SIUE Propels To 75-65 Win Over Omaha

SIUE improved to 3-5 overall. Omaha fell to 1-6.

The Cougars scored the first nine points and were up by 20 (25-5) after a three-pointer by Ray'Sean Taylor with 13:23 to play before halftime. A layup by

Shaun Doss, Jr. with 4:09 to play in the half gave SIUE its largest lead at 47-16. The Cougars led 49-24 at the break, giving them their largest halftime lead of the year and the most points they had scored in a half.

SIUE connected on 57 percent (30-35) of its shots in the first period. Lamar Wright knocked down seven of nine shots, including his first career three-pointer, and had 18 points at the break. He finished with a game-high and career-best 20 points.

The Mavericks turned the table in the second half, hitting 11 of 22 attempts from the field to forge a furious comeback.

The Cougars again pushed their lead out to 31 points (60-29) on a pair of free throws from Shamar Wright with 16:56 to play. It was 62-33 when Omaha made its move. The Mavs scored the next 21 points and the Cougars missed 13 consecutive field goal attempts over the next eight-plus minutes in the game

"Omaha has done that all year," SIUE Head Coach Brian Barone said. "They have had a brutal schedule and they just don't stop fighting. We knew it was coming, but our guys don't stop fighting either."

The Cougars used a 7-0 run to take their lead back to 15 points with 5:16 remaining, but Omaha answered with a 9-0 run of its own to trim the lead to 69-63 with 2:53 to play.

"We got really tired," Barone explained. "You could see the fatigue. One of the things that got us that big lead was our transition. When you're breaking as fast and you're guarding as hard and fast as we were you get tired. We forced a couple of shots, and the reality is, Omaha picked up their defense. You have to give them credit as well."

The Cougars finished the game with a 6-2 run.

"To get a road win over a very-well coached Summit League team is big and to deal with the adversity to be up as big as we were and then they cut it to six,"

Barone said. "But I know we're going out of here with that W."
Lamar Wright led four SIUE players in double figures. He was 8 for 13 from the field and added five rebounds and five blocked shots.

"He had an unbelievable summer shooting the ball," Barone said of Lamar. "When you go out there with that kind of energy, it shows. It matters so much to Lamar."

Doss scored 15 points and Taylor and Shamar Wright each scored 13 points. Taylor finished with nine rebounds.

"That's how we have to win and that's how we have to play," Barone added. "We have to get the ball in everyone's hands and be dynamic. We have depth, we have guys that care and we have talent. We just have to keep on doing what we're doing. I am proud of these guys."

SIUE next travels to Peoria for a Saturday afternoon contest at Bradley. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Kyle Luedtke led UNO with 21 points on six-of-nine shooting. He was 3-3 from three-point range.