MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's basketball team battled but ultimately fell, 78-73, to Augsburg University on Friday night in Morris, Minn.
 
The win moves the Auggies to 4-1 on the season, while the Cougars drop to 2-5.
 
The first three baskets of the game all came from behind the arc. Carvin Fish knocked down the first points for the Cougars, with Kaden Pieper finding him as the shot clock expired. Matt Thompson matched Augsburg's scoring pace with a pair of made free throws, a driving layup, and a putback to give UMM its first lead.
 
Thompson picked up two quick fouls, and the Auggies took advantage with the Cougars' leading scorer being off the court, going on a 12-point run. Jang Dak ended the run with a score at the rim. Augsburg pushed the lead to 14 with over 11 minutes remaining in the first half.
 
Points from Thompson and Dak began to chip away at the deficit, and Fish made a layup to cut the lead to single digits. Augsburg responded with two made three-pointers to regain a double-digit advantage. LeRoy Staples-Fairbanks IV scored five straight points to make it 32-24.
 
Whenever the Auggies tried to pull away, the Cougars answered to keep them within reach—this time with Jase Nelson hitting four free throws. In the final minute, Fish converted a midrange jumper and a layup to make it 40-32 heading into halftime.
 
An Augsburg dunk opened the second-half scoring. Fish scored the first Cougar point of the half with a free throw, and Thomas Tiernan cut the lead to six with a three-pointer.
 
After an Augsburg technical foul, Thompson knocked down the free throws, and Gustav Gunderson connected from deep to pull UMM within five. The Auggies again answered, and midway through the half neither team mounted a significant scoring run.
 
In the final eight minutes, Augsburg held its largest lead of the half at 11. Fish ended the drought with a contested layup, and the lead shrank to five after four more points from him in the paint. Fish stayed hot, burying a three-pointer to make it 65-61.
 
The advantage grew back to nine in the final three minutes. A pair of free throws by Fish and a three from Tiernan put the Cougars within striking distance. In the final minute, Augsburg kept UMM close by missing free throws, but the Auggies ultimately held on for the 78-73 win.
 
Fish led all scorers with 21 points, shooting 8-for-15 from the field, 2-for-3 from three, and 3-for-4 at the line. As a team, the Cougars shot 23-for-61 (37.7 percent) from the floor, 7-for-27 (25.9 percent) from three, and an impressive 20-for-22 (90.9 percent) at the free throw line. Thompson followed with 10 points, while Staples-Fairbanks, Tiernan, and Pieper each added nine.
 
Defensively, Pieper led the team with 11 rebounds. Thompson and Fish were close behind with eight each. The Cougars recorded seven steals, with Fish, Pieper, and Gunderson tallying two apiece. UMM also totaled four blocks, with Fish collecting two.
 
The Cougars continue their homestand on Monday when they host Martin Luther College at 7 p.m.