Mavs Host UNK in Exhibition
Nov 6, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Game Notes
Live Webcast
Live Stats
The Omaha women's basketball team tips off the 2012-13 season on Wednesday at the Sapp Fieldhouse with an exhibition game against the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers at 7 p.m. The Mavericks and Lopers will be renewing their long rivalry for the first time since 2008. A live webcast by America One will be available for purchase at OMavs.com. Free live stats are also available at OMavs.com.
The Teams
UNO enters exhibition play coming off a 15-12 record in 2011-12. Last year was the Mavericks' first in their transition from Division II to Division I. This season, Omaha will be embarking on its first season with a full Summit League schedule. Although the Mavs will appear in the conference standings, they are not eligible for the conference tournament or postseason play until 2015-16. UNO played 12 of its 27 games against Division I teams last year, but this year will be considerably more difficult with 25 games against Division I foes and just three against non-Division I schools.
Nebraska-Kearney is also in the midst of transition, as the Lopers left the RMAC and joined the Mavs' old conference, the MIAA, and will begin a full conference schedule for the first time this year. UNK posted an 8-19 record last year and an 8-14 record in the RMAC.
Series History
UNK leads the all-time series, 19-9. The Lopers also hold a 10-8 edge in games played at the Sapp Fieldhouse. The most recent meeting between the teams saw UNK pull out an 87-79 victory on Nov. 17, 2008 in Kearney. The Lopers have won three in a row in the series, which dates back to the 1972-73 season. The last time UNO defeated UNK was Nov. 17, 2005, 72-60 at the Sapp Fieldhouse.
Last Time Out
The last time the Mavs took the court was the season finale on Feb. 20, 2012 at Louisiana. Brandi Schambough's 3-pointer with eight seconds left in overtime gave Louisiana a 62-60 win over Omaha and ended the Mavs' season in heartbreaking fashion. Stacia Gebers missed a shot at the buzzer that would have tied the game, and UNO finished 15-12 in their first season under head coach Chance Lindley. The Mavs led the entire game until 25 seconds remained in regulation, when the Ragin' Cajuns' Nicole Morris hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 57-57 and send it to overtime. Taijhe Kelly posted 12 points and 15 rebounds for her second straight double-double. Over the final two games, Kelly averaged 13 points and 16.5 rebounds.
Media
All Maverick home games are broadcast live on the web at OMavs.com by American One. A subscription is required. Free live stats are available for every home game and most road games at OMavs.com. Five games have been selected for radio broadcast on 1180 The Zone 2 and at 1620thezone.com. They are: at Kansas City (Dec. 28), at IUPUI (Jan. 10), at Western Illinois (Jan. 12), at Fort Wayne (Jan. 31) and at Oakland (Feb. 2).
Up Next For the Mavericks
The Mavericks begin the regular season on Monday, Nov. 12 with a 7 p.m. contest at the Sapp Fieldhouse against North Carolina A&T. That game kicks off an eight-game homestand to begin the season, and seven of those come against Division I teams. Last year, UNO hosted just two Division I games.
Scouting Nebraska-Kearney
UNK is playing its second exhibition game after losing at No. 18 Nebraska on Sunday, 68-38. The Lopers trailed the Huskers by just nine at halftime, 26-17, but NU pulled away in the second half. UNK held a 47-44 edge in the rebounding department. Laramey Lewis had nine points in 16 minutes off the bench. Shelby Zimmerman had seven points and seven rebounds. UNK returns three starters from last year. Zimmerman (6.9 ppg and 4.6 rpg) and sophomore post Melissa Norman (4.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg) are the leading returning scorers and rebounders.
Nash, Frauendorfer Closing in on 1,000 Career Points
Seniors Jamie Nash and Paige Frauendorfer are both closing in on 1,000 career points. Nash ranks 27th in school history with 839 career points, needing just 161 to eclipse the 1,000-point barrier. Frauendorfer ranks 32nd with 758 career points, needing 242 to reach 1,000. Nash and Frauendorfer scored 349 and 354 points, respectively, in their junior seasons. Twenty-three Mavericks are members of the 1,000-point club, including Heather Pohl, who moved into 21st last year with 1,044 career points.
