BISMARCK, ND – If any team needed a game in front of their home crowd, it was the University of Mary men's basketball team. After opening the season with three difficult losses in games decided in the final minute of play, the Marauders exploded offensively and continued to play gritty defense in a 94-44 win over Yellowstone Christian College.
Tight early, the Marauders buried the Centurions with a 25-5 run to build a 42-19 lead. An
Evan Anderson three-pointer was the first of eight straight shots to fall for UMary, followed by a
Lucas Mayer layup.
Tom Kubank sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a fast break layup by Anderson.
Connor Hellebust drained treys on the Marauders next two possessions before a
Richard Brown layup finished off the blistering offensive run.
Once the Marauders built a 20 point lead with 8:06 remaining in the opening half the lead kept growing, eventually reaching a spread of as many as 51 points.
All 11 Marauders who played in the game scored. UMary's leading scorer entering the game,
Jaylan White, posted the fewest points on the team against the Centurions, hitting two free throws in the second half, and didn't take a shot from the floor all game. Instead the junior point guard made sure his teammates were in a position to score as he distributed three assists in the game and didn't commit a turnover.
Kubank led the Marauders with 20 points and eight rebounds. The senior forward made 7-of-8 shots overall, including a 4-of-5 night behind the arc. Hellebust added a pair of treys and scored a season-best 14 points. Anderson and Brown came off the bench to score ten each and Mayer added nine points and six rebounds in a reserve role.
Johnnie Turner had six points, six rebounds and six assists plus three steals.
Krek Jones led YCC with 14 points.
The Marauders shot a season-best 53.7 percent from the floor and made 11-of-23 treys. UMary entered the night shooting under 40 percent for the season.
UMary held a 47-27 edge in rebounds, committed just nine turnovers while forcing 20, and held Yellowstone Cristian to a 29.1 shooting percentage.
The Marauders (1-3) continue their six-game home stand on Tuesday, Nov. 20, when South Dakota School of Mines and Technology visits the McDowell Activity Center. Game time is 6 pm.
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