THIS WEEKEND
The University of Mary closes out the 2019 calendar year against instate rival Minot State University. In the second meeting of the year between the two teams, the Marauders will host the Beavers on Saturday, Dec. 21, with UMary gunning for a season sweep. Game time for the NSIC meeting is 5:30 pm at the McDowell Activity Center on the UMary campus.
 
BREAK
After the Marauders and Beavers play on Saturday, UMary will take a seven-day break. The Marauders return to action with an NSIC weekend series at Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State University on Jan. 3-4.  
 
RECORDS
The Marauders are 6-5 overall and 1-4 in the Northern Sun… Minot State is 6-5 overall and 0-5 in the NSIC.
 
FREE CHRISMAS SOCIAL FOR MARAUDERS BASKETBALL FANS BETWEEN UMARY-MSU GAMES SATURDAY, DEC. 21  
To recognize Marauders fans for their loyalty and support, the University of Mary Marauders Armada is hosting a free Christmas social between the UMary basketball games against instate rival Minot State University on Saturday, Dec. 21. The social will take place in the Crow's Nest Campus Restaurant in the University of Mary Lumen Vitae University Center between games and will feature Christmas cookies, snacks beverages. After UMary swept Minot State on the road to open the Northern Sun season, the rematch between the Marauders and Beavers is set for Saturday, Dec. 21. The women's game is set for 3:30 pm with the men's game to follow at 5:30 pm on campus at the McDowell Activity Center. The Marauders Armada is the fundraising organization for scholar-athlete scholarships.
 
LAST WEEK
UMary played three home games in the past week, dropping a pair of NSIC contests before rebounding for a non-conference win… The Marauders opened the weekend with a tough 79-78 loss to MSU Moorhead. Jaylan White gave the Marauders the lead 78-77 on a 3-ball with 20 seconds left in the game. Gavin Baumgardner then hit the winning shot for MSUM with 6.4 seconds left in the game. The contest featured 12 lead changes and six ties. Matthew Kreklow led the Marauders with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Wyatt Carr had a career-high 19 points and seven rebounds, White added 15 points for UM. Baumgardner had 22 points for MSUM… Kreklow had 18 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in a 74-61 loss to Northern State. Gabe King hit five treys and scored 21 points for NSU… All 12 Marauders got into the scoring column in the Marauders 79-33 non-conference win over the University of Maine at Fort Kent. Kreklow had a third straight double double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Wyatt Carr and Glenn Jordan added ten points each.
 
HOME COOKING
After spending two straight weekends on the road in conference play, the Marauders wrap up their fourth straight home game on Saturday when UMary hosts Minot State. The Marauders don't have to leave the MAC until a game at Concordia-St. Paul on Jan. 3… The Marauders are 4-2 at home in the McDowell Activity Center this season.
 
DOUBLE DOUBLE TO THE POWER OF THREE
Matthew Kreklow has posted three straight triple doubles. The Marauders junior post player reached double figures in both points and rebounds against MSU Moorhead (25 points, 10 rebounds), Northern State (18 and 13) and Maine at Fort Kent (12 and 10). He also had a double double against Minot State (12 and 10)… For his career Kreklow has seven double doubles, including two last season in 2018-19 against South Dakota School of Mines (14 and 10) and Minnesota Crookston (14 and 10) and one his freshman year in 2017-18 against Yellowstone Christian (12 and 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… After opening the season with six straight non-conference wins, the Beavers have lost their last five games, all Northern Sun conference games… Sr. G Kyle Beisch leads the Beavers in scoring at 19.4 ppg and is third in rebounding at 4.8 rpg… Jr. G Max Cody is making 45 percent of his shots and averages 15.2 ppg… Jr. F Kody Dwyer has made an incredible 75.7 percent of his field goal attempts and averages 10.3 ppg and 5.6 rpg… Minot State is averaging 72.5 ppg while shooting 45.1 percent from the floor. Opponents are scoring 65.6 ppg and shooting just 41.8 percent.
 
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 38-36 all time… The Marauders have won two of the last three meetings and 5-of-9… The Beavers have won 13 of the last 19 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 6-9 against the Beavers. LAST MEETING: The two teams met in the NSIC season opener in Minot on Nov.30 with the Marauders rallying for a 56-53 win. Jaylan White scored the winning basket with 8.8 seconds left in the game. The Marauders overcame an 11-pont deficit with just under five minutes to play. White scored all 13 of his points in that stretch. He also added four assists and four rebounds. Connor Hellebust led the team with 16 points and Matthew Kreklow added 12 points and ten rebounds. Wyatt Car had 11 rebounds and five points. Kyle Beisch led MSU with 22 points.  
 
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. 
 
DIAL ADJUSTMENT – LISTEN SATURDAY VS. MINOT STATE ON KFYR 550 AM
Saturday's Marauders men's and women's basketball games against Minot State University will be aired on KFYR 550 AM instead of FOX SPORTS 710.  
 
