THIS WEEK
Returning home for the first time in over two weeks, the University of Mary men's basketball team hosts the University of Minnesota Crookston on Thursday, December 7. The Northern Sun contest between the Marauders and the Golden Eagles tips off at 5:30 pm at the McDowell Activity Center.
 
The Marauders then follow with a trip up Highway 83 to face in-state rival Minot State University on Saturday, December 9. Game time is 1:30 pm at the Minot State Dome in Minot, ND.
 
AROUND THE CORNER
The Marauders will play their 3^rd game in six days when UMary hosts St. Cloud State University on Tuesday, December 12 at the MAC. Please note, tip off is slated for 4 pm.
 
WHITE OUT
The Marauders home doubleheader December 7 against the Golden Eagles has been declared a WHITE OUT! All fans are encouraged to wear white.
 
MAKE-A-WISH GAME SET FOR DECEMBER 12
The University of Mary Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has designated the Marauders December 12 basketball doubleheader as the annual Make-A-Wish game. Make-A-Wish North Dakota grants wishes to local children who have a critical illness and UMary SAAC members will be asking for support of the Make-A-Wish program throughout the night to assist the more than 17 children in Bismarck-Mandan alone waiting for their wish to come true.
 
RIVALRY DAY TRIPLE HEADER
The Marauders men's basketball game on Saturday, December 9, tips off the first of three straight contests between the University of Mary and Minot State University. Following the men's game, the Marauders and the Beavers women's game is set for 3:30 pm. Capping the day is a wrestling match between the #5 Marauders and the Beavers at 6:30 pm. All three events between the Highway 83 rivals will take place in the Minot State Dome.
 
THE RECORD
The Marauders are 4-3 overall and 0-2 in the Northern Sun… The Golden Eagles are 3-5 and 0-3… The Beavers are 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the NSIC before a midweek game against Valley City State.
 
LAST WEEKEND
In their lone game of the week, the Marauders dropped a 95-55 decision at #7 MSU Moorhead. Gerald Gittens led UMary with 18 points. Zayon Smith hit two treys and added 12 points. Brock Heffner chipped in 10 points and two steals.
 
FOLLOW LIVE

• Voice of the Marauders Jesse Rostvedt broadcasts all Marauders home games and Northern Sun contests on Fox Sports 710 and online at https://foxsports710.iheart.com/
• Free video streaming of Marauders home and all Northern Sun games is available at https://nsicnetwork.com/goumary and at www.GoUMary.com/coverage
• Live stats for Saturday's games are available online at www.GoUMary.com/coverage

 
DOUBLING UP
The Marauders already have a trio of players with double doubles this season:

• Xavier Lewis – 15 points, 12 rebounds at Northeastern State (Nov. 11, 2023)
• Brock Heffner – 25 points, 11 rebounds vs. Mayville State (Nov. 15, 2023)
• Ty Rogers – 13 points and 11 rebounds vs. Trinity Bible College (Nov. 24, 2023)

 
POWER TRIO
The Marauders have three players averaging double figures through three games:

• Gerald Gittens, a transfer from North Central Missouri College, leads the Marauders in scoring with 14 points per game. He is shooting 46.5% from the floor, 43% on treys and averages 4.4 rebounds/game. He also leads UMary in assists with 3.0 per game.
• Zyon Smith averages 13.1 points per game with 5.4 rebounds/game. The senior guard leads the team with 18 3-pointers and is making 43% of his trey attempts.
• Brock Heffner, a transfer from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, averages 11.1 points per game and 5.6 rebounds. The sophomore forward is shooting 47.9% from the floor and has eight blocks.

 
HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. GOLDEN EAGLES
Since joining the Northern Sun for the 2006-07 season, the Marauders are 24-10 against the Golden Eagles… UMary is 15-3 at home and 9-7 away versus UMC… The Marauders are 16-7 in the last 22 outings against the Golden Eagles… UMary swept the 2022-23 series and has won four of the last five games | LAST MEETING Lucas Mayer had 18 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in the Marauders 84-77 overtime win at home on February 3, 2023. Treyton Mattern added 16 points, Cam Warrens 13 and Zyon Smith 12.
 
