The Basics
Score: No. 8 Omaha 76, No. 9 Denver 68
Records: Omaha (14-16, 5-11 SL), Denver (9-20,2-14 SL)
Location: Denny Sanford PREMIER Center - Sioux Falls, S.D.



SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 8 Omaha outlasted No. 9 Denver 76-68 to win the first round game of the 2025 Women's Summit League Basketball Championship Wednesday at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. Senior Ja Harver scored 20 points and Grace Cave added 19 to lead the Mavericks to a first-round victory for the second straight year.

Harvey scored 11 first-quarter points and sparked a 10-2 opening run that allowed the Mavericks to build a 26-14 lead after 10 minutes.

The Pioneers would trim the deficit to six at 28-22 on a turnaround jumper by Jordan Jones but Omaha rattled off the next seven points to push the lead back to double figures. Jones had 12 first-half points and Angelina Robles made a pull-up jumper right before the halftime horn to cut DU's deficit to 44-34 at the break.

Robles had the Pioneers back within five at 53-48 on the strength of nine quick points out of halftime and DU would continue to chip away, eventually pulling within a point at 60-59 after Laia Monclova drilled a triple with 35 seconds left in the third quarter.

DU would take its first lead of the game on a turnaround jumper by Robles and extend the advantage to 63-60 on a driving layup by Jones early in the fourth quarter. However, that basket by the all-league second teamer would be it for the Pioneers over the next 5:20 as the Mavericks ripped off eight straight points to take control back.

Cave and Alana Powell each had a key three-point play during that game-altering stretch and both of those Mavericks finished with five points in the final quarter.

Jones finished with a game-high 22 points for the Pioneers, who also got 18 points from Robles.

Omaha will take on No. 1 seed South Dakota State in Thursday's second quarterfinal, which starts 25 minutes following the opening quarterfinal between No. 2 Oral Roberts and No. 7 South Dakota.
 
Turning Point
Denver took its first lead of the game at 61-60 early in the fourth quarter and pushed the lead to 63-60 but from there Omaha scored eight straight points to regain control.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Harvey scored 20 points in her tournament debut, including seven of Omaha's first 10 points. 
• Jones tallied 12 of her team-high 22 points in the first half.
• The Mavericks went 5-for-11 from beyond the arc in the opening half but just 1-for-7 after the break.
• Harvey and Cave each had two steals as the Mavericks racked up seven in the victory.

News & Notes

• Omaha won the first-round game for the second consecutive season and has won at least one game in each of its last four tournament appearances: 2021 (2), 2023 (2), 2024 (1) and 2025 (1).
• The Mavericks made title-game appearances in both 2021 and 2023 and upset top-seeded South Dakota State in the quarterfinals during their run in 2021.
• Since advancing to the title game in the program's first Summit League Tournament appearance in 2014, the Pioneers have now lost 11 straight postseason games.