BEK SPORTS TO BROADCAST MARAUDERS VS. BEAVERS, BULLDOGS
The next two University of Mary Northern Sun men's and women's basketball doubleheaders will air statewide on BEK Sports. BEK will air the Marauders games against instate rival Minot State University on Saturday, Dec. 21, and the UMary home doubleheader against the University of Minnesota Duluth on Friday, Jan. 10…  View the Marauders doubleheaders on the BEK Broadcasting Network via local cable providers on BEK PRIME and over-the-air on KNDB/KNDM in Western North Dakota and KRDK in Eastern North Dakota. Visit www.bek.coop/bek-tv/ for local channel assignments and current broadcast schedule. The BEK Broadcasting Network is also available nationally on BEK Now via your ROKU streaming device.
 
DEFENSE
The Marauders are holding teams to an NSIC-best 64.6 points per game. The opposition is making just 42.2 percent of their field goal attempts against UMary, 5^th best in the NSIC.
 
DEFENSE PART II
UMary is 16^th in NCAA Division II in scoring defense, allowing 64.6 ppg.
 
FREEBIES
Taking advantage of opportunities at the foul line, the Marauders are converting an impressing 78.5 percent of their free throw attempts (142-of-181). UMary ranks 2^nd in the NSIC and 22^nd in NCAA Division II... The Marauders have shot 48 more free throws than the opposition… UMary foes are making 74.4. 
 
LESS GIVING MORE TAKING
The Marauders are 5^th among NSIC teams this season in turnovers at +1.45/game… additionally the Marauders rank 5^th in steals (6.2/game).
 
HELPING HAND
The Marauders average 14.4 assists per game, 5^th in the NSIC.
 
SWAT CITY
The Marauders are blocking 3.6 shots/game, 6^th in the NSIC. Much of the work is being done by junior Matthew Kreklow, who is 4^th in the NSIC at 2.1 rejections/game.
 
WHITE HOT
When needed, Jaylan White has taken over a trio 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… In a win at Minot State, White scored all 13 of his points in the final seven minutes to help the Marauders overcome an 11-point deficit, scoring the winning basket with 8.8 seconds left in the game… currently White is 3^rd in the NSIC in steals (1.7)/game), is 8^th in free throw percentage (.848), 10^th in assists (3.5), and 7^th in assists to turnovers ratio (1.6). He is averaging 12.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. 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 66 out of the Marauders last 67 games, including all 29 last year. He is averaging 9.0 points per game in 95 career games and has totaled 859 points while distributing 268 assists (7^th all-time). Next on the all-time assist is Wade Kooiman with 282.
 
800/250
Earlier this season in the Minot State contest, senior guard Jaylan White cracked 800 career points and 250 assists. He became just the 6th UMary player to reach that combination of points and assists, joining Tracy Porter 1,006 points/489 assists), Scott Kleinjan (2,268/478), Jim Hughes (871/404), Rusty Gillette (1,167/323), and Jordan Englehardt (892/263).
 
CLUTCH
For the second time in his career, Jaylan White hit a game-winning bucket in the final seconds of a game in the Marauders victory at Minot State University. The senior posted the game-winning basket in the 56-53 win with 8.8 seconds on the clock… Last season the All-NSIC guard hit a shot with under three seconds remaining of a 100-98 triple overtime win at Minnesota Duluth. 
 
DOWNTOWN
Connor Hellebust is off to a strong start behind the arc. The junior guard averages 10.4 points per gae and 3.4 rebounds. He is knocking down 34.5 percent of his 3-point attempts (19-of-55) and is making 80.6 percent of his free throw attempts (25-of-31)… Hellebust has hit for double digits in points in six games, scoring 18 against both Northeastern State and Presentation… he posted a team-best 15 points in the Marauders win at Minot State… has hit three or more treys in a game four times.
 
DOWNTOWN PART 2
The Marauders are making 8.1 treys per game (9^th in the NSIC) and are converting 32.2 percent of their attempts… Wyatt Carr is making 53 percent of his trey attempts, hitting 17-of-31 attempts behind the arc.
 
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 5.5 ppg. He is third on the team in treys (14)… Amundson has started two games and averages 4.7 ppg… Jordan is scoring 4.6 ppg… Tollefson has played in nine games and averages 3.6 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, Matthew Kreklow has a pair -of four-block efforts (Dickinson State, Minot State) and ranks third all-time at UMary in blocked shots with 95. He trails 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 Marauders in scoring (14.4 ppg), rebounding (8.8 rpg), field goal percentage (59.8) and free throw percentage (92.9)… he has four double doubles this season (see note above)… Kreklow is 21^st in the NSIC in scoring, 7^th in rebounding, 5^th in field goal percentage and 1^st in free throw percentage.
 
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). (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 in 2018-19 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:   4-  2
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 55 wins at UMary.
 
KITTELL 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 97. Kittell earned 42 wins in two seasons at Lake Region State College and owns 55 at UMary.
 
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