THIS WEEK
The University of Mary men's basketball wraps up their current four-game road trip with a swing through Northwest Minnesota. The Marauders open the weekend at the University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles on Friday, February 4. Tip off is 7:30 pm from Lysaker Gymnasium in Crookston, MN. On Saturday, February 5, the Marauders tangle with the Bemidji State University Beavers. Game time is 5:30 pm at the BSU Gymnasium.  
 
THE RECORDS
UMary is 7-13 overall and 6-9 in the Northern Sun (12^th NSIC / 5^th NSIC North)… Minnesota Crookston is 7-14/4-11 (14^th NSIC/7^th NSIC North)… Bemidji State is 6-13/3-12 (15^th NSIC/8^th NSIC North).
 
TOO CLOSE TO CALL
With six of 22 games remaining in the NSIC schedule, eight of 16 teams are within three games of a .500 record. With a conference record of 6-9, the Marauders are one of those teams. 12 teams – the top six in both the North and South Divisions – qualify for the NSIC tournament.
 
ON/OFF
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and implemented safety protocols, several Northern Sun games have been cancelled this season. The Marauders have played 15 of 16 NSIC games. Two of 16 teams have played all 16 of its NSIC games this season (Upper Iowa, Northern State). Two teams have been limited to 12 games (Minot State, MSU Moorhead). With teams playing a various number of games standings will be based on winning percentage.
 
NORTHBOUND
The Marauders wrapped up their games against NSIC South division foes last weekend. Their last six games of the regular season come against fellow NSIC North opponents. UMary is 4-4 against the North.
 
LAST WEEK
Playing their toughest road trip of the season against a pair of teams in the top four of the Northern Sun standings, the Marauders came up just short against Winona State and Upper Iowa… Looking for their first-ever win at Winona State, the Marauders fell short 89-78. UMary hit 53% of its shots and was 11-for-22 on 3s. down as many as 15 points, the Marauders used a 41-19 run to take a 63-56 lead. Even at 72-72, Winona State used a 15-6 run over the last five minutes for the win. Kai Huntsberry scored 25 points behind 9-of-14 shooting. Jacob Jackson added 17 points. Lucas Mayer added 11 and Davids Atelbauers 10. Alec Rosner had 36 points for WSU… Kai Huntsberry scored 26 points and the Marauders hit 11 treys in an 82-72 loss at #20 Upper Iowa. The Marauders held a 59-55 lead before the Peacockss scored 14 of the next 17 points. Kam Warrens added 13 points and Davids Atelbauers had 12. Jake Hilmer led the Peacocks with 29 points. UMary was 11-of-21 behind the arc. Huntsberry was 5-of-6 on treys and 8-of-13 from the field.
 
BOOM
The Marauders had back-to-back impressive shooting efforts from behind the arc last weekend. After hitting 11-of-22 treys at Winona State, UMary followed with an 11-for-21 effort at #20 Upper Iowa. For the weekend UMary was a combined 22-for-43… this is the first time UMary has connected on 50% of its 3-point attempts in back-to-back games (9-of-14 v Concordia-St. Paul on 1/13/17, 7-of-10 v Minnesota State on 1/14/17).
 
STEPPING UP
For the first two times in his UMary career, Davids Atelbauers cracked double digits last weekend while making his third and fourth starts of the season. The senior from Ogre, Latvia, scored a career-high ten points at Winona State after making 3-of-5 trey attempts. The following night at #20 Upper Iowa, Atelbauers increased his career-best to 12 points, making a pair of treys. In his last six games the guard is averaging 7.1 ppg.
 
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Kai Huntsberry has had an immediate impact on the Marauders in his first year at UMary. After a pair of big games at Winona State and Upper Iowa, Huntsberry is second in the NSIC in scoring at 19.4 points per game… He has scored 22 or more points in 11 of 18 games… The transfer from San Diego City College has led the Marauders in scoring in 13 of 18 games this season… he has scored 22 or more points 11 times and 18 or more 13 times… The point guard from New Orleans, LA, averages 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game and is shooting 49.4% from the field, 42.4% on 3s and 84.5% at the line. The team leader in scoring, assists and steals, he ranks 2^nd in the NSIC in scoring and free throw shooting percentage, 4^th in the NSIC in assists, 12^th in shooting percentage and 17^th in treys/game (2.0).  
 
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 17 games he has posted eight or more points 14 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 10.2 points/game and 5.6 rebounds/game to rank second on the team in both categories. 
 
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 nine times in 19 games, including a high of 21 against the Bronchos. For the season Urbonavicius is 3^rd on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg) and 4^th in rebounding (4.4 rpg). He is making 46.8% of his shots overall – including 33% behind the arc – and converts 78% 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). 
 
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 6.5 rebounds/game leads UMary and is 14^th in the NSIC. Warrens is also averaging 8.8 points/game and is making 36% of his 3s in his second season with the Marauders. Warrens is third on the squad in 3-pointers (17).
 
LIVING LARGE AT THE LINE
The Marauders outpace the opposition in scoring at the free throw line. UMary is 7^th in the NSIC in free throw percentage at 74.2% (219-of-295) while the Marauders opponents are 217-of-291 (74.6%).
 
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. 
 
HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. GOLDEN EAGLES
Since joining the Northern Sun for the 2006-07 season, the Marauders are 22-9 against the Golden Eagles… UMary is 14-3 at home and 8-6 away versus UMC… The Marauders are 14-6 in the last 20 outings against the Golden Eagles… UMary defeated visiting UMC 65-60 at the MAC on Dec. 18, 2021, in the first meeting of the season between the two teams. Kai Huntsberry had 25 points for UMary and Josh Sipes added 10. Ethan Channel had 14 for UMC.
 
HISTORY LESSON – MARAUDERS v. BEAVERS
Mary leads the series with BSU 18-14… The series began in 1971 with a 92-87 home win for the Marauders… The two teams played twice in the 1987 season with each school winning at home… Since becoming a member of the NSIC, Mary captured the first five meetings before BSU broke through with a home win in the 2009-10 season… After six straight losses to the Beavers, the Marauders swept the season series in 2014-15 and 2015-16… The two teams have split their season series the last five years… UMary has won six out of its last eight games in Bemidji… both games were played in Bemidji last year… In the 1^st meeting this season, BSU defeated UMary 68-40 at the MAC on Dec. 17, 2021. Derek Thompson had 14 points and 12 rebounds for BSU. Jacob Jackson led UMary with 12 points.
 
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 47.4% from the floor and is 5th on the team in made treys (14). Sipes – who made his first start of the season in a 65-60 win over Minnesota Crookston and scored 10 points - averages 4.9 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 last weekend and hit the winning basket with 4.9 seconds left against the Golden Bears. He has started the last four games and averages 6.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg while shooting 61%%… All four played for former UMary men's basketball player Darin Mattern (and Treyton's father) at Century.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW YOUR MARAUDERS LIVE ONLINE

• Links to live streaming video, game stats and radio streams are available at www.GoUMary.com/coverage
• Live video also streamed at www.NSICNetwork.com/goumary
• Fox Sports 710 AM radio broadcasts available online at https://foxsports710.iheart.com/

 
MARAUDERS HOME BASKETBALL GAMES AIRING LIVE ON FOX SPORTS 710
All University of Mary men's and women's basketball home and Northern Sun games air live on Fox Sports 710 AM. Voice of the Marauders Jesse Rostvedt calls all the action this season from the McDowell Activity Center.
 
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:   5-  4
 
The Marauders once won 27 straight home games for Coach Bortke at the MAC (February 19, 1976 thru November 11, 1978).
 
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