Omaha Welcomes Pioneers on Saturday
Jan 22, 2015 | Men's Basketball
This Weekend
The Omaha men's basketball team returns to action this weekend, hosting Denver on Saturday, Jan. 24. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at Ralston Arena, and the game will be broadcast live on 1620 The Zone with Gary Sharp and former Maverick Grant Nieland on the call. Fans can stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media's app “1620 The Zone,” and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Scouting the Denver Pioneers
Denver carries a record of 9-10 (3-3 Summit League) into Saturday's meeting after defeating Oral Roberts 73-66 on Wednesday. The Pioneers erased a 12-point second-half deficit with a 20-1 run en route to the comeback victory. Nate Engesser finished with a team-best 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and Marcus Byrd chipped in another 11.
Head coach Joe Scott is in his eighth year at DU with a record of 127-109, and he holds a career coaching mark of 216-217.
Saturday marks the fifth meeting all-time between Omaha and Denver, and the Pioneers lead the series, 4-0. The two teams last met on Feb. 22, 2014, when Denver earned a 72-60 win at Ralston Arena.
Quick Hits
•Three Mavericks lead the Summit League in a variety of statistical categories: senior forward Mike Rostampour in offensive rebounds (53), junior guard Devin Patterson in steals (38) and senior guard CJ Carter in field goals made (112).
•Tyus has tallied a double-digit scoring total in 10 of the last 11 contests since Dec. 10.
•Senior guard CJ Carter is averaging a league-best 21.0 points per game over the first six games of Summit League play. Overall, he is also second in the league for scoring with 17.1 ppg.
•UNO has five players who average 8.0 or more points per game, and eight different Mavericks have scored in double figures in at least one game.
•According to kenpom.com, UNO is second nationally in adjusted tempo, which estimates of the possessions per 40 minutes a team would have against a team that wants to play at an average Division I tempo. Omaha's adjusted tempo is listed at 76.0, behind only VMI (78.7).
•When scoring 40 or more points in the first half, Omaha has gone 5-1 this season.
•Omaha has taken a 16-point lead in the first five minutes of play twice this year. The Mavericks went up 16-0 against Iowa Wesleyan on Dec. 10 and 23-7 at Nebraska on Nov. 25.
•UNO earned its first win over a power-six conference on Nov. 22 with a 97-89 triumph at Marquette.
•The Mavericks shot a season-best .571 at Marquette. In the last three years, Omaha is 17-6 when shooting .500 or better as a team, including a 4-2 this season.
•UNO has tallied double-digit offensive rebounds 10 of its 17 games: 26 vs. Central Arkansas, 11 at Seattle, 11 at Marquette, 15 at Air Force, 11 vs. Iowa Wesleyan, 17 at UMKC, 12 vs. Northern Colorado, 12 vs. UT Pan American, 16 at Chicago State, 13 at Western Illinois and 19 vs. South Dakota State.
•Since the 2012-13 season, Omaha is 19-14 when Carter scores 15 or more points in a game.
•This year, UNO is 4-1 when Patterson tallies 20 or more points.
•Omaha leads the Summit League in points per game, field goals made per game and steals per game.
•The Mavericks were picked sixth in this year's Summit League preseason poll.
Last Time Out: Mavericks Fall Short Despite Carter's Career Day
Omaha returned home to Ralston Arena Sunday afternoon, falling to conference foe IUPUI 89-84. The Mavericks saw a record performance from senior guard CJ Carter, who finished with a career-high 45 points on 19-of-25 shooting. The Omaha Benson product did most of his damage from beyond the arc, where he drained seven triples on eight attempts. Carter also moved into 10th in school history for scoring, as his 1,323 points passed former Maverick Thor Palamore (1,309).
Junior guards Marcus Tyus (19) and Devin Patterson (11) also finished in double figures for Omaha. Patterson added five assists and two steals, while Tyus shot 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from afar.
