MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's basketball team defeated North Central University, 80–74, in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference action Wednesday night in Morris, Minn.
 
The Cougars improve to 7–8 overall and 2–0 in UMAC play, while the Rams fall to 4–12 overall and 2–1 in conference action.
 
Kaden Pieper opened the scoring with a three-pointer, but the Rams answered with a three on the ensuing possession. The teams traded baskets early, with Carvin Fish scoring the next four points for UMM. Matt Thompson sparked a short run for the Cougars, followed by Gustav Gunderson knocking down a pair of free throws. Fish pushed the lead to five with back-to-back layups. LeRoy Staples-Fairbanks IV extended the advantage with a three-pointer, and Gunderson made it 20–13 with a driving layup. North Central began to chip away at the lead by converting from beyond the arc. Fish reached double figures in the first half with a three-pointer to extend the lead to eight. In the final four minutes, the Rams pulled within three after converting a pair of technical free throws. Thomas Tiernan provided some separation with a free throw, and Staples-Fairbanks added a jumper at the free-throw line to push the lead back to four. Minnesota Morris took a 34–30 lead into halftime.
 
Thompson found Fish under the basket for an easy two to open the second half. Fish later ended a five-point Rams run to keep the Cougars in front. North Central took the lead five minutes into the half, but Jase Nelson tied the game with his first three-pointer of the contest. Gunderson followed to put the Cougars back on top. Staples-Fairbanks extended the run with a driving layup, and Pieper completed a three-point play following a steal. The Rams stayed within striking distance, cutting into the lead with a six-point run. Staples-Fairbanks halted the momentum with his second three-pointer of the game.
 
With under six minutes remaining, the Rams trimmed the deficit to two. Free throws from Pieper, Thompson, and Gunderson helped build the lead down the stretch. Tiernan connected from beyond the arc to give the Cougars a nine-point advantage with less than three minutes to play. North Central continued to convert from three-point range in the final minute to make it a one-possession game, but the Cougars held on for the 80–74 victory.
 
Fish led the Cougars with 19 points, while Pieper added 14. Staples-Fairbanks and Gunderson also reached double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively. UMM shot 41.2 percent from the field, 46.7 percent from three-point range, and 79.5 percent from the free-throw line. Gunderson recorded a game-high four assists.
 
Defensively, Fish pulled down 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Thompson finished with eight rebounds, while Gunderson and Nelson added six apiece. Gunderson accounted for four of the team's seven steals. UMM blocked three shots, coming from Thompson, Tiernan, and Gunderson.
 
The Cougars return to action Saturday as they travel to the University of Northwestern for a 2:45 p.m. tipoff.