OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha women's basketball program takes on Western Illinois this Friday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. inside Baxter Arena.
The game also marks the #BeatType1 Diabetes promotion as Omaha basketball partners with The Summit League. Fans can follow the action live on OMavs.com or tune in at 1290 KOIL.
OPENING TIP
• Omaha and Western Illinois meet for the 16th time in the series history.
• The Leathernecks sit in third while Omaha is in seventh for the league standings.
• Omaha trails the all-time series 11-4 against the Leathernecks.
• The Mavericks aim for their first win over Western Illinois since Jan. 3, 2016.
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Mariah Murdie is coming off a 16-point performance at Denver, which tied her season-high for the second time.
• The sophomore has also scored in double figures for seven of the last nine games.
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Josie Filer ranks fifth in the league in 3-point percentage at 42.1%.
• Omaha aims for its sixth home win of the season, as the team sits at 5-4 for games inside Baxter Arena.
• The Mavericks rank fourth in the league with 3.7 blocked shots per game while WIU leads the conference with 10.2 steals per contest.
SCOUTING THE LEATHERNECKS
The Leathernecks sit in third at 10-9 overall and 4-2 in league play. Western Illinois is riding a three-game winning streak after defeating Oral Roberts 75-61 inside Western Hall. Senior Olivia Kaufmann notched her seventh game of the season with 20-plus points as she finished the game with 21 points, seven rebounds and six steals. Heading into the week, WIU was second in the nation in free throw attempts. Kaufmann leads the team with 16.8 points per game, which ranks fourth in the league. Head coach JD Gravina owns a 133-115 record at the helm of the program.
LOOKING AHEAD
Omaha is in action two days later with a Sunday, Jan. 26, matchup against Purdue Fort Wayne. The 2 p.m. showdown also marks the "70's Day" promotion. For more information, visit OMavs.com.
