MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris women's basketball team fell 71–63 to Bethany Lutheran College in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Game of the Week on Wednesday night in Morris, Minn. BLC finished the game with 12 three-pointers, shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.
 
The Vikings remain undefeated in conference play at 5–0 and improve to 9–10 overall, while the Cougars fall to 7–12 overall and 4–2 in the UMAC.
 
The Cougars looked to connect from deep early, but it wasn't until Maddy Grove scored from inside the arc that Minnesota Morris opened the scoring. Gianna Klarenbeek hit the first three of the game to extend the early lead to five. Anna Myers found a cutting Brooke Ver Steeg to maintain the advantage. A Vikings three-pointer closed out the quarter, with Minnesota Morris leading 13–11 after the first 10 minutes.
 
Klarenbeek went coast to coast for the first points of the second quarter, but the Vikings responded to pull within one. Grove and Shelby Mortenson scored down the stretch, but BLC answered each time. Out of a timeout, Bethany Lutheran hit its third three-pointer to tie the game at 21–21. Claire Stark put UMM back on top, with Grove following to extend the lead to six. An 8–1 Vikings run gave BLC its first lead of the game. Mortenson regained the lead for the Cougars after Emily Perry found her down low. The Vikings hit a basket before the buzzer to take a 34–32 lead into halftime.
 
Bethany Lutheran opened the second half by extending its lead to seven. The Cougars chipped away, and five straight points from Klarenbeek tied the game at 41–41. BLC hit another three, but Klarenbeek responded with a three-point play to keep UMM level. Gabby Randt assisted Perry to give the Cougars their first lead of the second half. A 6–0 Vikings run put BLC back in control, leading 52–48 after the third quarter.
 
Grove knocked down a pair of free throws to open the fourth quarter, cutting into the lead. Bethany Lutheran grew its advantage to six, but Stark went 2-for-2 at the line to keep UMM close. Baskets from Stark and Grove made it a one-possession game, and Stark pulled the Cougars within one with just over three minutes remaining. BLC's 12th three-pointer pushed the lead to four, and a three-point play extended it to seven. The Vikings' lead grew to nine before Itzel Salazar connected from deep with just over a minute left to trim the margin to six. Bethany Lutheran closed out the game at the free throw line to secure the 71–63 victory.
 
Grove led all scorers with 24 points, followed by Klarenbeek with 14. As a team, the Cougars shot 27-of-60 (45 percent) from the field, 3-of-12 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-7 at the free throw line. Perry led the team with five assists.
 
Defensively, Mortenson grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, while Stark added five. The Vikings outrebounded the Cougars 42–32. Grove, Klarenbeek, and Ver Steeg each recorded two steals, and Mortenson added two blocks.
 
Minnesota Morris is off Saturday but returns to action on Wednesday, hosting Crown College at 5:30 p.m.