THIS WEEK
After last weekend's homestand, the University of Mary men's basketball team heads back out onto the highway to start a four-game road trip with a visit to the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and the St. Cloud State University Huskies. The Marauders first face the Bulldogs at 7:30 pm on Friday, Jan. 11, at Romano Gymnasium on the UMD campus in Duluth, MN. The weekend winds up with a visit to St. Cloud, MN, on Saturday, Jan. 12, where the Marauders and Huskies will tangle inside Halenbeck Hall at 5:30 pm.
 
THE RECORD
The Marauders are 6-8 overall, 3-5 in the Northern Sun overall and 3-3 in the Northern Sun North division.
 
ROUND 2
This weekend is already the second go-around for the Marauders against the Huskies and the Bulldogs after hosting the two schools on Dec. 7-8 in the McDowell Activity Center and will wrap up the season series with the two schools. UMary already has concluded its home-and-away series with Minot State. Interestingly enough the Marauders have yet to face two NSIC North opponents – the University of Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State University.
 
ROAD GAMES
The Marauders are in the midst of playing 7-of-9 games on the road and away from the McDowell Activity Center. After playing two game at the MAC last weekend, UMary doesn't play at home again until Alumni Weekend on January 25-26 when Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State visit.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders suffered a pair of difficult home losses last week… The weekend opened with a 66-61 loss to Concordia-St. Paul. Down as many as 12 points in the first half the Marauders took a 50-49 lead on a Jaylan White trey. The lead then exchanged hands nine times over the next five minutes before the Golden Bears went ahead for good at 62-60 with 1:49 to play. Tom Kubank led the Marauders with 16 points and hit three treys. White added 12 points – including 11 straight for UMary late in the game – and hit three 3s. Dennis Austin III added 11 points… The Marauders found their offensive flow the next night in a 90-83 loss to NSIC-leading Minnesota State University. Five players reached double figures for UMary as the Marauders shot a season-best 54.9 percent from the floor. UMary built a 76-66 lead on a White triple with 6:45 left to play but Minnesota State charged back, scoring 14 of the next 15 points to move in front 80-77 with 2:29 to play. Connor Hellebust scored 19 points. Kubank and White had 17 each, Matthew Kreklow added 12 and Wyatt Carr had three treys and 11 points off the bench. Austin had 12 rebounds. Carlos Anderson had 20 points for MSU.
 
RANGE FINDER
After shooting just 38.2 percent against Concordia-St. Paul on Friday – the Marauders 3^rd-worst percentage of the year – UMary rebounded to shoot a season-best 54.9 percent on Saturday against Minnesota State. UMary made 28-of-51 shots in the game, including 9-of-20 behind the arc. The NSIC-leading Mavericks are 3^rd in the league in field goal percentage defense.
 
DEEEE-FENSE
The Marauders are posting impressive defensive figures this season. UMary is second in the Northern Sun in scoring defense (67.1 ppg), seventh in field goal percentage defense (.434) and fourth in steals (6.7).
 
DEEEE-FENSE PART 2
The Marauders stand 33^rd in NCAA Division II in points allowed per game (67.1 ppg).
 
POINT REDUCTION PROGRAM
The Marauders defense has made tremendous strides on the defensive front, allowing 10 fewer points per game than a year ago. The Marauders are giving up just 67.1 points per game after allowing the opposition 77 ppg last season… UMary has also held the opposition to a shooting percentage of 43.4 percent after teams made 48.4 percent of their field goal attempts last season, boosting the Marauders from 15th a year ago on the NSIC leaderboard to 7th now. 
 
VICTORY!
With six wins, the Marauders have already matched last year's win total. The Marauders need just one more conference victory to match last year's total of four.
 
FAST BREAK

• Sr. G Dennis Austin III grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds against Minnesota State and leads the Marauders with 5.8 rebounds/game
• Soph. G Wyatt Carr tied his season-high with 11 points off the bench against Minnesota State. He was 3-for-3 on treys and 4-for-4 overall, matching his shooting and scoring line from earlier this season at MSU Moorhead.
• The Marauders start their first of two four-game road trips this weekend, which is the squad's longest of the year
• After last week's crossover games last weekend against NSIC South teams, the Marauders jump right back into NSIC North competition against SCSU and UMD
• It took the Marauders just ten games to reach six wins this season, the fastest since opening the 2015-16 season with six wins in eight games
• In 14 games, the Marauders have forced more turnovers than they have committed eight times and broke even once
• The Marauders lost their first three games this season by a combined 11 points. In each of the three games UMary had possession of the ball in the final minute of the contest with a chance to at least tie the game.
• Getting everyone involved, the Marauders have had anywhere from eight to 11 players score in a game this season
• Eight Marauders average at least 3.2 points per game
• Six Marauders average at least 2.3 rebounds/game
• After holding opponents to 66 points or fewer four times a year ago in 27 games, the Marauders have limited opponents to no more than 66 points seven times in 12 outings already this season.

