Follow the Cougars on Twitter
Send Cougar updates to my email
Get Text Updates
Box Score
Morris, Minn. – The Minnesota, Morris men's basketball team had the hot hand all night tonight (Jan. 14), shooting over 60% from the floor on their way to a key 88-74 UMAC win over Northwestern.
After their worst shooting performance of the season in their last outing, an overtime loss to Presentation, the Cougars found their stroke tonight and posted their best night of the season. Minnesota, Morris (4-8, 1-1 UMAC) shot an identical 18-of-29 (62%) from the field in each half, and finished a game shooting better than 60% for the first time all season.
An early three from Eric Dalbey (Mora, Minn.) showed a sign of things to come for the Cougars, but early on, the Eagles were equally as hot, and held the lead for much of the game's first 10 minutes. Despite the solid shooting from UMM, Northwestern led by as much as seven at 20-13 with 12:42 still to play in the first half.
However, from there the Cougars scored on four of their next five trips down the floor, capped by a breakaway jam by freshman Brendon Foss (Hancock, Minn.), where he had to go up reversed to keep the trailing defender off his hip. The only two points of the night for Foss, he brought the Cougars within one at 23-22 with 9:53 left in the first half.
After trading possessions, the Cougars Steve Birman (Duluth, Minn.) hit back-to-back threes to put his squad up by five, and put a stamp on the fact that UMM had found itself. The Cougars would never trail again, going up by as much as 16 in the second half.
Birman finished with a game-high 19 points, on 7-of-11 shooting, including a 2-of-3 mark from behind the arc.
Not far behind him were Derek Schmidt (East Grand Forks, Minn.) and Daniel Fragodt (Benson, Minn.)who each knocked down 16 on the night. Schmidt had an identical 7-of-11 mark from field, with much of his scoring coming from underneath the basket, leading UMM to a 46-to-28 edge in points in the paint on the night. Schmidt also pulled down a game high six rebounds, leading a Cougar effort that controlled the boards 30-to-24 over the Eagles.
Fragodit – for the second straight game – finished with a perfect shooting mark from the floor. Tonight it was a 7-of-7 tally on his way to his 16. The senior also dished out a game high six assists, leading the team to a season-high 23 on the night.
The Cougars will try to maintain their hot shooting tomorrow when they host Crown, back at Jim Gremmels Court. UMM will look for its second UMAC win Jan. 15, with the tip set for 5:00 p.m.
