THIS WEEK
After a big road win to open the NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament, the University of Mary continues its postseason push against #12 University of Minnesota Duluth in the quarterfinals on Saturday, February 26. Game time between the Marauders and the Bulldogs is 11 am at The Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD.
 
LEADOFF
The Marauders and the Bulldogs are the opening game of the NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament quarterfinals in Sioux Falls, SD.
 
FOLLOW LIVE

• Listen to all Marauders games live on Fox Sports 710 with Voice of the Marauders Jesse Rostvedt providing the play-by-play
• Links to live stats, video stream and radio broadcast are available at www.GoUMary.com/coverage

 
TELEVISION
All games of the NSIC/Sanford Health tournament will be broadcast on Midco Sports.
 
TICKETS
Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students (K-college) per session. Tickets can be purchased at the door or through www.ticketmaster.com
 
AT STAKE
The winner of the NSIC/Sanford Health tournament earns an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.
 
NEXT STEPS

• The men's semifinals are set for Monday, February 28. The Marauders-Bulldogs victor will play the Upper Iowa-Northern State winner at 11 am.
• The NSIC/Sanford Health men's and women's championship games will be played on Tuesday, March 1.

 
THE RECORDS
UMary is 11-16 overall and 9-12 in the Northern Sun. The Marauders finished 11^th overall in the NSIC and earned the 5^th seed in the NSIC North Division… #12 Minnesota Duluth is 23-4 overall and 16-4 in the NSIC. The Bulldogs, the NSIC North champion and the #1 seed from the North, finished 3^rd overall in the NSIC. UMD earned a 1^st round bye.  
 
WEDNESDAY | UMary 82 Winona State 70
The Marauders exercised several demons with a huge win in the opening round of the 2022 Northern Sun/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament. Paced by 29 points from Kai Huntsberry and a big night on the boards from Gertautas Urbonavicius, the visiting Marauders knocked off Winona State University 82-70… After three lead changes and a tie early in the second half, the Marauders ripped off 10 straight points to take a decisive lead. Davids Atelbauers hit a trey to get UMary rolling. Following a jumper from Urbonavicius, Kam Warrens nailed a trey of his own. After a Warriors time out, Huntsberry responded with a basket in the lane for a 48-38 lead… The closest the Warriors came the rest of the game was 52-48 but Huntsberry responded with one of his four 3s in the game. UMary maintained no less than a 6-point lead the rest of the game… Huntsberry had a monster night across the night. In addition to a career-best 29 points, the junior guard had seven rebounds and four assists. He was 4-of-8 on treys and went 7-of-8 at the line… Urbonavicius scored 18 points and snared a career-high 13 rebounds. The junior forward was 7-of-13 from he floor and made all three of his free throws… Warrens finished 2-of-3 on treys and knocked down all four free throws on his way to 12 points. Atelbauers added 11 points and three assists to give the Marauders four players in double digits for points… Alec Rosner led the Warriors with 19 points. Devin Whitelow and Connor Dillon had 14 each for WSU… The Marauders held a massive 35-20 edge in rebounds. Deadly efficient offensively, the Marauders shot 55% from the floor, including a 10-of-21 effort behind the arc. UMary also finished 16-of-18 at the line.
 
BREAKTHROUGH
The UMary 82-70 win at Winona State is the first-ever road win for the Marauders in the Northern Sun tournament. It was also UMary's first win ever at Winona State after 13 straight losses, including three in the playoffs. Additionally the Marauders ended a 15-game losing streak to the Warriors.
 
