The Basics
This week is the annual Big Sky-Summit League Challenge. Omaha begins the event on Wednesday at Baxter Arena when the Mavericks host reigning Big Sky Tournament Champion Montana State at 7 p.m.

Gary Sharp will have the call on 1180 KZOT or 1290 KOIL and links to live stats, audio, and video can be found at OMavs.com.

Quick Hits
• The Mavericks played their first home game in nearly a month on Saturday when they lost 71-55 to Abilene Christian after seven-straight road games.
• Omaha got off to a slow start on Saturday, scoring just 19 points in the first half. The team was much better in the second, outscoring the Wildcats 36-32. 
• Tony Osburn scored almost half of Omaha's points vs. ACU, shooting 8-for-12 (.667) with 24 points. This was his second consecutive 20-point game, marking the first time in his career he has ever had two such games in a row. With 11.4 ppg on the year, this is the latest in a season Osburn has ever averaged double figures.
• Marquel Sutton scored 13 on Saturday to extend his double-digit scoring streak to a new career-high eight games. His 144 points now rank him third in the Summit League, while his 16.0 ppg is fourth. Likewise, his 66 total rebounds and 7.3 rpg both slot in at second in the league.
• Lance Waddles nearly picked up his second career double-double last week when he scored 10 points and pulled down nine rebounds. He continues to put up the best numbers of his career with 10.0 ppg and 4.8 rpg. At no point in either of his first two years with NDSU did he average higher in either stat.
• In last year's Big Sky-Summit League Challenge, the Mavericks went 1-1 after routing Northern Arizona 81-55 at home before falling by just a single point at Idaho State 63-62.
• Sutton earned his first career Summit League Preseason honor after being named Second Team All-Preseason in October. In 2023-24, he was second on the team with 12.3 PPG (406 total) and led all Mavericks with 6.3 RPG (208 total boards).
• Lance Waddles (NDSU), Joshua Streit (NDSU), and Isaac Ondekane (Lindenwood) headline the Mavericks' top transfers this year with the trio coming to Omaha with a combined six seasons of Division I basketball under their belts. Also new this year are top JUCO transfers Kamryn Thomas (2024 NJCAA Third Team All-American), Khamani Cooper (465 points as a freshman in 2024), and Valentino Simon (965 career points from 2022-24). 
• Omaha has three captains this year: Marquel Sutton, Tony Osburn, and Lance Waddles.
• Head Coach Chris Crutchfield has a 37-56 career record. This season marks his fourth year as a head coach and third with the Mavericks.

Scouting the Montana State Bobcats
The reigning Big Sky Tournament Champions enter this week at 3-5 having lost to CSUN in overtime 72-69 on Saturday after sweeping Southern Miss (79-59) and Omaha's last opponent Abilene Christian (85-69) in the Basketball Travelers Invitational the prior week. On November 17, the Bobcats had a one-point 79-78 loss at Denver. 

Montana State's top two players this season have been forwards Brandon Walker and Max Agbonkpolo. The duo are the team's top scorers and rebounders, with Walker averaging 13.8 ppg (110 total) and 5.3 rpg (42 total) and Agbonkpolo averaging 11.5 ppg (92 total) and 5.4 rpg (43 total). Walker also paces the team with a .500 FG% (40-for-80).

Fifth-year Washington State transfer Jabe Mullins is having a strong season too, leading the team with 32 assists and 13 steals while shooting a team-high .889 (24-for-27) on free throws.

After a combined 12 years at D3 Whitworth and D2 Point Loma, Matt Logie landed his first Division I head coaching job last year with Montana State, leading them to their third consecutive Big Sky Tournament title. In his 14-year career he has amassed a 296-81 record (.785).

All-Time Against Montana State
Omaha has a 4-2 edge in the all-time series with Montana State, claiming the first ever meeting 100-97 back in 2015 but losing the most recent contest 82-54 in 2022.