The Omaha men’s basketball team knocked off its first Pac-12 opponent in school history Thursday night, defeating Washington State 85-77 at Beasley Coliseum.
The Mavericks overcame a 15-point second-half deficit for the win, which improves them to 3-3 on the season. The Cougars dropped to 2-2.
KJ Robinson’s 18-point second-half performance sparked the Mavericks, as the senior finished with a team-leading 20 off the bench on 6-of-12 shooting. Classmate JT Gibson joined Robinson in double figures with 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Robinson (6-of-6) and Gibson (4-of-4) combined for a perfect 10-of-10 effort at the free throw line.
Ayo Akinwole added 14 points and seven rebounds, and Zach Thornhill chipped in 11 more points for the night.
Matt Pile collected a game-high 14 caroms. Wanjang Tut had six more alongside eight points.
Omaha returns to Baxter Arena for the Cayman Islands Classic Mainland Tournament at Omaha, Nov. 25-26. The Mavericks open with Southern on Monday at 7 p.m., which follows a neutral-site matchup between Loyola (Md.) and IUPUI at 4:30 p.m.
