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THIS WEEK: After two straight weeks at home the University of Mary returns to the road for the Marauders lone meeting of the regular season with Southwest Minnesota State University and the University of Sioux Falls. The Marauders first face the Mustangs at 8 PM on Friday, February 8, at the R/A Center In Marshall, MN. The trip concludes against the Cougars at 6 PM Saturday, February 9, at the Stewart Center in Sioux Falls, SD.

THE RECORDS: The Marauders are 3-17 overall and 2-14 in the NSIC, 7th in the NSIC North Division and 15th overall in the conference standings... The Mustangs are 12-11 overall and 9-7 in the NSIC (5th in the NSIC South and tied for 7th overall)... The Cougars are 8-12 overall and 4-12 in the NSIC (7th in the NSIC South, tied for 12th overall in the NSIC).

LAST WEEK: The Marauders were swept at home, falling 81-73 to NSIC-leading and 7th-ranked Minnesota State University and 89-78 to Concordia University - St. Paul... The Mustangs split two on the road, losing 63-54 at Bemidji State before rebounding with a 72-57 win at Minnesota Crookston... The Cougars split two games on the road, defeating Minnesota Crookston 89-59 before losing 72-69 at Bemidji State.

RECENT HISTORY / LAST MEETING:
U-Mary vs. Southwest Minnesota State University:  U-Mary is 1-8 all-time against SMSU and has yet to win in Marshall, MN, in five attempts. The series began in the 2005-06 season with a 74-49 home win for SMSU, the first of seven straight wins for the Mustangs. The Marauders only win was on 1.14.11 in Bismarck, ND, as Anthony Moody scored a game-high 18 points in a 60-48 U-Mary win. Eric Erdmann and Baley Johnson each added 10 points for the Marauders.

Last Meeting vs. SMSU: U-Mary failed to score for the first seven minutes of the second half in a 77-62 loss at SMSU on 1.13.12, the only meeting between the two schools last season. Jalen Jaspers and Josh Turner each scored a team-high nine points for U-Mary. Jordan Miller scored 17 points for SMSU, one of four Mustangs in double figures.

U-Mary vs. Sioux Falls: According to University of Sioux Falls records, the Cougars lead the series with U-Mary 1-0. This will be the first time the two former NAIA competitors have met as NCAA and NSIC foes. The Marauders joined the Northern Sun for the 2006-07 season and the Cougars began NSIC play this year.

Last Meeting vs USF: The Cougars beat the Marauders 75-63 on 11.20.99 in the only meeting between the two schools.

SCOUTING REPORT
Southwest Minnesota State University: Picked to finish second in the NSIC preseason coaches poll, the Mustangs have been unable to live up the lofty expectations as they are currently in a three-way tie for seventh overall and fifth in the NSIC South. SMSU has struggled at the end of games, losing five conference games in which the Mustangs held a lead with four or fewer minutes left in a game. A dangerous team, the Mustangs are led by All-NSIC G Jordan Miller, who averages 15.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Miller is fifth all-time in SMSU scoring with 1,456 career points. Nick Smith, a junior forward, is shooting 58 per cent from the floor and averages 11.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He is second all-time in blocked shots for SMSU. One of the top shooting and scoring teams in the NSIC, the Mustangs are just 12th out of 16 in rebounding margin and 15th in three-pointers made per game.  

University of Sioux Falls won 20 games a year ago playing an independent schedule but won't reach that lofty figure in their first season competing in the Northern Sun. The Cougars are 8-12 overall but 4-12 in the NSIC, sitting 6th in the South division and 12th overall. USF has struggled against teams with a winning record but are 4-1 against squads with a losing mark. The Cougars take care of the ball, turning the ball over just 12 times a game, and are second in the league in turnover margin at +2.2. Last in the league in three-point shooting defense (43 per cent), teams have taken fewer shots three-point shots against USF than any team in the league, probably because teams are shooting 47 per cent from the floor overall (12th in the NSIC). Sr. F/C James Rader leads USF in scoring (11.8 PPG) and rebounds (4.0 RPG). Jr. G Derek Brown averages 10.6 PPG and Sr. G A.J. Holland checks in with 10.2 PPG and 2.5 assists/game.

HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN A WHILE, HOW YA BEEN? The Marauders and Cougars have not met on the basketball court since 1999 when USF defeated U-Mary 75-63. At one time both schools were among the top athletic programs in the NAIA. U-Mary began playing NCAA competition in 2006-07 and Sioux Falls became a member this season.

TIES US TOGETHER: A team captain during the Marauders first Northern Sun season in 2006-07 and a member of the conference's all-academic team, Nate Kaeding graduated from U-Mary in 2007. He went to Southwest Minnesota State as a graduate assistant, stayed as an assistant coach, and is now an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator for the University of Sioux Falls. This is his second season with the Cougars.
 

THIS IS IT: Just like last week's visit from Minnesota State and Concordia - St. Paul, this is the only time during the regular season that the Marauders will face NSIC South Division teams Southwest Minnesota State and the University of Sioux Falls. U-Mary plays its fellow NSIC North compadres twice (home and away) and faces teams in the southern division just once.

