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Bethany Lutheran | Martin Luther | UMAC

Last Season's Results
UMM-92 @BLC-80 | @UMM-78 BLC-59 | @UMM-74 BLC-66
@MLC-83 UMM-76 | @UMM-79 MLC-72

The Minnesota Morris men's basketball team got back on track last weekend after notching its first two wins in conference play. Morris will look to continue the trend this weekend as they play host to Bethany Lutheran on Friday (Jan. 20) night and Martin Luther on Saturday (Jan. 21) afternoon.

These will be the first home conference games for the Cougars this season, with action on Friday night beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Jim Gremmels Court. Then on Saturday, things tip-off at 5:00 p.m.

The Cougars are coming back home – having not played at UMM since Jan. 4 – and boast a 4-8 overall record while sitting 2-1 in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play. The Cougars are in a three-way tie for second place in the UMAC, while Bethany Lutheran enter the weekend as the league's top team as the Vikings sit with a record of 3-0 in conference play (5-9 overall). Conversely, Martin Luther is at the bottom of the conference with a record of 0-3, with the Knights still looking for their first win on the season at 0-12 overall.

Last season the Cougars took down the Vikings in all three meetings, including a 74-66 victory in the UMAC Tournament semifinal match-up in the P.E. Center. Morris split the season series with the Knights, with the home team as the victor in each meeting.

About the Cougars: Coming off two big wins, including a hard fought 69-66 victory over preseason favorite Northwestern … this was the first time since 2005 the Cougars have left the Ericksen Center on the victorious side … entering the second week of conference action the Cougars have the third best scoring defense with an average of 65.0 points per game … second in field goal percentage at .487 … third in field goal percentage defense at .418 … number three in rebounding defense with 34.3 defensive rebounds per game … Derek Schmidt is eighth in the UMAC in points per game with 15.3 and fourth in field goal percentage with .600 … Brendon Foss is fifth in rebounding with 7.7 per game and tied for second in blocked shots with 4 … Brodie Raymond is tied for seventh in three-point field goals made with 2.3 per game.

About the Vikings: In first place in the UMAC after three games … second in the UMAC in points per game with 74.0 … second ranked scoring defense with 59.0 points per game … scoring margin of +15 points per game … third in free-throw percentage with .754 … number one field goal percentage defense at .357 … second in rebounding offense with 13.3 offensive rebounds per game … leads in the conference with 12 blocked shots … the team has 27 steals for second best … Derek Peterson leads the team with 15.0 points per game, which is good enough for 10th in the conference … three scorers in the top-13 in the conference … number two rebounder in Patrick Garvin who averages 8.3 per game … Peterson is also in the top-five in free throw percentage and steals at .909 and 2.3 respectively.

About the Knights: Started the UMAC season 0-3 … second in the conference in free throw percentage at .754 … third in the UMAC in three-point field goal percentage defense at .300 … number three rebounding offense, averaging 17.0 offensive rebounds per game … Galen Holzhueter is fourth in the conference in scoring with 21.3 points per game and tied for second in rebounding average with 8.3 a game … Joe Lindloff is seventh in the conference in assists with 3.3 per game … John Danell has three blocks so far in the early conference season.