FARGO, N.D. – The Omaha women's basketball team fought back from a 14-point deficit in the second half but came up short Friday night, falling 62-53 in the Summit League opener at North Dakota State in Fargo, N.D.
 
The Mavericks are now 1-5 on the season while the Bison improve to 7-2.
 
Leaders for Omaha
Lauren Frost's career-high 12 points led the Mavericks. She scored 10 in the second half alone, making three buckets and going a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.
 
Elena Pilakouta had a season-high 11 points and six boards while Ella Ogier chipped in 10 points, six rebounds and four steals.
 
Leaders for North Dakota State
Reneya Hopkins finished with a game-high 14 points while shooting 50 percent from the field. Heaven Hamling had 13 points, five assists and three rebounds. Abby Schulte posted 10 points and five boards while Emily Dietz totaled seven points and nine rebounds.
 
Team Stats
Omaha shot 39.6% (21-of-53) to North Dakota State's 33.9% (19-of-56). The Bison outrebounded Omaha 41-29, while the Mavericks outscored NDSU in the paint 38-22.
 
Inside the First Quarter
Pilakouta went to work early for the Mavericks, scoring six points in the first five minutes on three layups to give Omaha an 8-6 lead.
 
Ogier teamed up with Pilakouta, scoring six points of her own in the paint to pace the Maverick scoring attack while shooting 3-of-4 from the floor.
 
The Bison knocked down a pair of treys and went 5-of-8 from the free throw line to help snag a 13-12 lead after the first 10 minutes. Schulte led NDSU with a three-pointer and a pair of free throws.
 
Inside the Second Quarter
The Mavericks and Bison went back-and-forth early in the quarter, with Frost and Claire Killian scoring on layups to tie the game at 18 with 4:03 left.
 
NDSU reeled off a 9-0 run to stretch the lead to 27-18 before Sophie Johnston scored on a layup with 25 seconds left. Olivia Skibiel hit a layup at the buzzer to give the Bison a 29-20 lead at the half.
 
The Mavericks shot 37 percent in the first half with Pilakouta and Ogier leading the way with six points apiece. North Dakota State knocked down four treys and shot 41.7 percent from the floor in the first half.
 
Inside the Third Quarter
The Bison reached their largest lead of the game at 38-24 with a jumper by Dietz with 7:25 left in the quarter. Pilakouta and Sarah Schmitt scored on layups, cutting the deficit to 10 before NDSU stretched its lead to 13 with a three-pointer with 3:37 left.
 
Frost and Ogier teamed up to create a 6-0 Maverick run on layups and free throws before Akilii Felici got the Mavericks with four at 43-39 on a trey with 1:00 left. The Mavericks forced NDSU into a turnover and Killian turned it into a quick layup, extending the Omaha run to 11-0.
 
Omaha shot a blistering 63.6 percent from the floor and forced five turnovers while limiting NDSU to just five buckets in the quarter to get within two heading in the final quarter.
 
Inside the Fourth Quarter
Frost buried a jumper in the paint, stretching the Maverick run to 13-0 run and tying the game at 43 with 9:17 left. Omaha and NDSU traded baskets for the next four minutes before the Bison took a 50-46 lead with 5:20 remaining.
 
Pilakouta scored on a layup to get the Mavericks within two at 50-48 with 4:59 left. NDSU converted two free throws to grab a 55-48 lead before Killian hit a three-pointer to make it a 55-51 ballgame with 47 seconds left. The Bison went 7-of-8 down the stretch at the charity stripe to clinch the 62-53 victory.
 
The Mavericks shot 26.7 percent to NDSU's 28.6 percent while the Bison went 9-of-10 at the free throw line and outrebounded Omaha 15-7.
 
What's Next
The Mavericks and Bison wrap up the weekend doubleheader tomorrow at 5 p.m. at the Scheels Center in Fargo, N.D.