Omaha Set for Weekend Series With Western Illinois

Friday, February 5

Omaha, Neb.

7 p.m.

Omaha

Western Illinois

Buy Tickets

Matt Pile and the Omaha men's basketball team welcome Western Illinois for a Friday/Saturday series this weekend.

Omaha Set for Weekend Series With Western Illinois

Feb 4, 2021 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

The Basics
The Omaha men's basketball team returns home for the first time in more than a month this weekend, welcoming Western Illinois on Friday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 6. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. both nights at Baxter Arena.

Gary Sharp and Kyler Erickson will have the radio calls on 1290 KOIL, and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.

Socially-distanced single-game tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com, OMavs.com/MyMav or by phone at (402) 554-MAVS. Tickets must be purchased in advance, as walkup sales will not be permitted at Baxter Arena.

Quick Hits
• Omaha has not played a home game at Baxter Arena since Jan. 2-3 against Oral Roberts.
• La'Mel Robinson had a breakout series at South Dakota last weekend, earning his first career starts, averaging 17.0 ppg and leading Omaha in scoring both nights.
• Robinson's addition to the starting five was Omaha's fourth different lineup this season.
• While Omaha played its non-conference schedule from Nov. 25 to Dec. 29, its home facility, Baxter Arena, served as the host site for the NCHC Pod, with 38 hockey games held Dec. 1-21.
• Omaha plays 18 of its 24 games away from Baxter Arena this season.
• Matt Pile became the 42nd 1,000-point scorer in Maverick history on Dec. 17 at Wyoming.
• Pile's 837 career rebounds are the seventh-most of any active player in NCAA Division I, and his 23 career double-doubles are the 16th-most.
• Pile has started 88 consecutive games, the longest streak of any active Maverick.
• The 2020-21 season is the 108th overall in program history and the 10th of the Mavericks' Division I era. All-time, the program is 1,199-1,216.
• Omaha was picked fourth in the Summit League's preseason poll. Pile was a first-team Preseason All-Summit selection, and Marlon Ruffin was a second-team pick.
• Pile and Ayo Akinwole are serving as team captains for the second straight season.

Scouting the Western Illinois Leathernecks
Western Illinois is 3-12 (1-7 Summit League) after a 99-87 win at North Dakota, which snapped an eight-game losing skid. Colton Sandage had a game-high 28 points with 10 assists for a double-double, and Will Carius added 19 points. Cameron Burrell (14) and Adam Anhold (11) also scored in double figures.

WIU was picked ninth in the league's preseason poll. First-year head coach Rob Jeter has a career record of 187-182 over 12 seasons.

All-Time Against Western Illinois
Friday marks the 25th meeting between Omaha and Western Illinois, and the Mavericks lead the all-time series, 14-10, including 11-7 in their Division I era. Omaha has won 10 of the last 11 meetings, including eight straight. The Mavericks have a 7-2 advantage in Omaha since 2011-12 and have also won seven straight at home against the Leathernecks.

Omaha and WIU last met Feb. 22, 2020 at Baxter Arena, where the Mavericks won 93-86.

Last Time Out: South Dakota Holds Off Mavericks, 97-93
Omaha put up a staunch road effort Saturday night but came up short, falling 97-93 to South Dakota at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. La'Mel Robinson had a breakout performance, scoring a career-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting with a trio of threes.

Marlon Ruffin followed with 19 points on an 8-of-12 night alongside seven rebounds and a pair of assists. Matt Pile tallied his second double-double of the year on 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, hitting 7-of-11 from the field. And Nick Ferrarini had a career night of his own, finishing 5-of-7 from the floor – including 3-of-4 from deep -- en route to 15 points in 16 minutes of work.

Omaha put together a solid shooting night at a season-best 57% (36-of-63), finishing 10-of-17 from beyond the arc and 11-of-13 from the free throw line. South Dakota shot 61% (37-of-61) from the field with 12 triples.

The Mavericks outrebounded USD 32-30.

This and That
• Marlon Ruffin has opened Omaha's Summit League slate with by scoring in double figures in five out of six games. He has averaged 16.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg while shooting 52% (13-of-25) from three.
• Ruffin (16.8 ppg), La'Mel Robinson (11.5 ppg), Matt Pile (11.3 ppg) and Wanjang Tut (10.3 ppg) have all averaged double figures to start league play.
• Nick Ferrarini had a standout effort off the bench Saturday at South Dakota, posting a career-high 15 points in 16 minutes of work off the bench. Ferrarini ignited for 13 points in the final four minutes. For the weekend, he averaged 10.5 ppg.
• Ayo Akinwole has averaged 9.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 3.0 apg over the last eight games.
• Wanjang Tut has averaged 11.1 ppg and 4.2 rpg over the last 10 games. In that span, he has set a career high for scoring twice -- first with 27 at Wyoming (Dec. 17) and again with 31 at North Dakota State (Jan. 8).
• Eleven different Mavericks have scored in double figures in the first 16 games.

Here's to You, Mr. Robinson
La'Mel Robinson earned his first career starts last weekend at South Dakota, and the redshirt freshman took full advantage of the opportunity. He led Omaha in scoring both nights, finishing with 11 points on Friday and a career-high 23 on Saturday. For the weekend, Robinson averaged 17.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.5 apg and 1.0 spg and shot 63% from long range.

Robinson has scored in double figures in four of the last five games.

Up Next
Omaha visits Kansas City for a pair of games on Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Swinney Center in Kansas City, Mo. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on both nights. Gary Sharp will have the radio calls on 1290 KOIL, and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.