Nash Climbing the School-Record Charts
In addition to chasing 1,000 career points, senior guard Jamie Nash has a few school records in her sights in her final season at UNO. The Verona, Mo., native has 271 career steals, placing her second in school history. She is just 60 steals behind Kriss Edwards, who made 331 steals from 1977-81. Nash has 370 career assists, ranking her fifth in school history. She is 104 assists behind all-time leader Jennifer Mitchell, who posted 474 from 1998-2002.
Frauendorfer Named to All-Summit League Preseason Second Team
Paige Frauendorfer was named to the All-Summit League Preseason Second Team, determined by a vote of the league's head coaches, media and media relations personnel. Frauendorfer earned the preseason honor after leading the Mavs in scoring last season with 13.1 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game. She also had 10 double-doubles while helping the Mavs to a 15-12 record in their first Division I season. Oakland's Bethany Watterworth was named the preseason Player of the Year. Joining Watterworth on the first team are Kansas City teammates Kim Nezianya and Eilise O'Connor, IUPUI's Kerah Nelson, North Dakota State's Katie Birkel and South Dakota State's Ashley Eide. Joining Frauendorfer on the second team are returning Newcomer of the Year Saule Kontautaite of Western Illinois, North Dakota State's Janae Burich, IUPUI's Katie Comello and Oakland's Zakiya Minifee.
Lindley Returns for Second Season with Three New Assistants
Head Coach Chance Lindley is in his second season at Omaha, but he will have an entirely different staff than he did in his first year. Shanele Stires left to become an assistant at San Francisco, and Jason Flores and Elena Lovato took head coaching gigs. In the offseason, Lindley promoted director of operations Brittany Lange to an assistant role. He then added former America East Player of the Year Jesyka Burks-Wiley to his coaching staff, as well as former All-Big Sky Conference guard Rebecca Alvidrez, who spent the past six seasons as an assistant turning Alaska Anchorage into a Division II powerhouse with her strong recruiting ties. Elisha Turek, the 2007 Mid-Con Player of the Year, was also hired as the new director of operations.
Oklahoma State Transfer Blair-Mobley a Welcome Addition
Former Oklahoma State guard Carolyn Blair-Mobley joins the UNO women's basketball program for her final season of eligibility in 2012-13. A 5-10 native of St. Paul, Minn., Blair-Mobley played two seasons at Oklahoma State after one season at Cloud County (Kan.) Community College. Blair-Mobley sat out the 2011-12 season and has one year of eligibility remaining after she earned her bachelor's degree at OSU last year. She will be eligible to play immediately this season while pursuing her master's degree at UNO. As a junior for the Cowgirls in 2010-11, Blair-Mobley started 22 of 32 games - fourth most on the squad - and averaged 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds while attempting fewer than three shots per game. In her sophomore campaign in 2009-10, her first year in the program, Blair-Mobley played in all 32 games, starting four for the Cowgirls, who finished 24-11 overall and reached the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
Mavs Sign Four for 2012-13 Season
The Mavericks added four new players to this year's squad in addition to Oklahoma State senior transfer Carolyn Blair-Mobley. Two junior college transfers - Ericka House and Casse Vaughn - join the fray this season, as well as freshmen Kate Bayes and Allison Jackson. House, a 5-9 guard from Hot Springs, Ark., was regarded as one of the top junior college Region XIV players in 2011-12 at Tyler Junior College in Texas. House averaged 12.5 points per game and shot 39.2 percent from long distance (87-of-222) in her second year at TJC. As a freshman, House scored a career-high 41 points in a game and hit 13-of-22 from 3-point range to set the NJCAA record for 3-pointers made in a game. Vaughn, a 6-0 forward from Little Rock, Ark., averaged 8.2 points and 5.1 rebounds as a sophomore at Arkansas Baptist in 2011-12. Vaughn was an all-state selection as a senior at North Little Rock High School, where her team ranked 15th in the ESPN Fab 50 High School Poll. Bayes scored more than 2,000 points in her career at Sonoma Academy in California. She was named MVP of the North Central League II and was also named The Press Democrat All-Empire Small-School Female Athlete of the Year for the third straight year after averaging 23.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game as a senior. Jackson, a 6-0 forward out of Burges High School in El Paso, Texas, averaged 14.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and was a second-team all-city selection.
