THIS WEEKEND
Making their last road trip of the 2017-18 regular season, the University of Mary women's basketball team visits two teams in front of the Marauders in the Northern Sun standings on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 9-10, as UMary looks to finish in the top four in the NSIC North. UMary visits the St. Cloud State University Huskies on Friday at 6 pm in Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, MN. On Saturday the Marauders take on the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs in Duluth, MN, at 4 pm in the Romano Gymnasium.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders split a pair of road games against NSIC South competitors. UMary opened the start of a four-game road trip with a 76-71 win at the University of Sioux Falls, the 3^rd place team in the NSIC South. The Marauders grabbed a lead after outscoring the Cougars 25-10 in the second quarter. UMary went 28-of-31 at the free throw line. Gabby Bohl paced the Marauders with 18 points and ten rebounds. Cassie Askvig added 18 points and seven rebounds and Lauren Rotunda had 14 points. All five UMary starters reached double figures in points. Kaely Hummel had 19 points for USF… The Marauders had their win streak snapped at Southwest Minnesota State University 73-58. The Mustangs, 7^th in the NSIC South, led 27-11 at the end of the first quarter. Freshman Macy Williams led the Marauders with 21 points, hitting 5-of-7 trey attempts. The rest of the Marauders finished 3-of-15 behind the arc. Posting a second straight double double, Gabbie Bohl had 17 points and 10 rebounds. She also had four blocks. Askvig added 12 points. UMary was 8-of-10 at the free throw line. Caleigh Rodning had 22 points for SMSU.
 
THE RECORD
The Marauders are 12-12 overall and 8-10 in the NSIC (6th NSIC North, 10th overall).
 
PLAYOFF CHASE
With four games remaining, UMary (8 NSIC wins) is four wins behind St. Cloud State (12 wins) for third place in the NSIC North and two games behind both Minnesota Duluth (10 wins) and Minot State (10 wins) for fourth place. The Marauders play at both SCSU and UMD this weekend. At home earlier this season the Marauders defeated the Bulldogs but lost to the Huskies. The Marauders split two games with travel partner Beavers.
 
Previously the top four teams in the NSIC North and South Division would host the opening round of the league tournament. This year, while the seeding remains the same (#1 team in the North hosts #8 team in South, 2-vs.7, 3 vs 6, 4-vs. 5), the team with the better conference record will host, no matter the seed. If the Marauders earned the fifth seed in the north and has a better NSIC record than the South team, UMary would host. If the two teams have the same record, the higher seed gets the home game. However, if the two teams have the same record but the lower seed defeated its opponent on the road, the lower seed gets the home game.
 
Currently the Marauders could finish anywhere from third to seventh in the NSIC North.
                                           
FAST BREAK

• The Marauders wrap up a four-game road trip this weekend, their longest of the season
• UMary is 3-7 on the road this season / 9-3 at home / 0-2 neutral
• The Marauders have won six of eight games
• After losing their first six conference road games UMary is 2-1 in their last three road games
• The Marauders finished 5-3 against NSIC South teams this season after going 2-6 last year
• 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 24th UMary women's basketball player to crack 900 points in her career, Sr. G Dani Williams is up to 18th on the all-time scoring list with 990 points. Next on the list at #17 is Maren Loe (991). UMary's all-time leading scorer is Brittney Dietz with 1,836 points, set from 2012-16.
• Soph. F Gabbie Bohl is up to 887 career points in 54 games
• Soph. F Cassie Askvig cracked 500 career points and has 579 in 54 games
• Soph. G Lauren Rotunda cracked 500 career points last weekend and now owns 508 in 54 games
• The Marauders have allowed 69 or fewer points in 15 of 24 games, including 10-of-12 home games

  
OPPO RESEARCH – ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY HUSKIES
St. Cloud State is 15-7 overall and 12-6 in the Northern Sun (3^rd NSIC North, 5^th overall)… Huskies defeated UMD 71-65 on the road Tuesday to build a 2-game lead over the Bulldogs and Minot State and a 4-game lead over the Marauders for third in the NSIC North with four games remaining… Huskies have won three straight and 9-of-12… 9-2 at home… SCSU allows NSIC-low  58.3 ppg… teams are shooting just .294 against SCSU from behind the arc… 4^th in NSIC at +5.6 rebounds/game… Andrea Thomas averages a team-best 13.1 ppg… Tori Wortz checks in at 10.5 ppg… Head coach Lori Fish won her 200th career game in SCSU's 1^st win of the season against UMD and is her 10th year leading the Huskies. She is 144-119 at SCSU and 209-175 in 14 seasons as a head coach.
 
HISTORY LESSON The Marauders are 8-10 against the Huskies during UMary's NCAA era… The Marauders are 4-5 at home against the Huskies… UMary is 4-4 on the road and 0-1 at neutral site games against SCSU… Entering 2017-18 the two schools have split the last four seasons with the home teams going 4-4… The longest win streak for either team is three.
 
LAST MEETING Gabbie Bohl and Cassie Askvig combined for 37 points in the Marauders 65-56 home loss to SCSU on New Year's Eve. Bohl had 21 points and Askvig 16 points and 12 rebounds. UMary shot just 37 percent from the field and went 12-of-21 at the free throw line. SCSU made 40.4 of its shots, made 8-of-19 treys and went 15-of-17 at the free throw line. Andrea Thomas led SCSU with 19 points.
 
