GRAND FORKS, N.D. – A late effort by the Omaha womens basketball team fell short on the road at North Dakota, 63-57, Thursday evening.
Omaha outscored the opposition 20-12 in the final quarter, but North Dakota was able to hold on for the victory.
LEADERS FOR OMAHA
Mariah Murdie recorded her third-career double-double with a team-high 16 points and 10 rebounds with three blocks. Claire Killian followed with 12 points on a pair of threes made, and Elena Pilakouta capped off the double-digit scoring with 11 points.
LEADERS FOR NORTH DAKOTA
Kacie Borowicz led her team with 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting. Megan Zander and Julia Fleecs rounded out UNDs double figures with 12 and 10 points apiece. Jaclyn Jarnot had a game-high 12 rebounds.
NOTES
Mariah Murdies third-career double-double also marked her fifth time as the leading scorer and her sixth time as the leading rebounder this season.
Omaha outscored the Fighting Hawks 37-31 in the second half.
The Mavericks 90.1% from the free throw line (10-for-11) marked the second-straight game of shooting 90% or better from the charity stripe.
Omaha falls to 0-5 against UND in the Division I era.
The last two losses to UND have been by a combined seven points.
INSIDE THE FIRST HALF
A strong first quarter put the Mavericks ahead 12-11 after 10 minutes of play. North Dakota, however, responded in the second quarter and built a 12-point lead at the half after 21-8 second quarter run. Despite the slow start, Omaha aimed to rally back from a first half deficit for the second-straight time.
INSIDE THE SECOND HALF
Slowly but surely, Omaha churned away at the North Dakota lead. After a 19-17 third quarter in favor of the Mavericks, Omaha trailed by 14 when Pilakouta hit a layup at the buzzer. The rally went into full effect in the fourth as Omaha cut the UND lead to single digits at the 4:23 mark when Killian hit a pair from the line. The 10-4 Maverick run made it a 61-57 game after Josie Filer hit a late three. North Dakota, however, was able to secure the win on a pair of free throws.
LOOKING AHEAD
Omaha stays on the road and has a quick turnaround this weekend. The Mavericks battle South Dakota in Vermillion this Saturday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. For more information, visit OMavs.com.
