BISMARCK, ND – Impressive performances off the bench by Reese Wishart and Moriku Hakim nearly carried the University of Mary to victory but a late rally by defending Northern Sun champion University of Minnesota Duluth ended the Marauders home stand with a second straight heartbreaking defeat.
 
Wishart and Hakim combined to score 36 of the Marauders 39 bench points as the duo attacked the Bulldogs interior defense aggressively throughout the game. Wishart finished with 21 points and Hakim added 15, career-highs for both players. Minnesota Duluth had just 17 points from its bench.
 
In a game between a pair of Northern Sun North Division teams expected to finish in the top half of the conference, both squads traded baskets early until UMD pulled away to grab a 25-18 lead.
 
With Megan Zander and Hakim making an unstoppable offensive pair for the Marauders, UMary climbed back into the game and took a 29-27 lead on an 11-2 run with Zander and Hakim providing nine of the 11 points.
 
Now holding all the momentum, the Marauders run grew to 20-4 and UMary went into intermission with a 38-29 lead. Zander and Hakim both had 11 points at the break and Wishart had nine.
 
UMary eventually grew its lead to 51-36 on a layup by Hakim before Minnesota Duluth scored the next eight points to pull within 51-44 at the end of the third period.
 
The Bulldogs slowly kept creeping back into the game before a Megan Voit three pointer with two minutes left in the game gave the Marauders a five-point lead at 56-51. Unable to seal the deal at the free throw line in the final minutes, UMary left the door open for UMD's Maesyn Theisen to hit a three with two seconds left to tie the game at 57-57 and send the game to overtime.
 
The Bulldogs scored first in the extra session but Carly Kottsick tied the game on two free throws.  A Wishart basket regained the lead for UMary before back to back baskets by UMD pushed the Bulldogs in front 63-61. A trey by Kottsick again sent the Marauders in front before two UMD free throws gave the Bulldogs another lead. Once again leaning on Wishart, the Marauders took their final lead of the night on a layup by the senior forward with 36 seconds to play. Brooke Olson then took over the game, hitting four straight to put the Bulldogs back in front for the final lead change of the night.
 
Overall the game featured 10 ties and nine lead changes, including seven lead changes and four ties in an intense overtime.
 
Wishart knocked down 9-of-13 shots for the game and hit 3-of-4 free throws on her way to 21 points.
 
Hakim added eight rebounds and three steals to her 15 points.
 
Zander finished with 11 points and six rebounds.
 
Ella Gilbertson led UMD with 20 points. Olson had 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
 
UMary slips to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the NSIC. UMD is 8-2 and 5-0.
 
The Marauders wrap up the 2022 portion of their schedule with a pair of road games. UMary plays at Bemidji State University on Friday, December 16, and at the University of Minnesota Crookston on Saturday, December 17. The Marauders next play at the McDowell Activity Center on January 7 against Southwest Minnesota State University.
 
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