BISMARCK, ND – Playing the final home game of their careers, University of Mary men's basketball seniors Trevor Zacher and Michael Gorder combined for 33 points and walked off Bortke Court with a hard-fought 80-70 victory over the University of Minnesota Crookston.
 
The only two UMary seniors both had big nights. Zacher posted 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting. The Beulah, ND, native knocked down 3-of-5 trey attempts and both his free throws. Zacher also had five rebounds and three assists.
 
Making his fifth straight start and just the sixth of his career, Gorder posted 12 points one night after reaching a career-high with 13 against Bemidji State. Stuffing all the categories, the native of Eagan, MN, made 5-of-8 shots, snared seven rebounds, dished three assists and made three steals.
 


Jaylan White and Connor Hellebust also had strong performances in the backcourt for the Marauders. A sophomore, White posted 16 points and eight assists, which tied his career-high. He also hit three treys in the game.
 
Hellebust came off the bench and scored 12 points, knocking down 3-of-5 shots from behind the arc. He also played a key defensive role in limiting the Golden Eagles Harrison Cleary to just 10 points, over 14 fewer than the NSIC's leading scorer was averaging entering the contest.
 
A tight first half where no one held more than a 5-point lead, White brought the crowd to their feet when he connected from beyond half court in front of the scorer's table for a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to give UMary a 30-29 lead at intermission.
 
White's half-court buzzer beater provided the spark the Marauders needed, delivering a lead that was never relinquished. Gorder hit a layup on the first possession of the second half and Hellebust followed with a trey to provide a fast start.
 
A Zacher 3-pointer provided the Marauders their first double digit lead of the night at 58-48 with just under eight minutes to play. Eventually the UMary lead grew to 12 points.
 
Refusing to fade away, a pair of free throws and a layup on consecutive possessions by Cleary narrowed the Marauders lead to 64-58. Gorder responded with a pair of free throws to push the lead back to eight. Following another UMC basket, Zacher scored four straight points on a jumper in the paint and a pair of free throws to rebuild the lead back to ten points.
 
UMC managed to close within single digits four times in the final minute but UMary responded each time. Freshman Lucas Mayer hit four straight free throws and freshman Wyatt Carr nailed two. Zacher then responded to the fourth incursion with a basket in the paint off a feed from Gorder.
 
The Marauders shot 48 percent for the game overall, including an 11-of-25 effort behind the arc. UMary was also 19-of-24 at the line. UMC made 42 percent of its shots and went 15-of-18 at the line.
 
UMary is 6-20 and 4-18 in the NSIC, earning the 8^th seed in the NSIC North Division. The Marauders open the 2018 NSIC Sanford Health Man's Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, February 21, at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, MN. Game time between the Mustangs and the Marauders is 7 pm at the R/A Center. UMary lost at SMSU 83-61 on February 3.
 
The winner between the Marauders and the Mustangs will advance to the NSIC quarterfinals on Saturday, February 24, at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD, against the winner of the Sioux Falls vs. Bemidji State contest. The semifinals are Monday, February 26, with the championship game set for Tuesday, February 27.
 
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