Herald Staff Writer
The usual suspects ignited UND's usual first-half big run, a 20-0 spurt that usually wipes out most Sioux opponents at the Hyslop Sports Center.
But Nebraska-Omaha didn't play its usual role, like the Mavericks have done so many times against UND over the years.
Despite its 20-0 first-half run, UND was pushed more than usual. The Sioux scored an 87-73 North Central Conference women's basketball win Friday night over Nebraska-Omaha, a team usually mired in the league's second division.
Maybe it was a good thing UND was pushed, considering the Sioux (14-3 NCC, 23-4 overall) likely will enter next week's North Central Region playoffs as the No. 2 seed.
"We lost a little of our intensity in the second half and they took advantage of it," Sioux senior Katie Richards said.
Richards was her usual clutch self. She came up with back-to-back big plays after the Mavericks cut UND's one-time 25-point lead to 70-63 with six minutes left.
With the help on an offensive rebound, Richards scored at 5:18 and her four-point play with 4:35 left gave UND a 76-63 lead.
"I heard one of their players saying it's only a seven-point game. We can do it," Richards said. "That was kind of a reality check for us."
From that point, the Sioux took care of business down the stretch, which is what they want to do a week before the playoffs.
"At this point in the season, you do what you have to do to win," UND coach Gene Roebuck said. "Sometimes, it may not be as pretty as you'd like it, but in the last four minutes we took care of business."
For much of the first half, UND's play was pretty.
The Sioux 20-point run featured their overpowering transition game and the three-point shooting of Jaime Pudenz (14 points) and Jenny Hoffner (7). In addition, there was the continued all-around play of Theresa LeCuyer, who finished with a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. It was LeCuyer's seventh double-double of the season.
Nebraska-Omaha was led by Darcy Stracke's 18 points and seven assists, a couple of the spectacular variety. The Mavericks played without starters Sarah Larson and Anne Bombstad, who were serving one-game suspensions.
Still, the Mavericks hung around behind Stracke, Kari Kerkhoff (17 points), Andi Sutherland (16) and Kim Birkel (15).
But UND had more scoring balance, which carried the Sioux to their 16th straight win over the Mavericks. Besides LeCuyer and Pudenz, Richards (14), Jenny Boll (11) and Mandy Arndtson (11) all were in double figures.
"We worked hard but the focus wasn't there like it needed to be," Pudenz said. "Right away, we were on the same page. But you have to give them credit. They made us play hard."
At this time of the season, that may not be such a bad thing.