CROOKSTON, MN – Six free throws by University of Mary guard
Treyton Mattern in the final 65 seconds of play lifted the visiting Marauders to an 80-76 New Year's Eve victory over the University of Minnesota Crookston. Twice a hard-charging Golden Eagles squad pulled within a single point late in the game and twice Mattern responded by draining a pair of free throws to ensure the Marauders closed 2022 with a win.
Mattern finished the game with a career-high 21 points. The Bismarck, ND, native was 7-for-10 at the free throw line, including a 6-of-8 effort while keeping UMC at bay down the stretch. He drilled a pair of treys and made 6-of-11 shots from the field while adding three assists and two steals.
Three other Marauders also cracked double figures.
Lucas Mayer finished with 19 points and eight rebounds, knocking down 8-of-13 shots.
Gertautas Urbonavicius drained all four of his shots from behind the arc on his way to 16 points. He also had eight rebounds.
Zyon Smith checked in with 15 points and three assists.
Together the Marauders top four scorers combined for 71 points while hitting 25-of-44 shots. Overall UMary shot 47.5% from the floor – including a 9-for-17 effort behind the arc – and finished 15-for-22 at the line.
UMC, led in scoring by Blaize Sagna with 25 points, shot just 41.5% from the floor (36.4% on treys) while making 14-of-18 free throws. Xavier Jones added 17 points and Chandler Meeks 15.
The Marauders led much of a closely contested first half that featured three lead changes and four ties. A 12-5 run featuring threes from
Gertautas Urbonavicius and
Zyon Smith and a pair of baskets by
Lucas Mayer gave UMary an early 17-9 lead. After UMC battled back, an Urbonavicius layup broke a 30-30 tie. A
Treyton Mattern layup pushed the Marauders advantage to five before a De'Antray Hughes basket for the Golden Eagles sent UMary into intermission with a 35-32 lead.
Mayer (10), Smith (9), Urbonavicius (8) and Mattern (8) were the only Marauders to score in the first half.
The Marauders built a pair of double digit leads in the second half, first on an Urbonavicius three for a 55-45 advantage. After UMC closed within three points, back-to-back treys from Mattern and
Kam Warrens followed by a Mayer layup with 4:40 to play pushed UMary's advantage to 72-61.
The Golden Eagles made one final push, using an 11-1 run to close within 73-72 before Mattern took matters into his own hand. After converting a pair of free throws with 1:05 to play, Meeks hit two free throws to close within 75-74. Mattern responded with two more free throws. Following a defensive stop for the Marauders, Mattern made one of two free throws to build a four-point lead. Another defensive stop preceded another UMary free throw with freshman
Jeremiah Jones making one of two at the line for a five-point lead. After UMC hit a basket with three seconds left, one more Mattern free throw capped the UMary win and snapped a three-game losing skid.
UMary improves to 7-5 overall and 3-5 in the Northern Sun. UMC falls to 1-13 and 0-8.
After playing their last three games on the road, the University of Mary returns to the McDowell Activity Center for the first time in four weeks when the Marauders host Southwest Minnesota State University at 7:30 pm on Friday, January 6, and the University of Sioux Falls at 5:30 pm on Saturday, January 7. Tickets can be purchased online at
www.UMaryTickets.com.
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