OMAHA, Neb. - Despite a first quarter lead, the University of North Dakota (2-18, 2-12 Summit) could not answer Omaha's (3-11, 2-7 Summit) hot shooting in the second and third quarters as a 57-percent third quarter shooting effort carried the Mavericks to victory over UND, 73-61.

Kacie Borowicz led North Dakota with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting while Julia Fleecs scored nine first half points, and Jaclyn Jarnot, Claire Orth and Mikayla Reinke each scored eight. Fleecs also tallied two blocks while Reinke dished three assists. North Dakota won the battle of the glass, 44-40, as Jarnot pulled down nine.

The Fighting Hawks got off to an 11-10 lead after the first quarter both teams shot around 25-percent in the period. However, the Mavericks calibrated their form and shot a combined 14-for-27 in the second and third periods.

Omaha went on to build a 21-point lead in the third quarter but quickly saw that vanish as North Dakota rallied back and shot 44.7-percent in the second half to make it a seven-point game with 6:03 remaining, 53-46. However, the Mavs responded with vigor, attacking the basket and going to the free-throw line 20 times in the fourth quarter and 34 times total.

UND's late push came via Borowicz and Jarnot, who combined for 20 points in the second half. Borowicz scored 12 points while Jarnot recorded eight in the fourth quarter alone. Reinke, who nailed the three-pointer to cut the Fighting Hawks deficit to seven, scored six in the fourth quarter as well.

Interim Head Coach Mallory Bernhard credited the Fighting Hawks switch to a zone defense to its comeback effort, but credited Omaha in the final period.

"We were trying to mix things up in that third quarter, we'd seen Omaha struggle against the zone on film," said Bernhard, "but they faced up in the fourth, getting good looks inside and drawing fouls." 

The Hawks and Mavs will close the series tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. A win will keep the Fighting Hawks postseason hopes alive while a loss will end North Dakota's 2020-21 season.