BISMARCK, ND – In a game between two teams looking for their first conference win of the season, the University of Mary fell just short as visiting University of Minnesota Duluth edged the Marauders 63-58. Tied with just under five minutes left in the game, the Bulldogs doubled the Marauders output 10-5 in the closing minutes.
In a game that featured five lead changes and seven ties, the Marauders (2-9 overall, 0-2 NSIC) knotted the contest 53-53 on a
Matthew Kreklow basket with 4:37 left in the game. Brandon Myer, who led all players with 20 points, followed with a jumper to push UMD (4-7, 1-5) in front and start an 8-0 run for the Bulldogs.
Myer followed with a pair of free throws before baskets by Logan Rohrscheib and Luke Harris pushed the UMD lead to 61-53 with 2:33 on the clock.
With plenty of time remaining, the Marauders made a quick push. After a
Trevor Zacher free throw,
Keith Hunter grabbed a defensive layup and pushed the ball down court for a layup. Another defensive stop led to a pair of
Connor Hellebust free throws, cutting the Bulldogs lead to 61-58 at the 1:24 mark.
Two more defensive stop by the Marauders provided UMary a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds. Hunter, already with three 3-pointers in the game, squared up atop the key with five seconds left in the game but just missed the equalizer. Myer grabbed the rebound, was immediately fouled and connected twice with two seconds left in the game to seal the Bulldog's win.
Hunter led UMary with 17 points and eight rebounds. The junior was 3-of-8 on treys while the rest of the Marauders finished 2-of-10 behind the arc.
Despite early foul trouble, Kreklow scored 12 points, making 6-of-8 shots. Zacher posted 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Myer led UMD with 20 points and seven rebounds. Trevor Entwisle made 3-of-4 trey attempts and had 11 points and five assists.
UMary made 45.1 percent of its shots to the 41.4 percent effort for UMD. The Bulldogs were 7-of-24 behind the arc and went 8-of-11 at the free throw line. The Marauders finished 5-of-18 on treys and 7-of-10 at the line.
The Marauders return to action on New Year's Eve when UMary hosts St. Cloud State University at 4 pm on Sunday, December 31.
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