Matt Pile’s dunk in the final seconds leads the Mavericks past SIUE
Photo Courtesy Omaha Athletics
By Matt Kirkle, Contributor
(OMAHA, Neb.)—Despite playing without leading scorer Marlon Ruffin and starting guard Zach Thornhill, Omaha won a highly competitive second-half battle on Saturday afternoon against SIUE, capped off by a Matt Pile dunk with 1.4 seconds left to lift the Mavs to their first road win of the season.
Both teams struggled to hit shots from the floor in the first five minutes of play, shooting a combined 2-of-14 between the two teams out of the gate. Omaha found their stride sooner than the Cougars after jumping out to a 5-0 lead, making seven of their next nine shots and setting the tone early on.
SIUE, who was shooting 48% from the field and 41% from behind the arc going into Saturday, didn’t make a shot in their first eight attempts and began the game just 6-of-21 from the floor. They shot 30% on the entire half adding seven turnovers as well. SIUE’s struggles gave Omaha chances to extend their lead time-and-time again in the first half.
Omaha let possessions slip away at times, but they had their best first half shooting performance of the season thus far, hitting their shots at a 48% clip. Omaha made 10 of its last 17 shots and jumped out to a 35-17 lead after a pair of La’Mel Robinson free throws with 59 seconds left in the half.
The Cougars scored seven unanswered points in the final minute to cut the Maverick lead to 35-24 at the half. Matt Pile led the Mavs with eight points, followed by Ayo Akinwole with six.
SIUE didn’t allow the halftime break to cool them down. The quick 7-0 run at the end of the first half carried over to the start of the second half as the Cougars made four of their first five shots out of the locker room. SIUE cut an 18-point first half deficit to just two points within the first 2:57 of the second half.
The wheels began to spin for Omaha, starting 1-of-10 from the floor out of the intermission. Shamar Wright, who didn’t score in the first half, came to life hitting two three-pointers and scoring eight points in a seven-minute span to inch SIUE back in the game.
SIUE took their first lead at 44-43 with 9:22 left after beginning the half on a 22-8 run.
From there until the final buzzer, it was like a heavyweight prize fight. Both teams were taking shots to the chin, and responded with blows of their own. There were eight lead changes and five ties in the final 9:22 of the game. In a tight contest in which every possession counted, Akinwole delivered a lot of the counter punches for the Mavericks to keep the brawl close.
Akinwole gave Omaha the lead in back-to-back possessions with under six minutes to play, knocking down a three-pointer and finishing an and-one jump shot with 4:24 left in the game. He then made a contested mid-range shot, with shades of former Maverick guard KJ Robinson all over it, to draw Omaha back within one point with 2:13 left.
As the shot-clock winded down with 50 seconds left, Marco Smith hit an off-balance, contested three-pointer from the top of the key to lock the game at 61. Smith corralled a rebound on the other end from a Mike Adewunmi missed layup with 28 seconds left, and was fouled trying to secure the board. He hit both free throws to give Omaha the lead with 27.7 seconds left in the contest.
After two Adewunmi free throws on the ensuing possession, Omaha had one last chance to try to grab their first true road win of the year.
In the game-deciding possession, Smith made an entry pass from the top of the key into Pile who had good position in the paint, and Pile made a simple drop-step into a two-handed jam with one second left to inch Omaha over the finish line. SIUE wouldn’t get another shot, and Omaha squeaked out their second win of the season in dramatic fashion.
Akinwole’s led all scorers with 16 points and added six rebounds and two assists, followed by Pile with 13 points. Adewunmi led SIUE with a 13 point, 10 rebound double-double. Omaha heads to Lawrence, KS next to take on No. 7 Kansas on Friday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m.