THIS WEEK
The University of Mary women's basketball team returns to competition as they hit the road to take on the University of Minnesota Duluth in Duluth, MN, on Friday, January 5, at 7:30 pm.
 
UMary then heads to St. Paul, MN, to compete against Concordia University, St. Paul on Saturday, January 6, 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 three straight games and are 8-6 overall and 4-2 in the Northern Sun.
 
STAT LEADERS

• Lexie Schneider leads UMary and the NSIC in scoring, averaging 19.9 ppg. She also leads the team and conference in rebounding with 9.4 rpg. Schneider is shooting 53% from the field and 86% from the free-throw line. Schneider ranks 3^rd in the NSIC in field goal percentage, 3^rd in free-throw percentage, 16^th in assists per game, 13^th in blocks per game and 19^th in minutes per game.
• Mariah McKeever leads the team in three-pointers made with 27. McKeever is shooting a team-best 54% from behind the arc while scoring 12.5 ppg. McKeever ranks 17^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 11.6 ppg and is second on the team in rebounding (5.3 rpg). Zander ranks 23^rd in the NSIC in scoring, 20^th in rebounding, 6^th in 3-pointers made per game and 22^nd in assists per game, 24^th in steals per game.
• Addison Rozell leads UMary in blocks (18). She ranks 10^th in the conference in blocks per game (1.3 bpg).

 
NCAA RANKINGS
Lexie Schneider is 12^th in scoring in the NCAA and tied for 35^th in rebounding.
 
OPPO RESEARCH – BULLDOGS
UMD (8-3, 5-2 NSIC) is led by senior guard Taya Hakamaki, who leads the team in scoring with 13.0 ppg. Hakamaki is shooting 45% from the field and records 4.9 rebounds per game. Starting guard Taytum Rhoades leads the Bulldogs in rebounds per game (5.5 rpg) and assists per game (3.7 apg) while also averaging 12.6 ppg. Madelyn Granica averages 12.0 ppg and 4.9 rpg for UMD.
 
LAST TIME THEY MEET
UMary fell in both of their games last season to UMD. The Marauders are 3-7 in their last ten against the Bulldogs.
 
OPPO RESEARCH – GOLDEN BEARS
CSP (9-3 overall, 5-2 NSIC) is led by senior guard Ally Gietzel, who leads the team in scoring (17.1 ppg), rebounding (7.1 rpg) and assists (2.6 apg). Gietzel ranks 5^th in the NSIC in scoring, 7^th in rebounding and 14^th in assists per game. Another standout performer includes junior center Lindsey Becher, who averages 13.6 ppg and 5.3 rpg. Freshman forward Lauren Wilson averages 12 ppg and 4.4 rpg off the bench.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
The Marauders lost 58-49 on the road last season to the Golden Bears. UMary is 2-8 in their last ten matchups with CSP.
 
LAST WEEK
UMary won their last three games before going into winter break. The Marauders first defeated Bemidji State on the road 72-59. Megan Zander and Lexie Schneider both scored 20 points. Zander shot 8-of-14 from the field while going 3-of-6 from three. Schneider shot 9-of-13 from the field while coming down with 14 rebounds.  Mariah McKeever added 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
 
UMary then took down Dickinson State University 73-45. Megan Zander paced the Marauders with 16 points and seven rebounds. Lexie Schneider continued to roll. The leading scorer and rebounder in the NSIC had 13 points and seven rebounds. Bergan Kinnebrew led a potent Marauders bench with nine points, converting 5-of-6 free throw attempts. Mariah McKeever also chipped in nine points and Ryleigh Wacha added eight points and six rebounds.
 
The Marauders finished the year by defeating Valley City State University 84-45. Megan Zander led the way with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 shooting from behind the arc. Lexie Schneider dropped 17 points while also grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out six assists. Mariah McKeever scored 11 points as she shot 3-of-3 from three while also grabbing six boards. The Marauders received great production from the bench. Moriku Hakim had eight points and eight rebounds. Chloe Pfau had seven points, shooting 3-of-5 from the field. Cadee Ryckman made two triples to give herself six points. Bergan Kinnebrew scored six points while also dishing out four assists.
 
SCHNEIDER WINS NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR SECOND TIME IN 2023-24, 5^th TIME IN CAREER
Lexie Schneider's great all-around performance against Valley City State University helped earn her Northern Sun Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors for the second time this season and fifth time in her career. The Appleton, WI, native scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field to help the Marauders win 84-45 over visiting VCSU on December 18. The senior also grabbed nine rebounds, dished out six assists and collected three blocks and two steals.

This is the fifth time in her career that Schneider was named NSIC Player of the Week, tying former teammate Cassie Askvig for the most Northern Sun weekly citations in program history. 
 
THE CLIMB
Senior forward Lexie Schneider is leaving her mark on the Marauders program. The native of Appleton, WI, has scored 1,236 points to rank 14th all-time in scoring at UMary. The All-NSIC performer passed Jessie Slinde (1,200) last week. Next on the list is Hannah Larson (1,276 points in 2013-17)… Schneider is 6th in rebounds with 770. 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 7th in steals in the NCAA era with 106. McKenzie Foster with 103 is next on the list… She currently ranks 8^th in blocks with 59.
 
NORTHERN SUN HISTORY
Schneider is just 12 rebounds away from reaching 500 in Northern Sun play. She would become the fifth Marauder to reach this milestone and the 24^th player to do so in NSIC history.
 
ONE WIN AWAY
Head coach Rick Neumann looks to pass Fred Fridley for second all-time in program wins. Neumann currently sits at 169 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 120.
 
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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