THIS WEEK
The University of Mary women's basketball team looks to play their home opener against the St. Cloud State University on Friday and Saturday, January 14-15. Game time is 6 pm on Friday with Saturday's tip-off set for 4 pm.
 
FOUR SCORE
Due to numerous pandemic-related reasons, the University of Mary and St. Cloud State will face each other four straight times. A preseason change in scheduling philosophy to play back to back games against the same opponent at the same site, thus reducing travel and decreasing opportunities to contact COVID-19 led to the first weekend doubleheader. This weekend both the Marauders opponent (University of Minnesota Duluth) and the Huskies opponent (Minot State University) are unable to play due to COVID-19 protocols regarding previous exposure and testing protocols within both the UMD and MSU program. Instead of leaving the weekend open in an already shortened season, the Marauders and the Huskies agreed to the unusual arrangement of playing the same team four straight times.
 
NON-CONFERECE CONTESTS
Since the Marauders and the Huskies already played a pair of NSIC North Division games against one another, these weekend games in Bismarck are considered non-conference contests.
 
CANCELLED
The Marauders originally scheduled contests for Jan. 15-16 against the University of Minnesota Duluth were cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols regarding previous exposure and testing protocols within the UMD program. Per Northern Sun scheduling guidelines for this season, the games between the Marauders and the Bulldogs will not be rescheduled.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders got off to a rough start in their season opener against the Huskies at they lost 90-54. UMary came out a different team on Saturday and would go on to beat SCSU 70-67 after Megan Voit hit a game-winning three with two seconds left in the game.
 
In Saturday's win, Voit had 17 points, shooting five of seven from three while grabbing six boards. Lauren Rotunda earned a double-double, scoring 16 points while getting 11 rebounds. Macy Williams had 13 points and six assists while Lexie Schneider had 13 points herself.
 
UNIVERSITY OF MARY HOME GAME ATTENDANCE POLICY
University of Mary home games are currently closed to the general public and no tickets will be sold. A limited number of family passes will be distributed to both the home and away teams. Additionally a number of UMary students and faculty & staff will receive tickets through a lottery.
 
WATCH ALL MARAUDERS GAMES LIVE ONLINE AT GOUMARY.COM
All UMary basketball games – home and away - are streamed live online. Visit www.GoUMary.com/coverage and www.NSICNetwork.com to watch.
 
MARAUDERS HOME BASKETBALL GAMES AIRING LIVE ON FOX SPORTS 710
All home University of Mary men's and women's basketball games will air live on Fox Sports 710 AM. Voice of the Marauders Jesse Rostvedt will call all the action this season from the McDowell Activity Center.
 
NSIC, UMARY BASKETBALL COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHANGES
In order to compete safely this season during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Mary, the NCAA and the Northern Sun have created several new policies. Here are just a few changes implemented for the 2020-21 men's and women's basketball season….

• The 2020-21 season for Northern Sun members begins on Jan. 2
• NSIC teams will play 16 games, all against conference competition (teams normally play 26 regular-season games that includes a 22-game NSIC schedule)
• All teams will play two games against a single conference opponent each weekend (usually play two different teams each weekend)
• All NSIC schools host home games for eight straight weeks as either the men's or women's team will play at home with the other team on the road (no men's and women's doubleheaders)
• The NSIC will only declare North and South Division champions and not an overall champion for 2021
• Eight teams will advance to the NSIC tournament (all teams previously made the tournament with first-round games at home sites)
• Marauders home games are currently closed to the general public
• Only home Marauders basketball games will air on Fox Sports 710 (follow road Marauders basketball games live video streams at www.GoUMary.com/coverage)
• Game programs are only available online and will not be printed
• Winter scholar-athletes will maintain their year of eligibility independent of whether they compete or not

 
HOW TO FOLLOW YOUR MARAUDERS LIVE
Links to live streaming video, game stats and radio streams are available at www.GoUMary.com/coverage
 
Live video streamed at www.NSICNetwork.com/goumary
 
Fox Sports 710 AM radio broadcasts available online at https://foxsports710.iheart.com/

RECORDS
UMary is 1-1 overall and in the NSIC this season after splitting a road trip at St. Cloud State… St. Cloud State is 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the NSIC this season.

HISTORY OF THE UMARY-SCSU MATCHUP
The Marauders are 11-13 overall against the Huskies since 2009.
 
OPPO RESEARCH – ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY
St. Cloud State University went 23-7 overall and 16-6 in the conference last season, finishing second in the NSIC North. Head coach Lori Fish has gone 243-117 over his 12-year career at St. Cloud. Senior guard Tori Wortz will be returning to the Huskies after averaging 13.2 points and 4.8 rebounds a game. Senior forward Nikki Kilboten returns after averaging 13 points, 7.6 rebounds a game her junior season.
 
