SUPERIOR, Wis. – The University of Minnesota Morris women's basketball team fell in the penultimate game of the regular season on Friday night at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, 54-52. The Cougars fall to 10-13 (8-5 UMAC) with the loss.

In a turnover-filled contest, a heavy rebounding edge for UW-Superior supplied the difference. The Yellowjackets committed 31 turnovers in the game, but they pressured Minnesota Morris into 25 miscues. Meanwhile, UW-Superior had a +20 rebounding advantage (39-19) and actually grabbed more offensive rebounds in the game (20) than defensive (19).

After a slow start for both teams, Minnesota Morris zoomed out to a 6-2 lead with a basket from Ella Van Kempen after three minutes and two more in quick succession from Malory Anderson. A Jay Kwateh jumper in the closing seconds of the quarter gave the Cougars a 13-11 lead through 10 minutes of play.

UW-Superior started the second quarter on a 9-0 run as it took more than five minutes for Minnesota Morris to finally score. Though Tariq Brownotter made a three and then was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all three of her attempts, the Cougars still trailed, 20-19, and would go to halftime with a 25-20 deficit.

Baskets from Anderson and Jadyn Sondrol drew Minnesota Morris within four, 28-24, early on in the third quarter, but UW-Superior mostly maintained its comfortable lead for much of the period. The Yellowjacket advantage reached double-digits for the first time at the three-minute mark of the quarter and the hosts went into the fourth holding a 45-35 lead on the Cougars.

The UW-Superior lead was still 11, 48-37, with less than eight minutes to go when Brownotter flipped the game on its head by going on an absolute tear. Sondrol scored to get the deficit back to single-digits and Brownotter then scored the next 10 points for Minnesota Morris, making a three-pointer with 3:29 to go to give the Cougars a 49-48 lead. The Yellowjackets were fouled on the next possession and made a pair at the line before knocking down a three to take back a 53-49 edge. With under a minute to go, Sondrol made a three from the wing to draw the Cougars to within one. On the final possession of the game for Minnesota Morris, Anderson cut back door but was met at the rim and her layup attempt through contact was off the mark.

Despite the loss, Minnesota Morris clinched a berth into the UMAC Tournament and will play a semifinal on Wednesday night as either the No. 2, 3, or 4 seed depending on how the regular season pans out. The Cougars close the regular season tomorrow afternoon with a 4:45 p.m. contest at Northland College.