WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
 
THIS WEEKEND
Winners in three of their last four games, the University of Mary women's basketball team returns home for a busy weekend featuring the return of basketball alumni and "It's a Slam Dunk Don't Drive Drunk" activity. On the court the Marauders host Northern Sun South Division foes Upper Iowa University and Winona State University on Friday and Saturday, January 26-27 at the McDowell Activity Center. The opener features the Marauders and the Peacocks at 6 pm on Friday. UMary and the Warriors tip off at 4 pm on Saturday.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders gained a road split, falling 85-74 at Minnesota Crookston before downing Bemidji State 68-58. In a back-and-forth game, the Marauders jumped out to a big lead and dominated the first and third quarters. The Golden Eagles would control the second and fourth quarters to capture the win. Gabbie Bohl led the Marauders with 20 points and Cassie Askvig added 18. Abby Guidinger led UMC with 22… UMary closed the trip with a big fourth quarter at BSU with Askvig and Lauren Rotunda combining for 15 points in the final ten minutes. Askvig led UM with 22 points and eight rebounds. Rotund had 14 points. Bohl scored 18 points, had eight rebounds and four blocks, and went 10-of-12 at the free throw line. Brooklyn Bachmann led BSU with 19 points and nine rebounds.
 
THE RECORD
The Marauders are 9-11 overall and 5-9 in the NSIC (6^th NSIC North, 10^th overall)
 
ALUMNI WEEKEND JANUARY 26-27
Marauders women's basketball honors their alumni January 26-27 with a special emphasis on the Roger Haug coaching era of 1990-2003 that includes the national title team of 2000. Under Haug's direction the Marauders were 233-119 with eight conference titles and six national tournament appearances. Saturday, January 27, features a women's alumni game at 9 AM, a men's alumni game at 10 am, the women's and men's varsity games at 4 pm/6 pm, and a post-game social for all University of Mary basketball alumni in Chick's Place. Women's basketball alumni planning to attend any of the weekend festivities should contact assistant women's basketball coach Kayla Timmerman at kmtimmerman@umary.edu.
 
BEK TO TELEVISE MARAUDERS-PEACOCKS GAME STATEWIDE
The BEK Broadcasting Network will carry Friday's University of Mary men's and women's basketball home games against Upper Iowa University live statewide on BEK Prime. The Marauders-Peacocks doubleheader tips off at 6 pm with the women's game. The men's contest starts at approximately 8 pm. View the Marauders basketball games on the BEK Broadcasting Network via local cable providers on BEK PRIME and on KNDB/KNDM in Western North Dakota and KRDK in Eastern North Dakota. Visit www.bektel.com/bbn for local channel assignments and current broadcast schedule. The BEK Broadcasting Network is also available nationally on BEK Now via your ROKU streaming device. Check out www.beknow.tv for more information.        
 
 
FAST BREAK

• The Marauders have captured three of their last four games moving within a game of fifth in the NSIC North and three games of fourth place and a possible home court appearance in the first round of the conference tournament. Eight games remain in the regular season.
• The last time UMary was home two weeks ago the Marauders swept NSIC South division foes Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State
• After playing eight of their first ten conference games against teams in the top six of the standings, UMary is now in a stretch of playing just two out of eight games against teams with winning records
• UMary has played games against four nationally-ranked teams this season: home and away against #19 and #16 Northern State, neutral site game against #11 Central Missouri and at #23 Augustana (rankings at time of game)
• Just the 24^th UMary women's basketball player to crack 900 points in her career, Sr. G Dani Williams is up to 19th on the all-time scoring list with 955 points after passing Jennifer Lunde (950) last weekend. Next up on the list is #18 Kayla Rogers (974). UMary's all-time leading scorer is Brittney Dietz with 1,836 points, set from 2012-16.
• Soph. F Gabbie Bohl is up to 807 career points in 50 games
• Soph. F Cassie Askvig cracked 500 career points last weekend with 517
• Soph. G Lauren Rotunda is closing in on 500 career points with a current total of 476
• The Marauders have allowed 69 or fewer points in 13 of 20 games, including 8-of-10 home games
• Marauders graduate assistant Kayla Timmerman played three seasons at Winona State, earning all-Northern Sun honors at WSU and making a trip to the NCAA tournament with the Warriors.
• Gabbie Bohl (17.5 ppg) and Cassie Askvig (14.2 ppg) combine to average 31.7 ppg, tops among any pair of teammates in the NSIC

