No. 8 Omaha defeated No. 9 North Dakota in the opening game of the 2026 Summit League Women’s Basketball Championship in Sioux Falls, 49-39.
After empty possessions on both sides, Sarai Estupiñan drained a triple to put Omaha on the board. After nearly four scoreless minutes, the Fighting Hawks got on the board with a free throw. The first quarter ended with Omaha up 11-3. UND shot just under 7% from the field in the first quarter.
Mackenzie Hughes netted three for UND to cut the lead to 6, but Estupiñan quickly answered, keeping the momentum for the Mavericks. Omaha went into the half with a 25-16 lead. Estupiñan, Avril Smith and Ali Stephens led Omaha in the first half with six points apiece. North Dakota was led by Hughes’ 7 points.
Omaha outscored UND 15-12 in the third quarter. The Fighting Hawks continued to cut into the lead, bringing it as low as nine points, but it ultimately was not enough.
Omaha was led by Stephens’ 17 points and 13 rebounds. Smith added 16 rebounds to the stat sheet.
Stephens credited UND’s preparation.
“So much credit to UND, they scouted very well. I give credit to my teammates too, I think that they found me in good positions. I have to find good areas when to attack and when to find my shot.. I have full trust in my teammates.”
Smith spoke to the team culture as well.
“We knew it was like, we could be done. We played with no regrets… we did it for each other and for our coaches. The injured girls motivate us to keep going.”
Coach Carey commented on her calm state throughout the game, standing in one spot. She also praised the team’s resilience.
“The chair was too high, it was easier to stand. But no, I come in and I watch them work everyday. They teach me how to treat them. These kids have been through so much adversity… credit to my group. I mean, they are a resilient group of kids. And I love them for it.”
Omaha will face No. 1 North Dakota State in Thursday’s quarterfinal round.
North Dakota was led by Hughes and Walker Demers with 10 points apiece.
Hughes spoke to the opportunity to transfer to UND from Mayville State, an NAIA school where Dennis Hutter previously coached.
““We always had the opportunity to play UND.. you kind of wonder if you can play at that level as an athlete… Coach bringing me to UND has been one of the biggest blessings.””
Demers talked about the elevated environment of the conference tournament.
““I think just slowing down.. Sometimes the big stage can make you go a little bit faster than you want to go… getting into the flow of the game really helped.”
Coach Hutter shared his ideas of growth and rebuilding in the program.
“The big stage is always good.. It’s experience. We have a young team, you want to get them on the floor and get them experience to play under the bright lights. We talked about weathering that first five minutes and playing with emotion without getting emotional… the growth we’ve made as a team is probably not seen as much with the naked eye, but there have been tremendous strides that have been made.”
North Dakota finishes the season 7-24 overall, 3-14 in the conference.