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THIS WEEK: The University of Mary continues its four game home stand this weekend when the Marauders host Northern Sun-leading Minnesota State University, Mankato and Concordia University - St. Paul at the McDowell Activity Center on the U-Mary campus. The Marauders take on the Mavericks at 8 PM on Friday, February 1. On Saturday, February 2, the Marauders will face the Golden Bears at 6 PM.

THE RECORDS: The Marauders are 3-15 overall and 2-12 in the NSIC, tied for 6th in the NSIC North Division and 14th overall in the conference standings... The 7th-ranked Mavericks are 16-2 overall and 12-2 in the NSIC (tied for first in the NSIC South and 1st overall)... The Golden Bears are 4-14 overall and 2-12 in the NSIC (8th in the NSIC South, tied for 14th overall in the NSIC).

LAST WEEK: The Marauders were swept at home, falling 64-55 to the University of Minnesota Duluth and 68-51 to St. Cloud State University... The Mavericks defeated Wayne State 73-59 before seeing their 10-game win streak snapped in an 82-79 loss to Augustana... The Golden Bears split two home games, dropping an 87-75 contest to Augustana before defeating Wayne State 74-65.

RECENT HISTORY / LAST MEETING:
U-Mary vs. Minnesota State University, Mankato: The Marauders trail 1-5 all-time in their series with the Mavericks. The two teams first met Dec. 12, 2008, in Bismarck with the Mavericks winning 83-61. U-Mary snapped its four-game losing streak against MSU with an 84-69 home win on 1.15.11 as All-American Anthony Moody hit eight treys and scored 31 points and Jordan Wilhelm added five three pointers and 17 points.

Last Meeting vs. MSU: U-Mary senior forward Damon Smith scored 20 points, made 9-of-10 shots from the floor and blocked four shots in a 78-73 loss at Minnesota State on 1.14.12. Trailing by 15 points the Marauders rallied to take a 72-70 lead with 3:17 remaining but U-Mary could make only one free throw down the stretch. Josh Turner scored 13 points, Jalen Jaspers 12 and Alex Dorr 10. Stephen Kirschbaum led MSU with 22 points, Jimmy Whitehead added 17 and Travis Meinders 15.

U-Mary vs. Concordia University - St. Paul: Concordia-St. Paul has a slight 7-6 series lead over U-Mary. The Marauders won the first two meetings between the schools in the 1980s when both were members of the NAIA. When U-Mary joined the NSIC in 2006-07, CU won the next five meetings. The Marauders broke their losing streak to the Golden Bears with an 83-74 win at the NSIC Holiday HoopsFest on 11.29.09, soon followed with a 75-68 win at the MAC on 1.23.10 behind 24 points by Erdmann. It was the first NSIC win for U-Mary over CU. CU's win last year snapped a two-game U-Mary win streak over the Golden Bears.

Last Meeting vs CSP: U-Mary's Damon Smith scored 22 points and hauled down nine rebounds but his inside efforts couldn't match the outside game of Concordia University - St. Paul in a 90-76 home loss for the Marauders on 2.18.12. The Golden Bears, who never trailed in the game, knocked down 14 treys in 27 tries. Kenny Olafeso led CU with 28 points, making 12-of-15 shots from the floor. Peter Olafeso added 19 points and Isiah Thomas 16. Jalen Jaspers had 13 points for U-Mary, Mike Johnson had 10 and Baley Johnson had seven points and six rebounds.
 
SCOUTING REPORT
Minnesota State University: After earning seven straight NCAA playoff berths, the Mavericks posted just seven wins last season. Head Coach Matt Margenthaler showed that 2011-12 was an abberation as Minnesota State is ranked seventh in the nation, is tied for the lead in the Northern Sun and has won 10-of-11 games. Senior Jarvis Williams, in his first season at MSU after transferring from UW-Green Bay, leads the team in scoring (14.1 PPG) and is second in rebounding (6.2 RPG). 6-10 sophomore center Assem Marei is also in his first year playing for MSU. Marei played for Egypt's World 19-under team and averages 13.4 PPG and 6.9 RPG. Zach Monaghan leads the squad with 33 treys and averages 12.8 PPG.

