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THIS WEEK: For the first time in over a month the University of Mary will play before the home crowd. U-Mary hosts the Winona State University Warriors on Friday, January 11, at 8 PM. The weekend concludes with a visit from the Upper Iowa University Peacocks at 6 PM on Saturday, January 12. Both games will be played in the McDowell Activity Center on the U-Mary campus.

THE RECORDS: The Marauders are 3-8 overall and 2-5 in the NSIC, tied for 6th in the NSIC North Division and 11th overall in the conference standings... The Warriors are 11-3 overall and 5-2 in the NSIC, tied for fourth overall and second in the South Division... The Peacocks are 9-4 overall and 5-2 in conference play (2nd in the South, 4th overall).

LAST WEEK: The Marauders lost two conference road games, 92-64 at St. Cloud State and 71-69 at Minnesota Duluth... Winona State earned two home wins, both in overtime, defeating Southwest Minnesota State 91-83 and Sioux Falls 76-71... Upper Iowa split two home games, defeating Sioux Falls 71-62 before losing 74-69 to Southwest Minnesota State.  

RECENT HISTORY / LAST MEETING:
U-Mary vs. Winona State: U-Mary is 1-11 all-time against Winona State University. The Warriors won the first seven games of the series. The Marauders lone win was an 87-85 overtime win at home Jan. 3, 2010, as Anthony Moody scored 29 points and hit 5-of-6 treys on his way to winning NSIC Player of the Week honors. WSU twice has defeated U-Mary in the NSIC tournament and are 7-0 at home.

Last Meeting vs. WSU: The 11th ranked Warriors defeated the Marauders 82-73 in Bismarck, ND, on January 3, 2012. Josh Turner hit three treys and all four free throw attempts and led the Marauders with 15 points. Alex Dorr, who hit a trey to open the game, added 13 points and pulled down a game-high eight rebounds. He also knocked down 6-of-8 shots. Jalen Jaspers added 12 points and dealt four assists. CJ Erickson paced the Warriors with 17 points. Grant Johnson had 15 points and Xavier Humphrey added 13. U-Mary made 52.3 per cent of its field goal attempts and knocked down half its 16 trey attempts. Winona State made 55.8 per cent of its shots and converted half of its 18 three point shots.

U-Mary vs. Upper Iowa: The series between the Marauders and Peacocks is tied at 5-5. Both teams are 4-1 on their home court. The Marauders picked up their first road win over the Peacocks 65-56 on 1.4.11 in a game delayed two days by winter storms. Anthony Moody scored 22 points to lead all players and Eric Erdmann had 12 points and nine rebounds. Den Bestul led the Peacocks with 11 points. Last Meeting: For the first time the Peacocks won on the road at the McDowell Activity Center, defeating the Marauders 76-72 in overtime on January 4, 2012. Jalen Jaspers hit two free throw with 16 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. Tucker Wentzien put UIU ahead 71-70 on a basket in the pain with 1:39 remaining, grabbed a defensive rebound and hit two free throws with 38 seconds left for a 73-70 lead. Upper Iowa outscored U-Mary 22-10 on points off turnovers and 18-12 in second chance points. UIU also went 19-of-25 on free throws to a 6-of-10 effort for U-Mary. The Marauders shot 60 per cent from the floor. Josh Turner led the Marauders with 23 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Damon Smith added 15 points, Jaspers 14 and Alex Dorr 12. Sam Elgin scored 17 points off the bench for Upper Iowa. Wentzien had 16 and Jake Hughes added 10.

SCOUTING REPORT
Winona State University remains one of the top teams not only in the Northern Sun but in the nation. Ranked in the top ten nationally early this year, the Warriors have fallen just outside the Top 25 after losing two NSIC games early. This is the eighth straight year WSU has been ranked at some point in the year. All-American SR C Clayton Vette is averaging 18.8 points and 8.8 rebounds to lead the Warriors. He is 18th all-time on the WSU carer scoring list. All-conference performer Xavier Humphrey averages 11.3 points and 2.9 assists. WSU head coach Mike Leaf entered the year with 315 wins and a .719 winning percentage. His winning percentage is the sixth-best among active NCAA Division II coaches and the 25th-best all-time entering the year.

