The UMary Marauders are off to a fast start in their current campaign, a 4-2 record, but looking for a whole lot more. The Marauders hope to make noise in the Northern Sun, something that hasn’t happened in a while.
After a sweep of two games this weekend in Aberdeen, the Marauders are clicking as one of the teams in the Northern Sun that can contend. However, the conference schedule is underway, with important games to get the right pieces playing well.
“We’ve gotten off to better starts than maybe last year so that part is positive for me,” says head coach Jack Nelson. “We got to keep that going and then you said it. Jumping right into conference games, game four, there’s no time to say we’re still learning, we’re still developing. We are and we will all season.”
One of the familiar faces is Bismarck’s own Gunner Swanson, a player who has worked tremendously hard to crack the starting five.
“Had you told me this two years ago, I would’ve laughed at you,” says Nelson. “But he’s become a really good defender for us. He’s always played hard, but that first year, I don’t know what he weighed but I mean he was very thin and he’s done a good job of working on his body. He’s still a thin guy but he’s really learned to use his length. He’s really learned how to be physical at the right time.”
Swanson’s defensive prowess has him fitting into the style of play for coach Nelson’s team, but he is also using the lessons of leadership learned from former local players like Josh Sipes and Trey Mattern.
“I learned a lot from those other Bismarck guys,” says Gunner Swanson. “Most of it was being vocal. I’ve been a leader with my actions in the past, not so much with my words. Now I’m trying to take after those guys and be more of a vocal leader and with my actions”
Another key cog has been leading scorer Gerald Gittens, a transfer from North Central Missouri College who is surprising himself with his scoring.
“I’m just finding myself in the offense,” says Gerald Gittens. “Just finding gaps and holes where coach trusts me to make a play and I’m just trying to make that play and just trying to be able to stay efficient. Working in the gym so just trying to make sure it’s translating on the court in the games and find my niche and it’s just been working out well for me.”
“Sometimes it’s going to be make the right pass,” says Nelson. “Sometimes it’s going to be score and he’s done a really nice job of blending the two. You know, at heart, I think he’s a true point guard and wants to create for others but he’s also realized that I’m open, it’s going to benefit if I’m scoring the basketball too.”
The Marauders aren’t getting ahead of themselves this season, but they know if they take it one day at a time, it could be a special year.
“As long as we’re doing that and playing our best ball towards the end of the year, I think that’s a success for us,” says Swanson. “Obviously we want to win a lot of games this year. A huge goal for us is to host a playoff game and that hasn’t been done in a long time and we would really love to do that so that’s a big goal for us as well.”
The Marauders will be back in action on the road when they face conference opponent Minnesota Moorhead on Saturday.