 
FREE THROW FOLLOWTHROUGH
UMary is shooting 70.2 percent (179-of-255) from the free throw line to their opponent's 69.4 percent (154-of-222)… The Marauders have made more free throws than the opposition nine times and attempted more nine times in 14 games… the opposition has had the edge in attempts three times and in makes four times… Both teams have attempted the same number of free throws twice and makes once… UMary is 5-4 when making more free throws than the opposition.
 
TURNOVER TOWN
The Marauders are +1.71 in turnovers, the 6th-best mark in the NSIC.
 
DOWN UNDER
Sr. F Tom Kubank is second on the Marauders in scoring this season with much of his production from behind the arc. The Adelaide, South Australia, native averages 12.4 points/game and makes 2.1 treys/game, 15th in the NSIC… he is 30-of-81 behind the arc (37 percent)… in back-to-back games Kubank tied his career-high in rebounds with 12 in wins over Minnesota Duluth and MSU Moorhead. He is third on the Marauders in rebounding (5.4 rebounds/game)… He paired 11 points and 12 rebounds against MSUM for his first double double of the season… Kubank cracked the 1,000 point barrier as a collegiate student-athlete against MSU Moorhead on Dec. 14, including his two seasons at Lake Region State College.  
 
SWAT CITY
So. F Matthew Kreklow is 4th in the NSIC in blocked shots at 2.0/game. He tied the Marauders NCAA-era record with six blocks at Minot State on Dec. 30. He also had four against Mayville State and three against Minnesota Duluth and Concordia-St. Paul… He is third on the team in scoring (10.9 ppg) and second in rebounds (5.6 rebounds/game)… The post player knocked down all ten of his free throw attempts in a win over Minnesota Duluth and is 40-of-49 at the line to rank 15^th in the NSIC in free throw percentage (.816)… posted double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against SD Mines… reached double figures in rebounds against Mines and at Minot State.
 
WHITE NOISE
Jr. G Jaylan White is a sparkplug for the Marauders on both ends of the court. He leads the Marauders in scoring at 14.1 points per game (19th in the NSIC)… one of the top free throw shooters in the NSIC, the junior is 55-of-71 at the line to rank 15^th in the league with a .775 free throw percentage… White is fourth in the NSIC in assist/turnover ratio (2.4) and 11^th in assists (3.4/game)… he has led the Marauders in scoring seven times, including a career-best 29 points against Minnesota Duluth… also scored 20 points at Minot State.
 
HEATING UP
So. G Connor Hellebust is heating up. The Bismarck, ND, native posted double digit points in three of his last five games with 12 points at MSU Moorhead, 20 at Northern State and 19 against Minnesota State… recent three-game stretch saw him hit 7-of-12 trey attempts, including a 3-for-5 effort against the Wolves, while making at least two treys in each contest during those three games… over last six games is averaging 4.7 rebounds/game. as had five or more rebounds in four straight games.   
 
OPPO RESEARCH: ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY HUSKIES
Preseason Northern Sun co-favorite St. Cloud State, ranked as high as 13th in national polls this season, has lost two of its last three games. The Huskies are 10-4 overall, 5-3 in the NSIC and 3-3 in the NSIC North. The Huskies are led by All-American Sr. G Gage Davis. The 3x All-NSIC 1st team selection averages 22.4 points/game, 8.6 rebounds/game and 2.1 assists/game and is shooting 50.4 percent from the floor. Davis became the all-time leading scorer in NSIC games last week after a 42-point explosion at Bemidji State and now has 1,542 points in league games. He is just 32 points away from surpassing Dan Hagen (2,136 career points) as SCSU's all-time leading scorer. Sean Smith averages 14.9 ppg and 8.4 rpg. SCSU is third in the NSIC in scoring at 81.5 ppg and is 10th defensively in points allowed at 75.4 ppg.
 
HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. HUSKIES
UMary is 9-15 all-time against St. Cloud State… The Marauders are 6-5 at home, 3-8 at SCSU and 0-2 on neutral ground… UMary's first NCAA win came at SCSU 86-77 on 11.18.06… UMary's first signature NCAA win was a 77-48 home victory over #8 SCSU on 12.16.07… Prior to 2017-18, UMary and SCSU have split their season series three out of the last four years (SCSU swept in 2015-16). The Marauders lost to SCSU last season 77-66 at home (Dec. 31, 2017) and 79-57 on the road (Feb. 9, 2018)…The Marauders last win over the Huskies came at home in the McDowell Activity Center on Feb. 10, 2017, by a score of 99-79… SCSU rallied to defeat UMary 76-64 at the MAC on Dec. 7, 2018. Jaylan White led the Marauders with 18 points. UMary missed 12 straight shots down the stretch and scored just three points in the final six minutes. Gage Davis had 25 points and 14 rebounds for SCSU.
 