 
OPPO RESEARCH – UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY PEACOCKS
Upper Iowa University is 2-18 overall and 0-14 in the NSIC (8^th NSIC South, 16^th overall)… The only team without at least three conference wins… on a 16-game losing streak… has lost 16 straight conference games… haven't scored more than 62 points in game since defeating McKendree 70-63 on Nov. 17, 2017… Last in the NSIC in scoring (53.5 ppg) and 14^th in points allowed (72.1 ppg)… 5^th in free throw percentage (.748)… Leading scorer Jr. G Blair Klostermann (12.3 ppg) has missed the last six games due to injury. She was an All-NSIC 1^st team selection last year after averaging over 19 ppg … Natalie Dinius averages 10.2 ppg.. Haley Martin leads UIU with 6.1 rebounds/game… Head coach Micah Thompson is in her second season at UIU and is 6-41.
 
HISTORY LESSON The Marauders are 13-3 all-time against the Peacocks… UMary lost the first meeting between the schools at Fayette, IA, on Dec. 1, 2006, the Marauders first-ever NSIC game… The Marauders are 8-0 at home and 5-3 on the road.
LAST MEETING Never trailing in the game, the visiting Marauders defeated the Peacocks 59-57 on Jan. 27, 2017. UM outscored UIU 44-22 in the paint and was +10 in rebounds. Gabbie Bohl had 22 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Hannah Larson added 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. UMary didn't make a 3-pointer in the game (0-for-10). Blair Klostermann had 21 points for UIU.
 
OPPO RESEARCH – WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WARRIORS
Winona State is 13-5 overall and 9-5 in the NSIC (4^th NSIC South, 7^th overall)… lost four straight games (longest since dropping 11 in a row in 2013-14)… Field goal percentage of 44% is 4^th in the NSIC… 3-point shooting percentage of 34% is 6^th in the league… Warriors allow just 57.6 ppg, second fewest in the NSIC… SR F Hannah McGlone leads NSIC in rebounding (10.9 rpg), is 6^th in scoring (14.4 ppg) and second in field goal percentage (55%). Her 10 doubles-doubles rank 12th among all Division II players… Allie Pickrain averages 11.6 ppg… Head coach Scott Ballard is in his 14^th season as head coach at Winona State and has a record of 245-156.
 
HISTORY LESSON The Marauders are 8-11 all-time against the Warriors… UMary is 7-3 at home and WSU is 8-1 on its home court… In the NSIC tournament UMary is 2-2 against WSU with both wins coming at home. UMary won playoff games at home 76-67 in 2010 and 72-66 in 2014 before falling 64-59 in 2017. Winona State won at home in 2015 (67-62)… In the last UMary home game the Marauders defeated #12 WSU 83-80 on January 15, 2016. Brittney Dietz scored 26 points and blocked a Warriors 3-point attempt at the buzzer. Hannah Larson added 20 points and Dani Williams 17.
 
LAST MEETING In a game that featured 16 lead changes and eight ties, the Marauders couldn't hold off a late charge by the visiting Warriors in a 64-59 loss on February 22, 2017, in the opening round of the 2017 NSIC tournament. Gabbie Bohl scored a game-high 20 points for the Marauders. Hannah Larson added 14 and Dani Williams 10. Kayla Timmerman and Jenny Tuttle each had 15 for WSU.
 
LINE PLAY
The Marauders had a big weekend at the free throw line. UMary was 18-of-24 at the free throw line at UMC. In the road win at Bemidji State, UMary was 28-for-34, setting season-highs for makes and attempts… After struggling at the line much of the season (.685 free throw percentage this year), the Marauders are 80-for-99 in their last four games, converting at a rate of 81%... Gabbie Bohl leads the NSIC and is 12^th in the country in free throw attempts (134).
 