Liepa Out for the Season
Senior forward Zenta Liepa had knee surgery over the summer and will be out for the 2012-13 season. Liepa, a Riga, Latvia native who arrived at UNO by way of Independence Community College in Kansas, started 11 games and averaged 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in her first year at UNO last year. Without the 6-1 Liepa, the Mavs are a little thin in the post with 6-4 sophomore center Taijhe Kelly and 6-0 junior forward Stacia Gebers the only healthy returners down low. The Mavs added some depth with 6-0 junior forward Casse Vaughn and 6-0 freshman forward Allison Jackson.
Mavs Play Full Summit League Schedule for First Time
The 2012-13 season marks UNO's first with a full Summit League schedule. UNO will play all eight Summit League foes twice, starting with a Dec. 28 game on the road at Kansas City. Although the Mavericks will appear in The Summit League standings, UNO cannot qualify for the Summit League Championship or the NCAA Tournament until 2015-16.
Mavs Picked to Finish Ninth in First Season in The Summit League
The Omaha women's basketball team was picked to finish ninth in The Summit League Preseason Poll, determined by a vote of the league's head coaches, media and media relations personnel. South Dakota State was picked as the favorite to win the conference. The Jackrabbits received 22-of-25 first-place votes (coaches may not vote for their own team) after claiming its fourth straight tournament title last season. Last season's other Summit League Tournament finalist, Kansas City, placed second in the poll with 260 points and one first-place vote. Oakland, North Dakota State and IUPUI were separated by just 21 points for the third through fifth slots with the Jaguars claiming one first-place tally. South Dakota edged out Western Illinois for sixth place, while Fort Wayne and league newcomer Omaha rounded out the poll. The Mastodons collected the final first-place vote. The Summit League concluded a record-setting season a year ago, finishing the year ranked No. 19 in the College Basketball News RPI, peaking as high as No. 11 midseason. The league sent a record four teams to postseason tournaments and set a new women's league tournament attendance record.
Cator Healthy and Ready for Senior Season
Senior guard Carly Cator has recovered from a torn ACL suffered last year in the preseason and is ready to go for her final season at UNO. The 5-9 native of Lakewood, Colo., averaged 2.4 points and 1.4 assists per game in, but Cator will be suiting up for the first time this season with head coach Chance Lindley at the helm. Cator started her career at San Francisco State, where she averaged 2.3 points per game and 1.6 rebounds per game in her redshirt freshman season in 2009-10. Cator adds a long-distance threat to the Maverick lineup. She connected on 5-of-15 (33.3 percent) from 3-point range in 2010-11.
Mavs Make Strides in First Division I Season
The Mavs' first year in Division I can be considered a success on many accounts. A year after going 8-18 in Division II, the Mavs finished 15-12 in their first Division I season last year, the most wins since 2008-09. Paige Frauendorfer led UNO with 13.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and had 10 double-doubles. UNO earned two wins against Division I teams, beating Western Illinois, 65-58, and UT Arlington, 60-52. Jamie Nash averaged 4.1 steals per game to rank second in Division I. She also had 166 assists, the highest single-season total in school history. The Mavs went 9-3 at home for a .750 winning percentage, their highest since 2005-06.
Kelly Joins Group of School's Top Shot Blockers
After competing in just one season at Omaha, sophomore center Taijhe Kelly has already established herself as one of the top shot blockers to put on a UNO jersey. Kelly swatted 43 shots last season, which ranked as the seventh-highest single-season total in school history. More impressively, the school's all-time top shot blocker, Mary Henke Anderson, holds the top four single-season totals, making Kelly the fourth-best single-season shot blocker. Kelly needs to reach just 53 blocks to break into the top 10 for career blocks in school history. Henke Anderson is the school-record holder with 291 career blocks, an average of 72.8 per season.
