BISMARCK, N.D. – Leading by 14 with a little more than eight minutes to play after a pair Bryan Jefferson free throws, the University of Mary men's basketball team looked poised to open the second half of the conference season with a victory. Thoughts of a win soon turned into the reality of a defeat as visiting Upper Iowa University rallied to stun U-Mary 73-66.
 
Despite the loss, the Marauders remain fourth in the overall Northern Sun standings and third in the NSIC North Division. U-Mary is 13-5 overall and 8-4 in league play. Upper Iowa is 10-11 and 6-6. 
 
One of the top offensive and defensive teams in the Northern Sun, the Marauders were clicking on both ends of the court and led by as many as 16 points in the second half. When Jefferson hit a layup off a feed from Marquealis Edwards with 8:42 left in the game, and then followed with a pair of free throws on U-Mary's next possession at the 8:08 mark, the Marauders held a commanding 64-50 lead over the Peacocks.
 
Suddenly playing like the game moved outside into the sub-zero temperatures that had enveloped the northern plains, the Marauders failed to score again until Edwards hit a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left. In the final 8:08 of the game, the Marauders missed 13 straight shots and turned the ball over three times.
 
Upper Iowa had no such difficulties on offense, scoring 19 straight points and 23 of the final 25 of the game.
 
The Peacocks rally started slowly behind four straight free throws. A Jimmy Roth 3-pointer pulled UIU within 64-57 with 5:22 to go. It was the first time the Peacocks were within single digits of the Marauders in over 11 minutes.
 
Roth followed with a pair of free throws before a steal leading to an Elliot Kane trey closed the gap to two. Following a Peacocks free throw, Kane knocked down another trey to give the Peacocks a 66-64 lead at the 1:50 mark. It was their first lead in over 35 minutes.
 
Three more free throws built the Upper Iowa lead to 69-64 before Edwards hit a pair with 26 seconds left in the game. With U-Mary unable to steal the ball and forced to foul, Jace Hanna and Carson Parker both made two free throws to ice the game.
 
The Marauders were highly efficient offensively in the first half, shooting 58.6 percent from the floor, including a 5-of-9 effort behind the arc. The second half proved completely different. U-Mary was 1-of-12 on treys and shot 29.6 percent overall and finished the game at 44.6 percent. Upper Iowa shot 45.1 percent for the game from the floor and made 21-of-26 free throws, including 16-of-20 after intermission.
 
Jefferson led the Marauders with 17 points. He was 7-of-9 shooting, had three assists and two steals. Devan Douglas had 12 points, six rebounds and four assists. Isaac Lindquist added 11 points. Additionally Edwards scored eight points and had eight assists.
 
Roth scored a game-high 24 points for the Peacocks. Lenhart and Parker both had 12.
 
The Marauders now begin a four-game road trip, beginning at St.. Cloud State on Friday, Jan. 22.
 
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