BURNSVILLE, MN – Youth is on the side of a University of Mary women's basketball team that features five juniors and a slew of underclassmen. The Marauders are picked to finish sixth overall in the 2018-19 NSIC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll and third in the North Division. Expected to lead the charge is all-conference junior forward
Gabbie Bohl, the NSIC North Preseason Player of the year.
UMary picked up 164 points in the overall poll and one first place vote. Sioux Falls is the preseason favorite to win the league, earning nine first place votes and 208 points total. MSU Moorhead (185) was picked second, followed by Concordia-St. Paul (178), Augustana (175), Minnesota Duluth (174), UMary (164), Winona State (163), Northern State (133), Minnesota State (114), Wayne State (98), St. Cloud State (97), Southwest Minnesota State (73), Minnesota Crookston (63), Minot State (42), Bemidji State (30), and Upper Iowa (23).
In the North division, Minnesota Duluth is the favorite to finish first, followed by MSU Moorhead, UMary, Northern State, St. Cloud State, Minnesota Crookston, Minot State and Bemidji State.
In the south, Sioux Falls is the favorite, followed by Concordia-St. Paul, Augustana, Winona State, Minnesota State, Wayne State, Southwest Minnesota State, and Upper Iowa.
UMary finished last season with a 13-16 overall record, going 9-13 in overall NSIC play (11th) and 4-10 in the North (6th)
Bohl is the NSIC North Preseason Player of the Year. As a sophomore, the Minot, ND, native averaged a team-high 18 points per game and hauled down 7.3 rebounds per game while blocking 1.4 shots/game and shooting 50.1 percent from the floor. She had six double doubles and reached double figures in points in 27 of 28 games. The UMary post player ranked third in the NSIC in scoring, 3
rd in field goal percentage, 9
th in blocks and 11
th in rebounding. Her 182 free throw attempts was first in the NSIC and 12
th in NCAA Division II and the 125 makes was fourth in the league.
Bohl has earned conference honors her first two years with UMary. She earned All-NSIC first team honors in 2018. In 2017, she was named NSIC Freshman of the Year, earned All-NSIC second team honors and was named to the All-Freshman team.
After two seasons Bohl has 978 career points, 19
th all-time at UMary.
The Marauders return four of their five starters from the 2017-18 season, including All-NSIC second team honoree junior forward
Cassie Askvig who averaged 14.3 points/game and a team high 8.8 rebounds/game. UMary also returns junior guard
Lauren Rotunda the team leader in assists (3.3) and steals (1.5) to go along with her 10.3 PPG. Sharp shooter sophomore guard
Macy Williams will also be back for the 2018-19 season. Williams knocked down 43 three pointers for the Marauders last season to average 7.3 PPG and 2.5 assists/game.
The Marauders open exhibition play on Thursday, November 1, at South Dakota State University. The regular season commences November 14 against Yellowstone Christian College at 6 PM at the McDowell Activity Center.
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