SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – The University of Minnesota Morris women's basketball team played well on Thursday, but 12 three-pointers from No. 18 UC Santa Cruz allowed the Banana Slugs to walk away with a 71-51 win.

The first quarter provided the biggest difference in the contest as UC Santa Cruz closed out the first 10 minutes of the contest with a 23-14 lead. The Banana Slugs opened the game with a 12-2 run before Maddie Smart scored midway through the quarter to bring the Cougars back within single digits. The lead reached 13 points for UC Santa Cruz in the opening quarter before Tariq Brownotter nailed a three-pointer and Ella Van Kempen made a free throw in the final seconds to draw the Cougars back within nine.

A four-minute scoring drought in the second quarter allowed UC Santa Cruz to go up by 15, 31-16, before Smart scored to start a 7-0 run for Minnesota Morris. Haley Wollschlager hit a short jumper to bring the Cougars back within eight with 90 seconds left in the half. Ashley Kowack connected on a three-pointer at the buzzer to give UC Santa Cruz the 36-24 halftime edge. 

A slow start for both teams in the third quarter saw both teams score just once in the first four minutes. A 6-0 run with buckets from Smart, Reece Wassink, and Shelby Mortenson brought Minnesota Morris within eight, 40-32, before the Banana Slugs answered with an 8-0 run in less than a minute to help reestablish a 52-34 lead heading into the final quarter.

In just over six minutes to start the fourth quarter, Minnesota Morris outscored UC Santa Cruz, 15-7, cutting the deficit back to 59-49 on a Wollschlager elbow jumper with under four minutes remaining. The Banana Slugs were able to quiet the Cougar offense the rest of the way, with Van Kempen providing the lone field goal the rest of the way as UC Santa Cruz closed out the game on a 12-2 run. 

Brownotter finished the day as the lone Cougar in double figures, scoring 10 points in the game. Smart, Wollschlager, and Jay Kwateh all chipped in with six points. Kwateh added team highs of five assists and four steals.

Minnesota Morris continues non-conference play with a trip to Forest City, Iowa to face Waldorf University on Jan. 3 at 5:30 p.m.