OMAHA, Neb. - Omaha plays their final women's basketball home game of the 2024 calendar year Wednesday night at 6 p.m. CT versus Bellevue University at Sapp Fieldhouse, riding their longest winning streak in seven years.

The Mavericks (7-4, 0-0 Summit League) have won six straight games, the longest victory run of Omaha's NCAA D-I Era, including four straight away from home. Mavericks teams twice reeled off school record ten-game winning streaks all-time (2005-06, 1981-82). 

This is the fourth consecutive year playing one home game during December at the legendary Sapp Fieldhouse, and the first meeting all-time with the Bruins (9-3, 2-0 NAIA North Star Athletic Association).

• Grace Cave is just 8 points shy of becoming the 29th in school history to reach 1,000 career points. Most impressively, Cave would be the fourth to do so exclusively in the Omaha DI Era.

• The senior from Weeping Willow leads the Mavericks in scoring with 12.9 ppg (4.6 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.8 spg) with a team-best 1.10 assists/turnover ratio. Senior transfer Ja Harvey is second on the team with 10.8 ppg (3.2 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.0 spg). Sophomore Cora Olsen is third in scoring (9.5 ppg), followed by freshman Harriet Ford (8.3 ppg) with a team best 8.8 rpg while making 50% of her shots from the floor. 

• Omaha is second in the Summit League and 99th in the nation in three-point shooting (33.1%). Cave leads the team in threes made (14-47, 30%), followed by fifth-year Katie Keitges (13-38, 34%) and sophomore Ali Stephens (10-22, team-leading 46%),

• Omaha's defense has turned up the pressure during the winning streak. For the season they are second among Summit League teams with 19.1 forced turnovers per game, ranking 93rd nationally. During the past six games, opponents have turned the ball over 19.8 times per game.

•The Mavericks are 6-0 since senior transfer Ja Harvey entered the starting lineup. The 27-year-old Army National Guard Specialist has scored in double figures in five of those six games, including an Omaha career high 19 points versus Lindenwood.

• Several Mavericks are moving up in the record book, particularly stats relating to the school's transition into NCAA Division I beginning in 2011, reflecting only players whose entire career has been in the DI Era. 

• Grace Cave: In addition to her march towards 1,000 career points, Grace is 26 shy of becoming just the second playing exclusively in the DI Era to reach 300 assists (Mikaela Shaw, 314 assists, 2013-2017). She has 107 career three-pointers (see Keitges below).

• Katie Keitges: With 107 career 3-pters, Katie is 33 shy of the top 10 in school history, and sixth place in DI Era. With 3 threes against Wisconsin, she became the fourth in the DI Era to reach 100 3-pters.  Her 55 3-pters made in 2023-2024 rank seventh in the DI Era and 11th all-time.

• The Mavericks travel to 10th ranked Oklahoma in Norman next Sunday at 3:00 p.m. to close out the 2024 calender year. They begin Summit League play January 2 at Baxter Arena against North Dakota. Tickets for all Omaha home games are available at omavs.com/tix.

LOOKING AT THE BRUINS
• This is the first meeting between Omaha and Bellevue.

•  Entering the week, Bellevue University had won four straight games and are 2-0 in the North Star Athletic Association after downing Valley City State College 70-65 Saturday. The Bruins lost at NCAA DII Emporia, Kansas Tuesday, 89-59.

• Bellevue sophomore forward Zakiyyah Muhammad was been named the NSAA Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week. Muhammad averaged 11.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game last week while shooting 50% from the floor and 65% from the free throw line. She registered at least a steal and a block in each of BU's three games on the week.

LISTEN/WATCH/FOLLOW
Omaha's games can be heard on the Omaha Sports Network from Learfield via the Varsity Network app/website. Wednesday's game is available on radio in Omaha at 1180 The Zone (KZOT am).  Brent Weber handles the play-by-play for the Mavericks. Saturday's FNBO Pregame Show begins at 5:45 pm CT. The game will be televised on the Summit League Network.

Links are available on the OMavs.com schedule page.
Tickets are available for all Mavericks home games at OMavs.com/tix.