STORM LAKE, Iowa –The University of Minnesota Morris men's basketball team fell to Nebraska Wesleyan University 78-67 Friday evening in Storm Lake, Iowa.

NWU improves to 1-1 as the Cougars drop to 0-3.

Back-to-back-to-back three-pointers from Matt Thompson and Gustav Gunderson built an early seven-point lead to open the game. Jase Nelson found Kaden Pieper for another Cougar basket to push the advantage to nine within the first four minutes.


The Prairie Wolves began to gain ground, cutting the lead to two, and a three-pointer gave them their first lead of the night. Thompson responded with a four-point play for his 10th point of the game in just the first seven and a half minutes. He stayed hot, scoring again on a jumper and another three.
 
A five-point NWU run was broken up by Pieper, who went 2-for-2 at the free throw line. On the next possession, Pieper connected from deep to push the lead back to six. Carvin Fish added a pair of layups to maintain the advantage late in the half. NWU pulled within three, but baskets from LeRoy Staples-Fairbanks IV and Thompson stretched the lead to 10. Fish scored the final points of the half on a layup with six seconds remaining, sending UMM into the break ahead 43–36.
 
Fish opened the second-half scoring with a layup after Thompson secured an offensive rebound. Fish scored the first seven Cougar points of the half as the Prairie Wolves closed the gap to 50–48 with under 13 minutes remaining. A Pieper bucket in the paint sparked a small run, but an NWU three-pointer brought them back within reach, and a Cougar turnover helped them tie the game.
 
After trading baskets, NWU took the lead on another three-pointer and eventually built its largest lead at five with under seven minutes remaining. Fish cut it to a one-possession game with two made free throws, but more three-pointers from Nebraska Wesleyan pushed the deficit to eight with four minutes left. Thompson hit a late three, but NWU stayed hot down the stretch to win 78–67.
 
Thompson and Fish led the Cougars with 26 and 24 points, respectively. Pieper added nine. Thompson recorded his first double-double with UMM, adding 10 rebounds. Fish followed with eight rebounds. Pieper and Jase Nelson shared a game-high five assists, while Gunderson added two.
 
The Cougars continue play at the Buena Vista Tournament tomorrow (Saturday) when they face host Buena Vista University at 4 p.m.