Upper Iowa University has made significant strides since last season. The Peacocks finished 2011-12 with a record of 10-16 overall and tied U-Mary for 11th in the NSIC at 7-15. Behind the play of All-NSIC center Tucker Wentzien, Upper Iowa is off to a 9-4 (5-2 NSIC) start, nearly matching last year's win total. Wentzien is averaging 12.2 points and 5.0 rebounds and is 36 points shy of 1,000 for his career. Sam Elgin is chipping in 12.0 PPG and 4.6 RPG. Defensively the Peacocks are allowing just 62 PPG after giving up 71 a game last year. Head coach Brian Dolan is in his 7th season at UIU.

LAST TIME OUT: The Marauders suffered two tough losses on a road swing through central Minnesota. A close game for the first 26 minutes, #19 St. Cloud State exploded late for a 92-64 win. Trailing by 14, the Marauders went on an 18-8 run keyed by three straight treys by Alex Dorr. When Dorr left the floor with foul trouble SCSU posted a 13-2 run and soon led by 33. Dorr, Brandon Tyler and Blake Maslonkowski all scored 11 points for U-Mary. Theo Rothstein led SCSU with 21 points. The Marauders committed 24 turnovers to three for the Huskies... The next night Josh Turner exploded for a career-high 28 points but Minnesota Duluth scored the winning basket with 16 seconds left in a 71-69 win over U-Mary. Calahan Skogman tied the game on a three pointer with 1:14 left and scored the winning basket on a putback from a missed three pointer with 16 seconds on the clock. Alex Dorr missed a three-pointer to win the game and the Marauders turned the ball over on an inbounds play in the final seconds. The Marauders had a 14 point lead early in the second half. Dorr added 18 points and Marc Musungayi had 13. Reece Zoelle led UMD with 21 points and Skogman had 17.

SOUTH: After playing all seven other teams in the NSIC North Division (Bemidji State, Minnesota Crookston, Minnesota Duluth, Minot State, MSU Moorhead, Northern State, St. Cloud State), the Marauders begin playing teams from the South Division this weekend when Winona State and Upper Iowa come to Bismarck. The other South teams are Augustana, Concordia-St. Paul, Minnesota State, Sioux Falls, Southwest Minnesota State, Wayne State. The Marauders will play all teams in the North twice and the South once.

NBC NORTH DAKOTA SPORTS NETWORK AIRING MARAUDERS-PEACOCKS GAME: The NBC North Dakota Sports Network will broadcast the Marauders doubleheader against Upper Iowa University on Saturday, January 12, from the McDowell Activity Center on the U-Mary campus begining with the women's game at 4 PM. The broadcast will originate from KFYR-TV in Bismarck, ND, and can also be viewed on KMOT-TV in Minot, KUMV-TV in Williston, and KQCD-TV in Dickinson... KFYR-TV sports director Lee Timmerman, a multiple recipient of the North Dakota Sportscaster of the Year honor and other awards, will handle the play-by-play. Scott Westerberg, KFYR-TV weekend sports anchor and the host of “Marauders Weekly,” provides the color commentary. Joining the broadcast team once again is former U-Mary women's basketball coach Fred Fridley, who directed the Marauders to their first NCAA playoff berth last spring. This is the second Marauders game televised on the NBC North Dakota Sports Network this season.

BACK AGAIN: Due to the scheduling vagaries of adding two new teams to the NSIC, Winona State and Upper Iowa return to Bismarck, ND, for a second straight year for their only meeting of the year with the Marauders.

ALUMNI WEEKEND: U-Mary men's basketball will hold an Alumni Weekend on Friday and Saturday, January 25-26. On Friday there is the Coaches Luncheon at 12 noon and a basketball game against Minnesota Duluth at 8 PM. Saturday begins with an alumni game at 9 AM. Alumni will be introduced at halftime of the men's game against St. Cloud State. A social gathering at the Bismarck Country Club by Tom O'Leary starying at 8 PM will wrap up the weekend.

WELCOME HOME: By the time the Marauders take the floor against Winona State on Friday it will be 34 days since U-Mary last played at home. The Marauders last played at the MAC against MSU Moorhead on December 8.

DORR 6th NATIONALLY IN FREE THROW PERCENTAGE: SR F Alex Dorr (Norwalk, IA) is sixth nationally in free throw percentage, making 93.8 percent (30-of-32) of his attempts.

DORR 59th IN NCAA IN REBOUNDING: Averaging 8.5 rebounds per game, Alex Dorr is currently 59th in the nation. He has four double digit rebounding games this season with a career-high 15 against Saint Joseph's.

DORR 36th NATIONALLY IN DOUBLE DOUBLES: After posting 18 points and 10 rebounds in a win at Minnesota Crookston for his fourth double double of the season, Alex Dorr is 36th nationally in reaching double figures in two categories in the same game.  

