FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE MAC
In their final home game before the start of the Northern Sun conference schedule, the University of Mary men's basketball team hosts Yellowstone Christian College on Friday, Nov. 22. Tip off against the Centurions is set for 7:30 pm on Bortke Court in the McDowell Activity Center.
 
RECORDS
The Marauders are 3-1 on the season, winning a pair of home games in the past week after opening the season with a split at the GAC/MIAA/NSIC Crossover in Alva, OK.
 
LAST WEEK
The Marauders opened their home schedule with a 90-60 win over Presentation College. In his forst game of the season, Matthew Kreklow scored 18 points and had seven rebounds, making 7-of-11 shots and all four free throws. Connor Hellebust hit four treys and scored 18 points and Wyatt Carr was perfect on five attempts behind the arc, scoring 15 points. Jaylan White added 10 points… Earlier this week the Marauders held off Dickinson State University 76-67. The game featured ten lead changes and two ties – all in the first half  - before the Marauders grew a double-digit lead for much of the second half. White exploded for 28 points for UMary and Kreklow added ten points, six rebounds and four blocks.
 
HOME COOKING
After home wins over Presentation and Dickinson State, the Marauders go for the sweep against Yellowstone Christian. UMary is then on the road for the next two weekends and not returning until a weekend series on Dec. 13-14 against MSU Moorhead and Northern State.
 
LISTEN UP
The UMary non-conference home game against 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.
 
DEFENSE
The Marauders are holding teams to 67 points per game, the fifth-best figure in the NSIC.
 
FREEBIES
Taking advantage of opportunities at the foul line, the Marauders are converting an impressing 80.5 percent of their free throw attempts (62-of-77). UMary ranks third in the NSIC.
 
LESS GIVING MORE TAKING
The Marauders are second among NSIC teams this season in turnovers at +3/game… additionally the Marauders rank 4^th in steals (6.75/game).
 
HELPING HAND
After four games the Marauders are averaging 14.25 assists per game, 4^th in the NSIC.
 
WHITE HOT
When needed, Jaylan White has taken over a pair of Marauders wins this season. The senior point guard scored 18 points in the opening game of the year, nine coming in the second half and the other nine in overtime… Against Dickinson State he just missed his career-high, scoring 28 points and making 10-of-15 shots in the win… currently White is 1^st in steals (2.5/game), 5^th among NSIC players in field goal percentage (.553), 11^th in free throw percentage (.857), 13^th in assists (3.3), 5^th in assists to turnovers (1.9), and 14^th in scoring (16 ppg)… 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).
 
DOWNTOWN
Connor Hellebust is off to a strong start behind the arc. He is 10^th in the NSIC in treys/game (2.5) and ninth in 3-point shooting percentage (.417). The junior guard is 20^th in scoring (13.8 ppg) and 25^th in rebounds (5.5).
 
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
After posting one block in his first game of the season against Presentation before swatting four shots against Dickinson State, Matthew Kreklow is third all-time at UMary in blocked shots with 81, 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
2019-20:   2-  0
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 94. Kittell earned 42 wins in two seasons at Lake Region State College and owns 52 at UMary.
 
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