Herald Staff Writer
During an early timeout, UND's Katie Richards knew Sioux coach Gene Roebuck didn't need to say much.
The Sioux, surprisingly, were struggling offensively against Nebraska-Oamha. The Mavericks and UND were tied 16-16 after 11 minutes. A handful of missed easy shots and some Sioux turnovers gave Nebraska-Omaha reason for some hope against the nation's top-ranked Division II team.
"When coach called time, he gave us that kind of gut-check look," Richards said. "And then he said, 'Let's go.'"
And the Sioux took off, scoring at an amazing pace for the next 12 minutes.
UND's barrage of 44 points during the 12-minute stretch carried the Sioux to an easy 98-52 win over the Mavericks on Sunday in a North Central Conference women's basketball game at Hyslop Sports Center, the 39th straight win for the two-time defending national champions.
UND's points came the usual way. The Sioux transition game was in high gear, which produced easy shots. And their 3-point shooting was devastating as UND was 10 of 18 from beyond the arc.
Sioux point guard Jaime Pudenz was the player who jump-started the offense. After missing her first two shots, Pudenz hit her next 10 en route to a 25-point night, which also featured 6 steals and 6 assists from the junior.
"At the beginning, we didn't have the intensity we needed," Pudenz said. "We came out kind of soft. We got one shot and they got the ball. But we started to press them all over the court and everyone got going."
Pudenz knows she doesn't need to score bushels of points for the Sioux to win. "My role is to do anything to help the team," Pudenz said. "When you have players who can score like Katie and Jenny Crouse, you want to get them the ball. Jenny is the (Division II) player of the year. You definitely want to get the ball to her."
But Pudenz also recognized the need for her to shoot in hopes of igniting the usually potent Sioux offense. She finished making 10 of 13 from the field, including all three of her 3-point attempts.
"Jaime was the catalyst in the first half," Roebuck said. "Jaime is always in control of the game. She always lets the game come to her."
Richards, who made all five of her 3-point shots, finished with 20 points while Crouse and reserve Kami Winger added for 17 and 11.
UND outscored the Mavericks, led by reserve Kari Kerkhoff's 12 points, 21-6 in the final six minutes of the first half. The avalanche wasn't over, however, as UND's running and 3-point shooting continued to bury the Mavericks in the second half.
It was hard to imagine that the Sioux had scored only five points in the first six minutes of the game. "It seemed like we were stuck on five points," Richards said.
The Mavericks came into the game feeling good. On Saturday night, they pushed No. 3 North Dakota State to the limit, falling 83-81 in overtime.
"That's not my idea of a fun weekend, playing the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in the nation," Nebraska-Omaha coach Paula Buscher said.
Buscher said the Mavericks lost their focus after Pudenz ignited the flurry of Sioux points. "The big challenge for all the NCC teams will be to stop UND when it gets on a roll," Buscher said.
| UND (98) | |||
| Name | FG | FT | Points |
| J. Pudenz | 10-13 | 2-2 | 25 |
| Jones | 1-6 | 0-2 | 2 |
| Leno | 0-2 | 2-2 | 2 |
| Hoffner | 2-6 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Hoffman | 2-2 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Winger | 1-3 | 9-12 | 11 |
| Super | 2-6 | 1-2 | 6 |
| Carroll | 3-5 | 0-0 | 7 |
| Richards | 7-10 | 1-1 | 20 |
| Crouse | 7-13 | 3-5 | 17 |
| Totals | 35-69 | 18-26 | 98 |
| UNO (52) | |||
| Birkel | 5-11 | 0-0 | 10 |
| Novotny | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Soenen | 2-8 | 0-0 | 6 |
| Ohm | 1-1 | 0-1 | 2 |
| Kerkhoff | 5-9 | 2-2 | 12 |
| Desmet | 1-5 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Larson | 3-9 | 0-0 | 6 |
| Mitchell | 3-6 | 2-4 | 10 |
| Malone | 2-10 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Totals | 22-63 | 4-7 | 52 |
Halftime: UND 45, UNO 26.
Total Fouls: UND 11, UNO 16.
3-Point FG: UND 10-18 (Richards 5-5, Pudenz 3-3, Carroll 1-2, Super 1-3, Jones 0-1, Leno 0-1, Hoffner 0-3), UNO 4-11 (Mitchell 2-2, Soenen 2-5, Novotny 0-3, Larson 0-1).
Rebounds: UND 48 (Crouse), UNO 33 (Birkel 7).
Assists: UND 26 (Carroll 8), UNO 11 (Mitchell).
Att: 2,007.