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THE WEEKEND
In their first Northern Sun road doubleheader weekend of the season, the University of Mary men's basketball team (2-6 overall / 0-3 NSIC) visits the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (2-5 / 0-3) on Friday, Dec. 13, and St. Cloud State University Huskies (6-1 / 2-1) on Saturday, Dec. 14. Game time against the Bulldogs is 8 PM on Friday at Romano Gym in Duluth, MN. Tip off is 6 PM on Saturday at Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, MN.

ON THE LINE
Both the Marauders and the Bulldogs are winless after the opening two weekends of Northern Sun basketball (0-3), so one of the teams is guaranteed to get into the win column after the meeting on Friday... UMD has lost four straight games and U-Mary is winless in its last five...The Marauders have lost four straight games against the Bulldogs... St. Cloud State, projected to capture a second straight NSIC North Division title, is the first team U-Mary has faced this season that has captured votes in the national coaches poll (15 votes in Dec. 3 NABC poll)... SCSU has won its last two meetings against U-Mary... Huskies head coach Kevin Schlagel will retire at the end of the season and currently owns 327 wins to 150 losses.

LAST MEETING/RECENT HISTORY - MARAUDERS v. BULLDOGS
U-Mary dropped a 64-55 home decision to Minnesota Duluth on January 25, 2013, to give the Bulldogs a season sweep of the Marauders. Marc Musungayi  had 20 points and six rebounds and Mike Johnson distributed six assists for U-Mary. Jake Hottenstine scored 21 for UMD.

The Bulldogs leads the all-time series with the Marauders 6-3, sweeping the last two season series from the Marauders. The Marauders first victory over the Bulldogs was an 80-77 overtime win on 1.16.09.

LAST MEETING/RECENT HISTORY - MARAUDERS v. HUSKIES
Marc Musungayi scored 12 points and Alex Dorr had eight rebounds and two blocked shots in a 68-51 home loss to St. Cloud State on January 26, 2013. Theo Rothstein scored 20 points and Shaun Jensen posted 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals for SCSU.

The Marauders are 6-7 all-time against St. Cloud State. The Marauders are 4-1 at home, 2-4 at SCSU and 0-2 on neutral ground. U-Mary's first NCAA win came at SCSU 86-77 on 11.18.06. U-Mary's signature NCAA win was a 77-48 home victory over #8 SCSU on 12.16.07.

THE OPPONENT: University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
Under the direction of second year head coach Jeff Bowen, who won a Northern Sun title with Bemidji State in 2012, the Bulldogs are currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak with all four coming on the road. The Marauders contest is the first home NSIC game this season for the Bulldogs. Jordan Reetz leads the team in scoring with 17.3 PPG. He is shooting 41.7 per cent on three-pointers and 80.0 per cent on free throws. Reece Zowell chips in 15.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Peter Crawford's 13.1 points per game gives the Bulldogs a trio of double digit scorers. He also leads the team with 23 assists. UMD is averaging 70.1 PPG (last in the NSIC) and is allowing 77.3. PPG (13th out of 16 teams).

THE OPPONENT: St. Cloud State University Huskies
After opening the season with five straight wins at home, St. Cloud State split a pair of road games, losing 70-65 at Bemidji State before rebounding with an 87-50 win at Minnesota Crookston. SCSU averages 79.6 points per game and three players average double figures in scoring, led by sophomore guard Jordan Poydras at 13.7 PPG. Sr. F Matt Craggs averages 10.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and senior guard Damarius Cruz is at 10.7 PPG. Chris Larson and James Fort lead the squad in blocks with eight and SCSU is second in the NSIC in blocks at 4.29/game. In his 17th and final season as head coach of the Huskies, Kevin Schlagel has led SCSU to five conference titles and eight NCAA tournament appearances, including a visit to the final four in 2010.  

LAST TIME OUT
Opening the home portion of their Northern Sun schedule, the Marauders couldn't keep pace with MSU Moorhead and Northern State in a pair of losses. In an 83-73 loss to the Dragons, MSUM was 33-of-42 at the free throw line while U-Mary was 20-of-25. Chris Mason led the Marauders with 17 points and eight rebounds, both team highs. Five Marauders scored in double figures in the game. MSUM was led by Tyler Vaughn, who was 6-of-7 behind the three-point arc on his way to 21 points... The following night Northern State left with an 83-74 win. Mason again led the Marauders in scoring, this time hitting for 22 with another eight rebounds. Devan Douglas, Damonta Henry and Marc Musungayi all had 12. The Marauders held a 36-25 rebounding edge but the Wolves shot 61.2 per cent from the floor. Trent Zomer led the Wolves with 16 points and three blocks.

