THIS WEEK
Fresh off their first conference win of the season, the University of Mary women's basketball team returns to the McDowell Activity Center to welcome the University of Crookston on Thursday, December 7, at 7:30 pm in Bismarck, ND.
UMary then heads up Highway 83 for a meeting with in-state rival Minot State University on Saturday, December 9. Tip off between the Marauders and the Beavers is 3:30 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 6 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.
 
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

 THE RECORD
The Marauders are 3-5 overall and 1-1 in the Northern Sun.
 
STAT LEADERS

• Lexie Schneider leads UMary and the NSIC in scoring, averaging 20.4 ppg. She also leads the team and conference in rebounding with 9.1 rpg. Schneider is shooting 53% from the field and 86% from the free-throw line.
• Mariah McKeever leads the team in assists with 21. McKeever is shooting a team-best 60% from behind the arc while scoring 12.8 ppg.
• Megan Zander is second on the team in scoring (11 ppg) and rebounding (5.1 rpg). Zander has made the second most threes on the Marauders with 14.
• Addison Rozell leads UMary in blocks (11).

 
OPPO RESEARCH – GOLDEN EAGLES
The Golden Eagles opened the season with a 5-4 record while going 2-1 in conference action. Sophomore guard Emma Miller has been a start for UMC. She leads the team in scoring (18 ppg), rebounds (8.3 rpg), assists (38), 3-pointers made (19) and minutes (333). Sophomore center Janie Tormanen is second on the team in points (12.4 ppg) and rebounds (6.2). Junior center Nicole Hernandez leads the NSIC in blocks with 24.
 
LAST TIME THEY MEET
UMary defeated UMC 76-60 the last time the two teams met at Bismarck, ND. Ryleigh Wacha and Addison Rozell both scored 17 points to help lead the Marauders to victory. UMary has won eight out of the last ten matchups against the Golden Eagles.
 
OPPO RESEARCH – BEAVERS
Minot State (3-8 overall, 1-2 NSIC) is led by junior-college All-American Sydney Gustavsson, a 5-7 guard who in her first season with the Beavers is averaging 13.3 ppg and 3.1 rpg. Sophomore point guard Vilborg Jonsdottir (5-5) leads in rebounds (3.3 rpg) and assists (28), while sophomore forward Lorelei McIver (6-0) adds 4.0 ppg and 3.2 rpg.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
The Marauders swept the 2022-23 season series with the Beavers, including a 59-54 UMary road win on December 17. The Marauders outscored the Beaves 24-9 in the 4^th quarter to rally for the win. Reese Wishart led UMary with 17 points. Megan Voit added 15 and Megan Zander posted 12.
 
LAST WEEK
The Marauders won their first conference game of the season, defeating Minnesota State University Moorhead 68-63 on the road. Mariah McKeever returned to MSUM in spectacular fashion, dropping 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 6-of-8 shooting from behind the arc. The Ada, Minn, native spent four years with the Dragons before transferring to the Marauders. Lexie Schneider recorded a double-double after scoring 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Schneider shot 6-of-11 from the field and dropped four assists. It was her 3rd double-double of the season. Addison Rozell dropped a season-high 11 points and blocked four shots.
 
THE CLIMB
Senior post Lexie Schneider is leaving her mark on the Marauders program. The native of Appleton, WI, has scored 1,120 points to rank 19th all-time in scoring at UMary. The All-NSIC performer passed Shaunna Knife (1,092) last week. Next on the list is Nicole Meier (1,129 points in 2002-06)… Schneider is 7th in rebounds with 712. She passed Shaunna Knife (645) and Lauren Rotunda (683) earlier this season and is bearing down on Dawn Schaeffer (738 in 1979-83)… Schneider is currently 7th in steals in the NCAA era with 98. McKenzie Foster with 103 is next on the list.
 
CHASING HISTORY
Head coach Rick Neumann looks to pass Fred Fridley for second all-time in program wins. Neumann currently sits at 164 wins, while Fridley amassed 170 wins during his UMary tenure. Roger Haug is the all-time leader in wins with 234. Neumann has the most NSIC wins in school history, with 118.
 
1,000 POINTS FOR SCHNEIDER, ZANDER
Two Marauders went over 1,000 points in their collegiate careers opening weekend… Lexi Schneider cracked 1,000 career points in the second game of the season. In her fifth season playing for the Marauders the All-Northern Sun forward has scored 1,023 in 102 games, an average of 10.2 ppg. Schneider is the 22nd UMary player to reach quadruple digits for their career… Megan Zander cracked 1,000 points in the season opener. The Mandan native scored 383 points at the University of North Dakota over two seasons before transferring to UMary. In her third season with the Marauders, Zander has scored 636 points in 48 games at UMary.
 
