SIOUX FALLS, SD – A big-time second-half performance by Mariah McKeever helped lead the University of Mary women's basketball team to a 60-53 road victory over the University of Sioux Falls.
 
UMary improves to 7-1 on the road this season and maintains its 4^th place standing in the Northern Sun.
 
Fifteen of McKeever's 19 points in the game came in the second half. The senior shot 6-of-13 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.
 
Lexie Schneider dropped 15 points and brought down five rebounds. Moriku Hakim had a big night off the bench, scoring 10 points and recording five boards and two blocks. Megan Zander had a team-high ten rebounds while scoring six points.
 
Ryleigh Wacha recorded four points while also contributing nine rebounds and four steals. Ashton Kinnebrew added six points on 2-of-3 shooting from three.
 
The first half was about defense as UMary held USF to 6-of-30 shooting to take a 21-17 lead into halftime. The Marauders outscored the Cougars 22-17 in the third quarter, extending the UMary lead to 43-34. Late free throws by McKeever were able to hold off a USF comeback in the fourth quarter, with the Marauders taking a 60-53 win.
 
UMary (14-8, 10-4 Northern Sun) shot 39.7 percent from the field while hitting 2-of-12 from behind the arc. USF (7-11, 5-9 NSIC) recorded a 35.6 shooting percentage from the field while going 6-of-18 from three.
 
The Marauders went 12-of-17 from the charity stripe with the Cougars making 5-of-6 from the free throw line. UMary dominated the glass, outrebounding USF 42-26.
 
The Marauders travel to Aberdeen, SD to take on Northern State University (15-4, 10-2 NSIC) on Thursday, February 1, at 5:30 pm.  
 
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