OPPO RESEARCH – UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH BULLDOGS
Minnesota Duluth is 13-9 overall and 10-8 in the Northern Sun (4^th in NSIC North, 6^th overall)… lost 71-65 to SCSU on Tuesday, creating a two-game separation in the standings between 3^rd place SCSU and UMD… The Bulldogs are tied with Minot State for 4^th place in the NSIC North… UMD has lost five of its last seven games… Home record of 8-3 this year… In midst of a five-game home stand… Allowing just 61 ppg, 3^rd fewest in NSIC… 2^nd to bottom in free throw percentage (.677)… 3^rd in steals (8.8 game)… 2^nd in NSIC in turnover margin at +4.77…
All-NSIC second team selection Sammy Kozlowski is the lone returning Bulldogs starter from last season. An NSIC Player of the Week selection this year, the junior averages a team-high 11.0 ppg, leads the NSIC in assists (5.5/game) and is second in steals (2.0/game)… Head coach Mandy Pearson is in her third season directing the Bulldogs.
 
HISTORY LESSON The Marauders are 10-7 against the Bulldogs during UMary's NCAA era… UMary holds a 6-2 edge in home games at the McDowell Activity Center… On the road at Romano Gym, the Marauders are 3-5 against the Bulldogs… UMary is 8-2 in the last nine games against UMD… The Marauders swept the Bulldogs in 2015-16 and split the UMD series in 2016-17 with both teams protecting their home court.
 
LAST MEETING Homestanding UMary cranked up the defensive pressure in a 65-51 win over Minnesota Duluth on December 30, 2017. Cassie Askvig dominated the contest with 25 points, 18 rebounds and five blocked shots, all career-highs. Gabbie Bohl added 14 points and ten rebounds. Emma Boehm led UMD with 10 points. UMD shot just 29 percent on the night to UMary's 44 percent. The Marauders held a 53-30 rebounding advantage.
 
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Gabbie Bohl (17.9 ppg) and Cassie Askvig (14.4 ppg) combine to average 32.3 ppg, tops among any pair of teammates in the NSIC. Next is Northern State's combo of Miranda Ristau (19.1 ppg) and Jill Conrad (11.8 ppg) at 30.9 ppg.
 
LINE PLAY
After struggling at the line much of the season, the Marauders have picked up the pace over the last six games, converting 140-of-174 (.805). For the year UMary is shooting 70.5 percent, just 12^th in the NSIC. A big factor in the upsurge is Gabbie Bohl, who made 44-of-54 free throws (81.5 percent) over those eight contests. She is one of the nation's leaders in free throw attempts (12^th with 156).
 
DEEEE-FENSE
The Marauders allow 63.1 points/game, 9th in the NSIC. Teams make just 38.7 percent of their shots against UMary, 7^th best in the NSIC.
 
DEEEE-FENSE V2
The 38 points the Marauders surrendered to Upper Iowa was the fewest allowed by UMary in an NSIC game since joining the conference in 2006-07. The previous low was 42 at Minnesota Crookston on February 16, 2007, a 62-42 UMary win.
 
PICKPOCKET
UMary averages 6.2 steals/game. Lauren Rotunda is the leader in thievery with 1.6 steals/game, 6th in the league.
 
REJECTION
The Marauders are 2nd in the NSIC in blocked shots at 4.6/game. After four blocks at SMSU, Gabbie Bohl is 8^th in the NSIC at 1.5 bpg. Cassie Askvig is close behind in 11^th with 1.4 bpg… UMary ranks 16th nationally in blocked shots with 112.
 
DOWNTOWN
Averaging 6.8 treys/game, the Marauders are 7th in the NSIC. Sr. G Dani Williams leads UMary with 2.0 made treys/game, 5th in the NSIC. Freshman G Macy Williams is 13^th in the NSIC with 1.5 treys/game.
 
MAC ATTACK
The Marauders are 9-3 at home this season at the McDowell Activity Center.
 
FOUR SCORE
Four Marauders nearly average double digits in points. Gabbie Bohl (17.9 ppg) leads the way, followed by Cassie Askvig (14.4 ppg) with Lauren Rotunda (9.9 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 (17.9 points per game), 7th in field goal percentage (.510), 10th in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and 8th 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 22 of the 23 games she has played this season… Bohl has four double doubles (24 and 13 vs. Dickinson State / 14 and 10 vs. Minnesota Duluth / 18 and 10 at USF, 17 and 10 at SMSU) 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 40.9 percent from behind the arc and has knocked down 45 treys this season. Williams is 5th in the NSIC in 3-pointers per game at 2.0 and is 4th in 3-point field goal percentage among players with at least 30 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 (5th in the NSIC). She is second on the squad in blocks (1.4 bpg), scoring (14.4 ppg, 6th in the NSIC), and assists (2.6/game) and third in 3-pointers (30). She is shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 33.0 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 seven 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 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting .374 from the floor and .816 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 return home to close out the regular season against Bemidji State University and the University of Minnesota Crookston on February 16-17.
 
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