MOORHEAD, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris women's basketball team put up a good fight against No. 13 Concordia College (Minn.) but fell 88-77 Wednesday evening in Moorhead, Minn.
Points were traded early, with
Gianna Klarenbeek scoring a layup and converting the ensuing free throw.
Grace Perry followed with a jumper. Klarenbeek matched Concordia's scoring with a three-pointer, and
Addison Cihak got on the scoresheet with a layup. A four-point UMM run gave the Cougars their largest lead of the quarter after baskets from Klarenbeek and
Acelynn Hacker.
Maddy Grove and Perry rounded out the scoring in the opening quarter to send the game into the second quarter tied at 18-18.
Just like the first quarter, points were traded early in the second. Klarenbeek scored the Cougars' first nine points of the quarter, with Perry getting on the board with a three-pointer. After being tied at 32-32, UMM started to gain separation with Hacker and Grove scoring.
Anna Myers sparked a seven-point run, with a three-pointer, while Grove contributed the other four points. Perry would push the UMM lead to 45-37 with a layup to end the first half.
The Cobbers started to chip away at the UMM lead in the third quarter. Grove scored the team's first seven points of the second half. Concordia would take the lead with just over four minutes remaining at 54-52.
Savanna Pelzer answered with a three-pointer to swing the lead back to UMM. The Cougars continued to battle with the Cobbers, but a three-pointer with three seconds left gave CC a 65-61 lead heading into the final quarter.
Concordia started the final frame by connecting from deep, but Klarenbeek answered on the other end. Points from Myers, Klarenbeek, and Grove brought the lead back down to four with just over six minutes remaining. A run by the Cobbers put them up by double digits.
Brooke Ver Steeg converted from deep, but it would not be enough as Concordia held on to win 88-77.
Klarenbeek led all scorers with 28 points, with Grove following with 20. Perry also reached double figures with 12. As a team, the Cougars shot 44.1 percent from the field, 45 percent from three-point range, and 84.2 percent from the free-throw line. Grove, Perry, and Myers all recorded a team-high four assists. Defensively, Grove and Klarenbeek recorded six rebounds each, while Perry paced the team with three steals.
The Cougars play their fourth straight road game on Saturday as they travel to St. Catherine University for a 2 p.m. tipoff.
