OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha snapped an 11-game losing streak with an 84-78 win over Western Illinois. It also ended a six-game win streak for the Leathernecks. Four players scored double-figures led by
Felix Lemetti who finished with 22 on the night.
The Mavericks improve to 2-11 overall and 1-1 in league play.
Leaders for Omaha
Lemetti again led the way for the Mavericks with 22 points and
Devin Evans controlled the glass with a career-high nine rebounds. Lemetti's six assists were good for both a team and career-high.
Frankie Fidler (19),
Darrius Hughes (12) and
Nick Ferrarini (10) were also in double-figures on the night, with Fidler's 19 a new career-high.
Leaders for Western Illinois
Trenton Massner paced the Leathernecks with a game high 26 points while Tamell Pearson led the team with 14 rebounds. Massner was joined by Will Carius and Colton Sandage with 20 and 16 points, respectively.
Team Stats
The Mavericks as a team shot 49.1 percent from the field while connecting on five from behind the arc. The Mavs were also strong from the charity stripe connecting on 85 percent of their 27 tries.
The Leathernecks struggled from the field shooting only 32.4 percent for the game and connected on only 19 percent of their 37 attempts from long range.
The Mavericks also had big advantages tonight in points off the bench in which they led 28-4 and fast break points which they outscored the Leathernecks 19-4.
Inside the First Half
Lemetti kicked off the first half with three free throws for the first points of the game which sparked a 10-0 Omaha run. Colton Sandage completed a three-point play to get the Leathernecks on the board, and Western Illinois began to chip away at the lead to get within two on a Tamell Pearson jumper with 14 left to play.
With under ten minutes in the first, WIU put the pressure on taking its only lead of the game on a jumper from Massner. Hughes swung the lead back in Omaha's favor with a layup at the 8:46 mark. The Leathernecks tied it 23-23 but seven straight Maverick points recaptured the lead for the remainder of the game. Omaha led 40-34 at the halftime break.
Inside the Second Half
Lemetti came out of the break scoring four quick points helping Omaha to a 10-point lead. A free throw from Fidler at 16:53 and jumper from Smith at the 15:22 mark gave Omaha their largest lead of the game at 13 points.
The Leathernecks used a 10-2 run cutting the lead to four with 13:02 left to play. Fidler stepped up and hit a three on Omaha's next possession. The Omaha lead stayed in the single digits as the Leathernecks got within four again just three minutes later on a Barisic layup. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half with the Mavericks taking an 85-78 win on a Lemetti free throw for the final point of the game.
Noting Tonight's Game
-Lemetti extended his double-figure scoring streak to five games. He scored 22 tonight vs. Western Illinois which is just one shy of his career-high.
-Lemetti has hit at least one three-pointer in every game this year. He hit two tonight vs. the Leathernecks.
-Fidler surpassed his career-high set last game. He scored 19 vs. WIU and finished a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe.
-The Mavericks snapped an 11-game losing streak and earned their first win against a Division I opponent this season.
-The win snapped WIU's six-game win streak.
Up Next
The Mavericks continue conference action at Kansas City following the holiday break. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on the road.
Gary Sharp will have the call on 1180 KZOT. Links to the stream, audio, and live stats can be found on OMavs.com.
