Bismarck State College and the University of Mary women's basketball teams will share a court Saturday, Nov. 7, but it won't be in Bismarck. The Mystics and Marauders meet at 1:30 p.m. at the 4 Bears Event Center in New Town, part of a weekend of games at the 4 Bears Casino & Lodge Classic, as BSC's schedule names it; both schools list the New Town date and time.
The two schools list Saturday's game differently. UMary's schedule marks it as an exhibition, while Bismarck State's schedule does not.
Both Bismarck State teams play twice in New Town. The BSC women face Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, before the UMary game. The UMary women play an exhibition against Dickinson State at 1 p.m. Friday. The BSC men play California Prestige at 7 p.m. Friday and Eastern Oregon, listed at No. 15 on BSC's schedule, at 3:15 p.m. Saturday.
Bismarck State's season preview says the Mystics were picked ninth in the 12-team Frontier Conference preseason poll after finishing 9-19 overall and 9-13 in the Frontier in their first season at the NAIA four-year level. Coach Jason Harris, who is in his 13th season leading the program, returns senior captains Natalie DeCoteau and Piper Harris and sophomore forward Ashley Martodam, who averaged 10.1 points last season and is BSC's pick for the conference's Players to Watch list. The roster also includes 11 freshmen and two redshirt-freshman transfers, including Mashae Miller from UMary.
UMary comes in with higher expectations. The NSIC preseason coaches' poll picked the Marauders fourth in the conference and first in the North Division, per UMary Athletics. Senior center Allison Undlin, a Mohall native, was named NSIC North Preseason Player of the Year after averaging 15.8 points and 8.3 rebounds and shooting 61.1% from the floor last season. Coach Rick Neumann's team returns 10 players and adds eight newcomers.
"The depth we have, especially on the perimeter, is something we intend to lean heavily on," Neumann said in the UMary release. "The league should be as wide open as it ever has been."
The Bismarck State men are 0-2 after losing 90-77 at Our Lady of the Lake on Oct. 23 and 85-66 at Texas A&M-San Antonio on Oct. 24, per BSC Athletics. In the second loss, Braylen Schirado scored 14 points and Moustapha Diomande added 11 off the bench. The Mystics also lost an exhibition 104-37 at Boise State on Oct. 29, when Carter Zeller led BSC with 12 points. BSC Athletics said it was the program's first game against a Division I opponent.
The UMary men open their season Monday, Nov. 9, against the University of St. Boniface at 5:30 p.m. at the McDowell Activity Center. The UMary women follow against St. Boniface at 7:30 p.m. The NSIC's preseason coaches' poll picked the Marauder men last in the league. Senior forward Jackson Ware is the team's NSIC Player to Watch, and Bismarck's Andre Austin, a sophomore guard, averaged 7.2 points last season, according to UMary's preview.
Both Bismarck State teams open Frontier Conference play at home on Friday, Nov. 20, against Dickinson State at the Bavendick Center. The women tip off at 5 p.m. and the men at 7 p.m. The two cities' programs meet again Dec. 31 at Bismarck State, with the men at 1 p.m. and the women at 3 p.m., per UMary's schedule.
Sources: Bismarck State College Athletics (bscmystics.com) women's and men's basketball schedules, 2026-27 women's basketball season preview and men's game recaps; University of Mary Athletics (goumary.com) women's and men's basketball schedules and preseason releases on Allison Undlin and Jackson Ware.
