THIS WEEKEND
Alumni Weekend highlights the start of a four-game homestand for the University of Mary when Northern Sun North Division foes St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota Duluth visit the McDowell Activity Center on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 23-24. The weekend tips off with the Marauders and Huskies battling at 8 p.m. on Friday. The Marauders then hosts the Bulldogs on Saturday at 6 p.m.

RECORDS
U-Mary is 5-11 overall and 3-9 in the Northern Sun (7th NSIC North Division, 14th overall)
St. Cloud State Huskies are 10-8 overall and 6-6 in the NSIC (3rd NSIC North, 7th overall)
Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs are 9-9 overall and 6-6 in the NSIC (3rd NSIC North, 7th overall)

LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders split their longest conference road trip of the season, losing 94-68 at Winona State before rebounding for a 69-56 win at Upper Iowa
St. Cloud State lost at home to Augustana 101-92 before defeating Sioux Falls 94-77
Minnesota Duluth split at home, defeating Wayne State 94-80 in overtime before losing 95-69 to Augustana.

WEEKEND HEADLINES
After Saturday's win at Upper Iowa, the Marauders are looking to win consecutive games for the first time this season
Despite a slow start to the conference season, the Marauders are just one game out of 11th place overall
The Marauders are undefeated on Saturdays in 2015
After playing five of seven games on the road, the Marauders now play four straight and six of eight at home
SCSU and UMD are the only NSIC North teams U-Mary has not faced this season
Marauders are 27th nationally in fewest turnovers/game (11.4)
Marquealis Edwards ranks in the Northern Sun top 19 in points, rebounds, steals, assists, defensive rebounds and assist/turnover ratio
The Marauders crossed the halfway point of the conference schedule last weekend. U-Mary has played 12 NSIC games and 10 remain.
ALUMNI WEEKEND
This is Marauders Basketball Alumni Weekend. Former U-Mary men's and women's hoopsters are encouraged to come back to campus for the games. An alumni game is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the MAC on Saturday. Women's alumni present will be introduced at halftime of the Marauders-Bulldogs women's game on Saturday. The men's alumni will be introduced at intermission of the Marauders-Bulldogs men's game. A social is set for the basketball alumni following the games.

NBC NORTH DAKOTA SPORTS NETWORK TELEVISING MARAUDERS-BULLDOGS GAMES ON SATURDAY
The U-Mary men's and women's basketball teams make their first live televised appearance of the season when the NBC North Dakota Sports Network air the Marauders-Bulldogs game throughout central and western North Dakota on Me-TV this Saturday, January 24. Coverage starts at 4 p.m. with the women's game.  
The North Dakota NBC Sports Network stations televising the contest between the two Northern Sun foes on Me-TV are KFYR-TV (over-the-air channel 5.3) in Bismarck, KMOT-TV (10.3) in Minot, KUMV-TV (8.3) in Williston and KQCD-TV (7.3) in Dickinson. Nine-time North Dakota Sportscaster of the Year and KFYR-TV sports director Lee Timmerman is the television play-by-play announcer for the Marauders. Joining Timmerman as color commentator is former Marauders men's basketball coach Juno Pintar. Marisa DeCandido, the KFYR-TV weekend anchor and host of "Marauders Weekly," is the sideline reporter. Check with your cable provider for the channel of your local Me-TV.

HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. HUSKIES
U-Mary is 7-8 all-time against St. Cloud State
The Marauders are 5-1 at home, 2-5 at SCSU and 0-2 on neutral ground
U-Mary's first NCAA win came at SCSU 86-77 on 11.18.06
U-Mary's signature NCAA win was a 77-48 home victory over #8 SCSU on 12.16.07
The two teams split last season, each winning at home
Last Meeting
Marc Musungayi exploded for a career-high 33 points to lead the Marauders to an 88-83 double overtime win over visiting St. Cloud State on 1.18.14. Musungayi made all 15 free throw attempts in the game, including 11 in overtime. SCSU entered the game leading the NSIC North standings. The Marauders overcame a six point deficit with 34 seconds left in regulation. Jalen Jaspers made two free throws with 28 seconds. After SCSU missed two free throws, Musungayi hit a shot in the lane with 17 seconds. Following two more missed free throws by the Huskies, Damonta Henry hit a layup with 1.1 seconds remaining to force overtime. Musungayi added nine points and three steals to his 33 points. Germain Decoste and Chris Mason both added 12 points and Henry had ten. U-Mary was 29-of-33 at the line. Kevin Levondoski posted 20 points for SCSU and Jordan Poydras added 15.

HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. BULLDOGS
U-Mary trails Minnesota Duluth 4-7 in the all-time series
The Marauders first victory over the Bulldogs was an 80-77 overtime win on 1.16.09.
The Marauders snapped a five-game losing streak to the Bulldogs with an 73-67 win in the last meeting between the two teams
Last Meeting
Seniors Jalen Jaspers, Mike Johnson and Marc Musungayi combined to score 43 points and shoot better than 70 percent in an 83-67 win over Minnesota Duluth on 1.18.14. The two teams combined for 28 lead changes and nine ties before the Marauders closed the game on a 21-4 run. A three-point play by Isaac Lindquist started the run and gave U-Mary a lead it wouldn't lose. Down the stretch the Marauders made 10 straight free throws. Jaspers made 8-of-11 shots and scored 18 points. Johnson hit all three of his shots, including two treys, and scored eight points. Musungayi scored 17 points and Damonta Henry added 14. Chris Mason had nine points and nine rebounds. Jordan Reetz led UMD with 22 points.

COMMONALITY
The Marauders, Huskies and Bulldogs have played four common foes. U-Mary is 1-1 against Northern State, 1-0 against Bemidji State, 0-1 against Minnesota Crookston and 0-2 against NSIC-leading MSU Moorhead... SCSU is 2-0 against BSU, 1-1 against UMC and 0-1 MSUM and NSU... UMD is 2-0 against BSU and UMC, 1-0 against MSUM and 0-1 against NSU.

THE OPPONENT: St. Cloud State University
Longtime Huskies assistant coach Matt Reimer was elevated to head coach of St. Cloud State during the offseason after the retirement of the highly-successful Kevin Schlagel. Reimer joined SCSU as a graduate assistant in 1995 before becoming an assistant in 1997. Junior guard Jordan Poydras leads a high-powered offense that averages 80.6 points per game. Poydras is scoring 17.6 points/game and leads the squad with 74 assists and 37 steals. He leads the NSIC in steals. Senior center James Fort averages 12.2 PPG, 5.3 rebounds/game and is shooting an NSIC-leading 75.6 percent. Fort is fifth in blocks with 1.33/game. Sophomore forward Scottie Stone also chips in 12.2 PPG.

THE OPPONENT: University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
Winners of three of their last four games - including two overtime victories - the Bulldogs are just three wins shy of last year's total of 12. Head coach Jeff Bowen is in his third season at UMD after several years at Bemidji State. Senior center Brett Ervin is one of the top offensive players in the NSIC. His 19.7 PPG is second in the league. He is making 47.7 percent of his field goal attempts. 41.7 percent of his trey attempts, and is shooting 78.6 percent at the line. Ervin also averages 4.9 rebounds/game. Three other Bulldogs also average double digits. Pierre Newton contributes 13.7 PPG and a team-high 6.2 RPG. Brendon Pineda averages 11.3 PPG and 5.3 RPG and Taylor Lavery is scoring 10.9 PPG. Fourteenth out of 16 teams in the NSIC in scoring at 69.6 PPG, the Bulldogs allow just 69 PPG, fifth in the league.  