LINE WOES
After outscoring the opposition at the free throw line in the first game of the season, U-Mary's foes have had the edge in the last seven contests. During that stretch the Marauders are 84-of-133 (63.2 per cent) on free throws and the other squad is 156-of-200 (78.0 per cent). In the past four games U-Mary is 58-of-90 compared to a 119-of-149 effort for the opposition. The Marauders have lost those four games by a combined 39 points while being outscored at the line by 61 points.

MASON STEPS FORWARD
Over the last four games, junior guard/forward Chris Mason has taken a big step forward for the Marauders. The all-region transfer from Phoenix College led U-Mary in scoring in both games last week, posting 17 points against MSU Moorhead before following with a season-high 22 points in the Northern State contest. Mason had eight rebounds both nights and also went 3-for-5 on three point attempts in each game. Over this four game stretch Mason is averaging 16.3 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 51.4 per cent from the floor and 62.5 per cent on trey attempts. Mason ranks 13th in three-point shooting percentage (45.5) and 18th in the NSIC in rebounding.

DYNAMIC DUO
Chris Mason and Devan Douglas have both reached double figures in each of the same five games, the opener against South Dakota Mines and in the Marauders last four games against Emporia State, Minot State, MSU Moorhead and Northern State. In the last four games Mason is averaging a team-high 16.3 PPG and Douglas is second at 14.0.

DYNAMIC DOUGLAS
Junior guard Devan Douglas has reached double figures in his last four games and is second to Chris Mason in scoring during that stretch. In his last four games Douglas is averaging 14.0 PPG despite coming off the bench three times. The all-region transfer from Kirkwood (IA) College is shooting 61.1 per cent over that time and is making 80 per cent of his free throws. He leads the team with 10 assists and five steals. In his first start of the year against Northern State Douglas scored 12 points, had four assists and two steals. For the year he is averaging 9.8 points and is 8th in the NSIC in shooting percentage (58.2).  

TEAM PLAY
In the last four games U-Mary has had at least four players in double figures in each contest. Five U-Mary players scored 10 or more points against Minot State and MSU Moorhead and four players against Emporia State and Northern State.

FORCEFUL FRESHMAN
Freshman Damonta Henry is quickly catching onto the college game. After scoring just three points in his first two games at U-Mary, the Chicago native has posted double figure games in five of his last six contests. Last weekend Henry scored 16 points against MSU Moorhead and followed with 12 against Northern State. His season high is 18 at Minot State. The team leader with 13 three pointers, Henry averages 10.0 points per game, third best total on the Marauders. He is making 40.6 per cent of his trey attempts and 43.5 per cent of all his shots. At the free throw line Henry is 13-of-15.

SEVEN FOR EIGHT
Seven Marauders are averaging at least 8.0 points per game. Marc Musingayi leads the team at 11.9 points per game, followed by Chris Mason at 10.9 and Damonta Henry at 10.0. Devan Douglas is at 9.8, Jalen Jaspers scores 9.6, Marquealis Edwards 8.0 and Brandon Tyler 7.0.

DOUBLE DIGIT THREAT
Eight different Marauders have reached double figures in a game this season: Chris Mason (5 times), Devan Douglas (5), Damonta Henry (5), Marc Musungayi (5), Jalen Jaspers (4), Brandon Tyler (3), Marquealis Edwards (2) and Germain Decoste (1).

TURN UP THE HEAT
After eight games the Marauders are averaging 5.6 steals per game. U-Mary was next to last in the NCAA a year ago with 3.3 steals/game. Chris Mason leads the Marauders with nine steals.

GET OUTTA HERE!
U-Mary averaged just 2.0 blocks a game last season, 14th out of 16 teams in the NSIC. After eight games this year, the Marauders are rejecting 3.6 blocks per game, fifth in the league. Marc Musungayi leads the team with ten blocks, which is 10th in the NSIC.

688
Eight games into his senior season Jalen Jaspers has scored 688 in his Marauders career, the fifth most by a U-Mary player since the school began NCAA play during the 2006-07 season.

MAKING SHOTS
Marc Musungayi is one of the top shot makers in the country. The senior forward ranks 180th in NCAA Division II and 5th among qualifiers in the NSIC in shooting percentage, making 50 per cent of his field goal attempts. A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, he is making 75 per cent of his free throw attempts. Musungayi leads the Marauders in scoring at 11.9 points per game and in rebounding with 5.6/game.

TWO TO START
For the first time since the 2010-2011 season the Marauders won their first two scheduled games of the year.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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