GAME NOTES

SATURDAY
Coming off its longest road trip of the season, the University of Mary men's basketball team wraps up Thanksgiving weekend with its shortest trip. After returning from three non-conference games in Fairbanks, AK, the Marauders open up their Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule at Minot State University in Minot, ND. Game time with the Beavers is 6 PM at the Minot State Dome on Saturday, Nov. 30.

THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 2-3 in non-conference action... The Beavers are 4-0 with all their wins coming at home.  

LAST WEEK
U-Mary lost all three of its games at the GCI Alaska Invitational in Fairbanks, AK. The Marauders lost the opener 84-57 to the host Alaska Nanooks, dropped a 67-64 decision to Fresno Pacific and wrapped up the trip with a 79-68 loss to Emporia State... MSU defeated Valley City State University 65-44.

LAST YEAR
The Marauders finished 4-23 overall and 3-19 in the NSIC... Playing their first season in the Northern Sun, the Beavers were 10-17 overall and 9-13 in the NSIC to place 11th.

LAST MEETING - MARAUDERS v. BEAVERS
With the addition to Minot State to the Northern Sun last season, the Marauders and the Beavers faced one another in a conference game for the first time since 2004-05 when both teams were members of the Dakota Athletic Conference. The two teams split the season series as each squad protected their home court. Behind 23 points and nine rebounds from Alex Dorr, the Marauders defeated the Beavers 77-65 on Dec. 1, 2012, at the Bismarck Civic Center. The Beavers won the rematch in the Dome 49-48 on Jan. 15, 2013. Jalen Jaspers led all players with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Adam Randall led MSU with 14 points

THE SERIES
In a series dating back to the 1976-77 season, Minot State University holds a slight 31-30 edge over the University of Mary... The Beavers have won six of the last seven games against the Marauders.

HISTORY LESSON
The Marauders have lost four straight games in Minot, last winning in the Magic City on February 25, 2004, an 87-82 DAC-10 playoff win. Barton led the Marauders with 16 points and Cadwallder had nine rebounds.

THE OPPONENT: Minot State University
Hosting four teams from the Dakotas, Minot State University compiled a 4-0 record in non-conference play. Two of the wins were over South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Presentation College, two squads the Marauders also defeated at home. Defense has keyed the Beavers strong start as MSU tops the NSIC in field goal percentage defense (.332) and rebounding margin (+18.5) and is second in scoring defense (54.0). MSU has struggled offensively, making just 43.7 of its shots (13th in the NSIC). Guard EJ Williams keys the Beavers efforts, leading the team in scoring (15.3 PPG) and assists (4.0 APG). At the line he is 27-of-32. Tom Korf is 12-for-27 on three-pointers and averages 13.8 PPG. Samuel Johnson nearly averages a double double at 13.0 PPG with 9.3 rebounds/game, as does Chris East (8.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG). Matt Murken is in his second season as the Minot State head coach.
 
NORTH TO ALASKA
Making their first trip to the 49th state of the Union, the Marauders lost all three games they played in the GCI Alaska Invitational, hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In the opener, home team Alaska Nanooks had an 11-4 edge in three-pointers and defeated U-Mary 84-57. Joe Slocum led the Nanooks with 18 points, five assists and six steals. Marc Musungayi was 8-of-12 from the field to pace the Marauders with 16 points. Freshman guard Damonta Henry scored a career-high 13 points... Musungayi had 18 points and seven rebounds but U-Mary was unable to find a way to pull even on its final possession in a 67-64 loss to Fresno Pacific. Malcolm Griffin had 19 points for the Sunbirds... In the final game, the Marauders dropped a Central region game 79-68 to Emporia State University. Despite not scoring a basket in the final 2:53 of the game, the Hornets held off the Marauders rally attempts by making 9-of-10 free throws in the final minute. Musungayi scored 16 points and Chris Mason had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Terrance Moore led ESU with 24 points.

MUSUNGAYI NAMED TO ALL-GCI ALASKA INVITATIONAL TEAM
Senior forward Marc Musungayi earned a spot on the GCI Alaska Invitational all-tournament team after a strong three-game performance in Fairbanks. The senior forward averaged 16.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 51.2 per cent from the floor and .857 at the free throw line. Against the host Alaska Nanooks Musungayi was 8-of-12 from the field for 16 points. He also had 16 points against Emporia State and 18 points, seven rebounds and two assists against Fresno Pacific.

MASON DOUBLES DOWN
Junior forward Chris Mason posted the Marauders first double double of the season with 14 points and ten rebounds against Emporia State. A transfer from Phoenix College, where he was a team captain and an all-region selection, Mason posted his best number of the season in both categories. For the year he is averaging 7.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

SPARK
Freshman guard Damonta Henry provided a spark off the bench at the Alaska Invitational and eventually earned his first start before returning home. The Chicago, IL, native averaged 10.3 points over the three games. He scored a career-high 13 points against the Alaska Nanooks, including a 4-for-4 effort at the free throw line. Henry followed with 11 points against Fresno Pacific, knocking down 3-of-6 three point attempts. In his first career start against Emporia State, Henry had seven points and a career-high three assists. On the year he is averaging 6.8 points and is tied for the team lead in three pointers with six.