REWIND
For the third straight week, the Marauders gained a weekend split. On the squad's longest conference road trip of the season, U-Mary dropped the opener 94-68. The Marauders jumped out to a 20-9 lead but momentum soon shited to the home team. Luke Scott led the Marauders with 12 points, making 4-of-5 trey attempts. Jaycob Velasco hit two treys and scored 10 points. Cory Jeffs came off the bench to lead WSU with 20 points. Conrad Masberg added 17 points... The following night the Marauders defense shut down the top scoring team in the NSIC for a 69-56 win at Upper Iowa. After four ties and 13 lead changes early in the game, an Alex Anderson jumper game U-Mary a 29-28 lead the Marauders never relinquished. Marquealis Edwards posted 17 points and ten rebounds, his second double double of the season. Bryan Jefferson recorded 12 points and eight rebounds. Jermain Decoste and Damonta Henry both had 10 points. Jimmy Roth led UIU with 13 points. After making just 10-of-25 shots in the first half, the Peacocks hit only 8-of-35 in the second half.

SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT (FOR WINNING)
The Marauders have won all three of their Saturday games in 2015,  defeating Bemidji State 86-80, Northern State 80-76 and Upper Iowa 69-56 last Saturday.

DEEEEEE FENSE
Playing one of their better defensive games of the season, the Marauders held Upper Iowa to 29 fewer points than the Peacocks average in a 69-56 U-Mary road win. The Marauders limited the Peacocks to a 30 percent shooting, including an 8-of-29 mark behind the arc. U-Mary shot 50 percent from the floor and held a 42-35 edge on the boards.

50-50-50
In the U-Mary win at Upper Iowa, the Marauders made half of their field goals (28-of-56), half the team's three point attempts (6-of-12) and half of their free throws (7-of-14).

MAC ATTACK
The Marauders begin a four game homestand this weekend when St. Cloud State arrives at the MAC. Additionally U-Mary plays six of its next eight at home.


STAT STUFFER
Developing into one of the top all-around players in the Northern Sun, junior guard Marquealis Edwards picked up his second double double of the season in the Marauders win at Upper Iowa. For the season Edwards is 19th in the NSIC in scoring (13.0 PPG), 18th in rebounding (5.5 RPG), 4th in assists (4.1 APG) and 2nd in steals (1.9 SPG).

REJECTION COLLECTION
In just one-and-a-half seasons, Germain Decoste has cracked the Marauders career leader board in blocked shots (since 1989). The senior forward has 35 career blocks, tying him with Kurt Schwamp (1998-2000) for ninth. For the season the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native is ninth in the NSIC with 0.9 blocks/game. He had 20 blocks last season in 20 games. The all-time school leader is Marc Hawley (1995-97) with 108... Decoste is also 8th in the NSIC in shooting percentage (.578) and averages 7.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

CHANGE UP
After rolling with the same starting lineup of Chris Mason, Damonta Henry and Marquealis Edwards on the perimeter and Germain Decoste and Bryan Jefferson on the front line for the first five games of 2015, the Marauders swapped Alex Anderson for Henry in the win at Upper Iowa. It was the first career start for the senior guard.  

NEW ROLE
Sophomore forward Bryan Jefferson made his first career start at Minot State and has remained in the lineup seven straight games. A key reserve much of the season, the Aurora, Ill., native has posted double figures in points in ten of the 13 games he has played. He has led the team in scoring four times and rebounding five while posting the team's first double double (25 points and 10 rebounds at Point Loma). Jefferson leads the team in rebounding (5.8/game), is third in scoring (11.1 PPG) and second in field goal percentage (.538). In the NSIC Jefferson ranks 3rd in offensive rebounds (2.8/game), 12th in rebounding and 15th in field goal percentage.   

MY PRECIOUS
Treating the ball like Bilbo Baggins treats The Ring, the Marauders refuse to turn the precious over. U-Mary averages just 11.4 turnovers/game, the 27th-lowest figure in NCAA Division II and 9th fewest in the Northern Sun.

TURNING TURNOVERS INTO POINTS
In the 12 Northern Sun games this season, the Marauders have outscored the opponents in points-off-turnovers seven times.

CHARITY DISPARITY
In Northern Sun contests, U-Mary opponents have made as many free throws this season as the Marauders have attempted. The Marauders have taken 186 free throws while foes have made 186. U-Mary is 123-of-186 at the line (66.1 percent). Opponents are 186-of-254 at the line (73.2 percent).