MORRIS, Minn. - Minnesota Morris kept their Upper Midwest Athletic Conference championships hopes alive with a big 61-52 win Friday night over St. Scholastica in women's basketball action at Jim Gremmels Court.

The Cougars host Wisconsin-Superior Saturday at 3 p.m. A Minnesota Morris win clinches a share of the conference regular season championship. A Wisconsin-Superior victory would give them the championship outright.

Friday night, the Cougars led 28-27 at halftime. To start the second half, UMM went on a mammoth 18-0 run to seize control of the contest. The Cougars had trouble scoring from the outside in the first half so they went inside to gain an edge. The first six baskets of the second half were all lay-ins, which included an and-one play from Mauren Thiesen. After gaining confidence from in close, the Cougars went back out to build to their lead as a Courtney Dague 3 and a Jordan Halvorson jumper gave UMM a 46-27 lead with 2:28 left in the third.

St. Scholastica finally got on the board in the third with a Michala Walter 3 with 2:01 remaining in the frame and they would score the final eight points to make it 46-35 going into the fourth.

The Saints continued to chip away at the Cougars lead cutting it four with 4:20 left. Thiesen answered with a huge 3 from the left wing to make it 55-48 Cougars and they would push it back to nine by game's end.

Elli Stevenson led all scorers with 14 points. Kendra Raths had a near double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. Tori Holt reached 10 rebounds and five points.

Minnesota Morris (19-5, 14-1 in UMAC) finishes the regular season Saturday before hosting a UMAC Tournament game Wednesday night.