NORMAN, Okl. - Omaha puts its longest winning streak in 19 seasons on the line in their biggest test of the year at tenth-ranked Oklahoma. Winners of seven straight games, the Mavericks (8-4, 0-0 Summit League) turn the page on the 2024 calendar year against the Sooners (10-1, 0-0 SEC) 3 p.m. CT Sunday at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

The Mavericks winning stretch is the longest 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). Oklahoma has not lost on their home court in one year, Dec. 22, 2023. Their 14-game home streak is the 10th-longest active in the nation. 

• Against Bellevue University, Omaha senior Grace Cave surpassed the 1,000 point plateau for her Mavericks career, the 29th in school history. With 1,004 career points, she passed Tanya Hames (1,003, 1999-2003) and most impressively, Cave is the fourth to do so exclusively in the Omaha DI Era (Mikaela Shaw, 1,809 points, 2013-2017; Aaliyah Stanley (1,204, 2021-2024; Elena Pilaskouta, 1,201, 2018-2023).

• The senior from Weeping Willow leads the Mavericks in scoring with 12.8 ppg (4.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.8 spg, team co-leader 4 bs). Senior transfer Ja Harvey is second on the team with 11.5 ppg (3.0 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.1 spg). Sophomore Cora Olsen is third in scoring (9.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg).

• Omaha is second in the Summit League and 94th in the nation in three-point shooting (33.8%). Cave leads the team in threes made (16-51, 33%), followed by fifth-year Katie Keitges (13-40, 33%) and sophomore Ali Stephens (10-24, team-leading 42%),

• Omaha's defense has turned up the pressure during the winning streak. For the season they are second among Summit League teams with 19.5 forced turnovers per game, ranking 62nd nationally. During the past seven games, opponents have turned the ball over 20.9 times per game. In that stretch Harvey leads the team with 17 steals (2.43 spg).

• The Mavericks are 7-0 since senior transfer Ja Harvey entered the starting lineup. The 27-year-old Army National Guard Specialist has scored in double figures in six of seven starts (7 of 8 overall) including an Omaha career high 19 points versus Lindenwood followed by 18 against Bellevue.

• Omaha's 27.8 bench points per game leads the Summit League and ranks 47th in the nation. Senior transfer Aaliyah Moore, who also has started 5 games0 is the most productive with 5.5 points and 4.8 rebounds, playing 16.3 minutes per game. Sophomore Alana Powell averages 4.8 points with 13  assists playing 12.6 mpg. Powell's half-court buzzer-beater to close out the third quarter against Bellevue was featured on the ESPN SportsCenter Top Ten plays at number three.

• 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. 

• The Mavericks have been making the most of their freebies. Omaha's 75.3% FT mark is second-best in the Summit League and ranks 47th nationally. Grace Cave is 5th in the league (83.3%) and Cora Olsen leads the team in attempts and makes (34-43, 79%).

• Grace Cave: In addition to her climb in career points, Grace is 24 shy of becoming just the second playing exclusively in the DI Era to reach 300 assists for Omaha (Mikaela Shaw, 314 assists, 2013-2017). She has 109 career three-pointers, ranking 5th in the Mavs DI Era. Biot Cavbe and Keitges are within striking distance of the school's all-time career three pointers made top 10.

• 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 three-pters made in 2023-2024 rank seventh in the DI Era and 11th all-time.

• The Mavericks 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 SOONERS
• This is the first meeting between Omaha and Oklahoma in the DI Era for the Mavericks. The school's have played once, November 23, 1979 in Springfield, Missouri, in a game won by the Sooners 67-40. Oklahoma is 32-16 against schools from the Summit League, and 1-0 (Oral Roberts) this season. 

•  The Sooners have won four straight following their lone loss of the season in OT against #12 Duke University. Neither Omaha nor Oklahoma have lost a game in December.

• The game marks Oklahoma's Jennie Baranczyk's 400th game as a head coach. Over 13 seasons (four at OU), she has won five conference titles, made nine consecutive postseason appearances and holds a 273-123 overall record, including an 84-27 mark at Oklahoma. Prior to Oklahoma, she led the Drake Bulldogs to six consecutive 20-win seasons (2014-15 through 2019-20) and three NCAA tournament berths (2017-19). Baranczyk was a star player at the University of Iowa.

• Oklahoma has one of the best offenses in the nation, as four Sooners score in double figures and the team pours in 92.6 PPG (4th NCAA). Oklahoma joins South Carolina, Tennessee and Maryland as the only schools with four double-digit scorers that each play under 26.5 MPG. All-American Raegan Beers (16.9 PPG) leads the way on the offensive front and is second nationally in FG% at 70.6%. Additionally Payton Verhulst (13.8), Skylar Vann (11.3) and Sahara Williams (10.8) all pour in 10.0+ PPG.


LISTEN/WATCH/FOLLOW
Omaha's games can be heard on the Omaha Sports Network from Learfield via the Varsity Network app/website. Sunday's game is available on radio in Omaha at 1180 The Zone (KZOT am).  Brent Weber handles the play-by-play for the Mavericks. The FNBO Pregame Show begins at 2:45 pm CT. The game will be televised on the SEC/ESPN+ network.

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