OPPO RESEARCH VS. THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH BULLDOGS
Led by All-Conference forward Brandon Myer, the Bulldogs are 7-5 overall, 4-4 in the NSIC and 4-2 in the NSIC North. First year head coach Justin Wieck had five returning starters and nine returning players from last year. Since losing to UMary in early December the Bulldogs are 2-4. On the season UMD is 3-2 at home, including a 75-60 win over NSIC North preseason favorite St. Cloud State. Myer is fifth in the NSIC in scoring (20.5 ppg) and first in rebounding (10.2 rpg). Sean Burns adds 13.2 ppg and 7.5 rpg. UMD averages just 75.8 ppg but allows only 67.8 ppg, just behind UMary's 67.1 ppg.
                                 
HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. BULLDOGS
UMary trails Minnesota Duluth 8-12 in the all-time series… The Marauders first victory over the Bulldogs was an 80-77 overtime win on 1.16.09… UMD swept the season series last year, winning 63-58 in Duluth on Dec. 30, 2017, and 67-60 in Bismarck on Feb. 10, 2018… The last UMary win at UMD was 82-72 on Jan. 29, 2011… UMary defeated UMD 73-70 at home in overtime on Dec. 8, 2018, when Dennis Austin III hit a 3-pointer with .7 seconds left in the extra session. UMary rallied from an 8-point deficit with six minutes left in regulation. Jaylan White hit five treys and scored a career-high 29 points. Matthew Kreklow made all ten of his free throws and scored 18 points. Austin finished with ten points. Sean Burns had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Brandon Myer had 15 and 17.
 
HOME COOKING
The Marauders completed a six-game home stand earlier this year with five victories, including a pair of Northern Sun wins…. UMary won just two games at home last season.
 
THE BORTKE COURT MAC ATTACK
The Marauders opened up their home schedule with a pair of wins this season after struggling last season at the McDowell Activity Center. Despite last year's setback, UMary has found success in recent seasons at the MAC. The playing floor was christened Bortke Court in honor of long-time Mary men's basketball coach and athletic director Al Bortke in July 2009. Here is the Marauders NCAA Division II home record:
2006-07:   5-  7
2007-08:   4-  7
2008-09:   7-  5
2009-10: 11-  2
2010-11: 12-  1
2011-12:   3-10
2012-13:   3-  9
2013-14:   6-  7
2014-15:   4-  8
2015-16:   8-  7
2016-17:   8-  6
2017-18:   2-11
2018-19:   5-  3
The Marauders once won 27 straight home games for Coach Bortke at the MAC (February 19, 1976 thru November 11, 1978).
 
BOOM!
Dennis Austin III knocked down a buzzer-beating three-pointer from the right corner in front of the Marauders bench with 0.2 seconds remaining in overtime to lead the Marauders to a 73-70 home win over Minnesota Duluth. Here's a look at some other late game heroics during the Marauders NCAA era…

• Marquealis Edwards hit a layup in the final five seconds of a 77-76 win over Southern Arkansas on Nov. 14, 2015
• Marquealis Edwards forced overtime with a layup in the final five seconds to tie the game in a 96-91 win over Minnesota State on Fe. 22, 2016, in the NSIC quarterfinals
• Josh Turner hit a three-pointer with four seconds left in a 73-72 win at Chadron State on Nov. 15, 2011
• Jason West hit a three-pointer with no time on the clock at the end of regulation to force overtime in an 80-77 UMary win at Minnesota Duluth
• Eric Erdmann not only hit a layup at the buzzer in regulation to force overtime and then hit a layup at the buzzer in overtime to win the game 71-69 at Bemidji State on Jan. 12, 2008
• Bill Shetler drained a long three-pointer from inside the half-court line as time expired in the Marauders 78-75 win over visiting Mayville State on Dec. 15, 2006
• One day later the Marauders defeated visiting University of North Dakota on Dec. 16, 2006, when Jordan Engelhardt hit two free throws with a second remaining in the game

 
LISTEN LIVE
University of Mary fans can listen to all Marauders home and conference games live on Fox Sports 710 as Jesse Rostvedt, 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.
 
FOLLOW LIVE
To find links to live stats, audio and video, go to www.goumary.com/coverage
 
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