MORRIS, Minn. – The women's basketball season tips-off on Saturday as the Cougars play back-to-back games this weekend. The season begins with a game against the College of Saint Benedict's at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The next day the Cougars take on #24 Saint Mary's at 1 p.m. in St. Joseph's.
 
Minnesota Morris is coming off a 17-10 season and Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship. The Cougars welcome a core ground from last season including All-UMAC players Kendra Wycoff, Tori Holt and Emily Auch.
 
Wycoff led the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game. She had 60 three pointers made last season which was nearly half of the Cougars made three pointers on the year.
 
Holt, who was the UMAC Rookie of the Year, continued to improve throughout the season last year. She averaged 10.9 points per game during UMAC play while also grabbing 6.7 rebounds per contest.
 
Also emerging last year was Emily Auch who averaged 14.1 points per game during the conference year. She shot 57% from the field in 14 UMAC games.
 
Starters Kayla Kraemer and Cori Becker (2014 All-Defensive Team) are also back after each averaging over six points per UMAC contest.
 
Roles for Maja Coomes, Connor Lewis (missed last year), Jessica Love and Jordan Halverson will be bigger this season. The Cougars also have four freshman on the roster this season, all guards, which should add some depth to the UMM backcourt. Freshman Bailey Nordean will help Kraemer, Coomes and Lewis help run the offense in 2014-15.

The first home game of the year for the Cougars is next Tuesday against Trinity Bible at 5:30 p.m.