As a team, Omaha shot .567 (34-of-60) from the field and .500 (8-of-16) from downtown. IUPUI finished at .569 (33-of-58) from the floor and .417 (5-of-12) from long range, and the Jaguars won the rebounding battle, 37-20.
Carter's Performance for the Ages
Senior guard CJ Carter's career-high 45-point performance against IUPUI on Sunday was a scoring effort for the ages. Carter shot 19-of-25, including 7-of-8 from 3-point range, finishing one point shy of Stan Schaetzle's school scoring record of 46 points in 1956. He also set the school mark for the most field goals in a single game, and his triple total was the second-highest in school history.
Carter's point total was also the fourth-highest in any game in Summit league history and the most by any Summit player since February 2013.
Carter, Patterson Pick Up League Player of the Week Honors
Senior guard CJ Carter was named Summit League Player of the Week for the second time this season and the third time in his career, the conference office announced Monday.
The Omaha native averaged 32.0 points and shot 69.2 percent both from the field and beyond the arc during the Mavs' two-game stretch last week. Carter finished with a career-high 45 points against IUPUI on Jan. 18, as well as 19 points at Oral Roberts on Jan. 14.
Two Mavericks have earned Summit League Player of the Week recognition this season, as Carter was previously honored on Nov. 24, and junior guard Devin Patterson was selected on Dec. 22.
House of Carter
CJ Carter's position in UNO's record books has been rapidly rising during his senior season. He is eighth all-time for career assists (316), ninth in steals (132), 11th in 3-pointers made (129), 10th in scoring (1,323 points) and ninth for field goals made (469). On Jan. 18 vs. IUPUI, the Omaha native passed Thor Palamore (1987-91) and moved into the top 10 on the scoring list, and he is now 25 points away from tying John Karhoff (2010-14) for ninth.
Home Sweet Home
The 2014-15 season marks UNO's third and final season playing at Ralston Arena, which serves as the home of Maverick men's basketball, Omaha Lancers hockey and Omaha Beef indoor football. The Mavs will play a full Summit League schedule this year with eight conference games, and in total they have 13 games on the slate at Ralston. In 2015-16, Omaha will move its games to the on-campus UNO/Community Arena, which is currently being constructed just south of Aksarben Village between 64th and 67th streets on Center Street.
Last season, Omaha was 11-4 at Ralston Arena. UNO's 11 home wins came at an average margin of 21.4 points, and the Mavs scored an average of 82.3 points per game on their home court while holding their opponents to 69.8.
On Nov. 16, UNO opened its season at Ralston Arena, defeating Central Arkansas by a 100-75 tally. It followed with wins over Nevada, 78-54 on Nov. 29, Iowa Wesleyan, 94-67 on Dec. 10, Northern Colorado, 92-82 on Dec. 17 and UT Pan American, 77-72 on Dec. 21. Last weekend, North Dakota State and South Dakota State dealt the Mavericks their first home losses of the season. UNO's average margin of victory at home is 18.2, and they score an average of 83.1 points per game.
Over three years at Ralston, Omaha has posted a home record of 23-13.
Terrific Trios
Senior guard CJ Carter and junior guards Devin Patterson and Marcus Tyus are the highest-scoring trio in the Summit League this season. Their combined average of 42.7 points per game is ahead of South Dakota's Tyler Larson, Brandon Bos and Casey Kasperbauer (41.2 ppg) and Oral Roberts' Obi Emegano, Kory Billbury and Bobby Word (40.8 ppg).
Individually, Carter ranks second in the conference with 17.3 ppg, has 13 double-figure scoring games and has led Omaha in scoring six times.
Stacking Up Nationally
The Mavericks have maintained their place the top 50 in the national statistical rankings, as Omaha's 78.8 points per game ranks 21st among Division I programs, and its 8.6 steals per game are 26th. UNO's 323 free throws made this year are also 10th in the country.
Individually, junior guard Devin Patterson is 13th with 2.4 steals per game.
