MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's basketball team rallied back from a 17-point deficit but fell 107–105 to Bethany Lutheran College in double overtime in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play Wednesday night in Morris, Minn.
 
The Vikings improve to 11–8 overall and 4–2 in the UMAC, while the Cougars drop to 9–10 overall and 4–2 in conference play.
 
The Vikings opened the game on a seven-point run. Kaden Pieper ended the rally with the Cougars' first points from behind the arc and added another basket to make it a one-possession game. Brian LaRoche Jr. scored his first points to match the pace early, but the Vikings extended the lead to 10. Jase Nelson went on a solo five-point run to chip away at the lead, though another Vikings run pushed the advantage back to double digits.
 
Pieper ended a 12-point Vikings run with another three-pointer, and LaRoche Jr. followed with his first triple of the game. Each time the Cougars hit a three, the Vikings answered. Pieper scored seven straight points to trim the deficit and later added two free throws to cut the lead to single digits. LaRoche Jr. hit back-to-back threes to keep the margin manageable, making the score 50–41 at halftime.
 
LeRoy Staples-Fairbanks IV opened the second-half scoring with a three-pointer. Carvin Fish added a layup, but Bethany Lutheran continued to respond from beyond the arc. Thomas Tiernan brought the Cougars within seven with the team's ninth three of the game. Both teams were hot from deep, combining for seven three-pointers in the first seven minutes of the half.
 
LaRoche Jr. remained perfect from long range with his fourth three, and Fish cut the lead to five after a LaRoche Jr. steal. LaRoche Jr. then hit his fifth and sixth threes to bring UMM within four. Pieper scored on a fast-break layup to make it a two-point game, and LaRoche Jr. stayed hot with another three to make the score 80–79.
 
Gustav Gunderson matched the Vikings' pace late in the half before Pieper gave the Cougars their first lead of the game with a driving layup. Out of a timeout, UMM forced a stop and Pieper converted again on the other end. In the final two minutes, Fish tipped in a miss to give the Cougars a three-point edge. The Vikings tied the game with less than a minute remaining, sending it to overtime tied at 89–89.
 
The Vikings scored on their first possession of overtime and added a pair of free throws to go up four. Nelson answered with UMM's first points of the extra frame. Bethany Lutheran pushed the lead to six, but Fish brought it back to four. LaRoche Jr. cut the deficit to one with his eighth three of the game. After trailing by four, LaRoche Jr. tied the program record with his ninth three, drew a foul, and completed the play to tie the game at 100–100, forcing double overtime.
 
The Vikings opened the second overtime with a basket after winning the jump and scored again on their next possession. Fish scored at the line to make it a one-possession game and then drew another foul to cut the deficit to one. LaRoche Jr. came up with a huge block and then gave the Cougars the lead on the other end. The Vikings regained the lead with the 31st three-pointer of the game. As time expired, LaRoche Jr. had a look from beyond the arc, but his shot hit the front of the rim as Bethany Lutheran secured the 107–105 victory.
 
LaRoche Jr. scored a career-high 32 points, shooting 11-for-16 from the field, tying the program record with nine three-pointers on 12 attempts, and going 1-for-1 at the free-throw line. Pieper added 30 points with four three-pointers. Fish and Nelson also reached double figures with 15 and 11 points, respectively. The Cougars shot 50.7 percent from the field, 53.1 percent from three-point range, and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.
 
Defensively, Fish led the team with 11 rebounds to earn a double-double. The Cougars outrebounded the Vikings 49–38, including 16 offensive rebounds. LaRoche Jr. had a team-high three steals, and the Cougars blocked three shots, with Staples-Fairbanks, Pieper, and LaRoche Jr. each recording one.
 
Minnesota Morris is off Saturday but returns to action Wednesday, hosting Crown College at 7:15 p.m.