GAME NOTES

THIS WEEK: The University of Mary makes its final road trip of the regular season when the Marauders face the Wayne (NE) State College Wildcats and the Augustana Vikings on February 10-11. The Marauders open the trip on Friday, February 10, against the Wildcats at 8 PM. The southern swing concludes against the Vikings at 6 PM on Saturday, February 11.

THE RECORDS / LAST WEEKEND: The Marauders are 5-16 overall and 4-13 (tied for 12th) in the Northern Sun. U-Mary split a two-game road trip last weekend, defeating Minnesota Crookston 76-52 before a last second 67-66 loss at MSU Moorhead... The Wildcats are 6-15 and 5-12 (11th in NSIC) after Wayne State lost 73-58 at Southwest Minnesota State before rebounding with a 67-52 win at Minnesota State last weekend... The Vikings are 13-8 and sixth in the NSIC at 10-7. Augie split two road games last weekend, defeating Minnesota State 70-64 before losing 80-77 at Southwest Minnesota State.

LAST YEAR: U-Mary finished 23-6 overall and placed second in the Northern Sun at 18-4. The Marauders qualified for the NCAA tournament and were ranked as high as 14th in the nation before finishing 18th in the final poll...Augustana went 18-9 overall and 15-7 in the Northern Sun, losing in the first
round of the NSIC tournament... Wayne State finished 13-14 overall
and 9-13 in the NSIC and lost in the first round of the conference tournament.

HISTORY / LAST MEETING:
U-Mary vs. Wayne State College: The Wildcats hold a 9-3 series lead over the Marauders. The two teams first met during the 2005-06 season with the Marauders claiming a 70-65 win. Wayne State followed with six straight wins over U-Mary before the Marauders broke the streak with a 73-62 win at WSC on Dec. 5, 2009... The Wildcats earned a 58-55 road win over the Marauders on 12.10.11. U-Mary closed within two points in the final minute of play but WSC was able to hold off hard-charging U-Mary. Amry Shelby was an incredible 6-of-7 behind the three point line. Derrell Williams added 11 points. Josh Turner led the Marauders with 13 points and Darius Robinson and Jalen Jasper both had 10.

U-Mary vs. Augustana: U-Mary is 5-6 against Augustana in a series that
started in 1999-2000 with an 89-64 Vikings win. The first Marauders win was a 68-64 victory on 1.18.2006. The teams split their series last year with both teams winning at home... Earlier this season the Vikings gained a 58-45 road win over the Marauders. it was the fewest points U-Mary had scored in a game this season. Drae Murray led Augie with 18 points while making three treys and  8-of-11 shots overall. Cameron McCaffrey added 15. Darius Robinson scored 11 points for the Marauders.
FINAL FIVE: The Marauders are down to their final five games of the season. U-Mary makes its last road trip of the season this weekend to Wayne State College and Augustana. The Marauders final three games of the season are at home.  

HEATING UP: Heating up from downtown, the Marauders have hit nine or more three pointers in five of its last six games with a low of seven and a high of 10.

DOMINATING DAMON: Damon Smith had another brilliant weekend for the University of Mary, averaging 24 points and nine rebounds per game while making 75 per cent of his shots from the floor and 83 per cent at the free throw line. The senior forward opened with 23 points and 11 rebounds in a 76-52 win at Minnesota Crookston, making 9-of-13 shots from the floor and 5-of-6 free throw attempts. The NSIC's leading shot blocker also recorded two rejections. The Milwaukee, WI, native was even better from the floor the next day at MSU Moorhead, scoring 25 points while connecting on 12-of-15 shot attempts. He also had seven rebounds.

DOMINATING DAMON 2.0: Damon Smith scored 19 or more points in seven of his last nine games. During this stretch he is averaging 19.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks and shooting 63.2 per cent from the field and 69 per cent at the line.

DOMINATING DAMON 3.0: Senior forward Damon Smith is shooting up the conference stat sheets. The Milwaukee, WI, native is ninth in the league in scoring (15.5 PPG), seventh in rebounding (6.7 RPG), third in field goal percentage (57.3%), and first in blocked shots (1.86).

TOUGH LOSS x 9: The Marauders have come up short nine times in games decided in the final minute of play. Five of the last minute losses have come in U-Mary's last eight games. U-Mary had two shots in the final minute of a 67-66 loss at MSU Moorhead but couldn't connect on either. One attempt under the hoop was blocked and a three point attempt at the buzzer was just off the mark.

