THIS WEEK
The University of Mary men's basketball team concludes their 2023-24 season with a pair of road games on Friday and Saturday, February 23-24.
 
Friday, February 23
7:30 pm at Wayne State College Wildcats (14-13 overall, 7-13 Northern Sun)
Sanford Pentagon / Sioux Falls, SD
 
Saturday, February 24
5:30 pm at Augustana University Vikings (16-10 overall, 11-9 Northern Sun)
Sanford Pentagon / Sioux Falls, SD
 
THE RECORD
The Marauders are 7-19 overall and 2-18 in the Northern Sun (15th place).
 
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

 
LAST WEEK
UMary gained a split in the Marauders last home weekend of the season… The Marauders ran past Concordia-St. Paul 95-74 on Friday as six UMary players scored in double figures. Zyon Smith led the way with 18 points. Gerald Gittens added 15 points, Ty Rogers, Xavier Lewis and Marquel Saleek had 11 each and Alex Mattes added 10. Rogers also had nine rebounds… UMary played #17 Minnesota Duluth tough early before falling 79-54. Zyon Smith had a team-best 12 points on Senior Day. Alex Mattes added 10.   
 
SATURDAY SLUGFEST
In each of the Marauders last four home games at the McDowell Activity Center, UMary hosted a nationally-ranked team. The Marauders hosted #1 Minnesota State (January 20), #19 Minot State (February 3), #9 MSU Moorhead (Feb. 10) and #17 Minnesota Duluth (Feb. 17).
 
SENIOR DAY
The Marauders honored their lone senior on Senior Day Feb. 17.  Zyon Smith, a native of Montgomery, AL, is in his second season at UMary after transferring from Highland (KS) Community College. The two-year starter at guard, he is averaging 11.4 points per game for his career with the Marauders. He opened the weekend with a team-high 18 points in a win over Concordia-St. Paul before posting 12 points against #17 UMD in his final home game.
 
KEVIN OLSON AWARD
In addition to Senior Day recognition, Zyon Smith was also presented with the Kevin Olson Scholarship Award. Kevin Olson, a native of Dickinson, ND, and a graduate of Scranton High School, played for the UMary from 1979 though 1983 and led the Marauders to 94 wins in four seasons while scoring 1,496 points. He was inducted into the Marauders Hall of Fame as a player and a member of the 1981-82 men's basketball team. Following Kevin's death in 2006 after battling cancer, his friends established the Kevin Olson Basketball Scholarship in his memory. The scholarship is awarded annually to a men's basketball player who exemplifies the characteristics his friends remember most about Kevin – his integrity, leadership and teamwork. The 18th annual Kevin Olson Basketball Scholarship recipient is Zyon Smith, a senior guard from Montgomery, AL.
 
YOUTH
UMary is perhaps the youngest team in the NSIC. The ten Marauders who have played at least 165 minutes this season include two freshmen, five sophomores, two juniors and one senior. Both juniors are in their first year at UMary (Gerald Gittens, Rich Ashu) and senior Zyon Smith is in his second season.
 
TEN
Ten Marauders have earned starts this season.
 
DOUBLING UP
The Marauders have a trio of players with double doubles this season, with Xavier Lewis and Ty Rogers with two each. Xavier Lewis just missed his third double double with 11 points and nine rebounds in the win over Concordia-St. Paul. The week before Rogers just missed with 10 points and nine rebounds at St. Cloud State and nine points and nine rebounds against the Dragons.

• Xavier Lewis – 15 points, 12 rebounds at Northeastern State (Nov. 11, 2023)
• Xavier Lewis – 12 points, 13 rebounds vs. Minnesota Crookston (Dec. 8, 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)
• Ty Rogers – 10 points and 11 rebounds at Northern State (February 1, 2024)

 
LINE PLAY
The Marauders are finding recent success at the free throw line after a cold start. In their last 11 games UMary is converting 73.8% (182-of-248), including a 19-of-21 effort at Sioux Falls. The Marauders made 58% of their free throws through the first 13 games… UMary is 5th in the NSIC in getting to the free throw line, earning 487 opportunities this season. The Marauders have a 487-452 edge in free throws attempted over the opposition.
 
20 + 20
Twice this season UMary has had a pair of 20 point scorers in a game:

• Brock Heffner (25) and Gerald Gittens (23) vs. Mayville State (11.15.23)
• Brock Heffner (26) and Gerald Gittens (22) at Concordia-St. Paul (1.6.24)

The last time two Marauders scored 20 points in a game was Kam Warrens (21) and Zyon Smith (20) against Sioux Falls (January 7, 2023).
 
