The Basics
The Omaha men's basketball team closes regular-season play this Saturday, Feb. 29, meeting North Dakota State at 4 p.m. at the Scheels Center in Fargo, N.D. The game will be broadcast live on YurView Cox Channel 13, Midco and ESPN3, and Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1290 KOIL. Links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
• At 9-6 in league play, Omaha sits in a tie for third place with South Dakota.
• A win Saturday at North Dakota State would extend the Mavericks' win streak to five games.
• Since their Feb. 5 meeting at Baxter Arena, Omaha has gone 4-2 and North Dakota State has gone 4-1.
• Omaha was picked fourth in the Summit League's preseason poll, and
Matt Pile and
JT Gibson were both second-team Preseason All-Summit picks.
• The Mavericks had a 3.14 semester GPA as a team in the fall semester. It marked their third straight semester with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• 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 1,197-1,200.
•
JT Gibson,
KJ Robinson,
Ayo Akinwole and
Matt Pile are serving as first-time team captains this season.
Scouting the North Dakota State Bison
North Dakota State has a record of 21-8 (12-3 Summit League) after a 71-69 overtime win over South Dakota State Thursday night. Tyson Ward led all players with 24 points with seven rebounds and four assists. Vinnie Shahid totaled 12 points, and Rocky Kreuser finished with 11 points and six boards.
A win on Saturday against Omaha would clinch the regular-season league title for the Bison.
NDSU was picked as the favorite in the Summit League's preseason poll, and Shahid was a first-team Preseason All-Summit selection while Ward was a second-team pick.
Head coach David Richman is in his sixth season in Fargo with a career record of 117-75.
All-Time Against North Dakota State
Saturday marks the 78th meeting between Omaha and North Dakota State, with the Bison leading the all-time series, 46-31, including 12-5 in the Mavericks' Division I era. NDSU won the first meeting this season, 86-78, on Feb. 5 at Baxter Arena.
NDSU is 6-2 against Omaha in the Division I era when games are set in Fargo, though the Mavericks won the last meeting at the Scheels Center, 58-50, on Feb. 23, 2019.
Last Time Out: Robinson's Late-Game Effort Lifts Omaha to OT Win, 84-83
KJ Robinson's late-game heroics propelled Omaha to an 84-83 overtime win in its home finale Wednesday night at Baxter Arena, moving the Mavericks into a tie for third in the league standings. Robinson hit the game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, then the game-winning shot in the paint to win it in overtime.
Wanjang Tut had a career scoring performance with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, adding six rebounds and a career-high four blocks.
Marlon Ruffin followed with 18 points, four boards, three assists and a steal.
The senior duo of Robinson and
JT Gibson played their final game at Baxter Arena, with Gibson finishing with 15 points and Robinson adding 12 more.
Matt Pile rounded it out with 10 points, and
Ayo Akinwole brought down a team-leading seven boards.
Omaha shot 53.7% (36-of-67) to North Dakota's 44.3% (31-of-70). The Mavericks had their second straight game with single-digit turnovers, limiting themselves to eight for the night.
Up Next
Omaha awaits seeding for the Summit League Championship, set for March 7-10 in Sioux Falls, S.D. A full tournament bracket will be released Saturday night at the conclusion of all regular-season games.