DORR 2nd, 3rd IN NSIC IN FREE THROWS, REBOUNDING: Marauders senior forward Alex Dorr is second in the Northern Sun in free throw percentage (93.8) and third in rebounding (8.5/game). Dorr also ranks 10th in scoring (15 points/game), 7th in three-pointer made/game (2.27) and 14th in three point shooting percentage (41.7).

OPEN DORR POLICY: Marauders senior forward Alex Dorr has made a big jump in his production this season. He is posting 15 points and 8.5 rebounds per game after generating 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds as a junior. Always tremendous at the line, Dorr has improved from 78 per cent to 96.3 per cent this season. After recording one double double in his first two seasons Dorr already has four this year alone.

TURNER'S TOP HITS: One of the nation's top three-point shooters, Josh Turner ranks 51st in the NCAA in three-pointers made per game with 2.64. He is second in the NSIC. For the year Turner is averaging 13.5 points per game.

TURNER EXPLODES FOR CAREER-HIGH: Josh Turner exploded for a career-high 28 points at Minnesota Duluth. He hit six treys in the game, also a career-best. It was the most points in a game since Damon Smith scored 29 against Bemidji State on January 27, 2012. The six three pointers was the most sine Anthony Moody hit eight against Minnesota State on January 15, 2011. Turner was coming off four straight games of scoring in single digits. His previous high was 23 points.  

TURNOVER TURNAROUND: After averaging 21.5 turnovers a game during the non-conference portion of their schedule, the Marauders have taken significantly better care of the ball since Northern Sun play started. In their five games against NSIC opposition the Marauders are averaging just 13.4 turnovers per game.

LINE MATES: The Marauders have been stellar at the free throw line this season, leading the Northern Sun and ranking fifth in NCAA Division II in free throw percentage (.77.9). Second in the NSIC and 6th in the NCAA in individual free throw shooting percentage, Alex Dorr leads the effort, making 30-of-32 attempts (93.8 per cent). Marc Musungayi is close behind (16-of-17) and Josh Turner is knocking down 85.7 per cent (24-of-28) of his free throw attempts. Mike Johnson checks in at 76.5 per cent (13-of-17).

ALL-AROUND: Jalen Jaspers filled the stat sheet against Minnesota Duluth, setting career-highs with nine rebounds and eight assists. He also added eight points. For the year Jaspers is averaging 9.0 points/game and shooting a career-high 52.8 per cent from the floor (15th in the NSIC) and 44 per cent on three pointers. Last season Jaspers averaged 8.5 points/game but shot just 42.1 per cent.

CLEANING THE GLASS: Over the last three games the Marauders have outrebounded two opponents - including #19 St. Cloud State - and tied the third. U-Mary posted positive rebounding margins in three of four non-conference games in five games overall and holds a +2.1 rebounding margin for the season.  

CLEANING THE GLASS II: The Marauders feature two of the top 14 rebounders in the Northern Sun. Alex Dorr is third in the conference with 8.5 rebounds/game and Marc Musungayi is 14th at 5.7 rebounds/game.

BIG THREE: The Marauders have three players virtually scoring in double figures. Alex Dorr leads the way at 15.1 points per game, followed by Josh Turner at 12.7. Jalen Jaspers checks in at 9.9.

THOU SHALT NOT STEAL: The Marauders are last in the NSIC in steals and in the NCAA with 3.3 steals/game.

STARTING BLOCKS: Newcomer Marc Musungayi is quickly making himself known to Marauders fans in the low blocks. The junior center in his first year at U-Mary is averaging 8.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. He is fourth in the NSIC in field goal shooting percentage (58 per cent), 14th in the NSIC in rebounds and in blocks (.91/game).

WELCOME HOME: SO F Blake Maslonkowski put on a great show in his hometown against St. Cloud State. A native of St. Joseph, MN, and a graduate of St. Cloud Apollo HS, Maslonkowski scored 11 points to tie the team scoring lead and made all five shots from the floor.

PERFECTO: Marc Musungayi was perfect from the field and at the free throw line in the Marauders 82-70 loss to MSU Moorhead on Dec. 8, 2012. The junior forward hit all 11 shots from the floor and all three of his free throws on his way to a 25 point outing. He also snared 12 rebounds to set career marks in both points and boards. Musungayi is the first U-Mary player to make all his shots in a game (minimum eight attempts) since U-Mary began NCAA play in 2006-07.

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