Women's Basketball heads to old NCC foe Omaha

Saturday, December 11

Omaha, NE

1 p.m. MT

University of Northern Colorado

University of Nebraska at Omaha

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

12/10/2021 9:26:00 AM | Women's Basketball

LIVE STREAM LIVE STATS UNC Notes

By: By Thomas Hoffman, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado and Omaha are no strangers. Women's Basketball heads to Nebraska to take on the Mavericks, restoring an old North Central Conference rivalry.

Game Info
Who: at Omaha (3-5)
When: December, 11 at 1 p.m. MT
Where: Omaha, Neb.
How To Follow: LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS | UNC_BearsWBB

Opening Tip
Head coach Kristen Mattio's crew is one of the most efficient teams from beyond the three-point arc this season. The Bears average 8.1 made three's per contest, third-best in the Big Sky and No. 45 in the nation. Additionally, at 33.9 percent, UNC ranks third in the conference and No. 85 in the country in shooting the long ball.

Northern Colorado's defense is as stout as they come in the Big Sky. The Bears are giving up 61.3 points per game, the third-fewest in the conference.

A big reason for its defensive prowess is UNC's discipline on that end of the floor. Northern Colorado has only committed 105 personal fouls this season, ranking in the top 40 in the country.

Jaiden Galloway has been contributing up and down the stat sheet for the Bears. The Senior from Aurora is averaging her highest totals as a Bear in points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game. Her 3.4 assists per contest are also top 10 in the Big Sky Conference.

Last Time Out
Playing in two difficult environments at Montana State and Montana, the Bears valiantly went toe-to-toe with both the Bobcats and Griz. Belmont Abbey transfer Allie Downing poured in a career-best 18 points against Montana State and followed up with another sturdy offensive performance with 14 versus Montana. UNC led in both contests, including for more than 20 minutes in Missoula.

Scouting the Mavericks
Omaha put a scare into the Summit League last spring, knocking off No. 1 South Dakota State in the first round of the tournament. Carrie Banks' Mavericks followed the win with a victory over Western Illinois before falling to South Dakota in the championship. It was the first time a No. 8 seed made the conference final in Summit League history.

This season, the Mavericks were picked to finish eighth, ahead of North Dakota and St. Thomas.

Much like the Bears, UNO boasts a disciplined defensive side, averaging just 15.1 personal fouls per game. The Mavericks are also third-best in the Summit League in forcing turnovers at 16.62 per game.

Offensively, Omaha is led by Elena Pilakouta (12.1 ppg) and Mariah Murdie (11.4 ppg) who are both averaging in double figures. Murdie also boasts 1.5 blocked shots per contest, ranking in the top-100 in the nation.

History Against Omaha
Old North Central Conference foes, Northern Colorado and Omaha are no strangers. The two institutions have squared off 36 times dating back to 1976. UNC owns a 25-11 record with an 8-7 mark in Omaha. The Bears will be looking to avenge its 66-64 loss a season ago in Greeley.

What's Ahead?
Northern Colorado returns to Bank of Colorado Arena for a matchup with Oklahoma Panhandle State on Monday, December 13. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. MT and tickets can be purchased at UNCBears.com/Tickets.

To stay up to date on all things UNC Women's basketball, visit UNCBears.com, follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the new UNC Athletics app by clicking here.