DULUTH, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Morris women's basketball team has endured a December that at times was a roller coaster, going 2-2 and sported a UMAC record of 1-1 heading into Sunday's contest against the College of St. Scholastica. 

After a 61-41 win over the Saints, the Cougars will certainly have a chance to enjoy the holidays prior coming back for competition. 

Starting the game on a 15-3 run, the Cougars defense appeared to cause fits for the Saints early on, forcing a trio of turnovers that immediately converted into points. a big key in that 15-point onslaught early was junior forward Abby Van Kempen and senior guard Elli Stevenson. Van Kempen registered four points during the opening run of the contest while the run seemingly provided Stevenson the time to get into rhythm. Stevenson led all scorers in the first half with 12 points after going 5-of-13 from the floor. 

The Cougars held a double-digit lead for much of the quarter. Then it appeared that St. Scholastica started to wake up. 

The Saints were able to sneak within a single possession of the Cougars at the 7:26-mark of the second quarter until Stevenson would score points to help provide a 29-22 lead with just over a minute left in the half. 

Much like the first half, the Cougars exploded on a 20-1 run to start the second half. Much of the damage was done beyond the arch. In fact, within that 20-1 run, Minnesota Morris connected on four attempts from three-point territory. It was a completely different team in terms of shooting beyond the arch from the first half. After shooting just 1.7 percent, Minnesota Morris shot 34.6 percent from three. Another key that was similar to the first half was the Cougars ability to create turnovers. In the final half of play, Minnesota Morris forced 10 turnovers. For the game, the Saints committed 24 turnovers that turned into 22 points for the Cougars.  

The Cougars also had a strong showing when it came to converting on second chances. Despite being out-rebounded, Minnesota Morris scored 13 points off second chance opportunities.  Leading the charge was Van Kempen, who registered a game-high 11 rebounds to collect her second double-double of the season. The Cougars also had an advantage in points in the paint, scoring 30 of their 61 from down low. 

Minnesota Morris (5-5, 2-1 UMAC) will be back after the holiday break to play host to St. Catherine University Dec.29. Tip-off is set for 3 P.M.