Up Next
Omaha returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 28, visiting South Dakota State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D., and the game will be broadcast on 1180 Zone 2 with Gary Sharp on the call. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
The Omaha men's basketball team returns to action this weekend, hosting Denver on Saturday, Jan. 24. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at Ralston Arena, and the game will be broadcast live on 1620 The Zone with Gary Sharp and former Maverick Grant Nieland on the call. Fans can stream the audio on their smartphones by downloading NRG Media's app “1620 The Zone,” and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Scouting the Denver Pioneers
Denver carries a record of 9-10 (3-3 Summit League) into Saturday's meeting after defeating Oral Roberts 73-66 on Wednesday. The Pioneers erased a 12-point second-half deficit with a 20-1 run en route to the comeback victory. Nate Engesser finished with a team-best 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and Marcus Byrd chipped in another 11.
Head coach Joe Scott is in his eighth year at DU with a record of 127-109, and he holds a career coaching mark of 216-217.
Saturday marks the fifth meeting all-time between Omaha and Denver, and the Pioneers lead the series, 4-0. The two teams last met on Feb. 22, 2014, when Denver earned a 72-60 win at Ralston Arena.
Quick Hits
•Three Mavericks lead the Summit League in a variety of statistical categories: senior forward Mike Rostampour in offensive rebounds (53), junior guard Devin Patterson in steals (38) and senior guard CJ Carter in field goals made (112).
•Tyus has tallied a double-digit scoring total in 10 of the last 11 contests since Dec. 10.
•Senior guard CJ Carter is averaging a league-best 21.0 points per game over the first six games of Summit League play. Overall, he is also second in the league for scoring with 17.1 ppg.
•UNO has five players who average 8.0 or more points per game, and eight different Mavericks have scored in double figures in at least one game.
•According to kenpom.com, UNO is second nationally in adjusted tempo, which estimates of the possessions per 40 minutes a team would have against a team that wants to play at an average Division I tempo. Omaha's adjusted tempo is listed at 76.0, behind only VMI (78.7).
•When scoring 40 or more points in the first half, Omaha has gone 5-1 this season.
•Omaha has taken a 16-point lead in the first five minutes of play twice this year. The Mavericks went up 16-0 against Iowa Wesleyan on Dec. 10 and 23-7 at Nebraska on Nov. 25.
•UNO earned its first win over a power-six conference on Nov. 22 with a 97-89 triumph at Marquette.
•The Mavericks shot a season-best .571 at Marquette. In the last three years, Omaha is 17-6 when shooting .500 or better as a team, including a 4-2 this season.
•UNO has tallied double-digit offensive rebounds 10 of its 17 games: 26 vs. Central Arkansas, 11 at Seattle, 11 at Marquette, 15 at Air Force, 11 vs. Iowa Wesleyan, 17 at UMKC, 12 vs. Northern Colorado, 12 vs. UT Pan American, 16 at Chicago State, 13 at Western Illinois and 19 vs. South Dakota State.
•Since the 2012-13 season, Omaha is 19-14 when Carter scores 15 or more points in a game.
•This year, UNO is 4-1 when Patterson tallies 20 or more points.
•Omaha leads the Summit League in points per game, field goals made per game and steals per game.
•The Mavericks were picked sixth in this year's Summit League preseason poll.
Last Time Out: Mavericks Fall Short Despite Carter's Career Day
Omaha returned home to Ralston Arena Sunday afternoon, falling to conference foe IUPUI 89-84. The Mavericks saw a record performance from senior guard CJ Carter, who finished with a career-high 45 points on 19-of-25 shooting. The Omaha Benson product did most of his damage from beyond the arc, where he drained seven triples on eight attempts. Carter also moved into 10th in school history for scoring, as his 1,323 points passed former Maverick Thor Palamore (1,309).
Junior guards Marcus Tyus (19) and Devin Patterson (11) also finished in double figures for Omaha. Patterson added five assists and two steals, while Tyus shot 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from afar.
As a team, Omaha shot .567 (34-of-60) from the field and .500 (8-of-16) from downtown. IUPUI finished at .569 (33-of-58) from the floor and .417 (5-of-12) from long range, and the Jaguars won the rebounding battle, 37-20.
