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THE WEEKEND
The University of Mary opens its Northern Sun home schedule this weekend when the Marauders host conference foes MSU Moorhead and Northern State University on Dec. 6-7 at the McDowell Activity Center. The Marauders and the Dragons tip off the weekend at 8 PM on Friday before wrapping up the two game set against the Dragons on Saturday at 6 PM. 
 
TOYS FOR TOTS WEEKEND
Bill Barth Ford-Kia and the University of Mary are combining forces to support Toys for Tots. Fans who donate a new toy at Bill Barth Ford for Toys for Tots will receive a ticket to the Marauders men's and women's basketball game on Friday or Saturday, Dec. 6-7, and a $10 Bill Barth Ford gift card. Fans can also make Toys for Tots donations at the Marauders games against MSU Moorhead on Friday and Northern State University on Saturday, Dec. 6-7. Donors will receive free admission and a $10 Bill Barth Ford gift card.
 
SATURDAY RADIO BROADCAST MOVES TO 1130 KBMR
The Marauders radio broadcast on Saturday, Dec. 7, moves to Country 1130 KBMR. The U-Mary vs. Northern State game will also be streamed online at www.kbmr.com. A one-time switch, the move is forced by scheduling conflicts on the home of Marauders basketball ESPN 710 AM. 
 
THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 2-4 overall and 0-1 in Northern Sun play... The Dragons are 5-0 and 1-0... The Wolves are 5-2 and 0-1.  
 
LAST WEEK
In the opening of NSIC play for all teams, U-Mary lost a 96-87 overtime shootout at travel parter Minot State University... MSU Moorhead captured two home games, a 93-69 non-conference win over the University of Jamestown before commencing NSIC play with an 87-76 victory over Northern State... Northern State opened the week with an 87-57 home win over Mayville State University before losing 87-76 at MSU Morhead. 
 
LAST YEAR
The Marauders finished 4-23 overall and 3-19 in the NSIC... The Dragons went 19-11 and 12-10 Playing their first season in the Northern Sun to place ninth overall and fourth in the North Division... Northern State finished 20-11 and 14-8, fifth in the NSIC and second in the North division.
 
LAST MEETING/RECENT HISTORY - MARAUDERS v. DRAGONS
U-Mary dropped a 92-77 decision at MSU on Feb. 22, 2013, to give MSU Moorhead a sweep of the season series. Jalen Jaspers led the Marauders with 21 points while Anthony Tucker led all players with 23.
 
In the all-time series between U-Mary and MSU Moorhead, the Marauders hold an 11-10 edge. Since joining the NCAA and NSIC, U-Mary is 6-8 against MSU Moorhead. The Marauders won the first conference matchup with a 75-72 win at MSUM on January 16, 2007. The Dragons followed with five straight wins, including an overtime victory, one win by one point and another by two points. The Marauders snapped the Dragons streak with a decisive 74-58 win at home on Jan. 30, 2010, the first of five straight wins that concluded with a 72-51 win over 19th ranked MSUM on Jan. 7, 2012, at the MAC. At present the Dragons have spun together five straight wins. 
 
LAST MEETING/RECENT HISTORY - MARAUDERS v. WOLVES
Despite a combined 50 points by Marc Musungayi and Jalen Jaspers, U-Mary dropped a 79-64 decision at Northern State University in the final game of the 2012-13 regular season on Feb. 23, 2013. Musungayi made 13-of-18 field goal attempts and scored a career-high 27 points. Jaspers scored a career-high 23 points, knocking down 10-of-17 shots from the floor, including a 3-for-4 effort behind the arc. The Wolves, who led the entire game, was led with 18 points by Dustin Tetzlaff. Colin Pryor added 15.   
 
The Marauders and Wolves have played 29 times with the Wolves holding an 18-11 advantage. NSU had a nine-game winning streak against the Marauders snapped during the 2010-11 season, leading to a U-Mary four-game win streak. The Wolves have now won the last two meetings. 
 
THE OPPONENT: MSU Moorhead Dragons
Making their first road trip of the season, the Dragons are a perfect 5-0 at home. After hosting four NAIA and NCAA Division III teams in non-conference action, MSU Moorhead opened NCAA Division II and Northern Sun play with an 87-76 win over Northern State last Saturday. Under the direction of Chad Walthall, who is 63-33 in his fourth season at MSUM, the Dragons lead the NSIC in scoring (92. PPG) and field goal percentage (45.4) while outrebounding foes 43.8 to 28.0. Defensively they are allowing an NSIC-best 57.8 PPG and an opponent field goal percentage of 35.9. A balanced offensive attack features eight players averaging at least 8.0 points per game. Reserve forward Urbane Bingham leads the squad with 12.0 PPG. Two sophomore starters also post double figures in scoring, guard Tyler Vaughan (11.0 PPG) and Ben Figini (10.0 PPG). 
 
