Omaha Advances to Summit League Semifinals, Defeats South Dakota 76-62

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Omaha Mavericks secured their third consecutive Summit League Men’s Basketball Championship semifinal appearance with a 76-62 victory over the South Dakota Coyotes Friday night in Sioux Falls. The fifth-seeded Mavericks (16-16) will face top-seeded North Dakota State in the semifinals on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network.

Glover Leads Omaha with 25 Points

Senior guard Ja’Sean Glover spearheaded Omaha’s offense, scoring a game-high 25 points, including 15 in the final 10 minutes and 30 seconds of the game. Lance Waddles contributed 18 points and seven rebounds for the Mavericks. Julian Margrave added 11 points, marking his first points since New Year’s Day.

Mavericks’ Bench Dominates

Omaha’s bench proved pivotal, outscoring South Dakota’s reserves 40-14. Paul Djobet also made a significant impact, grabbing 14 rebounds and scoring seven points.

Game Recap

Omaha established an early lead, jumping to a 10-2 advantage with a pair of 3-pointers from Waddles. South Dakota responded with five 3-pointers of their own, tying the game late in the first half. Waddles then hit another 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining to give Omaha a 34-31 halftime lead.

South Dakota briefly took the lead at 44-43 with 11 minutes left, but Omaha quickly regained control. Glover’s layup restored the lead, and he subsequently converted 6 of 6 free throws to extend the advantage to 51-46. Margrave then added two 3-pointers to push Omaha’s lead to 64-54 with 3:45 remaining.

Defensive Performance

Omaha’s defense limited South Dakota to 31% shooting from the field. Vince Buzelis led the Coyotes (16-15, 8-8) with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Jesse McIntosh added 14 points and Jordan Crawford contributed 13 points and eight rebounds.

Previous Matchups

This victory marked Omaha’s first win against South Dakota this season, having previously lost by four points in Omaha and 89-72 in Vermillion last Wednesday.

Looking Ahead

The Mavericks will now face North Dakota State, a team they have split with this season. North Dakota State won at the buzzer in Omaha and secured a 92-84 victory in Fargo, a game where Omaha’s Paul Djobet scored 38 points.