SIOUX FALLS, SD – The 2024-25 season comes to an end for the University of Mary women's basketball team (16-12, 12-10 NSIC) as the Marauders fell 90-66 to Minnesota State University, Mankato (23-6, 18-4 NSIC), in the quarterfinals of the NSIC tournament.
Turnovers played a big factor, with the defending national champions turned UMary over 31 times, while MSU had 15. The Mavericks outscored the Marauders 40-4 on points off turnovers.
Moriku Hakim had 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench in her final game as a Marauder.
Bergan Kinnebrew scored 13 points, shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.
Chloe Pfau posted 10 points on 2-of-3 shooting from three.
Ava Interrante came off the bench to record eight points and eight rebounds.
The Mavericks defense opened the game with a fast-paced press that did not let up as MSU took a 32-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. UMary continued to struggle to break the press in the second quarter as MSU led 50-30 at halftime.
The third quarter would see the Mavericks increase their lead to 74-44. The Marauders showed heart in the fourth quarter, outscoring MSU 22-16. The five seniors of
Zoe Velde,
Ryleigh Wacha,
Addison Rozell, Hakim and Interrante closed the game out as UMary fell 90-66 to MSU.
All five seniors made it to the Sanford Pentagon in each season they were eligible to make it. Velde, Wacha, Rozell and Hakim made the trip four times and Interrante made it her first year.
The Marauders shot 20-of-49 (40.8%) from the field and 7-of-19 (36.8%) from behind the arc, while the Mavericks went 35-of-75 (46.7%) from the floor and 5-of-19 (26.3%) from three.
UMary shot 19-of-27 (70.4%) from the free-throw line, while MSU went 15-of-18 (83.3%) from the charity stripe. The Mavericks won the rebounding battle 39-37 over the Marauders.
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