POWER TRIO
The Marauders have three players scoring at least 11 points per game: 

• Gerald Gittens, a transfer from North Central Missouri College, leads the Marauders in scoring at 14.3 points per game. He is shooting 43% from the floor, 36% on treys and averages 4.5 rebounds/game. He also leads UMary in assists with 72.

• Zyon Smith averages 11.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. The senior guard leads the team with 45 3-pointers and is making 31% of his trey attempts.
• Brock Heffner, a transfer from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, averages 13.4 points per game and 4.9 rebounds. The sophomore forward is shooting 48% from the floor and has 13 blocks.

 
HISTORY LESSON - MARAUDERS v. VIKINGS
UMary is 6-17 against Augustana… In their last win in the series, the Marauders snapped an 8-game losing streak to the Vikings with a 101-87 win on Feb. 2, 2019. The Marauders shot 57% for the game and hit 14 treys. Trever Kaiser posted 21 points, Jaylan White had 20 points and 8 assists, Connor Hellebust added 18 points and Matthew Kreklow 16… Augie has won the last four games… The series started in 1999-2000 with an 89-64 Vikings win… The first Marauders win was a 68-64 victory on January 18, 2006… Last Marauders road win over the Vikings was a 63-49 victory on December 4, 2009… LAST MEETING Zyon Smith led the Marauders with 12 points and six rebounds in UMary's 83-50 loss to the Vikings on January 12, 2024.
 
HISTORY LESSON – MARAUDERS v. WILDCATS
The Wildcats hold a 19-6 series lead over the Marauders… The Wildcats have won the last seven meetings… The two teams first met during UMary's transition season from NAIA to NCAA play in 2005-06 with the Marauders claiming a 70-65 win… Wayne State followed with six straight wins over Mary before the Marauders broke the streak with a 73-62 win at WSC on Dec. 5, 2009… The Wildcats are 10-2 in Bismarck and 9-4 at home against the Marauders… The Marauders last home win was an 85-78 victory 12.9.16 behind 19 points from Bryan Jefferson… The Marauders last road win was a 99-80 victory on January 31, 2016, behind 26 points from Bryan Jefferson. Six Marauders reached double figures… LAST MEETING 10 Marauders appeared in the scoring column in a 73-53 home loss to the Wildcats January 13, 2024.
 
BOARD GAMES
Sophomore forward Xavier Lewis is 16th in the NSIC in rebounding. The Lynwood, IL, native averages 5.7 rebounds/game to lead UMary.
 
GET THAT OUTTA HERE
Rich Ashu, Brock Heffner and Xavier Lewis are making things difficult for Marauders opponents to score inside as all three rank in the Top 17 of the NSIC in blocked shots… Rich Ashu averages 1.0 blocks/game to rank 7th in the NSIC. Heffner (0.7 blocks/game) ranks 15^th and Lewis (0.7 blocks/game) is 17^th…  Overall the UMary defense is swatting away 2.81 shots/game to rank 8th in the NSIC.
 
THE GITTENS GUIDE

• A junior guard from Brooklyn, NY, Gerald Gittens has scored 20+ in six games this season, including a season-high 26 at Northern State
• Gittens just missed a triple double with nine points, nine rebounds and nine assists against VCSU on December 18. The last time a Marauders player had at least nine points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a game was December 15, 2015, when Marquealis Edwards had 10 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a 100-76 win over Presentation. It remains the Marauders lone NCAA era triple double.

 
HEFFNER HIGHS

• Sophomore forward Brock Heffner was named to the "NSIC Shining 5" after scoring 36 points against VCSU. He is the only UMary player to make the NSIC honor list this season. He followed with 19 points at Minnesota Duluth and 26 at Concordia-St. Paul.
• The 36 points was the most by a UMary player since Kai Huntsberry scored 42 against the University of Minnesota Duluth in the Northern Sun quarterfinals on February 26, 2022
• The last time a UMary player scored 36 points in the regular season was Anthony Moody (42 at St. Cloud State on February 19, 2011)
• Eric Erdman is the only UMary player to score more than 36 at the McDowell Activity Center during the Marauders NCAA era (37 vs. Upper Iowa on January 2, 2010)

 
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.
 
#marauders#