OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha women's basketball team made it two in a row Wednesday night when they toppled Weber State in a 91-73 victory in Baxter Arena. This was the most points the Mavericks have scored in a single game since February 6, 2021, when they dropped 105 on Western Illinois.

The Mavericks improve to 2-1 to start the season and are undefeated at home, while the Wildcats fall to 0-2 to begin their 2022-23 campaign.

Leaders For Omaha
Five Mavericks reached double-digit points tonight: Elena Pilakouta (25), Aaliyah Stanley (18), Sam Mitchell (15), Morgann Gardner (11), and Grace Cave (10). For Pilakouta (10-for-12), this is her third straight game with double-digits and the sixth time she has topped 20 points in her career. Her 25 points are also the second most she has ever scored in a single game.

This was also Cave's (3-for-6) second straight match with at least 10 points and the seventh such match of her career. As for the others, this was the first time this season they each reached double-digits, with Gardner (3-for-5) doing so for the first time in her career. 

Stanley also led the team with six rebounds and four assists, while Polina Nikulochkina put up the most steals with four. 
 
Leaders for Weber State
Jadyn Matthews led the Wildcats with 21 points (6-for-9) and six rebounds. Daryn Hickok was right behind her with 16 points (7-for-17), while Amelia Raidaveta and Vicky Parra both picked up six boards as well.

Team Stats
Omaha had their best shooting percentage of the season at 49.2% (30-of-61). WSU was also incredibly accurate today at an even 50% (26-of-52). The Mavericks held a massive edge in free throws, however, going 25-for-29 (86.2%) vs. the Wildcats who only went 12-for-20 (60.0%). Pilakouta (5-for-5), Garnder (5-for-5), and Stanley (4-for-4) were all perfect from the charity stripe tonight.

Though Weber State out-rebounded Omaha (33 to 30), they also committed 21 turnovers vs. just 10 for the Mavericks. Omaha ended up scoring 26 points off turnovers, while WSU only recorded five points.

Inside the First Quarter
Weber State held a slight edge over Omaha in the first period, outscoring them 17-15. By 3:08, they led Omaha 12-6.

Down the stretch, the Mavericks finally started to heat up, scoring five unanswered from 2:21-1:51, starting with a jumper from Stanley at 2:21 and ending with a layup and an and one from Pilakouta. Nikulochkina would get the Mavericks within two of the Wildcats with a couple of good free throws to close out the period.
 
Inside the Second Quarter
The Wildcats again got off to a fast start in the second quarter, as Parra and Hickok had back-to-back field goals to make it 21-15 after the first minute. By 3:43, their lead had grown to seven points as they went up 30-23 on a free throw from Charlotte Hegvold.

Just like in the first quarter, though, the Mavericks went on a massive tear in the final three minutes, outscoring Weber State 9-3. Gardner scored the first four points with a pair of free throws and a jumper, followed by Mitchell who drained a couple from the foul line 30 seconds later. Pilakouta then picked up a defensive rebound and made a layup on the give-and-go with Stanley, who later tied up the game at 33-33 with a good layup coming out of a timeout.

Inside the Third Quarter
The Mavericks were absolutely dominant in the third quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 27-16 and taking an 11-point lead by the end of the period. Stanley and Pilakouta were both red hot during this run, scoring 10 points each. Stanley sunk two from behind the arc within the first three minutes, while Pilakouta did not miss a single basket, going 5-for-5 on field goals and 2-for-2 on free throws.

Omaha's defense was equally as impressive, holding WSU to only five points through the first five minutes. Katie Keitges and Kennedi Grant each had a steal in the first half, directly leading to five Omaha points in the process.  

Inside the Fourth Quarter
Omaha saved the best for last, as they scored 31 points in the final quarter, their most in a single quarter since November 11, 2019, when they put up 33 against Peru State.

Through the first half of the period, the Mavericks already racked up 18 more points. Mitchell had a couple buckets from downtown in the first three minutes, before capping off the half by ripping the ball away from Matthews and taking it all the way down the court for a fast break layup at 5:04. Gardner also had an explosive half, picking up seven points without missing a single shot. 

Brooklyn Smith gave Omaha its largest lead of the day at 2:03 when she scored her first point as a Maverick on a free throw. In the end, Grant would be the one to put Omaha over 90 points when she nailed a three-pointer with 24 seconds remaining.

Next Up
The Mavericks have two games remaining in their current home stand, with the first coming this Saturday at 12 p.m. when they host Peru State in their lone game at Sapp Fieldhouse this season.