CROOKSTON, MN – In a fight for a home playoff game, University of Mary senior
Rickey Suggs struck for a career-high 26 points and
Bryan Jefferson registered a double double but their efforts still left the Marauders short in their regular season finale. The University of Minnesota Crookston knocked off Mary 91-80 to earn a split in the season series and cost the Marauders a home game in the first round of the Northern Sun tournament.
Tied for fourth in the NSIC North division final standings, a tiebreaker dropped the Marauders to the fifth seed in the NSIC / Sanford Health men's basketball tournament. Mary will open the tournament at Minnesota State University – the fourth seed in the NSIC South – on Wednesday, Feb. 22. The winner between the Marauders and the Mavericks will face the MSU Moorhead and Concordia-St. Paul victor in the quarterfinal round at the Sanford Pentagon on Sunday, Feb. 26, at noon.
A close game throughout, a Suggs steal and layup closed out a 16-6 Marauders run at the end of the first half to build a 40-36 lead at intermission.
Up by five at 57-52 with over 13 minutes remaining, the game soon turned against the Mary. Suddenly unable to make shots, the Marauders couldn't match the Golden Eagles during a 24-7 UMC run as the home team built a 76-64 lead. Mary hit just 3-of-12 shots during the stretch.
Continuing to chip away, Mary closed within six points with 1:39 left in the game after a pair of Suggs free throws. UMC answered with a Harrison Cleary 3-pointer to end Mary's hopes of making further inroads into the deficit.
Suggs knocked down 9-of-16 shots and hit 8-of-12 free throws for Mary. He added seven rebounds and two steals.
Jefferson scored 25 points and added 10 rebounds. He made 11-of-16 field goals and was 3-for-5 at the line.
Trevor Zacher came off the bench to score 12 points and made the Marauders lone trey of the game. He also had six rebounds.
Cleary led UMC with 33 points and seven assists. He made 14-of-17 shots in the game. Chase Knickerbocker added 27 points and eight rebounds.
The Marauders finish the regular season 12-16 overall and 10-12 in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles are 8-20 and 4-18.
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