Follow the Cougars on Twitter
Send Cougar updates to my email
Get Text Updates
Box Score
Photos
Morris, Minn. – The Minnesota, Morris men's basketball team could not hold off a persistent North Central team tonight (Dec. 2), dropping a 74-70 decision, despite holding a late lead.
A Steve Birman (Duluth, Minn.) fade-away with just 2:00 minutes left in the game, gave the Cougars their final lead at 68-67 lead, also capping a nearly five-minute run that brought the Cougars back from seven down with 6:31 to go. The play was made possible on the previous trip down the floor, when Zach Meyer (Cottonwood, Minn.) laid in two of his 18 points to bring the Cougars within one.
A major factor all night long, Meyer had his best game of the season, finishing with his second career double-double after 18 points and a career high-tying 10 rebounds.
After taking the lead, however, the Cougars were unable to put the game away as turnovers, fouls and missed shots plagued UMM the rest of the way.
The Rams took the lead back with 1:10 to go, and then nailed 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to seal up the win.
North Central gets their first win of the season and moves to 1-5, while the Cougars drop their fourth straight to sit at 2-4. The Rams also avenge their season opening 94-80 loss to the Cougars.
A poor shooting first half by the Cougars was magnified by a quality first half by the Rams, and at the break the Cougars found themselves down 10 at 41-31.
The hosts led by as much as seven early in the half, but a 15-to-4 run by the Rams over the last 5:54 of the first, made for the 10-point margin heading into the locker rooms.
Coming out the break, the Cougars quickly went to work on the Ram lead. They scored the first six points of the half, before eventually working the score back to tied at the 14:45 mark. A four-point play by Steve Birman at the 16:00 mark brought the Cougars within three, and two trips down the floor later a Meyer lay-in had it all knotted up at 42-42.
North Central would answer through, building their lead back up to seven, forcing the Cougars to come back again.
The score was tied 11 total times on the night, with 10 different lead changes. The game tipped back and forth all the way and the Cougars had a chance at the end, despite their 38% shooting mark from the floor. When UMM beat the Rams in the opener they shot better than 55%, one of their best tallies of the season.
The Cougars must now go back on the road as they look to break out of their current losing skid, and they will have to do so against one of the teams that contributed to it. On Dec. 7, UMM will travel to Jamestown for a 7:30 p.m. tip.
