• Box Score: UNO 68, Dakota Wesleyan 54

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If the University of Nebraska at Omaha women's basketball team learned anything in its last home game of the season on Senior Night, it was how to stop an opponent from draining one 3-pointer after another and taking the game over.

“Guard her, to be honest with you,” UNO coach Chance Lindley said. “That would be my recommendation.”

After watching NAIA opponent Dakota Wesleyan put up 21 3-pointers in the first half, the UNO defense clamped down on the Tigers to come away with a 68-54 win Friday in front of 548 at Sapp Fieldhouse.

The victory clinched a winning season for the Mavericks (14-11) for the first time since 2008-2009. UNO finished its home schedule with a 9-3 record in its first year as a Division I program.

After a first half in which Dakota Wesleyan hit 9 of 21 3-pointers, the Tigers managed to get off nine from behind the arc in the second half, sinking four.

“They ran some of the same offensive sets in the second half but didn't get the same looks or open looks,” Lindley said. “We've seen offenses similar to that and just didn't do a very good job handling it in the first half.”

guard Jamie Nash, who led the Mavericks with 25 points, said the team knew what kind of offense the Tigers would attack with, but didn't respond quickly enough.

“We knew they were 3-point shooters,” Nash said. “We had scouted them. We knew that, and we didn't make the adjustment. You have to make adjustments before they make nine 3s. We have to learn to adjust quicker.”

The Tigers jumped to a 12-5 lead early in the game, accounting for all 12 points on 3-pointers.

But UNO responded with a 10-2 run to grab its first lead of the game as a Stacia Gebers layup made it 15-14 with 9:16 left before halftime.

Dakota Wesleyan would make five more 3-pointers before the half was over but was unable to take a lead into halftime.

With UNO down by a point, Nash scored on a layup and was fouled by Celeste Beck with four seconds remaining in the half.

Nash converted the free throw to complete the three-point play and give the Mavs a 36-34 lead heading to the locker room.

Both teams made 12 of 30 shots in the first half, though the manner was almost completely opposite.

DWU was 9 of 21 from 3-point range and 3 of 9 from inside the arc.

The Mavs were 3 of 8 from beyond the arc and 9 of 22 inside 3-point range.

UNO broke open the game with a 16-4 run to open the second half to push the lead to 52-38 with 10:37 remaining and cruised the rest of the way.

It was the final home game for Heather Pohl, the Mavs' only senior. Pohl scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Pohl said she is excited to start a new path in life.

“It's bittersweet,” Pohl said. “It's sad that basketball is going to be ending for me. It's all I've known since I've been in fourth grade.”

The Mavs' season will conclude on the road with games at New Orleans on Friday and at Louisiana-Lafayette on Feb. 20.

DWU (15-13) ........... 34 20—54

At UNO (14-11) .......... 36 32—68

DWU: Kim Johnson 1-8 0-0 3, Brittany Pritchard 0-3 0-0 0, Elizabeth Lamb 3-9 3-3 11, Taylor Piper 0-1 0-1 0, Brittany Hills 2-2 0-0 5, Amanda Hart8-18 0-0 24, Celeste Beck 1-4 0-0 3, Whitnee Clayton 3-7 2-4 8. Totals 18-52 5-8 54.

UNO: Stacia Gebers 3-14 0-0 6, Heather Pohl 5-11 3-3 17, Zenta Liepa 0-1 2-4 2, Jamie Nash 9-12 3-6 25, Paige Frauendorfer 6-14 2-2 14, Rese Huddlin 2-2 0-1 4, Amanda Woodring 0-3 0-0 0, Cathleen Cox 0-6 0-0 0, Jessica Zaruba 0-0 0-0 0, Taijhe Kelly 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-64 10-16 68.

3-point goals: DWU 13-30 (Johnson 1-4, Lamb 2-3, Hills 1-1, Hart 8-18, Beck 1-4). UNO 8-18 (Pohl 4-7, Nash 4-5, Woodring 0-3, Cox 0-3). Fouled out: DWU, Beck. Technical Fouls: None. Rebounds: DWU 28 (Clayton 7), UNO 49 (Gebers 11). Assists: DWU 16 (Hills 6), UNO 17 (Nash 5). Total fouls: DWU 17, UNO 13. Turnovers: DWU 16, UNO 14. A: 548

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