NO FREEBIES: For the first time in the past nine seasons, the Marauders did not attempt a single free throw in a 67-66 loss at MSU Moorhead. In the last nine years 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.

SHARP SHOOTING: U-Mary is outshooting its opponents this season, making 46.9 per cent of its shots to 44.8 per cent for the opposition.

OPEN DORR POLICY: JR F Alex Dorr continues to shoot the ball incredibly well. In his last 12 games he is making 59.7 per cent (46-of-77) of his shots, including 60 per cent on three point attempts (24-of-40) on three point attempts, and is averaging 10.6 points per game. For the season, Dorr is averaging 8.9 points, 5.6 rebounds (15th in the NSIC) and is making 52.3 per cent of his shots from the field (11th), hitting 46.8 per cent on trey attempts (6th) and shooting 77.4 per cent at the free throw line.

TURNING THE CORNER: JR G Josh Turner is posting a strong season offensively for the Marauders. He is second on the squad with 13.7 points per game (17th in the NSIC). The Aurora, CO, native is an accurate shooter, making 45.9 per cent of his attempts from the field, including 44.7 per cent behind the arc. Turner made his mark early this season when he hit a game-winning three pointer at Chadron State with two seconds left in the contest.

ARC LEADER: Josh Turner is second in the NSIC in treys made per game with 2.81. He is 8th in three-point shooting percentage at 44.7. Darius Robinson is 10th in made treys (1.75). Alex Dorr is sixth in three-point field goal percentage.

GET OUTTA HERE! Damon Smith leads the Northern Sun in blocks with 1.86 per game. The senior forward blocked a career-high six shots in the Marauders 58-55 home loss to Wayne State College, the most by a U-Mary player since the Marauders began NCAA Division II play in 2006-07. The senior forward also had four blocks on the previous game against #16 Augustana. Smith's biggest block of the season was a rejection of a three-pointer as time expired to secure a three-point win for the Marauders at Concordia - St. Paul.
 
GET OUTTA HERE -  NCAA VERSION: Damon Smith is 33rd in NCAA Division II in blocks with 1.9 per game.

BLOCK PARTY: The Marauders are fifth in the NSIC in blocks with an average of 3.05 rejections per game. Much of the damage is done by Damon Smith, who has posted 39 of the squad's 59 blocks. Baley Johnson is next with 11 blocks.



NCAA TEAM RANKINGS - TOP 100:
• 25th in three-point field goal percentage (39.1)
• 59th in three pointers made per game (7.3)
• 60th in field goal percentage (46.9)

NCAA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS:
• Josh Turner 26th in three point field goal percentage (44.7)
• Josh Turner 36th in three pointers made per game (2.8)
• Damon Smith 33rd in blocked shots (1.9)
• Damon Smith 36th in field goal percentage (57.3)

WORTH THE TICKET: If you attend a U-Mary men's basketball game, make sure you stay until the end. Twelve of the 21 Marauders games have come down to the final minute.
U-Mary defeated Chadron State 73-72 when Josh Turner hit a game-winning three-pointer with two seconds left in the game.
The Minot State game went into double overtime after the Beavers hit a trey with four seconds left in regulation.
MSU Billings hit the go-ahead basket with a minute left in the game.
The Marauders defeated Concordia University 67-64 when Jalen Jaspers made four free throws in the final 24 seconds and Damon Smith blocked a three point attempt to even the score as time expired.
U-Mary had possession with the chance to tie the game in the final seconds of a 58-55 loss to Wayne State.
In a loss at Minnesota Duluth, the Marauders were within two points in the final minute of the game.   
The Marauders lost in overtime to Upper Iowa.
U-Mary had possession in the final minute with a chance to tie the game in a 56-53 loss to Minnesota Crookston.
U-Mary had possession with a chance to tie the game or take the lead in the final 30 seconds of a 78-73 loss at Minnesota State.
Marauders hold off Northern State 70-69.
U-Mary pulls within two points of Minnesota Duluth with 35 seconds left in the game.
U-Mary misses two shots that could have given the Marauders a lead in the last minute in a 67-66 loss at MSU Moorhead, including a three pointer at the buzzer.

