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Morris, Minn. – Despite trailing 13-2 early, and never leading in the first half, the Minnesota Morris women's basketball team came back to score a 77-70 win over visiting Martin Luther this evening, Feb. 4.
Behind 46 total points from Steph Roggenbuck (Osakis, Minn.) and Emily Mehr (Aitkin, Minn.), the Cougars overcame a start that included missed opportunities on both ends of the floor. Roggenbuck was the catalyst in the first half, while Mehr carried the load in the second.
Roggenbuck scored 16 before heading into the locker room, on her way to her second double-double of the season with 24 points and 10 rebounds on the night. Mehr, meanwhile, score 14 of her 22 total points in the second half while adding seven boards of her own.
Martin Luther (6-12, 4-5 UMAC) scored the game's first eight points, and held Minnesota Morris (14-6, 9-0 UMAC) to just two until Kelsey Erickson (Mora, Minn.) scored her only three points of the game at the 14:22 mark to make it 13-5.
The Cougars had six missed shots before the Erickson three, but got the spark they needed as it went down. From there they battled back to tie it at 17 apiece, which included 14-straight from the Cougars, a run that was capped by back-to-back baskets from Roggenbuck.
The Knights built their lead back up to seven at 32-25, but the Cougars closed on an 8-to-2 run to trail just one heading into the break, capped by a Brandi Cresap (Perham, Minn.) jumper at the buzzer.
Cresap finished with eight points on the night, there assists, a block, and for the seventh time in the last eight games finished without a turnover.
Mehr quickly made her presence known in the second, scoring the half's first six points to put the Cougars up five at 39-34 at the 18:11 mark.
The two teams traded baskets – and the lead – for the next five minutes until Diane Blommel (Grey Eagle, Minn.) three at the 13:05 mark gave the Cougars a 49-47 lead they would not relinquish. Three times the Knights would get back within two, but each time the Cougars answered to go back up by two possessions.
The Cougar stretched their lead to eight three times in the second half, the last time when Mehr nailed a lay-up with just 3:27 remaining. After the Knights cut the lead to four, she came back with two free throws to give the Cougars back a six-point lead at 70-64 with 2:17 to go.
Mehr finished 8-of-11 from the line on the night, including the game's final two points on two more from the stripe with just a second left.
With their winning streak now at 10 on the season, they stretch their UMAC winning streak to 22 straight. They will look to make it a nice and prime 23 tomorrow (Feb. 5), when they host Bethany Lutheran on Senior Night, in the season's final home game.