LAST YEAR
The Marauders finished the 2022-23 season 14-13 overall and 12-10 in the NSIC (3rd NSIC North, 6th overall)… The Marauders won an opening game in the NSIC tournament for a second straight season to advance to the conference quarterfinals.
 
MARAUDERS PROJECTED TO PLACE THIRD IN NSIC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
A veteran University of Mary squad is picked to finish third overall in the 2023-24 Northern Sun Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll. Featuring a lineup that includes a trio of All-NSIC performers and five players who have started in the league, the Marauders earned 162 points in the coaches' poll. Minnesota State earned all but one first place ballot and accumulated 196 points in the poll. Defending league champion Minnesota Duluth was second with 165 points, just ahead of UMary in the 15-team league.
 
ZANDER NAMED MARAUDERS PLAYER TO WATCH IN 2023-24
All-conference guard Megan Zander is the Marauders NSIC Player to Watch. Zander earned 2022-23 1st team All-NSIC honors after leading the Marauders in scoring at 14.7 ppg in her second season at UMary. The senior from Mandan, ND, hauled down 5.4 rebounds, connected for 37 treys and shot 87.8% at the free throw line. She reached double digits in points in 22 games, scored 20+ points five times and had a pair of double doubles.
 
SCHNEIDER BACK TO CENTER ATTACK
After missing last year with an injury, 2022 All-NSIC center Lexie Schneider returns to the court. In 2021-22 Schneider averaged a team-leading 14.2 points per game and shot 54% from the floor. She also had seven double doubles and averaged 8.3 rebounds per game. The 2-time NSIC North Player of the Week led the league in shooting, was second in rebounding and 12th in scoring.
 
SCHNEIEDER NAMED 1ST NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK OF 2023-24 SEASON
An impressive start out of the gate earned University of Mary forward Lexie Schneider the first Northern Sun Women's Basketball Player of the Week honor awarded for the 2023-24 season. After missing last year to injury, Schneider has led the Marauders in scoring in each of their first five games. At the Central Region Classic last weekend, the senior from Appleton, WI, averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Marauders went 1-1. She had 18 points and 15 rebounds in a 75-73 overtime win against the University of Central Oklahoma. Schnieder followed with 26 points and nine rebounds in a narrow 74-66 loss to Classic host Northeastern State University. Schneider opened the season with 23 points in an 81-67 win over #19 Angelo State at the D2SSA Women's Basketball Tip Off. She eclipsed 1,000 career points in game two against #16 MSU Billings while scoring 23 points. In a game three loss to #24 Texas Woman's she scored 20 points. Over the course of the first five games of the season Schneider has scored 20 or more points four times. She averages 22.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 53.7% from the floor and 88.4% at the free throw line. The 2021-22 All-Northern Sun performer has now captured NSIC Player of the Week honors three times in her career.
 
WELCOME ABOARD, MATEY
Mariah McKeever joins the Marauders as a graduate transfer after the guard earned NSIC 2nd team honors last season at MSU Moorhead. She averaged 15.5 ppg and 6.8 rpg in 2022-23.
 
WELCOME BACK

• A 2-year starter at guard, Ryleigh Wacha is back for her junior season. Wacha averaged 8.7 ppg and 4.8 rpg and was second in assists with 59 last year.
• Addison Rozell started at forward last season. The junior averaged 8.6 ppg and 5.5 rpg while leading the squad with 21 blocks.
• Junior Moriku Hakim was a key reserve last season in the post. She averaged 9.0 ppg and 4.8 rpg and shot a stellar 54.5% from the field.
• Zoe Velde returns for her junior year at guard. She played all 27 games last year, including a handful of starts. She averaged 2.7 ppg and 2.8 RPG and was 3rd in steals (28) and 4th in assists (61).
• Additional returners include senior G Cadee Ryckman, junior G Ellie Hasz and C Cassie Erickson

NEW
In addition to Mariah McKeever, other newcomers include junior G Ashton Kinnebrew and freshmen G Chloe Pfau, G Bergan Kinnebrew, G Anna Lenzen, G Emily Jaenke and C Allison Undlin.
 
NSIC CHANGEUP
With the departure of Upper Iowa University, the NSIC is now a 15-team league. The NSIC regular season championship will be based on the 22-game schedule. Each team will play eight teams twice and another six teams once. An NSIC Champion will be awarded to the team with the highest win percentage in the 22 games played. The 12-team NSIC Women's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championships are set to take place March 2-5 at the Sanford Health Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD. The top four seeds will receive a first-round bye. First round games will be played on campus on Wednesday, February 28.
 
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