THE BORTKE COURT MAC ATTACK: After a tremendous home court advantage the last two years, U-Mary is struggling at the McDowell Activity Center (MAC) in 2011-12. The Marauders are 1-9 on Bortke Court in the MAC this season, the lone win a 72-51 win over #19 MSU Moorhead. Christened Bortke Court in honor of long-time U-Mary men's basketball coach and athletic director Al Bortke in July 2009, the Marauders won 23-of-26 at home the last two years. Here is the Marauders NCAA Division II home record:
2006-07: 5-7
2007-08: 4-7
2008-09: 7-5
2009-10: 11-2
2010-11: 12-1
2011-12: 1-9
The Marauders once won 27 straight home games for Coach Bortke at the MAC (February 19, 1976 thru November 11, 1978).

HOME BREAKTHROUGH: The 72-51 win over #19 MSU Moorhead was the Marauders first home win this season. U-Mary is 1-7 at the MAC in 2011-12 after winning 23 of 26 home games the past two seasons.  

BOARD BUDDIES: The Marauders are just one of three teams to have two of the top 15 rebounders in the Northern Sun (MSU Moorhead and Northern State are the others). Damon Smith is 7th overall with 6.7 rebounds/game and Alex Dorr is 15th with at 5.6.

BALANCE: Six different Marauders have reached double digits in points this season. Josh Turner leads the way with 15 double digit games. Damon Smith has posted 10 or more points 12 times, Jalen Jaspers ten times, Darius Robinson and Alex Dorr nine apiece and Lamada Williams has two.

LEADERS: Four different players have led the Marauders in scoring this season. Including shared game highs, Damon Smith led the team in scoring ten times, Josh Turner and Darious Robinson six each and Jalen Jasers once.

SHARING THE LOAD: Three Marauders are averaging double figures in points. Damon Smith leads the team with 15.5 points per game, followed by Josh Turner at 13.7. Darius Robinson checks in at 10.6.   

STOP THIEF! Baley Johnson had four steals against Minot State, the fifth best total for a U-Mary player in the past six seasons. Impressively, the senior owns two of the team's four top totals as he has had posted five steals twice. Johnson leads U-Mary and is 15th in the NSIC with 1.15 steals per game.  
 
TV TIME: The Marauders have two televised games remaining this season. The next appearance is February 17 on Midco Sports Net against Concordia University - St. Paul. The last broadcast is February 18 on the NBC ND Sports Network (KFYR-TV in Bismarck, KMOT-TV in Minot, KUMV-TV in Williston, and KQCD-TV in Dickinson) against St. Cloud State. U-Mary already appeared on Midco against Winona State on January 2 and University of Minnesota Duluth on January 28.

RANKED WIN: The Marauders 72-51 win over #19 MSU Moorhead on 1.7.12 was the first U-Mary win over a ranked opponent since defeating Minnesota State University 84-69 on 1.15.11. U-Mary is 5-17 all-time against ranked NCAA D2 foes.

RANKED FOES: The Marauders have played three nationally ranked teams this season. First U-Mary lost 58-45 to #16 Augustana 58-45. U-Mary held a first half lead against #11 Winona State before suffering an 83-72 loss. The Marauders rebounded to defeat #19 MSU Moorhead 72-51.

MARAUDERS ROUT #19 MSU MOORHEAD: Damon Smith and Alex Dorr combined to score 37 points and U-Mary ran roughshod 72-51 over #19 MSU Moorhead, one of the last unbeaten teams in the nation. Smith scored 20 points and Dorr hit five three-pointers and posted 17 points. Josh Turner added 13 points and seven assists. The Marauders shut down the Dragons attack as MSUM shot just 28.8 per cent from the field.

FIRST: Jevin Budde picked up his first collegiate head coaching win when the Marauders defeated Chadron State College 73-72 on November 15.      

2 to 12: After finishing second in the Northern Sun last season, the Marauders are picked 12th in he NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll after graduating four starters and six seniors.

WELCOME BACK! Damon Smith is the lone returning Marauders starter. A senior from Milwaukee, WI, the 6-7 forward joined U-Mary last year and helped the Marauders post one of the best seasons in school history. A transfer from Ellsworth Community College, Smith started all 29 games and averaged 6.7 points per game and 4.0 rebounds and shot 60 per cent from the field in 2010-11. Alex Dorr, Jalen Jaspers and Baley Johnson all played key roles for the Marauders last season. A 6-6 junior forward, Dorr averaged 4.4 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 62 per cent from the field in his first season at U-Mary after transferring from Iowa State. Jaspers, a sophomore guard, contributed 3.8 points per game as a freshman. Johnson, entering his third year with the Marauders, was a front-line reserve and picked up 2.3 points per game.