BISMARCK, ND – Clutch baskets in the final 60 seconds by Treyton Mattern and Lucas Mayer lifted the University of Mary men's basketball team over visiting Concordia-St. Paul 68-66. Both sons of former UMary basketball players, Mattern and Mayer connected for two of the biggest shots of their collegiate careers on the opening night of Marauders Basketball Alumni Weekend.  
 
Down three moving into the final minute of play, Matthew Johnson kicked the ball out to a wide open Mattern on the left wing in front of the UMary bench. Without hesitating, Mattern drained the open look with 58 seconds on the clock to pull the Marauders into a 66-66 tie with the Golden Bears.
 
UMary then buckled down defensively. After forcing a miss by the Golden Bears from just outside the paint, the Marauders couldn't grab the rebound but Kam Warrens intercepted a bad pass by CSP for a steal with 35 seconds on the clock.
 
After taking a timeout with 22 seconds, Johnson drove baseline but was unable to connect. Fighting through traffic, Mayer outworked everyone for the ball and tapped home the rebound for the winning basket with 4.8 seconds left in the game.
 
Despite playing without top scorers Kai Huntsberry and Jacob Jackson, who combined average over 28 points per game, the Marauders opened the game on an 8-0 run. The tables soon turned and the visiting Golden Bears built a 14-point advantage before entering intermission with a 40-33 lead.
 
The Marauders continued to chip away at the deficit and took their first lead of the second half at 57-56 on a pair of Gertautas Urbonavicius free throws. Warrens followed with a steal and his second dunk of the game to push the lead to 59-56, the biggest advantage for UMary in the second half.
 
Back-to-back baskets by the Golden Bears allowed Concordia-St. Paul to pull back in front and began a run of three ties and two lead changes in the final four minutes of play.
 
Urbonavicius led the Marauders with 20 points, hitting on 6-of-8 shots from the floor. He also had six rebounds.
 
Warrens just missed another double double as he compiled 14 points and nine rebounds. He also dished four assists and made three steals.
 
Seeing just his second weekend of action this season, Mayer scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He also added seven rebounds.
 
Regan Tollefson came off the bench to score nine points. Johnson had four assists and three points. Mattern posted a team-leading five assists.
 
Elijah Ormiston led the Golden Bears with 28 points.
 
The Marauders (6-11 overall, 5-7 Northern Sun) shot 50% for the game, including a 56% (15-of-27) mark in the second half, while the Golden Bears (2-17, 1-11) shot 55% on the night, but made just 11-of-24 shots in the second half. UMary held a 29-24 advantage on the boards and held a 12-4 edge in 2^nd chance points.
 
UMary closes out a four-game home stand and Alumni Weekend on Saturday, January 22, when Minnesota State University visits. Tip off is set for 5:30 pm at the McDowell Activity Center.
 
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