Tipping Off
The Mavericks will look to close out the first weekend of 2023 with their third win in a row when they host St. Thomas this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Baxter Arena.

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 got back to .500 at 7-7 overall after a 76-64 win over Western Illinois on Thursday. They also improved to 2-1 in Summit League play and currently sit at fifth in the standings.
• Omaha outshot the Leathernecks 41.4% (24-for-58) to 34.5% (19-for-55). The Mavericks also had more free throws (21-for-27 vs. 19-for-23), though, Western Illinois was more efficient at 82.6% to 77.8%. Omaha also dominated the turnover game, recording 11 steals while only turning the ball over 14 times, vs. WIU who only had four steals and 20 turnovers.
• Against Western Illinois, Aaliyah Stanley followed up her 34-point performance last week with a team-high 21 points (8-for-14, 57.1%), including three 3-PT FGs. This was the fifth double-digit scoring game of the season for Stanley, as she now leads the Mavericks with 170 points and 12.1 ppg.
• Grace Cave and Sam Mitchell each scored 12 points against WIU, with Cave going 7-for-8 (87.5%) on free throws and Mitchell shooting 2-for-4 from deep. Cave increased her points per game to an even 10.0 on the year, while also pulled down seven rebounds to give her 67 this season, two more than last year in just 14 games. As for Mitchell, she set a new career-high with four steals.
• Morgann Gardner also achieved a new career-best Thursday night as she led the team with eight total rebounds.
• Elena Pilakouta just missed having her 11th double-digit scoring game of the season with nine points on Thursday. Regardless, she remains fifth in the Summit League with a .542 FG% (65-for-120) and is second on the team with 166 points (11.9 ppg).
• Kennedi Grant made her much awaited return to the lineup after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury. Not showing any rust, she scored nine points, including 6-of-10 from the line, and had two assists.

Scouting the Tommies
The Tommies are currently 5-10 and looking for their first conference win of the season at 0-5. On Thursday, they were narrowly edged out 66-60 at Denver. Last season, St. Thomas made the jump to Division I and went 7-21 overall and 4-14 in Summit League play, beating Denver, Western Illinois, North Dakota State, and Omaha.

Sophomore guard Jade Hill paces the Tommies in points (155) and points per game (10.3), as well as assists (51) and steals (29), both of which rank in the top-10 in the Summit League. She's scored double-digit points eight times this season, including a season-high 24 vs. Presbyterian. 

Senior Maggie Negaard leads St. Thomas in 3-PT FG% (44.8%, 30-for-67) and FT% (89.7%, 26-for-29) while being second in points with 152 (10.1 ppg). She already has six games this season with at least three 3-PT FGs, including five at Wisconsin and four last week against South Dakota State.

Sophomore forward Sammy Opichka is first on the team with 70 total rebounds (4.7 rpg) and third in points with 144 (9.6 ppg), scoring a career-high 25 against Purdue Fort Wayne. She also places ninth in the league with a .496 FG% (58-for-117). 

Head Coach Ruth Sinn has spent her entire 18-year head coaching career at St. Thomas, compiling a 367-118 record, including a 7-21 mark in their first season in Division I in 2021-22. She also guided the Tommies to 13 MIAC titles while in Division III.

All-Time Against St. Thomas
Facing St. Thomas for the first time ever last season, the Mavericks split the season series 1-1, taking the first meeting 61-55 on the road before dropping the regular season finale 56-61 at home. Pilakouta scored 26 total points and pulled down 13 rebounds in those two games.