Cammille Kammerer
SPORTS EDITOR
The University of Nebraska-Omaha women’s basketball team was picked fifth in the 2016-17 Summit League Preseaon poll Oct. 5. The ranks are voted on by a group of communications personnel, media and Summit League coaches.
Picked to finish first was South Dakota State after receiving 30 first-place votes, followed by IU-PUI (Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis) coming in second with 438 points.
South Dakota ranked third while earning three first-place votes and 393 points. Oral Roberts came in fourth with one first place vote and 391 points.
Behind Omaha, Western Illinois received 250 points, earning sixth place, followed by #7 North Dakota State (156), #8 Denver (150) and #9 Fort Wayne (80).
For the second consecutive year, Maverick senior forward Mikaela Shaw was named the Preseason All-Summit League First Team.
As a junior, Shaw averaged 18.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game in the
2015-16 season and led the conference in points per game.
The Deweese, Nebraska native was a third-team CoSIDA Academic All-American, first-team All-Summit League selection and was named to the Summit League All-Tournament Team.
The Mavericks will play a total of 29 games, 13 of them at home at Baxter Arena.
The team will be led by head coach Brittany Lenge, who enters her fourth season at Omaha.
“Our goal is to raise the bar and test ourselves before conference play,” Lange said. “We have put together a non-conference schedule that is the most competitive in program history, and at the top of our conference.”
The Mavericks start the 2016-17 season at home by welcoming Graceland to the Baxter Arena for an exhibition game Nov. 6. The Mavs begin the regular season on Nov. 11 at Colorado State in the preseason WNIT.
The Summit League Tournament is set for March 4-7 at the Den-ny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