SOUTH SIDE: The Marauders complete their eight games against NSIC South teams this weekend at SMSU and USF. U-Mary is still looking for its first win against the South.

BACK AGAIN? Schedule changes with the addition of two new teams to the NSIC dictate that the Marauders not only face the Mustangs only once for the second straight season, but that the lone game is again played in Marshall, MN.

LAST TIME OUT: After an exciting opening half that featured six lead changes and three ties, #7 and NSIC-leading Minnesota State University pulled away from U-Mary after intermission in an 81-73 loss to the Mavericks. MSU built an 18 point lead in the second half before the Marauders cut the deficit to single digits late in the game. Josh Turner led the short-handed Marauders with 20 points, making four treys. Blake Maslonkowski added 13 points, Brandon Tyler 12 and Marc Musungayi 11 with eight rebounds. Jarvis Williams led MSU with 21 points... In his second career start, Kevin Jensen scored 19 points but the freshman's efforts weren't enough in an 89-78 home loss to Concordia-St. Paul. Down 16 in the second half, U-Mary closed within 82-75 but the Golden Bears were nearly perfect at the line, making 15-of-17 free throws in the last three minutes to seal the game. Turner hit five treys and scored 15 points for U-Mary, Jalen Jaspers had 13 points and nine rebounds and Maslonkowski chipped in 13 for the second straight game. Cole Olstad led CSP with 30 points and Terez Van Pelt added 23.    

BROKEN DORR: U-Mary senior forward Alex Dorr broke a finger in practice the week prior to the Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul games and may miss the rest of the season. Not only is he the Marauders leading scorer and rebounder, he is among the top players in the Northern Sun.

DORR STAT STUFFER: Alex Dorr is ranked highly in numerous categories in the NSIC and the NCAA:
Rebounding: Averaging 8.4 rebounds per game, Dorr is second in the NSIC and 55th in the NCAA
Scoring: Dorr is 14th in the NSIC in scoring at 13.6 points per game.
Double Doubles: Dorr is 65th in the NCAA with five.
Free throw shooting: Dorr is second in the NSIC, making 91.3 per cent (41-of-46). He was ranked in the NCAA most of the year but no longer has enough attempts.
Three-pointers made per game: At. 2.0 made treys per game, Dorr is ninth in the NSIC and 192nd in the NCAA.
Three-point shooting percentage: Dorr is ninth in the NSIC in three point shooting at 42.4 per cent. It also leads U-Mary.

OPEN DORR POLICY: Marauders senior forward Alex Dorr made a big jump in his production this season. He averaged 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.

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.

BACK ON TRACK: Struggling to find his scoring touch, Josh Turner came back strong last weekend. After scoring in single digits for five straight games, the senior guard was tremendous weekend behind the arc, making 9-of-15 three point attempts in two games. Turner pumped in 20 points against Minnesota State, nailing 4-of-6 trey attempts and 8-of-13 shots overall. He concluded with 15 points against the Golden Bears. He was 5-of-9 on three balls and also distributed five assists.

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 552 points.

TURNER'S TOP HITS: One of the nation's top three-point shooters, Josh Turner ranks 114th in the NCAA in three-pointers made per game with 2.25. He is 4th in the NSIC. For the year Turner is averaging 11.4 points per game.

JENSEN GETS FIRST CAREER STARTS: Coming off his best career performance with 10 points against St. Cloud State, freshman forward Kevin Jensen was moved into the Marauders starting lineup last weekend. With the injury to Alex Dorr, Jensen made his first career start against #7 Minnesota State. The Victoria, MN, native scored seven points against the Mavericks while making half of his six shots. He followed up with a scintillating start against Concordia-St. Paul, knocking down 5-of-7 attempts behind the arc on the way to a career-high 19 points. He also added three rebounds and three assists. Over his last three games Jensen is averaging 13 points while making 13-of-23 shots from the floor, including a 8-of-15 on three point attempts.

CAREER WEEKEND: Blake Maslonkowski had the best weekend of his career. The sophomore forward opened with a 13 point effort against #7 Minnesota State University. He went 6-of-7 from the field and hauled down seven rebounds. Maslonkowski followed up with another 13 points against Concordia University – St. Paul, this time making 5-of-9 field goal attempts. He also snared six boards and dished two assists

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 ten 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.

DOWNTOWN: The Marauders are one of the top teams behind the arc in the Northern Sun. U-Mary averages 7.90 three pointers made per game, second in the league. The Marauders also shoot it well, connecting at a pace of 37.6 per cent, third 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 38.5 per cent of the time and makes 2.25/game. FR Brendan Tyler is close behind the two seniors with 31 treys.

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 16 games against NSIC opposition the Marauders are averaging just 13.8 turnovers per game.

LINE MATES: The Marauders have been stellar at the free throw line this season, ranking 6th in the Northern Sun and 47th in NCAA Division II in free throw percentage (.734). 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 (33-of-40) at 82.5 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 12 games the Marauders have outrebounded eight opponents - including #19 St. Cloud State and #RV Winona State - and tied an ninth. U-Mary is 6th in the NSIC in rebounding margin (+2.3).

THOU SHALT NOT STEAL: The Marauders are last in the NSIC in steals and second to last in the NCAA with 3.1 steals/game.
 
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