THREE-POINT WOES
The Marauders struggled behind the three point line in Alaska, making just 12-of-49 attempts. U-Mary's foes had an easier time, making 21-of-42 trey attempts.

SEVEN FOR SEVEN
Seven Marauders are averaging at least 6.8 points per game. Marc Musingayi leads the team at 12.4 points per game and Jalen Jaspers is right behind at 11.0. Tyler Brandon and Marquealis Edwards both average 8.0 PPG, Devan Douglas and Chris Mason average 7.2 PPG and Damonta Henry is at 6.8.

TURN UP THE HEAT
After two games the Marauders are averaging 6.4 steals per game. U-Mary was next to last in the NCAA a year ago with 3.3 steals/game. Marquealis Edwards paced the squad with five steals through two games. Chris Mason is second with three.

GET OUTTA HERE!
U-Mary averaged just 2.0 blocks a game last season, 14th out of 16 teams in the NSIC. After two games this year, the Marauders are rejecting 4.0 blocks per game. Marc Musungayi leads the team with six blocks and Devan Douglas has four.

BOARD GAMES
After losing the rebounding battle in their first two games of the season, the Marauders bounced back to out-rebound their opponents in two of their three games in Alaska. Over the three games up north, U-Mary held a 35.3 to 33.7 rebounding edge.

TWO TO START
For the first time since the 2010-2011 season the Marauders have won their first two scheduled games of the year. U-Mary opened 2010-11 with five straight wins.

WELCOME BACK
The Marauders return just four players from last season's squad, including three seniors. Guard Jalen Jaspers is in his third year as a starter for U-Mary. A key reserve on the Marauders 2010-11 NCAA playoff team as a freshman, the Minneapolis, MN, native averaged 10.3 points a game last year. After two seasons starting at point guard, Mike Johnson is a key reserve for the Marauders. One of the most accurate shooters in the Northern Sun last year, senior center Marc Musungayi averaged 10.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in his first year at U-Mary while shooting 56.5 per cent from the floor and 79.6 per cent at the free throw line. The fourth returner is sophomore guard Brandon Tyler, who has moved into the starting lineup after averaging 6.5 points a game as one of the team's top reserves as a freshman.

WHO ARE YOU?
The Marauders are sporting a new look this season. Four returning players were joined by 12 newcomers. Six of the newcomers are community college transfers, five are true freshmen right from high school and one transferred to U-Mary last January from a four-year college.

666
Two games into his senior season Jalen Jaspers has scored 666 in his Marauders career, the seventh most by a U-Mary player since the school began NCAA play during the 2006-07 season.

CONTINUATION PLAY
Playing the best ball of his career at the end of last season, Jalen Jaspers averaged 21 points per game and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 62.8 per cent from the floor over the last two weekends of 2012-13. This season he posted 18 points each of his first two games of this year, making 7-of-9 shots in each game. Over those five games dating back to last year, the senior wing from Minneapolis, MN, averaged 19.8 points and shooting 67.2 per cent from the field.

DEFT TOUCH
In his first season with the Marauders last year, senior center Marc Musungayi finished among the Northern Sun leaders in several categories. The 6-7 native of Hamilton, Ontario, was fourth in the NSIC in shooting percentage (56.5 per cent), 10th in blocked shots (.93/game) and 14th in rebounding (5.7/game). He also averaged 10.7 points and made 79.6 per cent of his free throw attempts.

HISTORY LESSON
The University of Mary men's basketball team was the school's first athletic program and played its inaugural season in 1970-71. Over the course of 43 years the Marauders have a combined record of 653-514. Longtime head coach athletic director Al Bortke posted a record of 335-157 in 16 seasons (1973-89) before stepping aside to take over the role of athletic director full time.
 
U-Mary played its first NCAA season in 2006-07, competing in the Northern Sun. The following season the Marauders were granted full NCAA membership in what was the quickest transition in association history.
 
The Marauders made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2011. Current head coach Jevin Budde was an assistant for that team and seniors Jalen Jaspers and Mike Johnson were both freshmen.
 
OVERSEAS
Players from the last two U-Mary teams are currently playing overseas. Damon Smith, a forward for the Marauders from 2010-12, is playing for the Dresden Titans in the German Professional League. He competed for Copenhagen in the Danish League last season. Alex Dorr (2010-13) plays for the Derby Trailblazers in the English Basketball League while pursuing an advanced degree in international business at the University of Derby.
 
MOVED ON UP
Current University of Nebraska head coach Tim Miles ('89) and Dallas Mavericks Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Floyd Jahner ('81) are U-Mary alumni and former Marauders basketball players.

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