Concordia University - St. Paul is a young squad, starting two freshmen and two sophomores along with one senior. A strong offensive team featuring three scorers, the Golden Bears are struggling defensively. CU is posting 69 points per game but allows 78. Sophomore guard Terez VanPelt is one of the top scorers in the NSIC, averaging 19.4 PPG and shooting 46.6 per cent from the field. Cole Olstad, also a sophomore guard, chips in 14.5 PPG and a team-high 5.1 RPG. 6-6 senior forward Isiah Thomas rounds out the scoring triumverate for the Golden Bears, averaging 11.0 PPG. While posting the same conference record as the Marauders, the Golden Bears have won two of their last four games.

POLAR OPPOSITES: Marauders fans will see the top team in the Northern Sun and a team tied for 14th out of 16 teams. 7th ranked Minnesota State is tied with Winona State for 1st place in the NSIC. Concordia - St. Paul is tied for 14th in the 16 team league.

THIS IS IT: This is the only time during the regular season that the Marauders will face Minnesota State and Concordia - St. Paul, both assigned to the NSIC South Division. U-Mary plays its fellow NSIC North compadres twice (home and away) and faces teams in the southern division just once.

BACK AGAIN? Schedule changes with the addition of two new teams to the NSIC dictate that the Golden Bears play a second straight game against the Marauders in Bismarck. The two squads faced each other home and away last year but the first game was in St. Paul and the second at the MAC.

ONE AND DONE: For the third straight season the Marauders are scheduled to play Minnesota State just once in the regular season. The last time the two schools played home-and-away was 2009-10.

LAST TIME OUT: Slow starts in back-to-back home games cost the Marauders in losses to the University of Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State. Marc Musungayi dunked four times and scored 20 points but his efforts weren't enough in a 64-55 loss to UMD. The junior forward made 9-of-12 shots. Down by 11, the Marauders pulled within 48-46 but never pulled in front. Mike Johnson added 10 points. Jake Hottensine led the Bulldogs with 21 and Brett Irvine had 16. Facing NSIC North-leader St. Cloud State the next evening, the Marauders found themselves trailing 18-2 and never found a way to erase that early deficit in a 68-51 loss. The closest U-Mary came was 11 points. Musungayi led the Marauders in scoring for a second straight night, posting 12 points with five rebounds. Freshman Kevin Jensen scored a career-high 10 points. Theo Rothstein led SCSU with 20 points and Shaun Jensen posted 18 points, six rebounds and five assists.

STREAK SNAPPED: The Marauders had defeated St. Cloud State the first four times the two teams had played in the McDowell Activity Center. The Huskies finally broke through with a 68-51 win on Saturday at the MAC.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Marauders are in the midst of playing four straight home games and six of the final 10 at the MAC.

HEART BREAK: The Marauders have had a chance to tie the game or take the lead in the final minute in four of their last eight games, all losses. In a 71-69 loss at Minnesota Duluth, the Marauders lost a 14 point lead in the second half, then missed a three-pointer and had a turnover in the final seconds. Trailing by three in a 67-63 loss to Upper Iowa, the Marauders had the ball with a chance to tie but turned the ball over with less than 10 seconds in the game... In a 49-48 loss at Minot State, the Marauders had two shots in the final minute to take the lead but couldn't connect... Down by three, the Marauders had the ball with a chance to tie but a turnover with 15 seconds left sealed U-Mary's fate in a 60-54 loss at Wayne State.

500: Josh Turner became just the 10th U-Mary player to crack 500 career points since the Marauders started NCAA and NSIC play in the 2006-07 season, reaching that level against Augustana. The Marauders senior guard in his second season at U-Mary now has 517 points.

600: Alex Dorr crossed the 500 point barrier at St. Cloud State on January 4, 2013 and surged past 600 at home against St. Cloud State on 1.26.13. Dorr now has 602 career points at U-Mary in 72 games. He is just the eighth Marauder to post 600 points since U-Mary began NCAA and NSIC competition in 2006-07.

CAREER REBOUNDS: With 402 rebounds in three seasons, Alex Dorr is 18th on the U-Mary all-time chart.

