WAYNE, NE – After doubling both their overall and conference win total from a year ago, the University of Mary men's basketball team hopes to add postseason success to that list of accomplishments must now wait until next season. The Marauders fell 84-62 at Wayne State College in the opening round of the Northern Sun / Sanford Health basketball tournament.
 
UMary ends its season 12-17 overall after finishing tied for 10^th place in the Northern Sun and fifth in the NSIC North. The Wildcats, who tied for the NSIC South division title and was seeded third in the league tournament, improves to 20-9.
 
"This is tough," said Marauders head basketball coach Joe Kittell. "I love this team so much. While we definitely didn't play our best game, give Wayne State credit as they made all the right plays.
 
"I love our guys and wouldn't trade them for anything. I am really proud of our program, from the improvements we have made and the commitment everyone shows to one another. We are going to work our tails off and keep making strides. Thank you to all our fans who have supported us throughout this season."
 
The visiting Marauders jumped out quickly, hitting their first eight shots of the game. A three from Jaylan White gave the Marauders a 16-11 edge. A Justin Engg layup followed to complete the Marauders hot shooting streak with UMary in front 18-14.
 
As the Marauders offensive pace slowed slightly, the Wildcats surged ahead on a 12-2 run to claim a 26-20 advantage and eventually a 43-35 lead at intermission.
 
Fighting to keep their deficit to single digits, the Marauders closed within 48-41 on layups by Matthew Kreklow and Dennis Austin III early in the second half. The Wildcats then ripped off seven straight points to build a 55-41 lead and remained ahead by double digits the rest of the night.
 
Kreklow led the Marauders with 18 points. The sophomore forward hit 8-of-10 free throws in the game and added four rebounds. Jaylan White made all six of his free throws, scored 11 points and made four assists. In his final collegiate game, Austin III scored 10 points and added five rebounds. Fellow senior Tom Kubank wrapped up his career with eight points, seven rebounds and two steals.
 
Trevin Joseph led the Wildcats with 28 points, hitting four treys in the game. Kendall Jacks chipped in 15 points and Jordan Janssen had 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Both Jacks and Jansson hit 6-of-8 shots from the floor.
 
The Marauders made 19-of-24 free throws but shot just 37.7 percent for the game. UMary was blistering hot to start the game, shooting 58.3 percent in the first half, before making just 6-of-29 shots overall in the second half as Wayne State pulled away. Wayne State connected on 61.1 percent of its shots, including an 8-of-16 effort behind the arc.
 
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