THE OPPONENT: Northern State University Wolves
A squad that features two returning starters and six letterwinners off last season's 20-11 squad, Northern State is 5-2 this season. After opening with a loss, the Wolves rattled off five straight wins, including four at home against NAIA competition. NSU opened Northern Sun play with an 87-76 loss at MSU Moorhead last Saturday. Junior forward Seth Bachand is the Wolves leading scorer, averaging 13.9 PPG after scoring 5.9 PPG in a reserve role last season. Skye Warwick is the other NSU player in double figures (12.6 PPG). Senior guard Jared Hannigan is a returning starter and averages 9.1 PPG. Overall the Wolves, who are shooting 51 per cent from the field and are scoring 81 points per game, have seven players averaging at least 7.3 points per game. Defensively the Wolves are holding opponents to 73.6 points per game and 43 per cent shooting from the field. Foes are connecting on 43 per cent of their three point attempts. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
Free throw failings felled the University of Mary men's basketball team 96-87 in overtime at Minot State University in the Marauders Northern Sun opener. U-Mary was 12-of-27 at the free throw line while MSU made 40-of-46. In a game that featured nine ties and 20 lead changes, the Marauders made just 5-of-15 free throws in the final 4:31 of regulation and overtime. The Beavers went 18-of-20 during the same stretch, including 14-of-16 in overtime. FR G Damonta Henry scored 18 points of the bench, making 4-of-6 on three pointers and 7-of-11 overall. Also in a reserve role, Devan Douglas posted 18 points for U-Mary. The junior guard was 7-of-9 from the field and 4-of-5 at the free throw line. He also had five rebounds and two assists before fouling out after 18 minutes of play. Three other Marauders reached double figures. Brandon Tyler hit four treys and scored 12 points. Chis Mason scored 12 points and Germain Decoste added ten points and eight rebounds off the bench. Marc Musungayi had eight points and eight rebounds. E.J. Williams scored a game-high 30 points for Minot State and was named the NSIC Player of the Week. He was 15-of-17 at the free throw line and had four assists and three steals. Samuel Johnson had 19 points, Dominique McDonald 12 and six assists and Adam Randall 10 with eight rebounds.
 
87 / 96
The 87 points scored by U-Mary at Minot State was the most since posting 88 in a 92-88 overtime home loss to the Beavers over two years ago (11.22.11). The 96 points allowed was the most since a 106-81 loss at Saint Martins on Nov. 19, 2008. 
 
FREE THROWS
Despite holding a 32-25 advantage in field goals made and an 11-6 edge in three-pointers, the Marauders couldn't overcome the free throw differential in a 96-87 overtime loss at Minot State. The Beavers were 40-of-46 at the line while the Marauders were 12-of-27.
 
THREE POINT TURNAROUND 
After struggling behind the three-point line at the Alaska Invitational, making just 12-of-49 in three games, the Marauders had a complete turnaround against the Beavers. U-Mary knocked down 11-of-22 three point attempts at Minot State. Additionally, U-Mary's foes in Alaska were 21-of-42 on treys. The Marauders defense held the Beavers to a 6-of-16 effort.    
 
BENCH PLAY
Led by 18 point efforts from both Damonta Henry and Devan Douglas, the U-Mary bench outscored the Minot State bench 52-21. Also reaching double figures was Germain Decoste, who posted 10 points and eight rebounds.  
 
PICKING UP THE PACE
Freshman guard Damonta Henry posted a career-high 18 points in the overtime loss at Minot State, the third time in four games he has reached double figures. After scoring just three point total in his first two collegiate games, the Chicago, IL, native is averaging 12.3 points per game over his last four games and 8.7 PPG on the season. Coming off the bench, Henry knocked down 4-of-6 three point attempts and 7-of-11 field goals overall. 
 
SPARKPLUG
Junior guard Devan Douglas had been instant offense for the Marauders off the bench, reaching double figures in three of six games. The Kirkwood College transfer set a season-high with 18 points in 19 minutes in the overtime loss at Minot State. Before fouling out, Douglas was 7-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-5 at the free throw line. He also had five rebounds and two assists. For the season Douglas is averaging 9.0 points and is shooting 61.1 per cent from the floor and 71.4 per cent on free throws. 
 
SEVEN FOR EIGHT
Seven Marauders are averaging at least 8.0 points per game. Marc Musingayi leads the team at 11.7 points per game and Jalen Jaspers is right behind at 9.7. Devan Douglas is producing 9.0 PPG, followed by Tyler Brandon and Damonta Henry at 8.7. Chris Mason and Marquealis Edwards both average 8.0 PPG.
 
TURN UP THE HEAT
After six games the Marauders are averaging 5.7 steals per game. U-Mary was next to last in the NCAA a year ago with 3.3 steals/game. Marquealis Edwards and Chris Mason lead the Marauders with six steals each. 
 
GET OUTTA HERE!
U-Mary averaged just 2.0 blocks a game last season, 14th out of 16 teams in the NSIC. After six games this year, the Marauders are rejecting 3.83 blocks per game, fifth in the league. Marc Musungayi leads the team with seven blocks and Devan Douglas has four. 
 
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.
 
669
Six games into his senior season Jalen Jaspers has scored 669 in his Marauders career, the seventh most by a U-Mary player since the school began NCAA play during the 2006-07 season. 
 
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.