MANKATO, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's basketball team was defeated 108-91 by Bethany Lutheran College in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play Thursday night in Mankato, Minn.
 
The Vikings improve to 7-4 in the UMAC, tied for second, and move to 14-10 overall. The Cougars fall to 7-4 in the conference and 12-12 overall.
 
The Vikings opened the game by scoring the first 10 points of the contest. Carvin Fish got the Cougars on the board four minutes in. Kaden Pieper made a pair of free throws to match BLC's early scoring run. Fish and Pieper continued to score to try to keep pace with the Vikings. Jase Nelson added a reverse layup, and Matt Thompson scored down low, with Nelson following with a driving layup and a free throw to cut the deficit to nine.
 
The Vikings pushed their lead to 14 with less than 10 minutes left in the first half. Brian LaRoche Jr. went 2-for-2 at the line, but another run by BLC extended the lead to 20. Gustav Gunderson chipped into the deficit with a three-pointer and later found Fish in the paint to pull within 15. The run continued as Pieper knocked down a pair of free throws. In the final minutes, the teams traded baskets as the Vikings took a 54-36 lead into halftime.
 
Thomas Tiernan converted from behind the arc for the opening points of the second half. Every time UMM scored, the Vikings seemed to have an answer. Pieper went on a six-point run to pull the Cougars within 11, and a tough basket from Fish cut the lead to single digits. A short run by BLC was ended by a corner three from LaRoche Jr. Pieper followed with three more points to keep the Cougars within striking distance.
 
The Vikings regained an 18-point lead with just over 10 minutes remaining. Fish scored on back-to-back possessions, but BLC answered each time. The Vikings maintained their lead as they stayed hot from three-point range. With just over three minutes left, the Cougars forced a turnover, and a LaRoche Jr. three-pointer cut the lead to 13. LeRoy Staples-Fairbanks IV hit a three to continue chipping away, but it was not enough as the Vikings held on for the 108-91 win.
 
Fish led the Cougars with 21 points, while Pieper added 18. Nelson and Staples-Fairbanks each had 12 points, and Gunderson finished with 11. As a team, UMM shot 49.1 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from three-point range, and 81.3 percent from the free throw line. Pieper led the team with five assists.
 
Defensively, Fish grabbed six rebounds as the Cougars were outrebounded 35-28. Pieper led the team with three steals, and Thompson and Staples-Fairbanks each recorded a block.
 
The Cougars wrap up the regular season Saturday as they travel to the University of Wisconsin-Superior for a 4:45 p.m. game.