No. 9 Omaha outlasts No. 8 Kansas City to advance to quarterfinals

The Basics
Score: No. 9 Omaha 61, No. 8 Kansas City 55
Records: Omaha (8-22, 3-13 SL), Kansas City (12-20,3-13 SL)
Location: Denny Sanford PREMIER Center - Sioux Falls, S.D.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 9 seed Omaha knocked off No. 8 Kansas City in first-round action of the 2024 #SummitWBB Tournament Friday at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. These two teams met in a 2023 semifinal with the Mavericks also winning that clash.

In this one, junior Polina NIkulochkina led the Mavericks with 17 points and nine rebounds, while also making a team-high 11 free throws. Those 11 free throws were among the 28 Omaha converted as a team, which was its second most in a game this season.

The Mavericks, who ranked second nationally entering the contest with 17.5 made free throws per game, went 6-for-6 in the closing minute to erase any thoughts of a late Kansas City rally.

Freshman Emani Bennett did her best to keep the Roos in this one, scoring a game-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field. Unfortunately, the rest of her Kansas City teammates combined to go just 16-for-52 from the field (31 percent).

The Mavericks held the lead from the second quarter on, eventually taking it for good late in a back-and-forth first quarter. The Mavericks broke a 15-15 tie and ended that stanza with six straight to build a 21-15 advantage after 10 minutes.

Both teams went through offensive dry spells in the second quarter and a second-chance layup by Cora Olsen right before the buzzer gave Omaha a 28-23 advantage going into halftime. Olsen's basket was the first for either team during a 5:36 stretch where neither team could take advantage of the other's cold shooting.

Deanay Watson had six points off Omaha's bench in the third quarter to help keep their advantage at that same margin through 30 minutes. Watson went 3-for-4 from the field.

Omaha seemed in control until the final minute when a jumper by Dominique Phillips sparked a quick 4-0 run that trimmed the Roos' deficit down to just two at 55-53 with 29.2 to play. It was the closest Kansas City had been since late in the first quarter.

The Mavericks would seal the victory at the free throw line Morgan Gardner made all four of her attempts to finish off the victory. Omaha shot just 33 percent from the field and made nine fewer field goals than its counterpart from Kansas City, who made it to the foul line just seven times.

Omaha will take on No. 1 seed South Dakota State in Saturday's second quaterfinal at 3 p.m. CT.

Turning Point
It might have seemed inconsequential at the time, but the Roos went scoreless over the final 2:53 of the first quarter, allowing Omaha to break a 15-15 tie and take a six-point lead into the second quarter. The Mavericks never trailed again.

Inside the Box Score

For the 12th time this season, Omaha made 20 or more free throws in a game. The Mavericks ranks second nationally in that category with 17.5 ppg and finished with 28, which was their second-highest total of the season (30 vs.
Nikulochkina reached double figures for the fourth straight game, finishing with a game-high 17 points. The four straight games in double figures is her longest stretch of the season.
Bennett led the Roos in scoring with 18 after scoring just two points in each of Kansas City's final two regular season games.
The teams combined for 36 points in the first quarter, but only 15 in the second quarter.

News & Notes

These teams met in the 2023 semifinals with Omaha advancing to the title game for the second time in three seasons. Cave had a game-high 19 points in that contest, while Grant added 15.
Saturday's second quarterfinal will be a rematch of the 2023 championship game that SDSU won 93-51.
Kansas City had made the semifinals in each of the last two seasons.
Omaha improves to 7-6 in the tournament all-time with five of those wins coming under the direction of head coach Carrie Banks. She has led the Mavericks to the title game in each of the program's last two appearances.

#SUMMITWBB