Gophers Survive Scare from Mavericks
December 21, 2013
The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team overcame a gang of sharpshooters from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), 92-79, in a wild affair at Williams Arena before a crowd announced at 11,890 spectators.
Better known for its hockey achievements, UNO prefers to be called simply “Omaha,” in an effort to distance itself from the main campus in Lincoln. Whatever their name, the Mavericks showed themselves to be a potential powerhouse in the Summit Conference previously dominated by South Dakota State. The team’s resume shows wins over Nevada and Northern Illinois and narrow defeats at the hands of Iowa and UNLV.
Against the Gophers, the Mavericks demonstrated the value of accurate three-point shooting, sinking 10 threes in the first half to pull even with Minnesota at 44 when the horn sounded. Minnesota made some adjustments at halftime and held Omaha to zero three-point baskets in the second half, allowing the Gophers to take an 11-point lead with 12:35 to go in the ball game.
Minnesota relied on a four-guard lineup, which played directly into the talents of junior Andre Hollins, who notched his first double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. He also recorded his 1,000th point as a Gopher.
Surprise of the evening was diminutive guard DeAndre Mathieu, a transfer from Central Arizona Junior College, who poured in 27 points, primarily on slashing drives to the hoop.
In all, five Gophers finished in double figures, led by reserve guard Malik Smith with 19. Starting forward Oto Osenieks continued to disappoint with two points and two rebounds in only nine minutes of play. Minnesota will need more front-line strength if the Gophers hope to compete in the Big 10.
The Gophers scored the last nine points of the game after the Mavericks had closed to within 83-79. Three UNO players, C.J. Carter, Devin Patterson, and reserve Alex Phillips, each scored 15 for the Mavericks.
Phillips, a senior guard from Smiths Station, Ala., canned four three-point baskets in the first half.
Last season was the first for Nebraska-Omaha in the Summit Conference and only the second for the school in Division I. This year, prognosticators envision a fifth-place finish for the Mavericks in the eight-team conference. That probably is too pessimistic an outlook for this talented team.