 
HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. BULLDOGS
UMary trails Minnesota Duluth 11-16 in the all-time series… The Marauders first victory over the Bulldogs was an 80-77 overtime win on 1.16.09… The Marauders and the Bulldogs have split their series in each of the last two seasons (2020-21, 2021-22)… UMD won both games in 2017-18 and 2019-20 and UMary claimed the sweep in 2018-19 in a pair of memorable games. UMary defeated UMD 73-70 at home in overtime on Dec. 8, 2018, when Dennis Austin III hit a 3-pointer with .7 seconds left in the extra session. UMary rallied from an 8-point deficit with six minutes left in regulation. Jaylan White hit five treys and scored a career-high 29 points. Matthew Kreklow made all ten of his free throws and scored 18 points. Austin finished with ten points. Sean Burns had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Brandon Myer had 15 and 17… In another wild ballgame at UMD on Jan. 11, 2019, the Marauders closed the season series with a triple overtime 100-98 road victory on a Jaylan White basket with under two seconds remaining on the clock. White scored 12 of his 25 points in the overtime sessions. Connor Hellebust added 21 and Tom Kubank 18. Brandon Myer had 31 points and 11 rebounds for UMD.
 
MARAUDERS V BULLDOGS 2021-22
The Marauders and the Bulldogs split their two series this season… #22 UMD defeated UMary 77-64 on Dec. 11, 2021. Kai Huntsberry led UM with 19 points. Lincoln Meister had 13 for UMD… Davids Atelbauers drained a game-winning three-pointer with 23 seconds left in the contest as the University of Mary overcame a double-digit second half deficit to knock off the nation's 6th-ranked and Northern Sun North Division champion University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 75-71 on February 11, 2022. The Marauders scored the final eight points in the game in the final minute of play, with Atelbauers scoring the last five. The 6th ranked Bulldogs are the highest-ranked NCAA team the Marauders have beaten at the McDowell Activity Center. The previous mark was a 77-48 win over #8 St. Cloud State University on December 16, 2007. Kai Huntsberry had 19 points, Altebauers 13, Gertautas Urbonavicius 11 and Kam Warrens 10.
 
MARAUDERS NSIC POST-SEASON HISTORY
The Marauders are 4-11 in the NSIC tournament… The first win was a 70-65 1st round home victory over MSU Moorhead on March 2, 2011. Anthony Moody scored 25 points with eight rebounds and seven assists. Eric Erdmann added 17 points and Jordan Wilhelm 12... Mary has faced Winona State three times in the NSIC tournament, more than any other team… Marauders first road win was at Winona State University Feb. 23, 2022, by an 82-70 score. Kai Huntsberry scored 29 points and Gertautas Urbonavicius had 18 points and 13 rebounds.
 
MARAUDERS NSIC PLAYOFF HISTORY (4-11)
March 1, 2008   at Winona State (1st round)                                     L 50-77
March 3, 2010   at Winona State (1st round)                                     L 57-76
March 2, 2011   MSU Moorhead (1st round)                                     W 70-65
March 5, 2011   vs. St. Cloud State (semi-finals)                                L 59-65
Feb. 27, 2013     at Winona State (1st round)                                    L 64-77
Feb. 27, 2014     at Southwest Minn. State (1st round)                    L 65-82
Feb. 21, 2015     at Concordia-St. Paul (1st round)                            L 65-78
Feb. 24, 2016     Concordia-St. Paul (1st round)                                 W 76-72
Feb. 27, 2016     vs. Minnesota State (quarterfinals)                                        W 96-91 OT
Feb. 29, 2016     vs. MSU Moorhead (semifinals)                                              L 65-89
Feb. 22, 2017     at Minnesota State (1st round)                                               L 78-87
Feb. 21, 2018     at Southwest Minnesota State (1st round)           L 73-78
Feb. 27, 2019     at Wayne State College (1st round)                       L 62-84 
Feb. 26, 2020     at Upper Iowa (1^st round)                                            L 64-80
Feb. 23, 2022     at Winona State (1^st round)                                        W 82-70
Feb. 27, 2022     vs. #12 Minnesota Duluth (quarterfinals)                        
 
MARAUDERS NCAA PLAYOFF HISTORY (0-1)
March 12, 2011        vs. Metro State (at Mankato, MN)                   L 73-78
 