Gebers Becomes Leader after Breakout Sophomore Season
Stacia Gebers averaged 8.4 minutes per game as a freshman on the then-Division II Mavericks in 2010-11, playing mostly on the wing where the 6-0 Nora, Neb., native was accustomed to playing. So in 2011-12, it was a bit of a surprise to see the sophomore emerge as an everyday starter in the post for the Division I Maverick team. But with a lack of depth in the post, Gebers was asked to try it out, and she thrived, averaging 7.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Gebers set new career highs in points (18) and rebounds (11) and shot 41.7 percent from the floor. Gebers and sophomore center Taijhe Kelly are the lone returners in the post. They will look to contribute while junior college transfer Casse Vaughn and freshman Allison Jackson adjust to the Division I level.
Cox Coming off All-Independent Freshman of the Year Season
After a solid freshman season in 2011-12, guard Cathleen Cox will look to build on it as a sophomore this year. Cox averaged 6.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and was named the All-Independent Freshman of the Year by CollegeSportsMadness.com. Cox started three games as a freshman and served as the Mavs' first player off the bench the majority of the season, recording a season-best 23 points against Missouri Western on Dec. 31.
Kelly Closes Freshman Season Strong
Taijhe Kelly closed out her freshman season in 2011-12 with an emphatic end and will look to build on that in her sophomore campaign in 2012-13. The 6-4 center averaged 3.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game overall in her first year, but in the final two games of the season - the first two starts of her career - Kelly averaged 13 points and 16.5 rebounds. At New Orleans on Feb. 18, Kelly earned her first-career start and posted career highs of 14 points and 18 rebounds in 30 minutes of playing time. She shot 7-of-15 from the field and dominated the boards with 11 on the defensive end and seven on the offensive glass. She also chipped in three blocked shots. The 18 rebounds tied for the eighth most in school history. Kelly followed up at Division I Louisiana on Feb. 20 with 12 points and 15 rebounds in a career-high 41 minutes of playing time.
Live Webcast
Live Stats
The Omaha women's basketball team tips off the 2012-13 season on Wednesday at the Sapp Fieldhouse with an exhibition game against the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers at 7 p.m. The Mavericks and Lopers will be renewing their long rivalry for the first time since 2008. A live webcast by America One will be available for purchase at OMavs.com. Free live stats are also available at OMavs.com.
The Teams
UNO enters exhibition play coming off a 15-12 record in 2011-12. Last year was the Mavericks' first in their transition from Division II to Division I. This season, Omaha will be embarking on its first season with a full Summit League schedule. Although the Mavs will appear in the conference standings, they are not eligible for the conference tournament or postseason play until 2015-16. UNO played 12 of its 27 games against Division I teams last year, but this year will be considerably more difficult with 25 games against Division I foes and just three against non-Division I schools.
Nebraska-Kearney is also in the midst of transition, as the Lopers left the RMAC and joined the Mavs' old conference, the MIAA, and will begin a full conference schedule for the first time this year. UNK posted an 8-19 record last year and an 8-14 record in the RMAC.
Series History
UNK leads the all-time series, 19-9. The Lopers also hold a 10-8 edge in games played at the Sapp Fieldhouse. The most recent meeting between the teams saw UNK pull out an 87-79 victory on Nov. 17, 2008 in Kearney. The Lopers have won three in a row in the series, which dates back to the 1972-73 season. The last time UNO defeated UNK was Nov. 17, 2005, 72-60 at the Sapp Fieldhouse.
Last Time Out
The last time the Mavs took the court was the season finale on Feb. 20, 2012 at Louisiana. Brandi Schambough's 3-pointer with eight seconds left in overtime gave Louisiana a 62-60 win over Omaha and ended the Mavs' season in heartbreaking fashion. Stacia Gebers missed a shot at the buzzer that would have tied the game, and UNO finished 15-12 in their first season under head coach Chance Lindley. The Mavs led the entire game until 25 seconds remained in regulation, when the Ragin' Cajuns' Nicole Morris hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 57-57 and send it to overtime. Taijhe Kelly posted 12 points and 15 rebounds for her second straight double-double. Over the final two games, Kelly averaged 13 points and 16.5 rebounds.
