Men's Basketball | 12/31/2014 2:50:00 PM

THIS WEEKEND
After 14 days between games for Christmas break, the University of Mary opens 2015 on the road with a pair of games in northern Minnesota. The Marauders start the new year at the University of Minnesota Crookston on Friday, January 2, at 8 p.m. The two-game road trip concludes at Bemidji State University on Saturday, January 3, at 6 p.m.
 
RECORDS
U-Mary is 2-8 overall and 0-6 in the Northern Sun (8th NSIC North Division, 15th overall)
Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles are 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the NSIC (3rd NSIC North, 7th overall)
Bemidji State Beavers are 6-4 overall and 2-4 in the NSIC (7th NSIC North, 13th overall)

LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders dropped a 93-88 shootout at Minot State to close out 2014
The Golden Eagles earned a 73-64 home win over the Beavers to split the season series between UMC and BSU

WEEKEND HEADLINES
Start to the new calendar year for the Marauders
It has been 14 days between games for U-Mary
The Marauders have a five-game winning streak going over the Golden Eagles
The Marauders have lost six straight times to the Beavers
The Marauders are searching for their first NSIC win of the season
Marauders are 9th nationally in fewest turnovers/game (10.4)

HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. GOLDEN EAGLES
Since joining the Northern Sun for the 2006-07 season, the Marauders are 13-3 against the Golden Eagles
U-Mary is 7-1 at home and 6-2 at UMC
The Marauders have won five straight games at UMC. The last loss was a 64-59 overtime decision on 1.30.2009.
U-Mary has won five straight overall against UMC. The last loss was a 56-53 decision at the MAC on 1.8.12.
Last Meeting
Seniors Marc Musungayi and Jalen Jaspers combines to score 42 points and hit 18-of-30 field goal attempts in the Marauders 67-62 win at Minnesota Crookston on 2.7.14. U-Mary opened a 10 point lead in the second half and held off a late UMC charge. Musungayi scored a game-high 22 points, corralled eight rebounds and made two steals. Jaspers made 9-of-12 shots and scored 20 points. He also had three steals. Germain Decoste ripped down a career-high 14 rebounds and added eight points. Tyler West posted a line of 18 points, eight rebounds and two steals for the Golden Eagles.

HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. BEAVERS
U-Mary leads the series with BSU 9-8
The series began in 1971 with a 92-87 home win for the Marauders
The two teams played twice in the 1987 season with each school winning at home
Since becoming a member of the NSIC, U-Mary captured the first five meetings before BSU broke through with a home win in the 2009-10 season
The Beavers have won six straight.
Last Meeting
Chris Mason led the Marauders with 23 points but U-Mary couldn't keep pace with Bemidji State University in a 90-77 road loss on 2.8.14. Mason hit three treys and added five rebounds and two steals. Marc Musungayi contributed 13 points, including a 7-for-7 effort at the free throw line, and eight rebounds and Germian Decoste had 12 points and six rebounds. Brock Lutes was unstoppable for the Beavers, scoring 43 points. Lutes was 17-of-24 from the floor and 8-of-11 behind the arc. Jake Schalow added 25 points, making 9-of-12 shots overall and 5-of-8 on 3-pointers.

COMMONALITY
The Marauders have not played anyone that the Golden Eagles or the Beavers have faced this season.

THE OPPONENT: University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles
Just ten games into the season, the Golden Eagles have already exceeded last season's overall and conference win totals. UMC finished 2013-14 with a 4-23 record overall and 1-21 mark in the NSIC. This year the Golden Eagles are already 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the NSIC. The last time UMC has exceeded either total was 2011-12 when the team was 7-19 and 3-19. Head coach Dan Wiesse is in his first season at UMC after serving as an assistant at MSU Moorhead the previous three seasons. Tyler West leads the Golden Eagles in scoring and rebounding with 12.9 PPG and 8.6 RPG. He is shooting 39.4 percent on field goal attempts and 75.4 percent at the line. Derrick Redd is second in scoring at 12.2 PPG and has 48. RPG. Redd is second on UMC with 10 3-pointers and third with 16 assists. While the Golden Eagles have struggled to score, averaging just 63.0 PPG games, they are holding foes to 71.6 PPG. In conference games, the points allowed falls to 69.5/game, fifth in the NSIC. UMC is shooting 38.4 percent from the field with a 31.2 percent mark beyond the arc. However, in their wins, the Golden Eagles are making over 40 percent of 3-point shots.    

THE OPPONENT: Bemidji State University Beavers
After finishing last season tied for third overall in the NSIC, earning a share of the NSIC North title and winning 18 games for the third straight season, the Beavers have a new look this season. Bemidji State graduated five seniors off last year's team, including all-conference players Zach Noreen and Maxie Rosenbloom. Brock Lutes, the 2014 NSIC Newcomer of the Year, an all-region selection and NSIC 1st team selection after leading the league in scoring, is the Beavers lone returning starter. The senior guard is averaging 17.7 PPG and 4.7 RPG while shooting 46.3 percent from the field. Ben Best is the only other BSU player in double digit scoring, averaging 10.9 PPG. However, BSU has seven players averaging between 4.5 and 9.0 PPG. A potent Beavers offense averages 76.6 PPG while allowing 71.1. Teams are shooting just 43.9 percent.

REWIND
In the Marauders final game before Christmas break, the University of Mary returned from Minot State with a lump of coal following a 93-88 loss. U-Mary held a 27-21 lead but MSU would take the lead for good at 37-35. U-Mary shot a proficient 45.9 percent from the field but couldn't match the 52 percent shot by MSU. Marquealis Edwards led U-Mary with a career-high 20 points, including three treys. The junior guard also had five assists and three steals. Chris Mason added 19 points, Germain Decoste paired eight rebounds with 11 points and Bryan Jefferson had 10 points in his first career start. Thomas Korf led the Beavers with 21 points, making 6-of-8 3-point attempts. Everett Robinson made 6-of-9 shots and scored 18 points for MSU. The Beavers swept the season series with the Marauders and now own five straight wins over U-Mary.  

