Marquel Sutton delivered a career-defining performance with 36 points and 12 rebounds, propelling the Omaha Mavericks (18-12, 12-3 Summit League) to a hard-fought 93-85 victory over the South Dakota Coyotes (17-12, 8-6) on Saturday. The win strengthens Omaha’s position near the top of the Summit League standings ahead of their regular-season finale.
JJ White provided crucial support with 22 points and 7 assists, while Lance Waddles added 14 points to round out Omaha’s offensive trio. South Dakota’s Chase Forte countered with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, but the Coyotes couldn’t overcome Sutton’s dominance in the paint.
Key factors in Omaha’s victory:
- Sutton’s 57% field goal efficiency and 10 defensive rebounds
- Omaha’s 42-34 advantage in points in the paint
- 20 fast-break points fueled by White’s playmaking
Quandre Bullock contributed 19 points and 7 rebounds for South Dakota, while Isaac Bruns chipped in 10 points off the bench. The Coyotes’ late rally cut a 15-point deficit to 4 with 2:32 remaining, but Sutton closed the game with back-to-back layups to seal Omaha’s win.
“When your star player performs at that level, it elevates everyone,” said Omaha head coach Chris Crutchfield in postgame comments. “Marquel’s energy on both ends created opportunities we capitalized on.”
Upcoming Summit League matchups:
Omaha hosts Oral Roberts on Saturday, needing a win to secure second place in the conference. South Dakota travels to face North Dakota State on Wednesday, where a victory could improve their tournament seeding.