Through four games this season junior guard Brehna Evans leads the team in scoring averaging 16 points a game. Wortz is the second leading scorer at 15 ppg and Kilboten leads the team in rebounding at 7.3 rpg.
 
RECORDS TO LOOK OUT FOR

• Lauren Rotunda is looking to move up in several record categories for UMary. She ranks 19^th all-time in scoring (1,058 points), 7^th in blocks (58), 3^rd in steals (126), 14^th in assists (268) and 12^th in rebounding (594). Rotunda is approaching Ali Collins (1,075) in points and could pass Collins this weekend.
• Macy Williams ranks 39^th in scoring (755 points) and 11^th in assists (302) all-time in Marauders history. Williams passed Jessie Slinde (300) for 11^th all-time in assists last weekend.

ROSTER RUNDOWN
Head coach Rick Neumann returns 10 players from last year's 22-win team, including five players who started ten or more games and five of six of the squad's leading scorers. An experienced crew features three seniors and five juniors.
 
Returning to the Marauders will be senior guard Lauren Rotunda who averaged 13.6 points and 7.6 rebounds a game last season. Rotunda was named the Marauders NSIC Player to Watch for women's basketball after earning 1^st team All-Northern Sun honors last year. Senior guard Macy Williams will be returning after leading the team in assists last season (4.0). The four-year starter added 8.3 points/game. Senior guard Coral Gillette led the team in total three-pointers, hitting 84 of them while shooting 36%. She averaged 9.3 points/game and led the NSIC in assist-to-turnover ratio. Junior forward Lexie Schneider will look to improve upon her sophomore season where she averaged 9.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Megan Voit started 10 games last season and was second on the team with 45 treys. Junior guards Raquel Doll and Carly Kottsick also saw significant floor time for UMary. Anna Michaud and Reese Wishart both played key minutes in the frontcourt. Mady Schafer saw limited play at guard.
 
The Marauders roster also features several newcomers. Junior guard Claire Borot transferred to UMary from Miles Community College. At Miles CC she averaged 12.7 points per game her sophomore year while shooting 36% from the field. Freshman forward Ella Grove averaged 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists per game her senior year at Alexandria (MN) Area High School. Grove earned All-State and All-Conference honors at Alexandria. Also joining UMary this season is sophomore guard Klara Dolk, a transfer from West Texas A&M, and freshmen Laykn Darras (F, Mandan HS), Emma Passa (F, Velva (ND) HS), Cadee Ryckman (G, Bismarck HS), Hallie Schweitzer (C, Bismarck St. Mary's HS) and Zoe Velde (G, Pipestone (MN) HS).

ALL HANDS ON DECK
With the NCAA allowing all players to compete this season without losing a year of eligibility, all eligible scholar-athletes are available to play this season with no need to redshirt.
 
BORDER PATROL
The Marauders feature eight North Dakotans on the 2020-21 team, including four from Bismarck-Mandan. Laykn Darras (Mandan HS), Coral Gillette (Bismarck HS), Cadee Ryckman (Bismarck HS) and Hallie Schweitzer (Bismarck St. Mary's HS) all grew up in the shadow of UMary. Others from the Roughrider state are Raquel Doll (Hazen), Carly Kottsick (Fargo Davies HS), Emma Passa (Velva) and Lauren Rotunda (Fargo Shanley HS).
 
NEW COACHES
UMary has brought in two new assistant coaches Brooke LeMar and Chloe Wanink. LeMar was a two-time all-conference after spending her collegiate career at NCAA Division I North Dakota State University. She then went on to play professionally in several countries including Denmark, Germany, Australia and Sweden. LeMar worked as the Director of Player Development at the California Baptist University.
 
Wanink was a four-year all-conference performer at NCAA Division I Wofford University. She was a three-year captain at Wofford and led the Southern Conference in scoring her junior season averaging 21 points per game. She was named the 2019-20 SoCon Preseason Player of the Year and was named to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard watchlist.
129
Rick Neumann is fourth all-time in coaching wins at UMary with 129. In his ninth season, he has a record of 129-109. Hall of Fame coach Roger Haug is the Marauders all-time leader in wins (234), followed by Fred Fridley (170), Cal Collins (150) and Neumann (129).

MARAUDERS PICKED 4^th IN NSIC NORTH PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
The Marauders are projected to finish fourth in the NSIC North Division according to the NSIC preseason coaches' rankings. The University of Minnesota Duluth is projected to win the NSIC North getting seven first-place votes. St. Cloud State University is projected to finish second followed by MSU Moorhead, University of Mary, Northern State University, Bemidji State University, Minot State University, and the University of Crookston.


HALL OF FAME CONNECTIONS
A pair of Marauders have fathers in the Marauders Hall of Fame. Coral Gillette's father Rusty was inducted into the Hall of Fame after scoring 1,167 points in his Marauders basketball career. Hallie Schweitzer's father Toby was a two-time All-American and the Marauders football all-time leader in tackles.
 
#marauders#