OMAHA, Neb. - The Omaha women's basketball team turns the calendar on a challenging January and moves into the second half of Summit League play with a pair of games this week. The Mavericks look to snap a six-game slide at Oral Roberts Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. CT before returning home to host (RV) South Dakota State University Saturday at Baxter Arena at 2:00 p.m. CT.
After the Mavericks finished one of their most successful pre-league schedules in DI history, Omaha (9-11, 1-6) has stumbled in January, most recently a one-point loss at home to Kansas City Saturday, 66-65. Oral Roberts (5-2, 15-5) enters the week in third place n the Summit League. First place and defending champ SDSU has dominated the conference once again (7-0, 17-3) in 24-25,
• Grace Cave once again has stepped up to lead the team, posting her fourth 20-point performance against the Roos, leading the Mavericks with 21 points and 6 assists. She is currently ninth in the conference in points per game. Cave is the second Maverick playing exclusively in the school's DI Era to amass more than 1,000 points (1,115) and 300 assists (301). WIth 14 assists she would become the school's DI leader (Mikaela Shaw, 1,809 points, 314 assists, 2013-2017).
• To start the season, the Mavs equaled their best 18-game record since 2015-2016 after completing one of the most successful pre-league portions of their schedule in the DI Era, including a seven-game winning streak.
• Fourth-year senior Cave and transfer senior Harvey continue to pace the Mavericks. One of the two has led Omaha in scoring in 11 of the last 12 games. After missing the past two games due to injury, Harvey sits just behind Cave in points per game, 13.9 ppg to 13.3. A preseason All-Summit League second team selection, Cave averages a career-best 13.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, team-best 3.7 apg, 1.7 spg with a team-leading 7 blocked shots. Harvey averages 13.3 ppg with 3.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, and a team-leading 1.9 spg. Freshman Harriet Ford (7.9 ppg and a team-leading 7.4 rebounds per game) is third among active players, followed by senior transfer Aaliyah Moore (7.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and fourth-year senior Morgann Gardner (5.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg).
• Against Bellevue University, Cave surpassed the 1,000 point plateau for her Mavericks career, the 29th in school history. With 1,115 career points, the guard from Weeping Water stands alone in 20th place among Omaha's all-time scorers, dating back to 1974-75. Most impressively, Cave was the fourth to do so exclusively in the Omaha DI Era (Mikaela Shaw: 1,809 points, 2013-2017; Aaliyah Stanley: 1,204 points, 2021-2024; Elena Pilaskouta: 1,201 points, 2018-2023). Cave has led the Mavericks in scoring a team-high 9 times this season, including a team-best four 20+ performances.
• A senior from San Diego and two-time JUCO All-American, Harvey was named the Summit League Peak Newcomer of the Month, scoring double-digits in each December game, leading the team in scoring three times and averaging a team-best 16.2 ppg during that span. In December, she led her team in points, ppg, field goals made and three pointers made, steals and minutes played while sinking 19 of 20 free throws.
• Coming up on her ninth year as a member of the Army National Guard, Speciliat Harvey met with and was honored this week by Nebraska Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Craig W. Strong, and State Command Sergeant Major, Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Krecklow. They were visiting the UNO campus and requested the meeting to honor the 27-year-old Harvey for her service and to commend her leadership as a student-athlete while serving her country in the National Guard.
• Omaha is fourth in the Summit League in three-point shooting percentage (102-332, 30.7%) and third in three-point percentage defense (29.6%). Cave leads the team in threes made (25-85, 29.4%), followed by Keitges (19-65, 29.2%), Harvey (14-35, 40%) and sophomore Ali Stephens (12-33 36%), who made the first start of her Mavericks career against KC. Harvey leads the team in three-point percentage.
• Omaha's defense turned up the pressure during the winning streak and has maintained the stop-focused personality. For the season the Mavs are third in the Summit League with 18.1 forced turnovers per game, ranking 103rd nationally. The Mavs' 8 steals per game is third in the conference.. Cave leads the team with 32 steals, with an average of 1.68 per game. Harvey has 30 steals, ranking fourth in the Summit League with 1.88 steals per game.
