MINOT, N.D. – The NSIC and Minot State basketball teams announced that the Beavers will host in-state rival the University of Mary this Saturday, December 17, at the MSU Dome at 1 and 3 p.m.
The Minot State women will tip-off at 1 p.m. against Mary with the men’s game following at 3 p.m.
The contests were originally slated for New Year’s Eve but because of the current winter storm the Minot State and Mary basketball teams were unable to travel East for their planned games at Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State.
The Beavers now will play at Minnesota Crookston on Friday, Dec. 30, at 3 and 5 p.m., then at Bemidji State on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 1 and 3 p.m. Mary will play at Bemidji State on Dec. 30, and at Minnesota Crookston on Dec. 31.
Minot State and Mary have already met once this season with the Marauders winning the women’s matchup 61-44 on Dec. 6, and the Mary men winning 72-69 in comeback fashion back on Nov. 22.
The Mary men (6-3 overall, 2-3 NSIC) are guided by second-year head coach Jack Nelson who was an assistant at Minot State from 2012-16 under current Beavers head man Matt Murken.
Nelson is 3-0 in against his former boss, including a comeback win prior to Thanksgiving that saw the Beavers lead 52-43 in the second half before the Marauders made their comeback charge.
Cam’ron Dunfee, who tied a single-game record his last time out with eight made 3-pointers in a win against St. Cloud State, led the way for Minot State (5-4, 2-3) in the previous meeting with Mary, scoring 17 points.
The duo of Kam Warrens (6-foot-5 guard) and Zyon Smith (6-4, guard) led the Marauders with 19 and 18 points, respectively, while Warrens also grabbed eight rebounds against Minot State.
As for the women’s matchup, the Marauders (4-4, 3-2) won with stingy defense in the second half, holding the Beavers (5-6, 1-4) to 7-of-29 shooting (24.1 percent) after the break to pull away.
Senior guard Kate Head led the way for Minot State with 12 points in the teams’ earlier meeting, while Mary’s Megans – Megan Zander (5-10 guard) and Megan Voit (5-9 guard) – led the way as Zander had 16 points and four rebounds and Voit added 13 points and four boards for the Marauders.