Carter's Performance for the Ages
Senior guard CJ Carter's career-high 45-point performance against IUPUI on Sunday was a scoring effort for the ages. Carter shot 19-of-25, including 7-of-8 from 3-point range, finishing one point shy of Stan Schaetzle's school scoring record of 46 points in 1956. He also set the school mark for the most field goals in a single game, and his triple total was the second-highest in school history.
Carter's point total was also the fourth-highest in any game in Summit league history and the most by any Summit player since February 2013.
Carter, Patterson Pick Up League Player of the Week Honors
Senior guard CJ Carter was named Summit League Player of the Week for the second time this season and the third time in his career, the conference office announced Monday.
The Omaha native averaged 32.0 points and shot 69.2 percent both from the field and beyond the arc during the Mavs' two-game stretch last week. Carter finished with a career-high 45 points against IUPUI on Jan. 18, as well as 19 points at Oral Roberts on Jan. 14.
Two Mavericks have earned Summit League Player of the Week recognition this season, as Carter was previously honored on Nov. 24, and junior guard Devin Patterson was selected on Dec. 22.
House of Carter
CJ Carter's position in UNO's record books has been rapidly rising during his senior season. He is eighth all-time for career assists (316), ninth in steals (132), 11th in 3-pointers made (129), 10th in scoring (1,323 points) and ninth for field goals made (469). On Jan. 18 vs. IUPUI, the Omaha native passed Thor Palamore (1987-91) and moved into the top 10 on the scoring list, and he is now 25 points away from tying John Karhoff (2010-14) for ninth.
Home Sweet Home
The 2014-15 season marks UNO's third and final season playing at Ralston Arena, which serves as the home of Maverick men's basketball, Omaha Lancers hockey and Omaha Beef indoor football. The Mavs will play a full Summit League schedule this year with eight conference games, and in total they have 13 games on the slate at Ralston. In 2015-16, Omaha will move its games to the on-campus UNO/Community Arena, which is currently being constructed just south of Aksarben Village between 64th and 67th streets on Center Street.
Last season, Omaha was 11-4 at Ralston Arena. UNO's 11 home wins came at an average margin of 21.4 points, and the Mavs scored an average of 82.3 points per game on their home court while holding their opponents to 69.8.
On Nov. 16, UNO opened its season at Ralston Arena, defeating Central Arkansas by a 100-75 tally. It followed with wins over Nevada, 78-54 on Nov. 29, Iowa Wesleyan, 94-67 on Dec. 10, Northern Colorado, 92-82 on Dec. 17 and UT Pan American, 77-72 on Dec. 21. Last weekend, North Dakota State and South Dakota State dealt the Mavericks their first home losses of the season. UNO's average margin of victory at home is 18.2, and they score an average of 83.1 points per game.
Over three years at Ralston, Omaha has posted a home record of 23-13.
Terrific Trios
Senior guard CJ Carter and junior guards Devin Patterson and Marcus Tyus are the highest-scoring trio in the Summit League this season. Their combined average of 42.7 points per game is ahead of South Dakota's Tyler Larson, Brandon Bos and Casey Kasperbauer (41.2 ppg) and Oral Roberts' Obi Emegano, Kory Billbury and Bobby Word (40.8 ppg).
Individually, Carter ranks second in the conference with 17.3 ppg, has 13 double-figure scoring games and has led Omaha in scoring six times.
Stacking Up Nationally
The Mavericks have maintained their place the top 50 in the national statistical rankings, as Omaha's 78.8 points per game ranks 21st among Division I programs, and its 8.6 steals per game are 26th. UNO's 323 free throws made this year are also 10th in the country.
Individually, junior guard Devin Patterson is 13th with 2.4 steals per game.
Up Next
Omaha returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 28, visiting South Dakota State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D., and the game will be broadcast on 1180 Zone 2 with Gary Sharp on the call. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballTuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
