The Basics
The Mavericks continue Summit League play this weekend with a pair of games at Baxter Arena. Omaha hosts Oral Roberts on Thursday, Dec. 29 for a 7 p.m. tipoff followed by Kansas City on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. The Mavericks and Golden Eagles are coming off wins on the opening night of conference play. Omaha downed Denver, while Oral Roberts beat the reigning Summit League Champions South Dakota State.

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

Quick Hits
• Despite a competitive first half between Omaha and Denver, the Mavericks handed the Pioneers a 17-point loss on the opening night of Summit League play. The Mavericks won, 83-66, to enter the holiday break sitting 1-0 in the conference standings.
• The win also marked Omaha's fifth of the season. It matches the team's win total from both the 2020-21 season and 2021-22 season.
• Luke Jungers led the Mavericks vs. the Pioneers with a career-high 20 points. Seventeen of those points came in the second half powering the win for Omaha. He was 7-of-13 from the field and hit five threes.
• JJ White also had a career-night matching his high of 18 points. He also tallied a career-best eight assists.
• Frankie Fidler was the third and final Maverick in double-figures with 16 points. He also recorded a season-high in assists with seven on the night.
• Omaha's final non-conference game at Iowa State scheduled for Dec. 21 was cancelled due to a winter storm warning. The Mavericks capped the non-con portion of their schedule with a 4-8 record, which included an Emerald Coast Classic Consolation Championship.
• Omaha returned to Baxter Arena following a seven-game road trip two weeks ago. The Mavericks put on a show for the home crowd with a stunning 104-72 win vs. Midland.
• Marquel Sutton and Kyle Luedtke erupted for career-highs, while Jungers, Fidler, White, and Dylan Brougham joined them in double-figures.
• Sutton was 14-of-15 from the field for a 29-point performance. He was the second Maverick this season to surpass 25 points in a game, and it sits eighth on the Summit League single-game highs list for the year.
• Luedtke was 7-of-8 from three-point range for 21 points. It matched his career-high set last season vs. SIUE. His seven three-pointers was just one shy of tying the program's single-game record.
• Following his 29-point performance vs. Midland, Sutton has taken the lead on Omaha's offense. He is averaging 11.8 ppg, which ranks 15th in the Summit League. Sutton is also near the top of the league shooting 51.2 percent from the field.
• Fidler is also in double-figure averages with 11.6 ppg, which ranks 17th in the league. Fidler finds himself in the league's top-20 in rebounding. His 5.5 rpg is a team high and ranks 13th overall.
• Fidler is shooting 92.5 percent from the foul line this season. It ranks first in the league and sixth in the NCAA. He is helping the Mavericks to a 77.1 team free throw percentage, which sits 16th in the country.
• Omaha's 4,316 fans in attendance vs. Midland set a record for a men's basketball game since moving to Baxter Arena.
• Head coach Chris Crutchfield has an 15-17 overall coaching record. It marks his second season as a head coach and first with the Mavericks.

Scouting the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Oral Roberts is riding a seven-game win streak into Thursday after opening Summit League action with a dominating win over the reigning champions. The Golden Eagles are 10-3 overall. ORU beat SDSU, 79-40 back on Dec. 19 before its game with South Dakota was postponed. The Golden Eagles also have wins against Missouri State, Liberty, Central Arkansas, and Tulsa in the month of December. ORU leads the league averaging 84.8 ppg.

Max Abmas was the 2022-23 Summit League Preseason Player of the Year and leads the league and Golden Eagles with 18.9 ppg. He also ranks sixth in the league shooting 43.4 percent from the field and fourth shooting 34.9 percent from deep. He's scored in double-figures in all but two games this season, including a season-high 31 at Central Arkansas.

Head Paul Mills is in his sixth season at the helm. He sits with an 86-84 overall record with ORU.

All-Time Against Oral Roberts
ORU leads the all-time series 15-4. The Golden Eagles swept the season series last season.