DOWNTOWN: The Marauders are one of the top teams behind the arc in the Northern Sun. U-Mary averages 7.61 three pointers made per game, fourth in the league. The Marauders also shoot it well, connecting at a pace of 36.7 per cent, seventh best in the NSIC. Alex Dorr and Josh Turner are leading the Marauders efforts behind the arc. Dorr is connecting 42.4 per cent of the time and makes 2.00/game. Turner is connecting 35 per cent of the time and also makes 2.00/game. Both have made 36 treys total on the season. FR Brendan Tyler is close behind the two seniors with 28 treys.

JENSEN CAREER-HIGH: Freshman forward Kevin Jensen set a career-high for points when he dropped 10 on St. Cloud State. Jensen hit two treys in the game and added three rebounds in 17 minutes.

DORR 2nd IN NSIC IN FREE THROW PERCENTAGE: SR F Alex Dorr (Norwalk, IA) is second in the NSIC in free throw percentage at 91.3 per cent. Dorr is 42-of-46 this season. He was ranked 13th in the NCAA last week but now doesn't have enough attempts to qualify.  

DORR 2nd IN NSIC IN REBOUNDING, 56th IN NCAA: Averaging 8.4 rebounds per game, Alex Dorr is second in the NSIC in rebounding and is 56th in the country. He has five double digit rebounding games this season with a career-high 15 against Saint Joseph's.

DORR 53rd NATIONALLY IN DOUBLE DOUBLES: After posting 22 points and 13 rebounds at Wayne State College for his fifth double double of the season, Alex Dorr is 53rd nationally in reaching double figures in two categories in the same game.  

DORR NSIC STAT STUFFER: Marauders senior forward Alex Dorr is listed among the Northern Sun leaders in several categories. He is second in rebounding (8.4) and free throw shooting percentage (91.3), 8th in three pointers made per game (2.00), 13th in scoring (13.6) and 10th in three point shooting percentage (.424).

OPEN DORR POLICY: Marauders senior forward Alex Dorr has made a big jump in his production this season. He is posting 13.6 points and 8.4 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 91.3 per cent this season. After recording one double double in his first two seasons Dorr has five this year alone.

TURNER'S TOP HITS: One of the nation's top three-point shooters, Josh Turner ranks 190th in the NCAA in three-pointers made per game with 2.00. He is 8th in the NSIC. For the year Turner is averaging 10.7 points per game.

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 14 games against NSIC opposition the Marauders are averaging just 14.1 turnovers per game.

LINE MATES: The Marauders have been stellar at the free throw line this season, ranking third in the Northern Sun and 19th in NCAA Division II in free throw percentage (.753). Second in the NSIC in individual free throw shooting percentage, Alex Dorr leads the effort, making 42-of-46 attempts (91.3 per cent). Close behind is Marc Musungayi (30-of-37) at 81.1 per cent and Josh Turner at 83.3 per cent (30-of-36). Mike Johnson checks in at 76.5 per cent (13-of-17).

CLEANING THE GLASS: Over the last ten games the Marauders have outrebounded seven opponents - including #19 St. Cloud State and #RV Winona State - and tied an eighth. Last weekend the Marauders were outrebounded by two against both UMD and SCSU to breal ther streak. U-Mary posted positive rebounding margins in three of four non-conference games and in 10 games overall. U-Mary is 5th in the NSIC in rebounding margin (+2.8).

CLEANING THE GLASS II: The Marauders feature two of the top 16 rebounders in the Northern Sun. Alex Dorr is second in the league with 8.6 rebounds/game and Marc Musungayi is 16th at 5.6.

THOU SHALT NOT STEAL: The Marauders are last in the NSIC in steals and second to last in the NCAA with 3.0 steals/game.

U-MARY SIGNS THREE FOR 2013-14: The Marauders gained commitments from three high school seniors during the National Letter of Intent early signing period. Brenden Mann is a 6-2 guard from Littleton, CO / Chatfield HS. Damonta Henry is a 6-0 guard from Chicago, IL / Riverside Brookfield HS. Isaac Lindquist is a 6-9 center from Milbank, SD / Milbank HS. All will join the Marauders as freshman next fall for the 2013-14 season.

JJ'S CAREER DAY: Jalen Jaspers had a career day at Minot State when he tied his career high with 19 points and set a career-high with 10 rebounds to post his first double double. Jaspers scored U-Mary's last nine points, making his last four field goal attempts and his last two free throw attempts. For the season he is averaging a career-best 9.1 points per game and shooting 49.2 per cent from the field.