HUNTSBERRY NAMED NSIC NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR, NSIC 1^st TEAM SELECTION
Kai Huntsberry honored as the 2022 Northern Sun Newcomer of the Year. Huntsberry also earned All-NSIC first team honors…Huntsberry is just the second Marauders player to earn Newcomer honors. Anthony Moody received the same honor in 2010… The native of New Orleans, LA, averages 18.7 points and 4.4 assists per game to lead the Marauders in both categories. Huntsberry also averages 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 48.4% of from the field overall and 39.6% behind the arc. At the line he converts 82.4% of his attempts… Through the first round of the NSIC tournament Huntsberry ranks 4^th in scoring and assists, is 7^th in free throw shooting, 10^th in treys/game and 11^th in field goal percentage… An NSIC Player of the Week honoree after leading the Marauders to an upset of #6 Minnesota Duluth, Huntsberry has scored at least 20 points in 14 of 25 games this season. He scored at least 18 points in 17 games.
 
RANGE FINDER
The Marauders have started to find the range from behind the arc. Over the last eight games UMary is 87-of-212 (41%). For the year the Marauders are shooting 36% on treys… Three times in the last nine games UMary shot over 50%, a figure reached just one in the first 18 games… five of the seven times UMary knocked down 10 or more treys this season have come during this recent run.
 
TAKING CONTROL
After opening the season on the bench, Davids Atelbauers has taken full advantage of a starting opportunity. He has started nine straight games and reached double figures in points eight times. Over the last four games, he scored 13 against #6 Minnesota Duluth and hit the game-winning 3-pointer, posted 15 points in a win over St. Cloud State while making 5-of-6 treys, scored 11 against MSU, finished the regular season with a career-best 20 points on Senior Day against Northern State, and scored 11 at Winona State to open the NSIC tournament… In his last 13 games, including 11 starts, the senior from Ogre, Latvia, is averaging 9.5 points/game. In his last nine games – all starts - the guard is averaging 11.5 ppg while hitting 21-of-43 trey attempts.
 
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Kai Huntsberry has had an immediate impact on the Marauders in his first year at UMary. The NSIC Newcomer of the Year, a 1^st team All-NSIC selection and an NSIC Player of the Week, Huntsberry is currently 4^th in scoring in the NSIC (18.7 ppg) and is among the league leaders in several categories… He has scored 22 or more points in 14 of 25 games… The transfer from San Diego City College has led the Marauders in scoring in 17 of 25 games this season… he has scored 20 or more points 14 times and 18 or more 18 times… The point guard from New Orleans, LA, averages 18.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game and is shooting 48.4% from the field, 39.6% on 3s and 82.4% at the line. The team leader in scoring and assists, he ranks 4^th in the NSIC in scoring and assists, 7^th in free throw percentage, 11^th in shooting percentage and 10^th in treys/game (2.0). 
 
IN AND OUT IMPACT
A transfer from NCAA Division I University of North Dakota, Gertautas Urbonavicius has given the Marauders a hot scoring hand inside and out. The junior forward from Vilnius, Lithuania, has hit for double digits 14 times in 25 games, including a high of 21 against the Bronchos… he opened the NSIC playoffs with 18 points and a career-best 13 rebounds at Winona State… For the season Urbonavicius is 2^nd on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg) and 4^th in rebounding (4.8 rpg). He is making 48% of his shots overall – including 43% behind the arc – and converts 77% of his free throws.
 
DOUBLING DOWN
Kam Warrens and Jacob Jackson have combined for seven double doubles this season… Warrens has four double doubles (12 points/12 rebounds at Central Oklahoma, 10/11 vs Mayville State, 18/10 v MSU Moorhead, 10/12 at SMSU) and Jackson owns three (12/10 at Minot State, 11/10 vs. MSU Moorhead, 17/10 vs. #23 Augie)… Lucas Mayer hauled down 14 rebounds and added 12 points against the Huskies for UMary's 8^th double double of the year.
 
BOARD PLAY
Kam Warrens has been a force for the Marauders on the boards and has provided scoring punch for UMary. The junior wing has hauled down double digit rebounds four times. His 6.1 rebounds/game leads UMary and is 21^st in the NSIC. Warrens is also averaging 8.7 points/game and 6^th on the squad in made 3-pointers (20).
 
