MINOT, ND – The University of Mary Women's Basketball team is once again forced to adjust their schedule due to the weather. This Saturday, the Marauders will play their rivals Minot State University at 1 pm from the Minot State Dome.
SCHEDULE SWAP
Saturday's matchup with the Beavers was originally slated for New Year's Eve, but due to another major snowstorm, the Marauders will be unable to make the long road trip to northern Minnesota to play Bemidji State University and the University of Minnesota Crookston this weekend as originally planned. UMary will now play at Bemidji State on Friday, December 30 at 3 pm, and then at Minnesota Crookston on Saturday, December 31 at 1 pm.
LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders (4-4, 3-2 NSIC) showed a competitive side last week against two of the top Northern Sun programs in Women's Basketball.
Ryleigh Wacha nearly led UMary to a home victory over St. Cloud State on December 9 but fell late 61-71.
Reese Wishart and
Moriku Hakim both had career games in a nail-biting loss in overtime 66-69 to the reigning NSIC champions, the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Entering last weekend, UMary was riding on a four-game winning streak. The Marauders held leads for most of both games and still hold a winning record in conference play.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Megan Zander's hot start carries into this weekend. The senior guard from Mandan, ND averages 15.5 points per game which currently stands eighth overall in the conference. Zander also moved into the team lead for rebounds with 5.6 per game currently.
Ryleigh Wacha stands behind Zander in the team lead for scoring with 9.3 points per game and rebounding with 5.3 per game. Wacha also averages 0.8 blocks per game. The sophomore from Fargo, ND matched her career-high of 21 points in Friday's loss to SCSU, a game where she also grabbed a season-high nine rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.
Reese Wishart was a standout Saturday night when she scored a career-high 21 points against UMD. Wishart has been an efficient scorer off the bench for the Marauders, shooting a team-best 55.8% from the field.
Moriku Hakim also had a stellar game last Saturday with 15 points and eight rebounds, both career-highs for Hakim.
Carly Kottsick has paced the Marauders offense through the early going of the season, averaging 3.1 assists per game. She dished out seven assists last Friday against SCSU, a career-high.
Megan Voit currently averages 8.5 points per game, while hitting a team-high 19 treys through the first eight games.
Addison Rozell has started every game in the post for the Marauders, averaging 8.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Minot State University enters the weekend on a three-game skid while currently 5-6 overall and 1-4 in the Northern Sun. Kate Head has been a major offensive factor for the Beavers, currently ranking as the no. 7 scorer in the NSIC with 171 points (15.5 per game).
The Marauders already hold a 61-44 victory over the Beavers this season on December 6.
Megan Zander and
Megan Voit led the way in that game with 16 and 13 points respectively. The Marauders defense played the difference-maker allowing a season-low 44 points and forcing 18 turnovers by the Beavers.
THE STAFF
Rick Neumann enters his tenth season at the helm of UMary Women's Basketball. Through the years, Neumann has enjoyed many successful years as the Marauders fourth-winningest coach in program history with a career record of 147-133. Neumann joined his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2003, taking over the head coaching role in the 2012-2013 season, and has coached numerous All-Conference and All-American players.
Reigning Summit League Player of the Year
Chloe Lamb enters her first season as the Marauders assistant coach. Lamb comes to UMary fresh after capping off a historic career at the University of South Dakota where she earned the 2022 Summit League Tournament MVP as the Coyotes won both Summit regular season and tournament titles. She is a four-time All-Summit League selection, earning 1st team honors in her last two seasons at USD.
Phydel Nwanze enters her first season as a Marauders assistant coach and graduate assistant. She played collegiately at St. Edwards University and earned a BA in kinesiology and exercise science.
DIAL INTO 710 AM FOX SPORTS
Listen to "Voice of the Marauders" Jesse Rostvedt call all Marauders Northern Sun games and select conference contests on 710 AM Fox Sports.
LIVE STATS AND WEBCASTS
Links to radio broadcasts, web streams, and live stats are found at www.GoUMary.com/coverage
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