BISMARCK, N.D. – The University of Mary suffered a heartbreaking 75-73 loss when visiting University of Sioux Falls scored the winning basket with 3.3 seconds remaining in the game.
 
On a night that featured 12 lead changes and eight ties, all in the second half, the Marauders (2-7 overall, 0-5 NSIC) claimed their final lead of the night at 70-68 on a Luke Scott layup in heavy traffic with 1:42 on the clock. It was his only basket of the game.
 
Jordan Stotts immediately responded with a 3-pointer to push the Cougars (4-6, 2-3) back in front. A Marauders turnover then led to a pair of Charles Ward free throws to push the USF advantage to 73-70 with 64 seconds left.
 
Marquealis Edwards took it upon himself to pull the Marauders even. After knocking down two free throws, the junior guard stole the ball and was fouled by Stotts. With 17 seconds left Edwards made the second of two free throws to knot the contest at 73-73.
 
Driving the right side of the lane, Freddie Young then eluded Marauders defenders and sank an athletic shot in the paint for the game-winner with 3.3 seconds remaining.
 
Trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, the Marauders opened the second half on a 12-2 run to gain their first lead of the day at 43-41. A short time later Jaycob Velasco hit a trey to increase the U-Mary lead to 49-44 and the largest U-Mary advantage of the night. The biggest lead either team would have the rest of the evening was three points.
 
Back in the starting lineup for the first time since he was injured on opening night, Chris Mason led the Marauders with 15 points. He was 2-of-4 behind the arc and 6-of-11 overall.
 
Edwards just misses a double double with 13 points and nine rebounds. The junior guard also had three assists and two steals.
 
Two Marauders came off the bench to post double figure points. Bryan Jefferson scored 13 and had six rebounds. Velasco knocked down three treys in six tries and finished with 10.
 
Stotts led USF with 19 points. Coming off the bench, he hit three 3-pointers and was 7-of-10 from the floor. He also had three steals. Ward picked up 18 points and five steals and Mack Johnson contributed 14 points.
 
Neither team converted offensively at a very high rate. USF hit 42.6 percent of its shots, including an 8-of-23 effort behind the arc. U-Mary shot 40 percent overall, partly due to a Cougars interior defense that blocked eight Marauders shots.
 
The Marauders held a 40-30 advantage on the boards and committed just 10 turnovers while forcing 14. The Cougars, however, went 21-of-26 at the free throw line while the Marauders finished 15-of-23.
 
U-Mary closes out the 2014 portion of the season schedule at Minot State University on Friday, Dec. 19. Tip off is set for 8 p.m.
 
#marauders#