The Mavericks open North Central Conference play with road games at Augustana and North Dakota this week. UNO will meet Augustana Thursday night at 8 in the Elmen Center, then will travel to play North Dakota in Grand Forks on Saturday night at 8.

The Records
The Mavs are 9-7 on the season entering this week's games. Augustana is 7-7 and North Dakota, which is 8-6 after a loss Monday to Minot State.

The Opponents
Augustana is 7-7 on the season, including a 4-1 home record, heading into the week. The Vikings are coming off a 65-55 loss Dec. 31 to Bellevue. UNO and Augustana have two common opponents. Both lost to Concordia-St. Paul, while the Vikings lost to Nebraska-Kearney, a team UNO defeated. Eight lettermen and three starters return for third-year head coach Tom Billeter, who is 21-48 at Augustana. The leading scorers are Joey Ryan, averaging 10.9 points per game, and Nick Olson at 10.2. North Dakota is 8-6 after Monday's non-conference loss to Minot State. The Fighting Sioux, under 18-year head coach Rich Glas, have been rebuilding after losing 7 of 12 lettermen and three starters from last year's 20-10 team.

The Series
UNO holds a 38-34 edge over Augustana in the all-time series. The Mavericks swept the Vikings last season in the two NCC meetings. North Dakota, which won both times the teams met last year, leads the series, 51-30.

Last Week
The Mavericks lost at Concordia-St. Paul Dec. 29 62-57, then rebounded with their seventh straight home win, 76-65, over Doane on Dec. 31.


Radio
The Augustana game will be broadcast on KOZN, 1620 AM, with David Gustafson calling the action. The North Dakota game will be carried on KOIL, 1020 AM.

Up Next
The Mavericks return to Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse to play North Dakota at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12.

The Coach
Derrin Hansen is in his first season as a collegiate head coach. The seven-year Maverick assistant took over the program in June. He is a 1991 graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University. He served as the head basketball and track coach at Elmwood-Murdock, Neb., High School for two years and was a graduate assistant at Nebraska-Kearney while earning his master's degree in 1995. Kenya Crandell is the associate head coach and Mitch Mosser the assistant coach.