WAYNE, NE – A big-time performance by Megan Zander led the University of Mary women's basketball team a huge 68-63 road victory over Wayne State College.
UMary (19-10, 15-6 Northern Sun) sits in a three-way tie for third place with Southwest Minnesota State University and Concordia University, St. Paul. A win tomorrow against Augustana University (7-18, 6-15 NSIC) should guarantee the Marauders a top four finish in the Northern Sun.
The top four teams in the NSIC receive a bye in the conference championships and advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD. UMary could finish as high as second depending on if Northern State University (16-5 NSIC) loses to WSC (6-18, 3-18 NSIC) on Saturday and the Marauders defeat the Vikings.
Zander recorded her second double-double of the season, scoring 16 points while securing 11 rebounds. The Mandan, ND, native played a big role in the Marauders defense, grabbing two steals and delivering a huge block with 15 seconds left to help seal a UMary victory.
The NSIC's leading scorer,
Lexie Schneider, was hampered by foul trouble but was still able to post 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The senior tied her season high in blocks with three before she fouled out with 1:18 remaining in the game.
Mariah McKeever scored 16 points, shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Bergen Kinnebrew posted 12 points off the bench as she shot 3-of-6 from the field while going flawless from behind the three-point line (2-of-2) and at the free throw line (4-of-4).
The Marauders took a 16-13 lead in the first quarter. UMary kept even with WSC in the second quarter, taking a 35-32 going into halftime.
In the third quarter, the Marauders shot a scorching 7-of-11 from the field but were unable to increase their lead over the Wildcats going into the final quarter. Clutch plays by Zander helped UMary edge out WSC in the final minutes of the game to earn a 68-63 win.
UMary shot 48 percent from the field while shooting 6-of-14 from behind the arc. WSC recorded a 48.1 shooting percentage from the field while shooting 3-of-6 from three.
The Marauders shot an impressive 14-of-16 from the charity stripe, while the Wildcats went 8-of-10 from the free throw line. UMary outrebounded WSC 30-25.
The Marauders compete in their final game of the regular season at Augustana University on Saturday, February 24, at 3:30 pm.
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