DENVER, Colo. - Led by a history-making performance from Elena Pilakouta, the Mavericks ended their road trip on a high note when they overtook Denver 75-64 Monday afternoon.

Omaha improves to 9-9 with a 4-3 record in the Summit League to remain in a virtual tie for third place in the standings with North Dakota and South Dakota. As for the Pioneers, they remain in sixth place as they drop to 7-11 overall and 3-4 in the conference.

The Mavericks' nine wins are the most they have had since winning 12 in the 2017-18 season, while their four conference wins are tied with the 2020-21 squad for the most in the last six seasons.

Leaders For Omaha  
Entering today with 997 career points, it was all but guaranteed that Pilakouta would become the 27th Maverick ever and the fourth in the Division I era to reach 1000 career points, which she accomplished nine minutes into the game. She would ultimately finish the day with 18 points, shooting 7-for-8 (.875) and 4-for-4 from the line. Having reached 500 rebounds earlier this season, Pilakouta is now just 11th Maverick in history and second in the Division I era to record 1000 points and 500 rebounds.

Not to be outdone, Kennedi Grant was actually Omaha's top scorer today with a career-high 19 points. She shot an even .500 on the day (7-for-14) and had her second game this season with three 3-PT FGs made (3-for-5, .600). This marks the ninth game this season and fourth in a row that Grant has scored in double-digits.

Also making history today was Grace Cave, who scored eight points to set a new career, single-season high with 174 on the year. She was also Omaha's leader in assists with six and rebounds with nine, setting a new career high in the former and tying her career high in the latter.

Leaders for Denver
Mikayla Brandon led the Pioneers in both scoring and rebounding with 13 points and seven total rebounds. Ally Haar would pace the team with eight assists.
 
Team Stats  
For the second game in a row, the Mavericks shot over 50% as a team, shooting 53.7% (29-for-54) overall and 52.6% from deep (10-for-19). Both totals easily bested the Pioneers, who shot 39.6% (21-for-53) overall and 28.6% (8-for-28) from three, though, they did have Omaha beat in FT%, going 14-for-19 (73.6%) vs. 7-for-10 (70.0%).

Denver also slightly out-rebounded the Mavericks 31 to 28, but Omaha finished with the edge in points off turnovers (14 to 11) and points in the paint (28 to 24).

Inside the First Quarter  
The Mavericks began the day with three-straight 3-PT FGs from Aaliyah Stanley, Katie Keitges, and Cave to take an early 9-3 lead by the seven-minute mark. Three minutes later Pilakouta would get her first basket of the day, pulling down a defensive board and tipping it in to put her just one point away from 1000.

Then, after Denver regrouped to get within two points with a minute to go, Pilakouta did what she has done over 400 times over the last five seasons and nailed a shot in the lanes to officially reach 1000 career points. Shooting 2-for-2 in the quarter, Pilakouta also extended her consecutive made field goals streak to 18 straight, dating back to last Thursday's game at North Dakota.

Inside the Second Quarter  
For the second quarter in a row Omaha's first nine points all came from long range as Grant and Sam Mitchell each sunk their first of the day from deep, before Cave notched her second with 4:06 remaining to grow the Mavericks' lead to 28-21.

Pilakouta then broke up the three-pointer streak with a pair from the charity stripe, only to be immediately followed by Akili Felici who drained a three on her first shot of the day give Omaha a 12-point lead at 2:44. Pilakouta would pick up another bucket just a few seconds later, only for Felici to send Omaha to halftime with her second three-pointer of the quarter and the Mavericks' eighth of the day.

Inside the Third Quarter  
Once again, the Mavericks began the quarter with yet another from behind the arc as Grant did the honors just 16 seconds in. She would then hit her third of the day two minutes later to give Omaha 10 three-pointers in a single game for the first time since December 11 vs. St. Mary. 40 seconds later, Pilakouta sunk her 20th consecutive field goal to make it 43-29. 

Later in the quarter, after missing her first shot in 20 attempts, Pilakouta went on an incredible run where she outscored the Pioneers 8-2 from 3:38-2:00 with three more from the field and a pair from the line to give Omaha a 19-point lead. 

Inside the Fourth Quarter
Up 58-37 entering the final quarter, the Mavericks did not have to do much to hold on for the win. After four fast points by the Pioneers, Morgann Gardner made back-to-back layups to retain the 21-point lead. Even after Denver's Mikayla Brandon made two from behind the arc, the Mavericks came right back with buckets from Grant and Stanley to make it 66-47 with five minutes remaining.

Despite one last push from the Pioneers, who outscored Omaha 18-8 over the final five minutes, the Mavericks already had such a great lead that all they had to do was run out the clock.
 
Next Up  
After three road games in five days, the Mavericks will finally return home for a four-game home stand beginning this Thursday at 7 p.m. when South Dakota State comes to town.