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Morris, Minn. – The University of Minnesota, Morris women's basketball team scored an impressive 71-63 victory in their home opener tonight (Nov. 18), beating Dakota State.

It was the seventh straight regular season home win for the Cougars, who led nearly the entire game. After a pair of Emily Mehr (Aitkin, Minn.) free throws gave the Cougars a 4-3 lead at the 17:48 mark UMM would not trail again.

The Trojans drew back within a point at 10-9 at the 14:36 mark, but the Cougars answered with seven straight. Two minutes later – after a Dakota State timeout – the Trojans were back within a basket, but again the Cougars responded.

This time they went on a 12-to-5 run that stretched their lead from just two points at the 8:51 mark, to nine with just 1:10 left in the first half. Tara Thielke (Hancock, Minn.) scored the final six points of that run, part of her 13 in the first half and game-high 17 on the night.

Minnesota, Morris (2-0) shot 10-of-11 from the charity stripe in the first half, led by a 4-of-4 effort from Thielke, who came off the bench to lead the Cougars in scoring.

A 10-0 run in the second half stretched the Cougars lead to its widest of the night at 18, after a Thielke free throw with 11 minutes left in the game.

Dakota State (1-3) shot just 32.4% (24-of-74) from the floor which included just 19.5% (8-of-42) from three-point range. Twenty-nine of those threes came in the second half alone. Late in each half, the Cougars post six-minute stretches where they did not allow the Trojans a field goal.

The Cougars finished the night 46.8% (22-of-47) from the floor, and 74.2% (23-of-31) from the free throw line. Joining Thielke in double-digits was Diane Blommel (Grey Eagle, Minn.) and Mehr who each finished with 10. For the second straight game every player played, with 10 factoring into the scoring, including six with eight or more.

Steph Roggenbuck (Osakis, Minn.) finished with a near double-double, scoring nine points and grabbing a game high eight rebounds. Freshman Abby Fragodt (Benson, Minn.) collected seven boards and had one big block for the first of her career in her 19 minutes of action. As a team the Cougars out-rebounded the Trojans 35-to-31, including 32 on the defensive end.

The Cougars now must put their 2-0 record to the test, as they travel to Marshall to take on Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday (Nov. 20). Originally scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off, the start has been moved up an hour, and is set to begin at 1:00 p.m. due to the NCAA Volleyball Central Regional also hosted by Southwest Minnesota State.