the line. Denver went 22-for-65 (33.8%) total, 4-of-18 from three (22.2%) and 18-of-26 (69.2%) at the line.
 
Omaha was out-rebounded 46-43 by the Pioneers and had 19 turnovers to Denver's 16. Omaha won the battle of bench points 18-11.
 
INSIDE THE FIRST HALF
At the first media timeout, Omaha trailed by six. The Mavericks, however, cut the deficit to just 15-13 after one quarter of play after an 8-2 run in the final five minutes in the frame. Omaha regained the lead at the 3:45 mark in the second after an Elena Pilakouta layup. That preceded a big three by Filer, which put the Mavericks ahead 27-26 with 1:53 to go in the half. The Pioneers, however, pulled out ahead 32-29 after two quarters of play.
 
INSIDE THE SECOND HALF
A neck-and-neck game saw Denver go up early. The Mavericks cut the deficit to just one (39-38) after Ogier was found wide open on a backdoor cut with 4:51 to go in the third. Denver still led 44-42 heading into the fourth. Back-to-back Murdie threes and a bucket gave the Mavericks a two-point lead with eight minutes to go in the game. Denver, however, went on a late surge and led by three with under a minute to go. With 33 seconds to go, Denver turned the ball over and gave the Mavericks a chance to win. Two late threes by Killian and Murdie were not able to fall and the team was forced to foul. Denver sealed the game with a pair of late free throws for the six-point win.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Omaha returns home for a pair of games next week against Western Illinois and Purdue Fort Wayne. The Mavericks square off against the Leathernecks Friday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. and follow up with a Sunday, Jan. 26, game against the Mastodons at 2 p.m.