by OMAHA, Neb. – Lakota Beatty (Caddo/Lakota/Gros Ventre) hit a three-point bucket in the final seconds to lift ORU above Omaha 67-65 inside Baxter Arena Wednesday evening in Omaha, Nebraska.
Omaha started the game with fast shooting. The Mavericks shot 50 percent from the field in the first quarter and held the Golden Eagles to 38 percent. Omaha opened the game with a three pointer, but ORU rallied and trailed the Mavericks by two at the end of the quarter. Both teams combined had 13 turnovers in the first quarter. Omaha led 17-15.
Omaha jumped out to a nine point lead three minutes in to the second quarter. Omaha improved their lead to 11. ORU shortened Omaha’s lead to eight with two minutes remaining in the second. Hillary Hurst scored her first two points of the game and shortened Omaha’s lead to six with one minute remaining. ORU trailed 34-28 at halftime. The Golden Eagles shot 34 percent from the field in the first half. Hot shooting allowed Omaha to go 50 percent from the field.
Omaha jumped out to a 13 point lead early in the third quarter until a 5-0 run brought ORU back to within eight points. ORU closed the gap to four points with two minutes remaining in the quarter. Omaha hit a three point bucket before the buzzer to take a 52-45 lead at the end of the third.
In the fourth quarter, ORU brought Omaha’s lead down to two with 5:49 remaining in the fourth. Faith Ihim captured her fourth double-double of the season and the Golden Eagles made it a one point game with one minute remaining. Maria Martianez got a block on the defensive end that led to a Lakota Beatty three-point bucket to take a two point lead with four seconds left in the fourth. ORU stopped Omaha on the next possession to win the game 67-65. Omaha 50 percent from the field compared to ORU’s 38 percent.
UP NEXT
The Golden Eagles have a New Year’s Eve Summit League contest against Fort Wayne inside the Mabee Center at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 31.
