Justin Simmons' 3-pointer with 1:15 to play Saturday capped a 17-point effort and gave Nebraska-Omaha the lead for good in a 68-66 win over Chicago State in the Joe Cipriano Nebraska Classic.
Alex Phillips also scored 17 points for the Mavericks (2-5), who snapped a five-game losing streak and handed the Cougars (1-5) their fourth straight defeat. Caleb Steffensmeier chipped in 11 points.
Jeremy Robinson and Greg Tucker had 14 points apiece for Chicago State, and Robinson pulled down 11 rebounds. Matt Ross added 13 points, and Tucker and Ross each hit three 3-pointers.
The back-and-forth game saw neither team manage more than a six-point lead at any point. After Simmons' go-ahead 3-pointer, Phillips and Steffensmeier combined to make three free throws in the final minute to secure the win.
Omaha moved to 3-0 all-time against Chicago State, which last faced the Mavericks in the 1976-77 season.
