SATURDAY SHOWDOWN
After winning four out of five nonconference games, the University of Mary begins Northern Sun action this weekend when the Marauders visit long-time rival Minot State University. The NSIC opener for both teams, the Marauders and the Beavers tip off at 5:30 pm on Saturday, Nov. 30, from the Minot State Dome in Minot, ND.
 
RECORDS
The Marauders are 4-1 on the season, winning three straight games at home after gaining a split opening weekend at the GAC/MIAA/NSIC Crossover in Alva, OK… Minot State is 5-0 prior to facing Valley City State on Tuesday.
 
LAST WEEK
In their only game of the week, the Marauders overwhelmed the outmanned Yellowstone Christian College Centurions 95-43. Matthew Kreklow scored a game-high 17 point and all 12 UMary players who entered the game scored. The Marauders outscored the Centurions 46-16 in the paint and 26-6 off turnovers. UMary also held a 12-5 edge in three-pointers, were +7 in rebounds and +14 in turnovers. Connor Hellebust hit three treys and scored 15 points, Johnnie Turner added 13, Trevor Kaiser 12 and Josh Sipes 10.
 
OPPO RESEARCH: MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY
Following a 20 win season in 2017-18, Minot State University finished last season 14-18 overall and 9-13 in the NSIC… The Beavers are 5-0 this season entering Tuesday's home game against Valley City State… Sr. G Kyle Beisch leads the Beavers in scoring at 18.2 ppg and is second in rebounding at 5.4 rpg… Jr. G Max Cody is making 48.8 percent of his shots and averages 14.2 ppg… Jr. F Kody Dwyer has made an incredible 82.9 percent of his field goal attempts and averages 12.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg… Minot State is averaging 78.6 ppg while shooting 47.3 percent from the floor. Opponents are scoring an NSIC-low 60.8 ppg and shooting just 38.5 percent (3^rd best in NSIC).
 
HISTORY LESSON
In a series that stretches back to the 1972-73 season – just the third year of Marauders basketball – the University of Mary trails Minot State 38-35 all time… The Marauders snapped a 3-game losing streak with a 65-58 home win on 12.1.18… The two teams have split the last eight games… The Beavers have won 13 of the last 18 get-togethers… The last season sweep was by the Marauders in 2015-16… the two teams each won at home in 2018-19... In NSIC games the Marauders are 5-9 against the Beavers.
 
HOME COOKING
After three non—conference games, the Marauders are undefeated at home this season. UMary now hits the road for the next two weekends before returning Dec. 13-14 against MSU Moorhead and Northern State.
 
LISTEN UP
Marauders fans can follow all the action live over the air on Fox Sports 710 AM with Voice of the Marauders Jesse Rostvedt providing the call… links to live video, audio and stats are available at www.GoUMary.com/coverage.  
 
DEFENSE
The Marauders are holding teams to 62.2 points per game, the third-best figure in the NSIC. The opposition is making just 39.9 percent f their field goal attempts against UMary, 6^th in the NSIC. '
 
FREEBIES
Taking advantage of opportunities at the foul line, the Marauders are converting an impressing 79.3 percent of their free throw attempts (73-of-92). UMary ranks third in the NSIC... The Marauders have shot 28 more free throws than the opposition… UMary foes are making 79.7 percent of their free throws.  
 
LESS GIVING MORE TAKING
The Marauders are tops among NSIC teams this season in turnovers at +5.2/game… additionally the Marauders rank 3^rd in steals (7.4/game).
 
HELPING HAND
After five games the Marauders are averaging 15.4 assists per game, 3^rd 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 leads the Northern Sun in steals (2.4/game), 8^th among NSIC players in field goal percentage (.535), 9^th in free throw percentage (.826), 11^th in assists (3.6), 8^th in assists to turnovers (1.8), and 21^st in scoring (14 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 56 out of the Marauders last 57 games, including all 29 last year. He is averaging 8.9 points per game in 89 career games and has totaled 793 points while distributing 248 assists (10^th all-time)… White is one assist from tying Darrin Mattern for 9^th all-time. Jaylan and Mattern's son Treyton are teammates this season at UMary.
 
DOWNTOWN
Connor Hellebust is off to a strong start behind the arc. He is 10^th in the NSIC in treys/game (2.6) and 6^th in 3-point shooting percentage (.464). The junior guard is 22^nd in scoring (14 ppg)… Hellebust has hit for double digits in points in four of five game, scoring 18 against both Northeastern State and Presentation… has hit three or more treys in a game three times.
 
DOWNTOWN PART 2
The Marauders are making 9.6 treys per game (6^th in the NSIC) and are converting 36.1 percent of their attempts (4^th in the NSIC).
 
DEBUT
Four players have made their Marauders debut this season: junior Glenn Jordan, redshirt freshmen Kade Amundson and Josh Sipes and freshman Regan Tollefson. Sipes has stepped into the Marauders starting lineup at the wing and averages 6.4 pph. He is second on the team in treys (8)… Amundson is averaging 6.8 ppg… Jordan is scoring 4.4 ppg… Tollefson has played all five games and averages 2.6 ppg.
 
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 and two against Yellowstone Christian, Matthew Kreklow is third all-time at UMary in blocked shots with 83, 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… Kreklow leads the team in scoring at 15 ppg… he is making 62.1 percent of his field goals and is perfect on nine free throw attempts… he also leads the team with 6.0 rebounds/game.
 
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 Kreklow (11.7 ppg/56 rpg/1.8 blocks per game), and junior G Connor Hellebust (9.9 ppg/3.6 rpg/1.4 apg). (stats from 2018-19)
 
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). (stats from 218-19)
 
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:   3-  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). He now has 53 wins at UMary.
 
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 95. Kittell earned 42 wins in two seasons at Lake Region State College and owns 53 at UMary.
 
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