MORRIS, Minn. - Still looking to clinch the coveted Upper Midwest Athletic Conference playoff berth, the University of Minnesota Morris men's basketball team felt the pressure heading into their critical matchup against Bethany Lutheran College. The Cougars would come out on top, dominating their opponents in a high scoring matchup. 

The Vikings cracked open the scoring early in this game, but the Cougars were quick to establish their lead with three point buckets from Pal Dak and Gustav Gunderson. Minnesota Morris worked to expand the scoring gap, forcing tough shots on defense and knocking down shots on offense. With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Brian LaRoche Jr. splashed a triple to put Minnesota Morris up by 13. The Vikings, unwilling to let the game get away from them, clawed their way back to tie things up at 50-50 heading into halftime. 

The Cougars kicked off the second half with a 7-0 run to take back the lead. Bethany Lutheran was able to drop a few points on Minnesota Morris before another brief 6-0 scoring run pushed a 14-point gap between the two teams. The Cougars maintained their double-digit lead until the final two minutes where the Vikings sparked a 7-0 scoring run. With 22 seconds on the clock, Thomas Tiernan stepped up to the line and hit one free throw to put Minnesota Morris up by five. Gunderson secured the Cougar's victory with two shots from the charity stripe with three seconds to go in the matchup. The final score in this crucial victory stood at 95-88 in favor of Minnesota Morris.

Dak was a vital aspect of the Cougars' win, dropping a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds (11 def.). Dom Aguilar dropped 17 points of his own, while Gunderson put up 12 for Minnesota Morris. 

The Cougars continue the battle for a spot in the conference tournament Feb. 22 with a home matchup against the University of Wisconsin-Superior. The game is set for a 3pm tip-off.