BOARD  PLAY 2
Since Lucas Mayer joined the starting lineup 11 games ago after returning from injury, the Marauders have outrebounded the opposition seven times. Mayer is averaging 6.6 boards/game during this run, including 14 in a win over the Huskies. That total is the most by a Marauders player since two-time All-NSIC forward Bryan Jefferson had 15 against MSU Moorhead in January 2017. For the season Mayer is averaging 7.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and shooting 61% from the floor.
 
SPARK
Jacob Jackson has provided a spark on offense and defense in his first season at UMary… After coming off the bench for the first 11 games, he made five straight starts… Over the course of 22 games he has posted eight or more points 15 times and reached double digits ten times… He has three double doubles, in a 78-74 win at Minot State (12 points and 10 rebounds), an 80-79 home win over MSU Moorhead (11 and 10) and against #23 Augie (17 and 10)… Jackson picked up his first start at UMary in the Marauders 65-60 win over Minnesota Crookston, hauling down 13 boards and scoring seven points… scored a career-high 17 against #23 Augie… The junior guard from Sacramento, CA, averages 8.7 points/game and 5.1 rebounds/game. He is 4^th on the team in scoring and 3^rd in rebounds.  
 
LINE GAMES
The Marauders outpace the opposition in scoring at the free throw line. UMary is 7^th in the NSIC in free throw percentage at 76% (288-of-379) while the Marauders opponents are 14^th (282-of-386/73.1%).
 
I KNOW YOU
Marauders new head coach Jack Nelson picked up his first two UMary coaching wins against a pair of schools at which he had been an assistant coach. Nelson earned up his first win at Minot State, where he was an assistant coach from 2012-16. His second win came against Sioux Falls, where Nelson coached the previous three years in his second stint with the Cougars… Nelson earned his 5^th win against Minot State to claim a season sweep… Nelson now also has a win over Winona State, the school at which he earned a master's degree.
 
CENTURY MARK
A quartet of Bismarck Century High School graduates are playing key roles for the Marauders this season. Josh Sipes, the Marauders NSIC Player to Watch this year, is shooting 49% from the floor and is 7^th on the team in made treys (19). Sipes – who made his first start of the season in a 65-60 win over Minnesota Crookston and scored 10 points - averages 4.0 ppg… Kade Amundson started the first 12 games of the season for UMary at forward and averages 5.0 ppg and 3.4 rebounds per game and is 10-of-12 (83.3%) at the free throw line… Treyton Mattern has started 14 games and averages 3.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game… Lucas Mayer is back from injury and returned to the starting lineup to hit game-winning shots against both the Golden Bears and the Beavers. He has started the last 11 games and averages 7.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg while shooting 61.2%… All four played for former UMary men's basketball player Darin Mattern (and Treyton's father) at Century.
 
CLUTCH
Twice this season Lucas Mayer has scored the game-winning basketball for the Marauders in the closing seconds. Against Concordia-St. Paul Mayer put back an offensive rebound with 4.9 seconds left in a 68-66 win. On the road at Bemidji State and trailing 53-52, Mayer snared the rebound off an errant Marauders 3-point attempt and scored on a putback with 2.1 seconds remaining. Fouled while scoring, Mayer hit the free throw to complete a 3-point play in a 55-53 UMary win. 
 
THE BORTKE COURT MAC ATTACK
The Marauders once again found success on Bortke Court in the McDowell Activity Center. The playing floor was christened Bortke Court in honor of long-time Mary men's basketball coach and athletic director Al Bortke in July 2009. Here is the Marauders NCAA Division II home record:
2006-07:   5-  7
2007-08:   4-  7
2008-09:   7-  5
2009-10: 11-  2
2010-11: 12-  1
2011-12:   3-10
2012-13:   3-  9
2013-14:   6-  7
2014-15:   4-  8
2015-16:   8-  7
2016-17:   8-  6
2017-18:   2-11
2018-19:   9-  5
2019-20:   8-  7
2020-21:   2-  6
2021-22:   7-  6
 
The Marauders once won 27 straight home games for Coach Bortke at the MAC (February 19, 1976 thru November 11, 1978).
 
#marauders#