• Box Score: UNO 106, Peru State 71
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The UNO men's basketball team made the most of an eight-day layoff by ending a four-game losing streak while Mitch Albers became the school's No. 2 career scoring leader as the Mavericks knocked off NAIA opponent Peru State 106-71 Wednesday in front of 629 at Sapp Fieldhouse.
UNO (8-15) last played Jan. 24, an 81-70 loss at home to future Summit League foe Western Illinois.
Albers, John Karhoff and Bill Freeman led the Mavs with 17 points each while Jacques Coleman added 15 as UNO scored its most points this year. Those totals were career highs for Freeman and Coleman, and Coleman also set his career best with six steals.
Albers entered the contest four points behind Dennis Forrest on the Mavs' all-time scoring list.
He tied Forrest by finishing a fast break with a layup and was fouled. He past Forrest on the ensuing free throw with 11:50 left in the first half.
“It doesn't really matter to me,” Albers said of the accomplishment. “All that matters to me is that we're in the win column.”
UNO led 48-40 at halftime, but the Bobcats, who entered the game 1-22, put a scare into UNO by outscoring the Mavs 10-4 in the first 1:48 of the second half. A 3-pointer by Kevin Tighe cut UNO's lead to 52-50.
“When they made that run in the second half right off the bat, you know, I'm thinking we're in a basketball game here,” UNO coach Derrin Hansen said.
But the Mavs responded with a 12-1 run in the next 4:34 to stretch their lead to 64-51.
After letting its lead slip to two points, UNO outscored Peru State 58-21 the rest of the game.
The Mavs outrebounded the Bobcats 52-32, led by Alex Welhouse with 10 and Karhoff with eight.
All eight of Karhoff's rebounds came on the offensive glass. Karhoff said he couldn't remember a game where all of his rebounds were on the offensive end.
“That's crazy,” Karhoff said. “It probably means I got to do a better job on the defensive glass.”
The Mavs' 95 shots were the most attempts by a team in the country this season. The only other teams to have 90 or more were Troy on Nov. 13 with 93 and Stanford on Jan. 7 with 92.
Eric Donald paced Peru State with 19 points.
UNO will travel to Avila in Kansas City, Mo., to face the Eagles (15-7) on Thursday before returning to Sapp on Saturday at 2 p.m. to face Doane.
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