BISMARCK, N.D. – The victory may not have been wrapped in pretty packaging but the University of Mary men's basketball team will enjoy it none the less. Behind a career-high 29 points from Bryan Jefferson, the Marauders completed a season sweep of instate rival Minot State University with a 72-71 home win.
 
Jefferson connected on all 11 free throw attempts – including four straight in the 36 seconds – and made 9-of-13 field goals to carry a Marauders offense that struggled shooting the ball. The junior forward also hauled down a team-high 11 rebounds to record his fourth double double of the season.
 
A game separated by no more than seven points the last eight minutes of the game, the Marauders managed to match the Beavers whenever Minot State seemed poised to make a run.
 
After the Beavers pulled within 65-62, Brenden Mann knocked down a trey with 3:23 to play to rebuild the Marauders lead to six. U-Mary responded to a Chris Davis 3-pointer for Minot State at 1:43 with a pair of Jefferson free throws with 36 seconds left.
 
Unable to shake the Beavers, Tyler Rudolph cut the Marauders lead to 70-68 at 0:28 with a 3-ball. Once again it was Jefferson who responded. With six seconds on the clock, he made a pair of free throws to push the U-Mary advantage to 72-68.
 
The Marauders would need every single one of those points.  
 
First, Luis Ricci Maia hit a trey with .3 seconds on the clock.
 
Then, needing just to inbound the ball to claim the win, Marquealis Edwards was called for an offensive foul, allowing Minot State one final chance. Having to catch and shoot almost simultaneously, Maia attempted a shot on top of the key from 25 feet that fell well short of the goal after the clock expired.
 
The victory gave the Marauders a season sweep against the Beavers for the first time since 2002-03 when both schools competed in the Dakota Athletic Conference.
 
The tenth win of the season for U-Mary, the Marauders have now exceeded last year's win total of nine. Additionally, this is just the third time U-Mary has had double digit wins in what is their tenth season of competing in the NCAA.
 
The Marauders are 10-2 overall and 5-1 in the Northern Sun. The Beavers are 4-7 and 0-6.
 
"I am so proud of the character our team continues to show," said Marauders head coach Joe Kittell. "They play hard, play with passion, and refuse to let anything get in their way.
 
"I tip my hat to Minot State. Those guys can really play and are going make something happen after Christmas."
 
Brandon Tyler gave the Marauders an outside threat to match Jefferson inside. The senior guard knocked down three treys in five attempts and scored 13 points. Edwards, who was 8-of-14 at the free throw line, added 12 points and seven rebounds, He also had three assists and three steals.
 
Rudolph led the Beavers with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Maia hit four 3-pointers, scored 14 points and added three assists. Davis and Stevan Jovanovic each added 10.
 
One of the top shooting teams in the nation, U-Mary shot just 38.6 percent from the floor. The Marauders ranked 3^rd in NCAA Division II and first in the NSIC with a 52.1 field goal percentage entering the game. Minot State made 50 per cent of their shots, including an 8-of-18 effort behind the arc.
 
Also the top rebounding team in the NSIC, the Marauders trailed the Beavers 36-31 on the boards.
 
The Marauders are off until the New Year when U-Mary hosts the University of Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State University on Jan. 2-3, 2016.
 
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