By: Brian Tessmer, sports reporter
(Omaha, Neb.)The Omaha Mavericks secured a share of the Summit League title for the first time in program history last week with a victory over the South Dakota Coyotes. With a chance to claim the outright championship, the Mavericks faced Oral Roberts—a matchup that, on paper, heavily favored Omaha.
Earlier in the season, Omaha defeated Oral Roberts in Tulsa behind a career-high 35-point performance from JJ White. Adding to the Mavericks’ advantage, Oral Roberts entered this game with an 0-14 road record, despite securing a recent win over St. Thomas at home. A victory here would not only seal the outright title for Omaha but also give them top seed in the Summit League Tournament that is set to begin Wednesday March 5th.
First Half
Omaha started strong, jumping out to a commanding 17-3 lead, 11 of which came from Junior guard Tony Osborn. However, Oral Roberts responded with a steady comeback, cutting the deficit to just three points by halftime.
The Mavericks were led offensively by JJ White and Marquel Sutton, while Lance Waddles contributed three points off the bench. Despite shooting an impressive 50 percent from the field, Oral Roberts never managed to take the lead. Omaha maintained control from the 19:46 mark of the first half onward.
Second Half
Oral Roberts came out firing after the break, quickly trimming the Mavericks’ lead to just one. However, Omaha responded in dominant fashion, seizing control with a massive 32-7 run.
The Mavericks’ trio of Tony Osborn, JJ White, and Marquel Sutton spearheaded the offensive surge. Omaha also controlled the paint, outscoring Oral Roberts 16-6 inside. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles struggled to maintain their first-half shooting touch, hitting just 21 percent from the field and 17 percent from three in the second half.
Osborn led the way for Omaha with 22 points, followed closely by White’s 20. Sutton made a major impact as well, contributing 18 points and nine rebounds. In the end, Omaha outscored Oral Roberts 39-19 in the second half, securing a decisive victory and clinching their first-ever Summit League regular-season championship.