HIGHWAY 83 HISTORY
In a series that stretches back to the 1972-73 season – just the third year of Marauders basketball – the University of Mary and Minot State University have played 81 times with the Beavers holding a slight 41-40 series lead… The two teams split their 20222-23 series with each team defending their home court… UMary has an 9-7 edge over the last 16 meetings… In NSIC games the Marauders are 9-12 against the Beavers… a former assistant for the Beavers, UMary head coach Jack Nelson is 3-1 against the Beavers since taking over the Marauders program in 2021. | LAST MEETING In a game featuring 11 lead changes and six ties, the Beavers edged the visiting Marauders 82-76 on December 17, 2022. Zyon Smith led UMary with 22 points. Kam Warrens added 20 and Treyton Mattern had 17.
 
BOARD GAMES
The Marauders are +6.9 rebounds per game over the opposition to rank 4^th in the Northern Sun. Sophomore forward Xavier Lewis is a big key to the Marauders advantage. The Lynwood, IL, native averages 7.1 rebounds/game to lead UMary. He is 10^th in the NSIC. Additionally Brock Heffner (5.6 rpg) ranks 22^nd and Zyon Smith (5.4 rpg) is 24^th in the NSIC.
 
GET THAT OUTTA HERE
Rich Ashu and Brock Heffner are making things difficult for Marauders opponents to score with 8 blocks each this season. Ashu is averaging 1.6 blocks/game to rank 2^nd in the NSIC. Heffner at 1.1 blocks/game ranks 5^th. Overall the UMary defense is swatting away 4.0 shots/game to rank second in the NSIC.
 
PICKING POCKETS
The Marauders average 6.57 steals/game to rank 5^th in the Northern Sun.  
 
FOR THREE!
Zyon Smith is having a strong season behind the arc. The senior guard is knocking down 2.6 treys/game and shooting a stellar 43%. Smith is 7^th in the NSIC in 3-point shooting percentage and 8^th in treys/game.  
 
CLUTCH
Gerald Gittens has shown a magic touch in a pair of late game situations. The Brooklyn, NY, native in his first season at UMary hit a shot to beat the buzzer in the Marauders 63-61 win at Northeastern State University in the second game of the season… in the Marauders home opener he hit a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 70-70 and force overtime. Gittens hit five straight free throws to seal the 81-72 UMary win.
 
SMITH NAMED UMARY'S NSIC PLAYER TO WATCH IN 2023-24
A senior guard from Montgomery, AL, Zyon Smith is UMary's NSIC Player to Watch for 2023-24. Smith joined the Marauders last season as a transfer from Highland (KS) Community College. In his first season at UMary he averaged 11.7 points per game. Smith hit a team-best 44 treys and averaged 2.8 rebounds per game. In the Marauders lone exhibition game of the preseason Smith hit four treys and scored a game-high 20 points at NCAA Division I South Dakota State University.
 
MARAUDERS MEMOS

• Senior G Zyon Smith is the lone starter returning for UMary after graduating four starters
• The Marauders return six players who saw action in at least 16 games, including junior F Liam Doherty and sophomores Jeremiah Jones, Gunner Swanson, Ty Rogers and Xavier Lewis.
• Several newcomers will play key roles for the Marauders this season, including a trio of reserves: Junior guard Gerald Gittens (North Central Missouri College), junior forward Rich Ashu (Ellsworth Community College) and sophomore forward Brock Heffner (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay)
• Marauders were picked to finish 13th in the NSIC in the preseason coaches poll

 
YEAR THREE
Head coach Jack Nelson enters year three with the Marauders. In his first season in 2020-21 he led UMary to its best conference record in four years. Nelson directed the Marauders to their first Northern Sun tournament road victory with an 82-70 win at Winona State to send UMary to the quarterfinals and a trip to the Sanford Pentagon. During the regular season the Marauders defeated #6 University of Minnesota Duluth 75-71, the highest ranked NCAA team UMary has beaten at home. Nelson recruited and coached Kai Huntsberry, the 2021-22 NSIC Newcomer of the Year and a 1st team all-conference selection who broke the NSIC tournament record for 3s in a game with eight.
 
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