MORRIS, Minn. - The Minnesota Morris women's basketball team closed 2016 by winning six straight games. They started the 2017 calendar year with another victory by topping Presentation College 79-67 Tuesday night at Jim Gremmels Court to push their winning streak to seven.

One of the Cougars four losses to start the season came at the hands of Presentation November 21 in Aberdeen, 66-55. What turned the tide Tuesday was the Cougars rebounding edge over the Saints. In Aberdeen, Presentation out-rebounded the Cougars 45-41. Tuesday night, the Cougars held a 42-25 edge on the boards and that was led by the double-double effort of Abby Van Kempen. The freshman pulled down 12 rebounds to go along with a team-high 19 points to pace the Cougars.

Van Kempen led four Cougars in double figures. Kendra Raths scored 17 points. Elli Stevenson added 13 and Mauren Thiesen collected 10.

Minnesota Morris led for the majority of the contest only losing the lead on two brief occasions. Presentation grabbed their second lead at 18-17 early in the second quarter. Van Kempen's lay-in regained the advantage and was the start of a 14-3 spurt that gave the Cougars a double-digit edge. Bailey Miller and Courtney Dague each drained 3s in the stretch. Later, Thiesen and Stevenson connected from long range that helped give UMM a 39-28 lead at the break.

The Cougars maintained their double-digit lead in the third quarter and extended it to 18 at quarter's end following another Thiesen 3 as time was running out.

UMM held a 34-16 edge in bench points and 16-6 advantage in second chance points.

Minnesota Morris (7-4) returns to UMAC play Friday night when they host North Central at 5:30 p.m.