RAPID CITY, S.D. - The University of Mary men's basketball team ran past host South Dakota School of Mines & Technology 96-79 for a third straight win to open the season.
Marquealis Edwards scored a team-high 22 points, one of six Marauders in double figures.
The Marauders three straight wins - all against NCAA Division II foes - is the program's longest streak to open a season since U-Mary won five straight at the start of the 2010-11 season. The Marauders went on to win 23 games that season and capture the school's lone NCAA tournament berth.
Scoring the first eight points of the game, the Marauders (3-0 overall) jumped out to an 18-5 lead and never looked back.
Devan Douglas opened the scoring on a layup just ten seconds into the game and Edwards followed with a pair of free throws. Two
Bryan Jefferson layups pushed the Marauders advantage to 8-0. After Brian Orr hit a trey for the Hardrockers (1-2), Jefferson followed with another basket, this time knocking down a jumper.
Following a pair of Konor Kulas free throws for Mines, the Marauders went off for another eight straight points.
Damonta Henry put back his own missed shot for the first points before adding a free throw on the Marauders next possession. Henry followed with a three pointer before a steal by
Rickey Suggs set up an Edwards layup to finish the run.
SD Mines closed within three at 29-26 when Jamall Taylor nailed a triple but U-Mary fought back, scoring seven straight points on two
Brenden Mann free throws, a 3-pointer by Henry and a Douglas layup.
Inside the final minute before half, Henry hit his third trey of the first 20 minutes to provide U-Mary a 44-33 lead at intermission.
The Marauders lead eventually grew to as many as 17 points before the Hardrockers clawed within seven points three different times. U-Mary had a response each time, including five straight points by Mann after SDSMT came within 73-66. U-Mary later used a 14-2 run to build a 20 point lead in the final minute of the game.
U-Mary shot 57.1 percent from the floor, including a 10-for-21 effort behind the arc, while holding Mines to a 44.1 percent mark overall and just 6-of-20 on 3-pointers. The Marauders held a 38-26 rebounding edge and committed just eight turnovers after giving the ball away at least 20 times in each of the first two games of the season.
Edwards hit 6-of-8 shots from the floor and went 8-of-10 at the free throw line. He also had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Isaac Lindquist posted the Marauders third double double of the season, scoring 12 points and hauling down 11 rebounds.
Tyler Brandon hit four treys and scored 14 points. Henry came off the bench to chip in 12 points and made three treys in five attempts. Jefferson added 10 points, her third straight game scoring in double digits. Also in a reserve roll, Mann added 11 points. Douglas just missed a double double with eight points and eight rebounds.
Kulas headlined the Hardrockers efforts with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Taylor added 13 points.
The Marauders next host MSU Billings on Monday, Nov. 23, in U-Mary's home opener.
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