• Sophomore Alana Powell made her first start as a Maverick against KC, and leads the team in bench minutes (211 substitute minutes) averages 4.6 points with a team-best 14 assists when coming off the bench. 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 after the win. AT 23.2 bench points per game, the Mavericks rank 3rd in the conference and 77th nationally.
• The Mavericks have been making the most of their freebies, with Harvey pacing the action from the charity stripe (42-49, 86%), second-best in the Summit League and 51st in the nation. Cave (42-51, 82%) and has now made 211-265 free throws in her career for 79.6% Despite her injury, Cora Olsen, the sophomore from Millard South HS, remains 8th in the Summit in FT% (57-71, 80%), and leads the team in attempts and makes. Omaha is 4th in the league at 73%, ranking 11th nationally.
• 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.
• Both Cave and fifth-year Katie Keitges crossed career milestones this season from behind the arc. In addition to her climb in career points, Grace has 118 career three-pointers, ranking 5th in the Mavs DI Era. With 113 career 3-pters, Katie is 15 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. Both Cave and Katie Keitges are within striking distance of the school's all-time career three pointers made top 10 (tied at 9th with 129, Sara Peterson (1999-03) and Ericka House (2012-14). Passing House would make either the fourth-ranked three-point shooter in the DI Era.
• The Mavericks have been playing without two starters, and one may possibly play this week. Senior transfer Ja Harvey (Peak Newcomer of the Month for December), the team's second-leading scorer, is day-to-day. Sophomore Cora Olsen, the only Maverick to start the first 18 games of the season, is lost for the season due to a hip injury.
• The University of Nebraska (NU) System mourns the passing of Howard L. Hawks, whose leadership and generosity has created a lasting legacy on the university system, the state of Nebraska and well beyond. Regent Emeritus Hawks, alongside his wife Rhonda, dedicated decades of leadership, philanthropy and service to advancing higher education, athletics and community well-being across Nebraska. To honor Hawks, Mavericks women's basketball uniforms feature a patch carrying his initials, HH.
GAME CHANGES
• Both Summit League games against Oral Roberts will now be played one day earlier than originally scheduled. The game in Tulsa will now be played Wednesday, January 9 at 7 p.m.. Omaha's home game will be played Wednesday, February 12 at 7 p.m. in Baxter Arena.
• This year's Senior Day celebration, originally scheduled for Thursday, February 20, has been rescheduled to Saturday, February 15 versus Denver.
LOOKING AT THE GOLDEN EAGLES
• Omaha has dropped seven straight overall in the series, as well as six straight in Tulsa. This is the 21st meeting, with ORU leading 3-17.
• In their last game, ORU downed Kansas City on the road, 74-61. Taleyah Jones recorded her 11th 20+ point game with 21 points.
• The Golden Eagles average a league-leading 81.7 points per game, 15th nationally.
• ORU is 9-1 at Mabee Center this season.
• They are currently receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25.
LOOKING AT THE JACKRABBITS
• This is the 86th meeting between the two teams dating back to 1977. SDSU leads all-time 30-55, including the last seven clashes.
• The Jackrabbits are the top ranked team in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25. They are also receiving votes (RV) in the AP Top 25 as well as the USA Top 25 rankings.
• In the most recent meeting in Brookings, the Mavericks fell behind early but outscored SDSU 35-33 over a 17 minute stretch to cut the lead to 43-35 at halftime. The Jackrabbits stormed out in the second half and went on to win 93-55, their 50th consecutive regular season Summit League win. They have since stretched that total to 54.
• Freshman center Harriet Ford came off the bench to lead the Mavericks with 12 points.
• The Jacks have a deep attack, and are led by junior forward Brooklyn Meyer, last year's Summit League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. She averages 17.1 ppg.
LISTEN/WATCH/FOLLOW
This week's Omaha games can be heard on the Omaha Sports Network from Learfield via the Varsity Network app/website, and over the air on 1180 The Zone 2 (KZOT AM) Saturday. All remaining Mavericks regular season games will be televised on the Summit League Network. Brent Weber handles the play-by-play for the Mavericks. The FNBO Pregame Show begins 15:00 prior to tip-off.
Connect with Omaha women's basketball on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram, @OmahaWBB.
Links are available on the OMavs.com schedule page. Tickets are available for all Mavericks home games at OMavs.com/tix.
