MANKATO, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's basketball team challenged top-seeded Bethany Lutheran College into the second half, but the Vikings used a decisive 14-0 run to break open a tied contest and finish the night with an 87-74 victory. The Cougars end their season at 13-12 overall.

The lead traded hands throughout much of the first half. A Jaret Johnson three-pointer two minutes into the game staked Minnesota Morris to a 5-2 lead and Blake Munson later gave the Cougars their largest lead of the game with a triple to make it 20-16 at the 10:38 mark of the opening half. Consecutive baskets from Kenny Placide kept Minnesota Morris in front, 29-26, until an 11-2 run from Bethany Lutheran gave the Vikings their largest lead of the first half, 37-31. Pal Dak finished at the rim in the final minute to make it 37-33 at the half.

Ian Carlin was a force in the paint throughout the night and Minnesota Morris used his offense to get back into the game early in the second half. Johnson would then give the Cougars a 45-44 lead with a three-pointer and he tied the game moments later with a jumper to make it 47-47 with 15:39 to play.

A scoreless stretch of nearly six minutes followed for Minnesota Morris. By the time Carlin ended the drought, the Vikings had scored 14 unanswered. A quick 6-0 run got the deficit back into single-digits, but Bethany Lutheran went the rest of the way and never had its lead shrink further than seven points. The Vikings made all eight of their foul shots in the final 90 seconds to clinch it.

Dak had a team-high 19 points and was one of three players to finish with four assists on the night. Johnson had 17 points and Carlin scored 16 on 8-of-9 shooting from the field. Noah Kannegiesser finished with nine points, Placide added eight, and Corbyn Alexander led the Cougars with seven rebounds.