THIS WEEKEND
The first full weekend of Northern Sun action takes the University of Mary on the road to face St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Marauders first take on the Huskies of SCSU on Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 pm, in St. Cloud, MN. The two-game weekend set concludes against the Bulldogs of UMD at 5:30 pm on Saturday, Dec. 6, in Duluth, MN.
 
RECORDS
Winners of four straight games, the Marauders are 5-1 overall and 1-0 in the Northern Sun… St. Cloud State is 3-4 and 0-1… Minnesota Duluth is 6-1 and 1-0.  
 
LAST WEEK
The Marauders overcame an 11-point deficit in the final seven minutes to rally past Minot State 56-53 to open up the Northern Sun conference schedule with a road win. Jaylan White scored the winning basket with 8.8 seconds left in the contest. White, who gave the Marauders a pair of leads in the final minute of play, scored all 13 of his points in the final seven minutes, He also added four assists and four rebounds. Connor Hellebust led UMary with 15 points. He also had six rebounds. Matthew Kreklow posted a double double with 12 points and ten rebounds. Additionally he blocked four shots and added two steals. Wyatt Carr hauled down a career-best 11 rebounds. Kyle Beisch led the Beavers with 22 points.
 
ROAD TRIP
After playing three straight non-conference home games, the Marauders are in the midst of playing their first three Northern Sun games on the road. After defeating Minot State on the road last weekend, UMary visits St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth this weekend. The Marauders return home to host MSU Moorhead and Northern State on Dec. 13-14.
 
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.  
 
OPPO RESEARCH – ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY
Looking for their first win against an NCAA Division II team, the Huskies are 3-4 overall but all three wins came against NAIA or NCAA D3 schools. SCSU opened NSIC play with a 95-74 road loss to Minnesota Duluth on Monday in a game delayed two days by winter storms. Trevon Marshall leads the Huskies in scoring at 15 ppg. Head coach Matt Reimer, in his sixth season at SCSU, has 99 career wins.
 
HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. HUSKIES
UMary is 9-16 all-time against St. Cloud State… The Marauders are 6-5 at home, 3-9 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… SCSU has won four straight games in the series… 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… UMary last won at SCSU 87-82 on Feb. 21, 2015, as six different Marauders reached double figures… In the last meeting between the two teas, SCSU edged UMary 60-58. Matthew Kreklow had 19 points and nine rebounds for UMary. A last-second shot by the Marauders rimmed out.
 
OPPO RESEARCH – UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH
Picked third in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Bulldogs are off to a 6-1 start overall and 1-0 in the NSIC. UMD is led by NSIC North Preseason Player of the Year Brandon Myer. The senior forward averages a double double with 19.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Alex Illikainen contributes 18.6 ppg and Drew Blair is at 16.6 ppg. UMD leads the NSIC in scoring at 91.2 ppg, shooting over 51 per cent from the floor.
 
HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. BULLDOGS
UMary trails Minnesota Duluth 9-12 in the all-time series… The Marauders first victory over the Bulldogs was an 80-77 overtime win on 1.16.09… After UMD swept the 2017-18 series, the UMary swept last season… 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… In another wild ballgame, the Marauders closed the season series with a triple overtime 100-98 road victory on a Jaylan White basket with under two seconds remaining on the clock. White scored 12 of his 25 points in the overtime sessions. Connor Hellebust added 21 and Tom Kubank 18. Brandon Myer had 31 points and 11 rebounds for UMD
 
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 60.7 points per game, the second-best figure in the NSIC. The opposition is making just 39.1 percent f their field goal attempts against UMary, 3^rd in the NSIC.
 
SEVENTH HEAVEN
UMary is seventh in NCAA Division II in scoring defense, allowing 60.7 ppg.
 
FREEBIES
Taking advantage of opportunities at the foul line, the Marauders are converting an impressing 77.5 percent of their free throw attempts (86-of-111). UMary ranks third in the NSIC... The Marauders have shot 43 more free throws than the opposition… UMary foes are making 76.7 percent of their free throws.  
 
LESS GIVING MORE TAKING
The Marauders are tops among NSIC teams this season in turnovers at +4.17/game… additionally the Marauders rank 1^st in steals (7.2/game).
 
HELPING HAND
After five games the Marauders are averaging 14.3 assists per game, 4^th in the NSIC.
 
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 leads the Northern Sun in steals (2.2/game), is 10^th in free throw percentage (.852), 8^th in assists (3.7), 4^th in assists to turnovers (2.0), and 25^th in scoring (13.8 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 61 out of the Marauders last 62 games, including all 29 last year. He is averaging 9.0 points per game in 90 career games and has totaled 806 points while distributing 251 assists (10^th all-time)… White is tied with Matt Wilke (1985-89) for 8^th all-time in assists with 251. He passed Darrin Mattern who's son Treyton plays with White on this year's Marauders team – last weekend on the all-tie assists list.
 
DOWNTOWN
Connor Hellebust is off to a strong start behind the arc. He is 11^th in the NSIC in treys/game (2.3). The junior guard is 24^th in scoring (14.2 ppg)… Hellebust has hit for double digits in points in five of six game, 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 three times.
 
DOWNTOWN PART 2
The Marauders are making 8.8 treys per game (8^th in the NSIC) and are converting 33.1 percent of their attempts (5^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 5.5 ppg. He is third on the team in treys (8)… Amundson is averaging 6.2 ppg… Jordan is scoring 4.8 ppg… Tollefson has played in five of six 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, Matthew Kreklow has a pair -of four-block efforts (Dickinson State, Minot State) and ranks third all-time at UMary in blocked shots with 87. 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 team in scoring at 14.3 ppg… he is making 60.5 percent of his field goals and is perfect on 11 free throw attempts… he also leads the team with 7.0 rebounds/game… he posted his first double double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Minot State.
 
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 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 54 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 96. Kittell earned 42 wins in two seasons at Lake Region State College and owns 54 at UMary.
 
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