BEAUMONT, Texas (Interstat) — In a game defined by wild momentum swings and a furious second-half rally, the Omaha Mavericks outlasted the Lamar Cardinals 85-82 in overtime Saturday night at Montagne Center.

The Mavericks, who led by as many as 15 points in the first half, squandered that entire advantage after halftime before regrouping in the extra period to secure the nonconference victory before a crowd of 1,120.

Omaha guard Lance Waddles led all scorers with 25 points, including a critical layup in overtime, while forward Paul Djobet added 22. For Lamar, guard Rob Lee scored 24 points, spearheading the Cardinals’ comeback, and forward Braden East contributed 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

The most important part of the game was Lamar’s dramatic second-half surge to force overtime. After trailing 43-32 at halftime and by 11 with under 13 minutes to play, the Cardinals mounted a relentless 24-9 run over a nine-minute span. Lee was the catalyst, scoring 10 points during the surge, which was capped by an Andrew Holifield 3-pointer that gave Lamar a 61-60 lead with 5:53 remaining in regulation.

From there, the teams traded blows in a tense finish. Omaha appeared to have the game in hand when Brock Scholl’s dunk put the Mavericks up 68-67 with 2:11 left. Lamar answered with five straight points, including a Braden East tip-in, to take a 72-68 lead with 1:07 to go. Djobet then hit two free throws to pull Omaha within two.

After a Lamar turnover, Scholl tied the game at 72-72 with another dunk off an assist from Ja’Sean Glover with 2:11 left. Both teams had chances to win in the final minute of regulation. Lee put Lamar back ahead with a layup, but Djobet answered with a driving score to knot it at 74-74. Lee was fouled with 9 seconds left and made both free throws for a 76-74 Lamar edge.

On the ensuing possession, Omaha’s Tony Osburn was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 3 seconds on the clock. He made the first two free throws to tie the game but missed the third, sending the contest to overtime tied at 76-76.

The Mavericks never trailed in the extra period, scoring the first five points. Waddles hit a layup and, after a Lamar turnover, Djobet converted a traditional 3-point play for an 81-76 Omaha lead with 4:24 left. Lamar closed to within 81-80 on Holifield’s layup, but a Scholl tip-in and two free throws from Kamryn Thomas provided just enough cushion. Lee’s layup at the buzzer provided the final margin.

Omaha built its early lead with efficient offense, shooting 50% from the field in the first half and connecting on 7 of 16 from 3-point range. Waddles and Djobet combined for 27 points before the break. Lamar struggled offensively, committing 10 first-half turnovers and shooting just 38%.

The Cardinals flipped the script after halftime, attacking the paint and the offensive glass. They outscored Omaha 44-33 in the second half, shooting 48% and earning 12 free-throw attempts. East was particularly dominant inside, scoring 13 of his points after halftime.

Scholl finished with 13 points and two blocks for Omaha, while Glover added nine points and three assists. For Lamar, Holifield had eight points, three assists and three blocks, and Cody Pennebaker scored nine points.

With the win, Omaha evens its record at 7-7. Lamar falls to 5-6. The Mavericks travel to face Oregon on Dec. 28, while Lamar opens Southland Conference play at Northwestern State on Dec. 29.