Media
All Maverick home games are broadcast live on the web at OMavs.com by American One. A subscription is required. Free live stats are available for every home game and most road games at OMavs.com. Five games have been selected for radio broadcast on 1180 The Zone 2 and at 1620thezone.com. They are: at Kansas City (Dec. 28), at IUPUI (Jan. 10), at Western Illinois (Jan. 12), at Fort Wayne (Jan. 31) and at Oakland (Feb. 2).
Up Next For the Mavericks
The Mavericks begin the regular season on Monday, Nov. 12 with a 7 p.m. contest at the Sapp Fieldhouse against North Carolina A&T. That game kicks off an eight-game homestand to begin the season, and seven of those come against Division I teams. Last year, UNO hosted just two Division I games.
Scouting Nebraska-Kearney
UNK is playing its second exhibition game after losing at No. 18 Nebraska on Sunday, 68-38. The Lopers trailed the Huskers by just nine at halftime, 26-17, but NU pulled away in the second half. UNK held a 47-44 edge in the rebounding department. Laramey Lewis had nine points in 16 minutes off the bench. Shelby Zimmerman had seven points and seven rebounds. UNK returns three starters from last year. Zimmerman (6.9 ppg and 4.6 rpg) and sophomore post Melissa Norman (4.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg) are the leading returning scorers and rebounders.
Nash, Frauendorfer Closing in on 1,000 Career Points
Seniors Jamie Nash and Paige Frauendorfer are both closing in on 1,000 career points. Nash ranks 27th in school history with 839 career points, needing just 161 to eclipse the 1,000-point barrier. Frauendorfer ranks 32nd with 758 career points, needing 242 to reach 1,000. Nash and Frauendorfer scored 349 and 354 points, respectively, in their junior seasons. Twenty-three Mavericks are members of the 1,000-point club, including Heather Pohl, who moved into 21st last year with 1,044 career points.
Nash Climbing the School-Record Charts
In addition to chasing 1,000 career points, senior guard Jamie Nash has a few school records in her sights in her final season at UNO. The Verona, Mo., native has 271 career steals, placing her second in school history. She is just 60 steals behind Kriss Edwards, who made 331 steals from 1977-81. Nash has 370 career assists, ranking her fifth in school history. She is 104 assists behind all-time leader Jennifer Mitchell, who posted 474 from 1998-2002.
Frauendorfer Named to All-Summit League Preseason Second Team
Paige Frauendorfer was named to the All-Summit League Preseason Second Team, determined by a vote of the league's head coaches, media and media relations personnel. Frauendorfer earned the preseason honor after leading the Mavs in scoring last season with 13.1 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game. She also had 10 double-doubles while helping the Mavs to a 15-12 record in their first Division I season. Oakland's Bethany Watterworth was named the preseason Player of the Year. Joining Watterworth on the first team are Kansas City teammates Kim Nezianya and Eilise O'Connor, IUPUI's Kerah Nelson, North Dakota State's Katie Birkel and South Dakota State's Ashley Eide. Joining Frauendorfer on the second team are returning Newcomer of the Year Saule Kontautaite of Western Illinois, North Dakota State's Janae Burich, IUPUI's Katie Comello and Oakland's Zakiya Minifee.
Lindley Returns for Second Season with Three New Assistants
Head Coach Chance Lindley is in his second season at Omaha, but he will have an entirely different staff than he did in his first year. Shanele Stires left to become an assistant at San Francisco, and Jason Flores and Elena Lovato took head coaching gigs. In the offseason, Lindley promoted director of operations Brittany Lange to an assistant role. He then added former America East Player of the Year Jesyka Burks-Wiley to his coaching staff, as well as former All-Big Sky Conference guard Rebecca Alvidrez, who spent the past six seasons as an assistant turning Alaska Anchorage into a Division II powerhouse with her strong recruiting ties. Elisha Turek, the 2007 Mid-Con Player of the Year, was also hired as the new director of operations.
