MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris women's basketball team rallied back from a 12-point halftime deficit to defeat Macalester College, 76-62, in the home opener Monday night in Morris, Minn. Junior Maddy Grove sparked the second-half surge and finished with a game-high 21 points.
 
The win improves the Cougars to 1-2 this season as the Scots fall to 0-2.
 
Grove opened the scoring with a three-pointer, but the Scots quickly answered to even the score. Macalester pushed ahead by five before Brooke Ver Steeg halted the run with a jumper. After Savanna Pelzer went 2-for-2 at the line, Ver Steeg put UMM back in front with another jumper and then extended the lead to four with a three-pointer. Macalester responded with four late points to tie the game, 14-14, at the end of the first quarter.
 
Gabby Randt scored the first bucket of the second quarter off a pass from Claire Stark. Shelby Mortenson added two free throws to give UMM a three-point lead. However, a five-point Macalester run put the Scots back on top. Gianna Klarenbeek tied the game at 23 from the free-throw line, but MC answered with a 12-point run to take its largest lead of the game and went into halftime ahead 39-27.
 
Out of the break, the Cougars scored the first seven points on a Grace Perry three-pointer and baskets from Randt and Stark. Stark added a free throw to start another UMM run. Grove followed with a three-point play and another trip to the line to cut the lead to three. With under four minutes left in the third, an Anna Myers layup brought the Cougars within one, and another basket from Myers gave UMM the lead. She extended it to three at the free-throw line. A Macalester three-pointer put the Scots back ahead 52-51 entering the fourth quarter.
 
Grove scored the first six points of the final period to swing the lead back to UMM. Mortenson knocked down a jumper, and Grove, Ver Steeg, and Mortenson added baskets to push the Cougars ahead by double digits. Mortenson capped the nine-point run with a free throw. Myers found Ver Steeg for an easy layup, and Grove extended the lead to 14 with her 21st point of the night. Myers hit a three-pointer just before the two-minute mark, and free throws from Klarenbeek and Ver Steeg closed out the scoring as UMM secured the 76-62 victory.
 
Grove led the Cougars with a season-high 21 points, shooting 8-for-17 from the field, 1-for-3 from three, and 4-for-5 at the line. UMM shot 45 percent overall and an impressive 71.7 percent (10-for-14) in the fourth quarter. Off the bench, Ver Steeg delivered her best game at UMM with 18 points. Mortenson and Myers each added nine, and Klarenbeek led the team with five assists.
 
On the defensive end, the Cougars outrebounded the Scots 38-32 with Stark pulling down a team-high five boards. Minnesota Morris also tallied 21 steals, led by Grove and Ver Steeg with five each. Ver Steeg recorded the team's only block.
 
The Cougars return to action Wednesday as they travel to Concordia College (Minn.) for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.