By Max Garvey, Contributor
Three pointers can often shoot you into or out of a game. Such is the double-edged sword of relying on an offense that comes mostly from beyond the arc.
On Saturday, UNO women’s basketball received the sharp edge of the sword. The Mavs allowed Cornell to get 12 baskets from downtown and gave up 41 percent shooting from three on the way to a 63-51 loss to the Big Red.
Prior to Saturday, UNO had only allowed an average of 23 three-point attempts and six makes per game. But it was Cornell who found the range, making seven in the first half and another five in the final 20 minutes of the game.
Taylor Flynn, a junior from Floral Park, N.Y., was especially deadly, hitting five of her eight attempts. UNO on the other hand could only manage three of 17, for a much less impressive 17.6 percent.
“They’re a good team, and at this level, if you leave people open, they’re going to knock them down,” said UNO head coach Chance Lindley speaking to the Omaha World Herald after the game. “Credit to them for making those shots, but it’s a discredit to us for not contesting them.”
Jamie Nash and Stacia Gebers were the only Mavs in double digits. Nash led the way with 13 points and seven assists while Gebers added 12 points on six of 10 shooting.
Surprisingly absent from the scoring sheet was UNO’s Paige Frauendorfer. The junior from Humphrey, Neb. has been the Mavs’ most consistent threat, leading the team with 13.5 points per game.
On Saturday Frauendorfer pulled down 10 rebounds and led UNO on the glass, but was 0 for 7 from the field. After winning at the Sapp Fieldhouse to end 2011, the Mavs have begun 2012 going 0-2 and dropped their record to 9-7.
Things looked to be in UNO’s favor when Nash started off the scoring with a layup, and Frauendorfer blocked a Cornell shot on the next possession. The Mavs led 11-4 to start the game, but Cornell went on a 10-3 run to knot the game at 14-14 with 10:44 to go in the first half.
A jumper by the Big Red’s Spencer Lane on the next possession gave Cornell a lead they would never give up. The Big Red extended their lead to as much as 14 in the first half and went into halftime up 34-26.
UNO only got as close as five in the second half, once trailing by as much as 20 with 3:42 to go. For 5:50 of game time, the Mavs were unable to get a basket, watching as their deficit went from 38-46 to 38-55.
Despite the hot numbers from three-point land, Cornell’s Flynn was the only member of the Big Red who scored in double digits. Flynn’s 5 of 8 from three and 8 for 12 from the field overall gave her a game high 21 points.
Though her contributions came as a bench player, Flynn made the most of her opportunity and scored 21 points in 21 minutes of play. Lindley’s bench on the other hand, only added 15 points through four players and a combined 51 minutes of play.
“Chemistry hasn’t been a main concern, it’s been more of a problem of defensive execution,” Lindley said. “We held with them before they pulled away and controlled tempo late in both halves.”