Oklahoma State Transfer Blair-Mobley a Welcome Addition
Former Oklahoma State guard Carolyn Blair-Mobley joins the UNO women's basketball program for her final season of eligibility in 2012-13. A 5-10 native of St. Paul, Minn., Blair-Mobley played two seasons at Oklahoma State after one season at Cloud County (Kan.) Community College. Blair-Mobley sat out the 2011-12 season and has one year of eligibility remaining after she earned her bachelor's degree at OSU last year. She will be eligible to play immediately this season while pursuing her master's degree at UNO. As a junior for the Cowgirls in 2010-11, Blair-Mobley started 22 of 32 games - fourth most on the squad - and averaged 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds while attempting fewer than three shots per game. In her sophomore campaign in 2009-10, her first year in the program, Blair-Mobley played in all 32 games, starting four for the Cowgirls, who finished 24-11 overall and reached the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
Mavs Sign Four for 2012-13 Season
The Mavericks added four new players to this year's squad in addition to Oklahoma State senior transfer Carolyn Blair-Mobley. Two junior college transfers - Ericka House and Casse Vaughn - join the fray this season, as well as freshmen Kate Bayes and Allison Jackson. House, a 5-9 guard from Hot Springs, Ark., was regarded as one of the top junior college Region XIV players in 2011-12 at Tyler Junior College in Texas. House averaged 12.5 points per game and shot 39.2 percent from long distance (87-of-222) in her second year at TJC. As a freshman, House scored a career-high 41 points in a game and hit 13-of-22 from 3-point range to set the NJCAA record for 3-pointers made in a game. Vaughn, a 6-0 forward from Little Rock, Ark., averaged 8.2 points and 5.1 rebounds as a sophomore at Arkansas Baptist in 2011-12. Vaughn was an all-state selection as a senior at North Little Rock High School, where her team ranked 15th in the ESPN Fab 50 High School Poll. Bayes scored more than 2,000 points in her career at Sonoma Academy in California. She was named MVP of the North Central League II and was also named The Press Democrat All-Empire Small-School Female Athlete of the Year for the third straight year after averaging 23.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game as a senior. Jackson, a 6-0 forward out of Burges High School in El Paso, Texas, averaged 14.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and was a second-team all-city selection.
Liepa Out for the Season
Senior forward Zenta Liepa had knee surgery over the summer and will be out for the 2012-13 season. Liepa, a Riga, Latvia native who arrived at UNO by way of Independence Community College in Kansas, started 11 games and averaged 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in her first year at UNO last year. Without the 6-1 Liepa, the Mavs are a little thin in the post with 6-4 sophomore center Taijhe Kelly and 6-0 junior forward Stacia Gebers the only healthy returners down low. The Mavs added some depth with 6-0 junior forward Casse Vaughn and 6-0 freshman forward Allison Jackson.
Mavs Play Full Summit League Schedule for First Time
The 2012-13 season marks UNO's first with a full Summit League schedule. UNO will play all eight Summit League foes twice, starting with a Dec. 28 game on the road at Kansas City. Although the Mavericks will appear in The Summit League standings, UNO cannot qualify for the Summit League Championship or the NCAA Tournament until 2015-16.
Mavs Picked to Finish Ninth in First Season in The Summit League
The Omaha women's basketball team was picked to finish ninth in The Summit League Preseason Poll, determined by a vote of the league's head coaches, media and media relations personnel. South Dakota State was picked as the favorite to win the conference. The Jackrabbits received 22-of-25 first-place votes (coaches may not vote for their own team) after claiming its fourth straight tournament title last season. Last season's other Summit League Tournament finalist, Kansas City, placed second in the poll with 260 points and one first-place vote. Oakland, North Dakota State and IUPUI were separated by just 21 points for the third through fifth slots with the Jaguars claiming one first-place tally. South Dakota edged out Western Illinois for sixth place, while Fort Wayne and league newcomer Omaha rounded out the poll. The Mastodons collected the final first-place vote. The Summit League concluded a record-setting season a year ago, finishing the year ranked No. 19 in the College Basketball News RPI, peaking as high as No. 11 midseason. The league sent a record four teams to postseason tournaments and set a new women's league tournament attendance record.
