MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris women's basketball team clamped down on Waldorf University for a 77-51 win on Monday night in non-conference action at James Gremmels Court. The win improves the Cougars to 4-7 on the season.

The game would turn into a blowout in the second half, but Waldorf made Minnesota Morris work in the opening 20 minutes. The Warriors took a 15-13 lead after one quarter and it wasn't until a 6-0 run in the middle of the second quarter that featured a pair of buckets from Jay Kwateh that the Cougars took the lead for good. A Jadyn Sondrol triple in the final 75 seconds of the half helped UMN Morris to a 27-25 advantage at the break.

Field goals from Maddy Grove, Sondrol, and Kwateh to open the second half allowed Minnesota Morris to build a 33-25 lead and the Cougars didn't allow a bucket for the first three minutes of the third quarter. In the final three minutes of the quarter, Minnesota Morris built a 39-36 lead into a 51-37 bulge thanks in part to a Grove triple and a late Grace Perry layup in the last 30 seconds before the horn.

From there, the late stages of the game turned into the Malory Anderson Show. Though the senior attempted only three field goals in the entire game, she still managed a double-double with 10 points and 17 rebounds, while closing in on a triple-double with seven assists and five steals. Any hopes Waldorf had a for comeback were erased as the forward hoovered up 15 defensive rebounds on the night and never allowed the Warriors any second looks. Minnesota Morris hit the gas in the last 6:20 of the contest, finishing the game with a 22-8 flurry to blow the game wide open.

Anderson's 17 boards were the most single-game rebounds since 19 from Abby Van Kempen on Feb. 24, 2020. Joining her in double-figures were Grove with 16, Kwateh with 14, and Sondrol with 10. 

Minnesota Morris is off until January 3 when the Cougars will make a return trip to face Waldorf, this time in Forest City, Iowa beginning at 5:30 p.m.