Follow the Cougars on Twitter
Send Cougar updates to my email
Get Text Updates
Box Score
Photos
Morris, Minn. – Behind just the latest in a season packed with impressive performances from Steph Roggenbuck (Osakis, Minn.), the Minnesota Morris women's basketball team stamped their ticket back to the big dance with their 82-74 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament Championship Game victory over visiting Northwestern tonight (Feb. 26).
The top-two seeds in the tournament, the No. 1 Cougars and No. 2 Eagles did not disappoint. Morris (21-6) led nearly the entire way, but didn't take a double digit lead until late in the game. Northwestern (16-11) trailed by as much as seven in the first half, but put a late run together to take the lead in the final two minutes before Morris answered and took 31-28 advantage into the locker rooms at the half.
Shining brightly in this heavyweight battle were the teams stars, Roggenbuck for the Cougars and Katie DeWitt for the Eagles. Roggenbuck finished with her fifth double-double of the season – her third against the Eagles – with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while DeWitt was nearly unstoppable with 37 points.
The 2011 UMAC Regular season and Tournament Champion Cougars will now turn their attention to their second consecutive NCAA Tournament, which begins on Mar. 4. Where they will go and who they will face will be announced by the NCAA on Monday (Mar. 1).
The Cougars got out ahead early, and took their biggest lead of the first half when an Emily Mehr (Aitkin, Minn.) lay-up made it 14-7 at the 13:03 mark. Mehr finished as the Cougars second leading scorer with 16 points on the night, and now has a season long stretch of five straight games in double figures.
The Cougars went back up seven at the 8:52 mark after Abby Fragodt (Benson, Minn.) made it 20-13 when Kelsey Erickson (Mora, Minn.) found her all alone under the basket. The helper was one of five for Erickson on the night, and one of 26 for the NCAA leading Cougars, their second highest mark of the season.
After the Fragodt basket, the Eagles began to chip away, scoring six straight points to pull within one on a DeWitt lay-in to make it 20-19 with 7:02 to play.
Less than four minutes later, the Cougars were back up four when Alyssa Silva (Maple Grove, Minn.) made it 26-22, but the Eagles answered with a 6-0 run to take their first lead at 28-26 with just 2:25 left in the half. Back-to-back threes from DeWitt and Mollie Sir had the Eagles on top.
Up to the challenge, the Cougars went on a 5-0 run to close the half, capped by another Silva lay-in at the buzzer. Morris would never trail again.
The Cougars got 10 points from each Mehr and Tara Thielke (Hancock, Minn.) in the second half, and 14 from Jenni Noordmans (Hancock, Minn.), as they locked up a championship. Noordmans did all her scoring in the second half, while Thielke finished with 14 on night. And they needed every point, as DeWitt drained 21 in the second.
With the outcome still undecided, a crucial foul called on Noordmans sent DeWitt to the line for three shots. After stealing the ball, DeWitt pulled up well behind the arc when Noordmans appeared to poke the ball away, but was called for the foul. Despite head coach Tim Grove and Noordmans pleading their case, DeWitt lined up for the three attempts with her team down seven at 75-68 with just 1:15 left.
She made two of the three, but the Cougars answered by going 8-of-9 at the line in the final minute to close out the win.
With 21 wins, the Cougars have most since a team record 25 in the 1982-83 season. They'll look for their 22nd on Friday.
