Omaha’s women’s basketball team ended its season with a loss to North Dakota State in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Women’s Basketball Championship. The Mavericks, seeded eighth, were defeated 87-37 by top-seeded North Dakota State on Thursday afternoon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Ali Stephens and Regan Juenemann led Omaha in scoring with eight points each. Avril Smith contributed seven points and seven rebounds. This game came less than 24 hours after Omaha had beaten North Dakota 49-39 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Omaha managed to keep pace with North Dakota State early in the game. The Mavericks were within four points late in the first quarter after two free throws from Stephens and cut the deficit to 12 points in the second quarter following her three-pointer. However, North Dakota State went on a strong run before halftime and continued their momentum into the third quarter, ultimately pulling away.
North Dakota State improved its record to 27-3 for the season, having lost only once since mid-November. The Bison shot just over 50 percent from the field and outrebounded Omaha by a wide margin.
The Mavericks finished their season at 6-27 under first-year head coach Jamie Carey. Their roster featured five freshmen among an eight-player rotation. Despite struggles throughout much of the season, Omaha won four of its last nine games.
“These kids have grown so much,” Carey said before the tournament. “I’m proud of them for that.”
Avril Smith completed her freshman year with 380 rebounds, setting a new program single-season record previously held since 1978-79 by Barb Hart, who had 378 rebounds. Smith is currently ranked fifth nationally in total rebounds among Division I players.
Fans can follow Omaha Women’s Basketball on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @OmahaWBB.
