HOME OPENER
After spending the opening weekend on the road, the University of Mary men's basketball team hosts Presentation College in the Marauders home opener on Friday, Nov. 15. Tip off is set for 6 pm at the McDowell Activity Center. Following the first of three straight home games, UMary then welcomes Dickinson State University to the MAC at 6 pm on Monday, Nov. 18, and Yellowstone Christian College on Friday, Nov. 22, at 7:30 pm.
 
RECORDS
The Marauders are 1-1 after the first weekend of play, splitting a pair of games at the GAC/MIAA/NSIC Crossover in Alva, OK.
 
LAST WEEKEND
UMary opened the season with a 64-56 overtime win over the University of Central Oklahoma in a neutral site game in Alva, OK, to kick off the GAC/MIAA/NSIC Crossover. The Marauders led the whole way until the Bronchos scored with 32 seconds left to tie the game at 49-49 and send the contest to overtime. Jaylan White scored nine of his 18 points in the extra session. Wyatt Carr had 14 points and Connor Hellebust posted a double double with 12 points and 10 rebounds… the Crossover ended with an 85-54 loss to Northeastern State. Hellebust led the Marauders with 18 points.
 
HOME COOKING
The Marauders will play their next three games at home, hosting Presentation College on Nov. 15, Dickinson State on Nov. 18, and Yellowstone Christian on Nov. 22. All three are non-conference games.
 
LISTEN UP
UMary non-conference home games against Dickinson State (Nov. 18) and Yellowstone Christian (Nov. 22) and all Northern Sun conference games will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 710 AM with Voice of the Marauders Jesse Rostvedt providing the call.
 
SHUT DOWN DEFENSE
The Marauders held the Bronchos of Central Oklahoma to a 34.6 shooting percentage in the opening game win, including a 5-for-18 effort behind the arc. UMary's defensive effort was even more impressive as UMary played without forwards Matthew Kreklow, second all-time at UMary in blocked shots, and Lucas Mayer, missing due to illness and injury.
 
DOUBLE DOUBLE
Connor Hellebust posted his first career double double foe the Marauders in the season-opening win over Central Oklahoma. The junior guard scored 12 points and hauled down a career-high 10 rebounds. Hellebust followed up that performance by scoring a team-best 18 points against Northeastern State in game two of the season.  
 
WHITE HOT
Jaylan White took over the opening game win for the Marauders. The senior point guard scored 18 points in the game, nine coming in the second half and the other nine in overtime… Entering his third season as a starter, White was named the Marauders NSIC Preseason Player to Watch for 2019-20. The native of St. Charles, IA, earned All-Northern Sun honorable mention honors in 2018-19 after averaging a team-leading 13.8 ppg and 3.3 RPG. He was among the league leaders in free throw percentage (.826), had 2.5 rebounds/game and 1.3 steals/game. After serving as a key reserve as a freshman, White has started 55 out of the Marauders last 56 games, including all 29 last year. He is averaging 8.6 points per game in 84 career games and has totaled 723 points while distributing 229 assists (15^th all-time).
 
DEBUT
Several players made their Marauders debuts last weekend, including junior Glenn Jordan, redshirt freshmen Kade Amundson and Josh Sipes and freshman Regan Tollefson.
 
UPWARD MOBILITY
The Marauders improved by six wins overall and five wins in the NSIC last season.
 
REJECTION LETTERS
With 76 career blocks, Matthew Kreklow is third all-time at UMary behind only Marc Hawley (108 in 1995-97) and Eric Erdmann (99 in 2006-11) … Kreklow's 53 blocks in 2018-19 as a sophomore was one shy of the school's NCAA era single season record by Damon Smith in 2011-12.
 
FOR THREE
The Marauders return three starters from last season, senior G Jaylan White (13.8 ppg/3.3 apg/2.5 rpg), junior center Matthew Krekow (11.7 ppg/56 rpg/1.8 blocks per game), and junior G Connor Hellebust (9.9 ppg/3.6 rpg/1.4 apg).
 
KEY COGS
UMary returns six players who saw considerable action for the Marauders: senior guards Evan Anderson (3.0 ppg / 1.2 apg) and Johnnie Turner (2.0 ppg / 1.8 rpg), junior wing Wyatt Carr (4.8 ppg / 2.3 rpg / 32 treys), and three sophomores, forward Lucas Mayer (6.4 ppg / 3.9 rpg / 55.9 field goal %), guard Trever Kaiser (3.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and forward Justin Engg (1.6 ppg / 1.4 rpg).
 
WELCOME ABOARD
The Marauders welcomed several newcomers this season. Jr G Glenn Jordan joins the Marauders after an all-conference career at Allan Hancock College… G Josh Sipes and F Kade Amundson are redshirt freshmen who were with the Marauders program last season… F Logan Nagorski, G Treyton Mattern, G Matthew Johnson and F Regan Tollefson are true freshmen with the UMary program this season.
 
DEEEE-FENSE
A big reason UMary took a jump in wins last season was due to team defense. The Marauders were third in the NSIC in points allowed (70.9 points per game), 5^th in field goal defense (.444), and 3^rd in steals (6.6/game)… UMary allowed six fewer points than the season before and had been 15^th in field goal percentage defense.
 
THE BORTKE COURT MAC ATTACK
The Marauders once again found success on Bortke Court in the McDowell Activity Center. 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:   9-  5
The Marauders once won 27 straight home games for Coach Bortke at the MAC (February 19, 1976 thru November 11, 1978).
 
NIFTY 50
Marauders head coach Joe Kittell won his 50^th game as Marauders head coach in the 2019-20 season opener against Central Oklahoma. Kittell is the fifth UMary basketball coach to reach that mark, following Al Bortke (335), Jim Feeney (144), Rod Jonas (69) and Juno Pintar (55).
 
KITTTELL CLOSING IN ON 100
Marauders head coach Joe Kittell, in his fifth season at UMary, is closing in on 100 career wins as a collegiate head coach with a current total of 92. Kittell earned 42 wins in two seasons at Lake Region State College and owns 50 at UMary.
 
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