Cator Healthy and Ready for Senior Season
Senior guard Carly Cator has recovered from a torn ACL suffered last year in the preseason and is ready to go for her final season at UNO. The 5-9 native of Lakewood, Colo., averaged 2.4 points and 1.4 assists per game in, but Cator will be suiting up for the first time this season with head coach Chance Lindley at the helm. Cator started her career at San Francisco State, where she averaged 2.3 points per game and 1.6 rebounds per game in her redshirt freshman season in 2009-10. Cator adds a long-distance threat to the Maverick lineup. She connected on 5-of-15 (33.3 percent) from 3-point range in 2010-11.
Mavs Make Strides in First Division I Season
The Mavs' first year in Division I can be considered a success on many accounts. A year after going 8-18 in Division II, the Mavs finished 15-12 in their first Division I season last year, the most wins since 2008-09. Paige Frauendorfer led UNO with 13.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and had 10 double-doubles. UNO earned two wins against Division I teams, beating Western Illinois, 65-58, and UT Arlington, 60-52. Jamie Nash averaged 4.1 steals per game to rank second in Division I. She also had 166 assists, the highest single-season total in school history. The Mavs went 9-3 at home for a .750 winning percentage, their highest since 2005-06.
Kelly Joins Group of School's Top Shot Blockers
After competing in just one season at Omaha, sophomore center Taijhe Kelly has already established herself as one of the top shot blockers to put on a UNO jersey. Kelly swatted 43 shots last season, which ranked as the seventh-highest single-season total in school history. More impressively, the school's all-time top shot blocker, Mary Henke Anderson, holds the top four single-season totals, making Kelly the fourth-best single-season shot blocker. Kelly needs to reach just 53 blocks to break into the top 10 for career blocks in school history. Henke Anderson is the school-record holder with 291 career blocks, an average of 72.8 per season.
Gebers Becomes Leader after Breakout Sophomore Season
Stacia Gebers averaged 8.4 minutes per game as a freshman on the then-Division II Mavericks in 2010-11, playing mostly on the wing where the 6-0 Nora, Neb., native was accustomed to playing. So in 2011-12, it was a bit of a surprise to see the sophomore emerge as an everyday starter in the post for the Division I Maverick team. But with a lack of depth in the post, Gebers was asked to try it out, and she thrived, averaging 7.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Gebers set new career highs in points (18) and rebounds (11) and shot 41.7 percent from the floor. Gebers and sophomore center Taijhe Kelly are the lone returners in the post. They will look to contribute while junior college transfer Casse Vaughn and freshman Allison Jackson adjust to the Division I level.
Cox Coming off All-Independent Freshman of the Year Season
After a solid freshman season in 2011-12, guard Cathleen Cox will look to build on it as a sophomore this year. Cox averaged 6.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and was named the All-Independent Freshman of the Year by CollegeSportsMadness.com. Cox started three games as a freshman and served as the Mavs' first player off the bench the majority of the season, recording a season-best 23 points against Missouri Western on Dec. 31.
Kelly Closes Freshman Season Strong
Taijhe Kelly closed out her freshman season in 2011-12 with an emphatic end and will look to build on that in her sophomore campaign in 2012-13. The 6-4 center averaged 3.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game overall in her first year, but in the final two games of the season - the first two starts of her career - Kelly averaged 13 points and 16.5 rebounds. At New Orleans on Feb. 18, Kelly earned her first-career start and posted career highs of 14 points and 18 rebounds in 30 minutes of playing time. She shot 7-of-15 from the field and dominated the boards with 11 on the defensive end and seven on the offensive glass. She also chipped in three blocked shots. The 18 rebounds tied for the eighth most in school history. Kelly followed up at Division I Louisiana on Feb. 20 with 12 points and 15 rebounds in a career-high 41 minutes of playing time.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballTuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
