THIS WEEK
The University of Mary women's basketball team returns to the McDowell Activity Center to take on Augustana University on Friday, January 12, at 7:30 pm.
 
The Marauders then welcome Wayne State College to Bismarck, ND, on Saturday, January 13, at 5:30 pm.
 
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 games are available online at www.GoUMary.com/coverage

 
THE RECORD
The Marauders have won five straight games and are 10-6 overall and 6-2 in the Northern Sun. UMary is tied for 3^rd in the NSIC standings.
 
STAT LEADERS

• Lexie Schneider leads UMary and the NSIC in scoring, averaging 20.6 ppg. She also leads the team and conference in rebounding with 9.1 rpg. Schneider is shooting 54% from the field and 83% from the free-throw line. Schneider ranks second in the NSIC in field goal percentage, 3^rd in free-throw percentage, 15^th in assists per game, 12^th in blocks per game and 12^th in minutes per game.
• Mariah McKeever leads the team in three-pointers made with 27. McKeever is shooting a team-best 52.5% from behind the arc while scoring 12.4 ppg. McKeever ranks 13^th in the NSIC in scoring, 4^th in 3-pointers made per game, 25^th in assists per game and 19^th in steals per game.
• Megan Zander is averaging 11.9 ppg and is second on the team in rebounding (5.1 rpg). Zander ranks 19^th in the NSIC in scoring, tied for 22^nd in rebounding, 7^th in 3-pointers made per game and tied for 21^st in assists per game, tied for 21^st in steals per game and 22^nd in minutes per game.
• Addison Rozell leads UMary in blocks (21). She ranks 10^th in the conference in blocks per game (1.3 bpg).

 
NCAA RANKINGS
Lexie Schneider ranks among the NCAA Division II leaders in several categories:

• 1st in free throws made (107)
• 4th in free throws attempted (129)
• 5^th in scoring (20.6 ppg)
• 5th in field goals made (111)
• 15th in double doubles (6)
• 43rd rebounding (9.1 rpg)

 
OPPO RESEARCH – VIKINGS
AU (3-10, 2-7 NSIC) is led by senior guard Michaela Jewett, who leads the team in scoring with 16.4 ppg. Jewett is 6^th in the NSIC in scoring and is 4^th in the NSIC in rebounding (7.4 rpg). Senior guard Lauren Sees leads the Vikings in assists (2.5 apg) and is scoring 14.2 ppg. Junior forward Jennifer Aadland is tied for second in the NSIC in rebounding (7.8 rpg) and is averaging 10.6 ppg.
 
LAST TIME THEY MEET
UMary fell in both of their games last season to AU. The Marauders are 1-9 in their last ten games against the Vikings.
 
OPPO RESEARCH – Wildcats
WSC (4-8 overall, 1-8 NSIC) is led by senior forward Britney Ho, who leads the team in scoring (12.1 ppg), and rebounding (4.4 rpg). Ho is shooting 46% from the field and 33% from three. Junior guard Jordan Heckert is second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.3 ppg. Junior forward Maya Fitzpatrick leads the Wildcats in assists with 3.2 apg.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
The Marauders have won four straight games against the Wildcats. Overall, UMary is 7-12 against WSC.
 
LAST WEEK
UMary won two huge conference games on the road. The Marauders defeated the University of Minnesota Duluth 77-66. UMary followed that by taking down Concordia University, St. Paul 60-57.
 
Schneider scored a season-high 31 points against UMD on 10-of-15 shooting from the field while grabbing seven rebounds. The Appleton, WI, native did a great job drawing fouls going 11-of-16 from the free throw line. Mariah McKeever scored 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting and grabbed six boards. Megan Zander had 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Ryleigh Wacha dropped 11 points while grabbing four rebounds and three steals. Addison Rozell had a good night distributing the ball as she dished out six assists.
 
With UMary trailing by one with just over a minute to go, Megan Zander found Rozell open in the corner as the Redfield, SD, native hit a critical three-pointer to give UMary a 59-57 lead. The Marauders defense stood tall the next two possessions, culminating in Lexie Schneider securing a rebound and getting fouled with just three seconds remaining. The Appleton, WI, native went 1-of-2 from the free throw line, giving CSP one more chance to tie the game. Schneider made up for her missed free throw by delivering the game-winning block and grabbing the rebound, securing a UMary win.
 
SCHNEIDER WINS NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR THIRD TIME IN 2023-24, 6^th TIME IN CAREER
For the third time this season and the second week in a row, Lexie Schneider earned Northern Sun Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors after leading the University of Mary women's basketball team to two big conference road wins.
 
This is the sixth time in her career that Schneider was named NSIC Player of the Week, surpassing former teammate Cassie Askvig for the most Northern Sun weekly citations in program history.
 
Schneider had a season-high 31 points in the Marauders 77-66 win over the University of Minnesota Duluth. The senior added seven rebounds while shooting 10-of-15 from the field. The Appleton, WI, native scored 19 points and had eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks in UMary's 60-57 victory over Concordia University, St. Paul. Schneider blocked the Golden Bears game-tying shot and grabbed the rebound to secure a Marauders victory. Over the two games, Schneider averaged 25 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 blocks. She shot 15-of-24 from the field (62.5%) and 20-of-28 at the line (71.4%).
 
THE CLIMB
Senior forward Lexie Schneider is leaving her mark on the Marauders program. The native of Appleton, WI, has scored 1,286 points to rank 13th all-time in scoring at UMary. The All-NSIC performer passed Hannah Larson (1,276) last week. Next on the list is Lauren Rotunda (1,293 points in 2016-21) and Natalie Brunner (1,293 points in 2001-05)… Schneider is 6th in rebounds with 785. She passed and Lauren Rotunda (683) and Dawn Schaeffer (738) earlier this season and is bearing down on Cassie Askvig (847 in 2016-20)… Schneider is currently tied with Dani Williams for 6th in steals in the NCAA era with 107… She currently ranks 8^th in blocks with 62.
 
NORTHERN SUN HISTORY
Schneider secured her 500^th rebound in Northern Sun play. She became the fifth Marauder to reach this milestone and the 24^th player to do so in NSIC history.
 
COACHING HISTORY
Head coach Rick Neumann passed Fred Fridley for second all-time in program wins. Neumann earned his 171^st win at Concordia-St. Paul to surpass Fridley, who 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 123.
 
1K MILESTONE FOR MCKEEVER
Maraiah McKeever became the 3^rd UMary women's basketball player to crack 1,000 career points when she reached the milestone in the Marauders win at Minot State University. After scoring 875 points in four years at MSU Moorhead, McKeever has scored 132 in ten games this season at UMary. Lexie Schneider and Megan Zander reached 1,000 career points earlier this season. 
 
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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