OMAHA, Neb. - The Bison edged the Mavericks, 71-67, in a game that saw four lead changes and seven ties Saturday afternoon. Omaha made it a one possession game five times in the final 20 seconds of action, but NDSU held Omaha at bay to come away with the win.

The Mavericks fall to 3-13 overall and 2-3 in Summit League action.

Omaha Leaders
Nick Ferrarini scored a team-high 12 points of the bench, while Frankie Fidler was the lone starter to reach double-figures with 10 points.

Akol Arop led the team with seven boards. He also added seven points, two blocks and a steal. Felix Lemetti dished out a game-high four assists.

North Dakota State Leaders
Rocky Kreuser led the Bison with 25 points on 8-of-14 from the field. He knocked down four from the arc. Tyree Eady added another 14 points.

Maleeck Harden-Hayes posted his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. Nelson Grant tallied a game-high four blocks.

Team Stats
The Mavericks shot 37.1 percent from the field and connected on only two threes Saturday afternoon. The Bison shot 37.3 percent from the field and made up the difference at the foul line hitting 20-of-27.

Omaha's bench outscored NDSU's, 34-14. The Mavericks also dominated the paint, 40-26, and points off turnovers, 26-15.

Inside the First Half
Kreuser tipped off the game with five quick points for the Bison before Felix Lemetti knocked down a three-pointer to put the Mavericks on the board. Three minutes later Lemetti used a pair of free throws to get Omaha within one of NDSU. It wouldn't be until the 11:45 mark that the game saw its first tie at 15-15 following a layup from Fidler.

The Mavericks scored the next eight straight points finishing with a layup from Smith for an eight-point edge. Ferrarini's jumper with 6:50 on the clock gave Omaha its largest advantage of the half at eight points. The Bison chipped away in the remaining minutes managing a tie at 29-29 with a little over two to play. The Mavericks regained the lead with two points from the foul line and took a 31-29 lead into halftime.

Inside the Second Half
Kreuser tied the game right out of the gates with a jumper two minutes into the second half. On the Bison's next trip down the court, he connected from deep to take a three-point lead. Fidler swung it back in Omaha's favor with a layup at the 14:28 mark, while Lemetti made two free throws 13 seconds later for another two point Omaha lead.

The Mavericks opened their lead to six with 12:13 left in the second half, but the Bison hung with Omaha forcing two more draws in the half. Harden-Hayes converted on a three-point play with 9:32 on the clock and NDSU would lead for the remainder of the game. Omaha made it a one possession game five times in the final 20 seconds of action, but NDSU held Omaha at bay to come away with the win, 71-67.

Noting Today's Game
-Fidler scored 10 points for Omaha, which is now his fifth straight game with at least 10 points. It goes down as his eighth game this season in double-figures.
-Ferrarini led Omaha with 12 points off the bench. It marks his seventh of the season and 10^th of his career with at least 10 points in a game.

Up Next
The Mavericks head to Kansas City to make up a postponed game from Dec. 30. The teams tipoff on Monday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.

Gary Sharp will have the call on 1180 KZOT, and links to live stats, audio, and video can be found at OMavs.com.