DEEEE-FENSE
The Marauders allow 63.5 points/game, 8th in the NSIC. Teams make just 38.9 percent of their shots against UMary… The 45 points allowed against Minot State was the fewest in a conference game for UMary since defeating Minnesota Duluth 54-44 on January 23, 2016. The Marauders followed up their performance against the Beavers by allowing UMD to score just 51 points and shoot 28.8 percent from the floor.
 
PICKPOCKET
UMary averages 6.3 steals/game. Lauren Rotunda is the leader in thievery with 1.6 steals/game, 7th in the league.
 
REJECTION
The Marauders are 3rd in the NSIC in blocked shots at 4.5/game. Gabbie Bohl leads the Marauders in blocks with 28 to rank 9^th in the NSIC with 1.5 rejections per game. Cassie Askvig is second on the team and 11^th in the NSIC at 1.4 blocks/game… UMary ranks 20^th nationally in blocked shots with 90.
 
DOWNTOWN
Averaging 6.7 treys/game, the Marauders are 6th in the NSIC. Sr. G Dani Williams leads UMary with 2.0 made treys/game, 6th in the NSIC. After hitting 18 in their last two home games, the Marauders connected just eight times behind the arc in two road games last weekend.
 
MAC ATTACK
The Marauders are 7-3 at home this season at the McDowell Activity Center.
 
FOUR SCORE
Four Marauders nearly average double digits in points. Gabbie Bohl (17.5 ppg) leads the way, followed by Cassie Askvig (14.2 ppg) and Lauren Rotunda (10.3 ppg). Dani Williams is at 8.4 ppg.
 
YOUNG
Dani Williams may almost feel out of place in the Marauders starting lineup as the senior guard is the only upperclassmen among the five starters. She is joined by sophomores Gabbie Bohl, Lauren Rotunda and Cassie Askvig and freshman Macy Williams.
 
POWER PLAY
The 2017 NSIC Freshman of the Year and an all-conference second team selection, sophomore post Gabbie Bohl is a dominant force in the middle for the Marauders. The Minot, ND, native is third in the NSIC in scoring (17.5 points per game), 11th in field goal percentage (.500), 12th in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and 9^th in blocks (1.5/game)… She just missed her career scoring mark by a point when she posted 30 points at #23 Augustana, making 14-of-17 free throws in the game. Bohl had 21 points the day before at Wayne State… She has scored in double figures in 18 of the 19 games she has played this season… Bohl has two double doubles (24 and 13 vs. Dickinson State and 14 and 10 vs. Minnesota Duluth) and missed two others by a single rebound.
 
THREE FOR THREE
While her uniform number may be coincidental, senior guard Dani Williams is the Marauders leading 3-point shooter. Williams is shooting 41.3 percent from behind the arc and has knocked down 38 treys this season. Williams is 6th in the NSIC in 3-pointers per game at 2.0 and is 6th in 3-point field goal percentage among players with at least 31 makes.
 
GROWTH
In her first season as a starter, Cassie Askvig is having a tremendous season. The sophomore forward leads the team in rebounds with 8.5/game (5^th in the NSIC) and blocks with 26 (11^th in the NSIC). She is second on the squad in scoring at 14.2 ppg (7^th in the NSIC), and assists (2.7/game) and third in 3-pointers (23).  She is shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 33.9 percent behind the arc. Askvig scored a career-high 25 points against MSU Moorhead and Minnesota Duluth. She also had career-highs with 18 rebounds and five blocks against the Bulldogs… Askvig was named the NSIC Player of the Week January 2 after averaging 20.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 2.0 rebounds in a weekend split over Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State… She has five double doubles this season.
 
SOUND ALL-AROUND
A member of the NSIC All-Freshman team last spring, sophomore Lauren Rotunda has taken another step forward this season. The Fargo, ND, native averages 10.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting .381 from the floor and .807 at the free throw line. Rotunda five double doubles this season, including one against Northern State. 
 
LISTEN LIVE
University of Mary fans can listen to all Marauders conference games live on Fox Sports 710 as Rick Anthony, the Voice of the Marauders, brings you all the game action. You can also listen live online at www.foxsports710.com. Click the "Listen Live" link to stream the game in real time.
 
ON THE HORIZON
The Marauders begin a four-game road trip – their longest of the Northern Sun season – at Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State on February 2-3.
 
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