Tipping Off
After closing out 2022 with a win at Kansas City, the Mavericks will kick off 2023 at home with a game against Western Illinois  this Thursday at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on 1180 The Zone with Jon Schriner on the call. Links to live stats, audio and video are available on OMavs.com.

Quick Hits

• The Mavericks notched their first Summit League victory of the season against Kansas City last week, coming out on top 75-64 as they improved to 6-7 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
• The Mavericks outshot the Roos in every category, going 24-for-50 (48.0%) on field goals vs. 25-for-63 (39.7%). Omaha also had the superior 3-PT FG numbers (6-for-15, 40.0% vs. 6-for-18, 33.3%) and free throw numbers (21-for-26, 80.8% vs. 8-for-13, 61.5%).
• The big story out of the Kansas City game was the career performance from Aaliyah Stanley. She was almost unstoppable all day, scoring 34 points and shooting 12-for-17 (70.5%), slotting her in at 11th in program history in single game points and field goals. This was the first time any Maverick has topped 30 points since Elena Pilakouta dropped 32 on UIC on November 29, 2021.
• Pilakouta also had a noteworthy game on Saturday as she reached double-digit points for a 10th time this season. She currently sits at fifth in the league in FG% (.559, 62-for-111) and FT% (.846, 33-for-39). Pilakouta is also 10th in the league in total rebounds with 89 (6.8 rpg).
• Katie Keitges put on her best performance of the season against Kansas City as well, scoring a season-high 10 points including a pair of three-pointers, while also recording a career-best four steals.
• With eight rebounds, two assists, and a steal last week, Grace Cave is on the verge of topping her 2021-22 totals in all three in only 13 games. She is only five away from her 65 total rebounds last season, seven assists from 44, and just one steal away from 30. Likewise, with three free throws at Kansas City, Cave already eclipsed her previous career-high of 20 with 22 this year.

Scouting the Leathernecks
The Leathernecks are right behind Omaha in the current Summit League standings with a 1-3 conference record and 6-9 overall record. Last time out they picked up their first conference win of the season in a 76-67 home victory over South Dakota.

Last season, Western Illinois went 14-15 with a 5-13 conference mark, earning a bid to the Summit League Tournament falling in the first round to South Dakota 49-75.

Redshirt junior guard Jada Thorpe is WIU's leading scorer with 177 points (12.6 ppg), good for eighth in the Summit League. Her .793 (69-for-87) FT percentage also cracks the league's top-10, as do her 26 steals. Thorpe has topped 20 points once this season, scoring 21 against St. Xavier, going a perfect 14-for-14 on free throws.

Senior center Alissa Dins is one of the top defensive players in the league, placing fourth in blocked shots (18) and total rebounds (111, 7.4 rpg), including 67 defensive rebounds. She already has four games with double-digit rebounds this season, including a season-high 13 at North Dakota.

Graduate student guard Elizabeth Lutz paces WIU with 30 steals and 39 assists. She is currently tied for first in the league in steals. Lutz is also one of five Leathernecks with at least 100 points, scoring 108 so far.

Head Coach JD Gravina is in his 12th season leading the Leathernecks, going 176-170. In his full career spanning 18 seasons, he owns a 290-231 career record.

All-Time Against Western Illinois
The Mavericks trail the Leathernecks 6-15 in the all-time series. The two teams only met once last season, with WIU coming out on top 77-70 at home. In the prior season, the Mavericks split the regular season series, taking the first game 105-102 in double overtime, before topping Western Illinois 69-55 in the semifinals of the Summit League Tournament.