Box Score Moorhead, MN -  A game-winning three point attempt at the buzzer by Darius Robinson just missed and the University of Mary fell short in a 67-66 loss at MSU Moorhead. The Marauders held a nine point lead with seven minutes left in the game but couldn't hold off the Dragons down the stretch.
 
Damon Smith once again was unstoppable for the Marauders. A night after posting a double double in a win at the University of Minnesota Crookston, the senior forward scored 25 points, making 12-of-15 shots from the field, including his lone three point attempt. He also had seven rebounds.
 
Leading by three points, Josh Turner scored consecutive hoops for the Marauders to give U-Mary a 52-45 lead. After Jake Driscoll hit a trey for the Dragons, Alex Dorr followed with a layup and Robinson nailed a three-pointer to increase the Marauders advantage to 57-48 with 7:48 remaining, the biggest lead of the night for U-Mary.
 
The Marauders advantage was short-lived as the Dragons went on a 9-0 run to tie the game, capped by consecutive Alex Novak baskets in the paint.
 
Smith and Jalen Jaspers regained the lead for U-Mary on consecutive baskets. After MSUM's DJ Hamilton made 1-of-2 free throws, Alex Dorr knocked down a triple for a four-point Marauders advantage.
 
Novak followed with a dunk and the Dragons took the lead when Charlie Chapman hit three free throws after he was fouled shooting behind the arc. A Smith jumper reclaimed the Marauders lead for the final time of the night at 66-65 with 1:48 remaining. The Dragons scored the final points in the game when Xavier Reed hit the game-winning basket at 1:16.
 
Twice U-Mary had a chance to regain the lead. Reed would block a layup attempt by Turner at 00:53. The Marauders had one more chance following a Dragons turnover on a shot clock violation but Robinson's shot from the right corner bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded, ending U-Mary's hope for a season sweep of MSUM.
 
Turner hit four treys and scored 18 points for U-Mary and also contributed two blocks. Dorr nailed three triples and added 11 points.
 
Chapman led MSUM with 17 points and Novak had 15 plus 10 rebounds.
 
U-Mary shot 50.9 per cent from the field to 46.3 per cent for MSUM.
 
For the first time in the past nine seasons, the Marauders did not attempt a single free throw. During that time frame the fewest free throw attempts for the Marauders in a game was two, which occurred twice during the 2004-05 season. Only one other time during that time frame has U-Mary failed to make a free throw; an 0-for-9 effort at Wayne State College in the 2007-08 season.
 
The Dragons went 10-of-17 at the free throw line.
 
The Marauders continue a four-game road trip when U-Mary next plays at Wayne State College on February 10.
 
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