DONE
The Marauders and travel partner Minot State have completed their season series. Both teams still have 10 teams in the Northern Sun to play for the first time.

PRODUCTION
The 88 points scored by U-Mary at Minot State was the most by a Marauders team since falling 95-94 at MSU Moorhead on 2.22.14.

NEW ROLE
Sophomore forward Bryan Jefferson made his first career start at Minot State. A key reserve much of the season, Jefferson contributed 10 points, two assists and four rebounds in 22 minutes as four fouls limited his time on the court. Jefferson made 4-of-5 shot attempts. For the season, the Aurora, Ill., native has posted double figures in points in seven of the eight games he has played this season. Four times he has led the team in scoring and has the team's lone double double (25 points and 10 rebounds at Point Loma). Jefferson leads the team in rebounding (5.4/game), is third in scoring (13.1 PPG) and third in field goal percentage (.540). He has also made 75 percent of his free throws.

WELCOME BACK
After an injury opening night caused him to miss six games, senior guard/forward Chris Mason is back in the lineup. The Marauders leading returning scorer contributed seven points and three rebounds in 17 minutes against Southwest Minnesota State in his first game back. He followed with a team-high 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting against Sioux Falls while playing 30 minutes. Mason followed up a week later with a season-high 19 points at Minot State. For the season Mason is averaging 10.1 PPG while shooting 55.2 percent from the floor (5-of-10 on 3-pointers).   

MY PRECIOUS
Treating the ball like Bilbo Baggins treats The Ring, the Marauders refuse to turn the ball over. U-Mary committed a season-low seven turnovers against Minot State and averages just 10.4 turnovers/game, the 10th lowest figure in NCAA Division II and 3rd fewest in the Northern Sun. Despite an up-tempo game at Minot State, U-Mary committed just 10 turnovers while forcing 15.

TURNING TURNOVERS INTO POINTS
In the six Northern Sun games this season, the Marauders have outscored the opponents in points-off-turnovers four times.

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
The Marauders rank sixth in the NSIC in assist to turnover ratio with a mark of 1.2. U-Mary averages 12.1 assists/game and 10.4 turnovers.

LEGAL THEFT
U-Mary ranks fifth in the NSIC in steals per game with 6.3. Marquealis Edwards is the ringleader with 1.9 per game, tied for 1st in the NSIC.

CHARITY DISPARITY
U-Mary opponents have made nearly as many free throws this season as the Marauders have attempted. The Marauders have attempted 157 free throws while foes have made 155. U-Mary is 108-of-157 at the line (68.8 percent). Opponents are 155-of-206 at the line (75.2 percent). Per game the Marauders attempt 15.75 free throws and make 10.5/game. Opponents average 21.25 attempts and a 15.75 makes. Since opening night, opponents have held the edge in both free throws attempted and made in each game.

BENEVOLENCE
Junior guard Marquealis Edwards is fourth in the NSIC in assists per game with 4.6. He leads the NSIC in steals (1.9).

SOPHOMORE SUCCESS
The Marauders have three sophomores in the starting lineup and a fourth is one of the team's leading scorers. Guard Luke Scott, forward Bryan Jefferson and center Isaac Lindquist started against Minot State. Additionally, guard Damonta Henry has moved into a reserve role. Henry is second on the team in scoring at 13.3 PPG and has a team-high 18 treys. Jefferson is right behind at 13.1 PPG and leads the team in rebounding (5.4 RPG). Scott is shooting 47.8 percent from the floor and has an impressive assist-to-steal ratio of 16-to-4. Lindquist is averaging over 20 minutes a game in the middle and 2.7 rebounds and 3.7 points.  

SHORTHANDED
The Marauders have played shorthanded much of the season but are virtually whole now. Bryan Jefferson, Brandon Tyler and Luke Scott all missed the first two games. Leading returning scorer Chris Mason was injured in the opener and missed six games. While those four are now back in the lineup, senior guard Devan Douglas has missed five straight games.

SHARING THE LOAD
Six different Marauders are averaging at least 7.0 points per game with four averaging in double figures. Marquealis Edwards leads the team in scoring at 13.8 PPG, followed by Damonta Henry (13.3 PPG), Bryan Jefferson (13.1 PPG) and Chris Mason (10.8 PPG).

TIME SHARE
The Marauders have a deep bench this season and are making use of it. Nine different U-Mary players average at least 11 minutes a game. Marquealis Edwards leads the way with 30.8 minutes/game with Damonta Henry checking in at 29.7.

MR. DO-IT-ALL
Marquealis Edwards does a little of everything for the Marauders. The team's leading scorer at 13.8 PPG, the junior guard leads the NSIC in steals (1.9/game), is fourth in assists (4.6) and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio. Edwards is second on the team in rebounding (5.1/game) and free throw shooting (77.1 percent).

OH HENRY
With a shot as sweet as the Oh Henry candy bar, Damonta Henry has developed into one of the top scorers in the Northern Sun. The sophomore guard from Chicago, Ill., is second on the Marauders in scoring and 16th in the NSIC at 13.3 PPG. His 2.0 treys made per game is 8th in the NSIC. He has reached double figures in seven of ten games this season and is 16-of-18 at the free throw line. For the season he is shooting 44 percent from the floor and is 18-of-46 behind the arc. He does have three games with three treys. One of his strongest games of the season came at #19 MSU Moorhead, scoring 18 points and making 7-of-12 shots overall, including a 3-of-6 3-point effort. 

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