UMary women’s basketball rising in the standings

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - A 7-3 stretch in 2023 finds the University of Mary women’s basketball team tied for second in the North Division of the Northern Sun Conference. The Marauders go to Duluth and St. Cloud this weekend for a pair of very important games.

Coming off two home wins this past weekend, UMary women’s basketball has taken 12 of 18 Northern Sun games this winter.

“I think this weekend really helped us in feeling good about ourselves. I mean, obviously, coming off a 2-0 weekend always helps,” said Megan Voit, UMary senior guard.

Two wins pushed the Marauders into a tie for second in the conference. That makes this weekend in Duluth and St. Cloud that much more meaningful.

“When you know you have an opportunity to control your own destiny to reach postseason bye, that should be a feeling of excitement but also confidence because you’ve obviously done enough things up to this point to give you that confidence to know you do control your own destiny,” said Rick Neumann, UMary women’s basketball head coach.

And their success has been a direct result of building a roster with talent from all across the region.

“We’ve got some perimeter kids that can do some good things. Some post kids. Some good veteran leadership. So, I think there’s been a lot of factors that have come together to make this team what it is and give us that chance down the stretch,” said Neumann.

The final stretch of the regular season has multiple outcomes. If the Marauders finish second in the North, they’ll get an automatic bid to the quarterfinals in Sioux Falls. If they finish third or fourth, they’ll host the first round in Bismarck. If they fall to fifth, it’ll depend on the South’s fourth seed on whether they go on the road or host in round one.

‘You know this is the point we look for, right? We’re tied for second in the North, and as emotional as it is to come to an end, it’s the point we all wait for, so it’ll be a fun last ride,” said Carly Kottsick, UMary senior guard.

“As you get towards the end of the season, hopefully, that urgency that comes with knowing, ‘Oh boy, every game is really important now,’ that will play into this weekend’s efforts as well,” said Neumann.

When the Bulldogs and Huskies came to the MAC in December, UMary lost to both by only a combined 13 points. Now going on the road, it’ll be about leaning on one another for the most crucial games of the season.

“We’ve come to this point where we know we can do it. We’ve proven that we can. So, now it’s just trusting each other and doing what we can the best way,” said Voit.

Tip-off on Friday in Duluth is at 7:30 p.m. CST, followed by a 5:30 p.m. CST tip in St. Cloud on Saturday.

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