MANKATO, Minn. - Minnesota Morris was outscored 16-3 over the final six minutes and dropped a 76-64 decision Wednesday night to Bethany Lutheran in a UMAC women's basketball semifinal game in Mankato.

The game was fitting to two teams who came in with identical 12-4 conference records. The Cougars trailed by just 1 at halftime and 3 after three quarters. They led by 1 at 61-60 after a big 3 from Becca Holland before Bethany's big run to finish the game.

UMM trailed 20-12 after one quarter of play and would trail by 10 nearly three minutes into the second quarter. A Mauren Thiesen 3 started a 12-0 Cougar run that would give them a 28-26 edge. Kendra Raths drained a 3 and added a lay-in and Abby Van Kempen scored four points in the spurt. It went back-and-forth over the final four minutes with Bethany taking a 34-33 lead into the locker room.

The Cougars added another big run to start the third quarter. After spotting BLC the first two points of the half, UMM rattled off 11 straight to take a 44-36 lead. Thiesen and Bailey Miller (both playing in their final games in a Cougar uniform) scored all the Cougar points in the spurt. Bethany would counter, though, with nine straight to retake the lead at 45-44. The Vikings took a 53-50 lead into the fourth quarter.

Thiesen and Elli Stevenson started the fourth with back-to-back baskets to give UMM a 54-53 lead. Later, a 7-2 Cougar run gave them the 61-60 lead following Holland's 3.

Raths led the Cougars with a double-double effort of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Thiesen scored 14 while Stevenson and Miller each collected 11.

Minnesota Morris finishes their 2017-18 campaign with a 13-13 overall record.