MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota Morris women's basketball team closed its season with a 52-47 loss to North Central University in the championship game of the UMAC Tournament on Sunday afternoon. The Rams will take the UMAC's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament next week, while the Cougars wrap up their season with an overall record of 13-15.

The first and second quarters were remarkably different. Both teams got off to good starts offensively in the first quarter, only for the game to grind to a halt after 10 minutes. Lexus Eagle Chasing started the contest off with a steal and a layup for a quick 2-0 lead for Minnesota Morris and Tariq Brownotter later cashed in a three to put the Cougars ahead, 7-4, before a 6-0 run from North Central. Haley Wollschlager knotted the score at 10-10 with a three-pointer of her own and the last five points scored by UMN Morris in the frame belonged to Malory Anderson as NCU took a 16-15 edge into the second quarter.

More than four minutes went by in the second quarter before either team would score. A three-point play from Emily DiGiorgio gave North Central a 19-15 lead and the Rams would quickly grow the lead to six points. It took nearly seven minutes for Minnesota Morris to score in the period, a three-pointer from Eagle Chasing that sliced the deficit in half at 21-18. NCU responded with a jumper from Naomi Hagstrom for her 16th point of the first half that made it 23-18. Another drought from both offenses heading into the break kept the score there after 20 minutes.

The third quarter brought a return to form for both offenses. North Central opened the scoring with a three-point play, but that was answered by a three-ball from Eagle Chasing to leave the score at 26-21 with two minutes gone. Eagle Chasing continued to pour in the points, scoring the next five for Minnesota Morris and getting the Cougars within two, 28-26. A steal and three-point play from Eagle Chasing had UMN Morris within a point, 30-29, midway through the quarter. A 7-2 run from the Rams over the next four minutes built the lead back up for the home side, but Anderson hit a pair at the charity stripe to close the scoring in the third quarter and make it just a four-point deficit, 37-33.

Minnesota Morris scored just three points in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter and North Central was threatening to pull away, going ahead, 43-36, with six minutes to play. Quiet up to that point, Jadyn Sondrol came alive with back-to-back three-pointers, getting the Cougars within a point with just under five minutes remaining. Unfortunately the Minnesota Morris offense faded from there, going nearly three minutes before Anderson converted a short jumper to bring the Cougars within three. North Central scored the subsequent five points to take a 52-44 edge with just seconds left and a Wollschlager three-pointer in the final seconds was not enough to bring Minnesota Morris all the way back.

Eagle Chasing finished as the top scorer on the afternoon for the Cougars with 16 points, adding in five rebounds and six steals. Anderson had 10 points, six boards (five on the offensive end), and three steals. Wollschlager tacked on eight points and three steals.