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Box Score
Mankato, Minn. – The Minnesota Morris women's basketball team scored an impressive 75-48 win over host Bethany Lutheran tonight (Jan. 21), staying unbeaten in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play in the process.
After a back and forth first half that took a Brandi Cresap (Perham, Minn.) free throw with one second left to give the Cougars (8-6, 4-0 UMAC) a 32-27 halftime lead, UMM opened up the second half on a 24-to-9 run over the first 9:13 of the second half to put the game away.
A three-pointer from the Vikings (6-8, 2-2 UMAC) opened the second half scoring, but from there the Cougars scored 10 straight to take a 42-30 lead at the 16:44 mark, capped by a bucket from Emily Mehr (Aitkin, Minn.). Mehr finished with 10 points on the night and was one of three players in double figures.
As the Cougars moved to 4-0 in league action, while also winning their 17th straight UMAC game, the Vikings lost their second straight after opening the conference season with back-to-back wins.
During the Cougars big second half run, they got 12 points from scoring leader Steph Roggenbuck (Osakis, Minn.), part of her game-high 24 on the night. Her scoring total was her second best of the year, and top mark since 25 in the season opener. Later in the half, Roggenbuck hit a pair of free throws to stretch the lead to 26, before Alyssa Silva closed the game with a three-point play to spread the margin to its biggest of the night at 27 at 75-48.
Tara Thielke (Hancock, Minn.) chipped in 16 on the night, her second straight game in double figures and the fourth time she's has 15 or more in the last six games.
The game opened with back-and-forth play after Roggenbuck hit one of her three three-pointers on the night to open the game. The lead then changed hands eight times in the first 9:58, before the Cougars took the lead for good at the 10:02 mark. When they did, it was Roggenbuck with a lay-up to give UMM a one-point lead at 17-16 they would never relinquish.
The Cougars outrebounded the Vikings 42-to-37 on the night, paced by a career high 11 from freshman Abby Fragodt (Benson, Minn.). The 42 boards were a season high for UMM, bettering the 41 they pulled down the last time out in the win over Crown.
The Cougars also forced the Vikings into 17 turnovers – while committing just 10 – and turned the takeaways into 21 points, including 15 in the second half.
Minnesota Morris will look to stretch their current winning streak to five tomorrow night (Jan. 22) when they make the short trip to New Ulm to face Martin Luther. Entering the night, the Knights were just 2-9 on the season and 1-2 in UMAC play. Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m.
