November 15, 2004

UNO Edges Men’s Basketball

Short Handed Lopers Fall by Three Points

            Kearney, Neb. – Guard Abdul Mills came off the bench to score 20 points and Ryan Curtis added 16 points to lead the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks to a 76-73 win over Nebraska-Kearney Monday night at the Health & Sports Center.

            The season opener for both, this is UNO’s first win at UNK since the 1991-92 season. The Mavs are also the first team to win on the Lopers home court, other then Metro State, since January of 2000 (Drury Univ., Mo).

            The Lopers played the game with out senior guard Marty Levinson (Bellevue) and sophomore forward Dusty Jura (Columbus). The starters are each serving a two game NCAA suspension.

            UNO trailed most of the night but grabbed the lead for good on Mills’ fifth three pointer of the night. The triple gave the Mavs a 68-65 lead with 2:36 to go and capped an 8-0 run.

            The Lopers had a chance to tie the game after Randy Bland missed the second of two free throws with six seconds to go but a long three-pointer by senior Will Taukiuvea (Salt Lake City, Utah) fell short.

            Mills, a transfer from Providence, was 7 of 11 from the field, including a 5 of 8 effort from the three-point line. He also had four boards in 24 minutes off the bench.

            With the Lopers front line in foul trouble the entire second half, Curtis – 12 points and five rebounds – had a big second half.

            Junior forward Chris Dean (LaVerne, Calif.) had 24 points and eight rebounds to lead UNK. The transfer from Citrus College scored the Lopers first 10 points of the game, eight coming after offensive rebounds.

            Taukiuvea, who played all 40 minutes, had 12 of his 15 points after the break and led the team with five assists.

            Also, sophomore guard James Lane (Colo. Springs, Colo.), a transfer from Denver U., tallied 11 points and two assists in his first game as Loper.

            UNK managed a 37-31 half time lead thanks to 40 percent shooting from the field and a 21-16 rebounding edge.

            A layup by Litchfield junior guard Matt Kucera (nine points, 35 minutes) got the Loper lead to 11, 47-36, with 16:24 to go but UNO quickly responded with a 10-0 run.

            The two teams traded the lead for the remainder of the game with no one grabbing more then a five-point edge.

            UNO out rebounded UNK 22-13 after half time to win the war on the glass, 38-34. The Mavs also out shot the Lopers, 47.5 to 44.4 percent, for the game.