MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's basketball team will compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Championship as they host Bethany Lutheran College on Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
The streams can be found on the UMAC Sports Network or by clicking here. To follow the live stats click here.
 
After finishing second in the UMAC with a conference record of 8-4, the Cougars hosted Crown College in the UMAC Tournament Semifinals. Minnesota Morris trailed for the majority of the game, including being down 43-33 at halftime. With under four minutes left, a Kaden Pieper three-pointer put UMM on top, and they held that lead to secure an 85-79 victory. Carvin Fish led the team with the third-highest single-game scoring performance in program history, scoring 42 points while shooting 17-for-23 from the field. Pieper followed with 20 points.
 
Fish leads the team in scoring with 549 points, the sixth-most in a single season at Minnesota Morris. The sophomore forward is averaging 21.1 points per game, the fourth-highest mark in program history. Pieper follows with 463 points (17.8 ppg), with Matt Thompson rounding out the top three with 341 points (14.2 ppg). As a team, the Cougars are averaging 80.2 points per game. Gustav Gunderson has totaled 100 assists this season.
 
Fish also leads the team in rebounds with 198, including 80 on the offensive glass. Thompson is close behind with 186 rebounds, followed by Pieper with 170. The Cougars lead the conference in rebounding, averaging 39.5 boards per game. Fish has a team-leading 26 blocks, while Pieper has recorded 33 steals.
 
Bethany Lutheran enters with a 15-11 overall record and finished fourth in the UMAC with a 7-5 conference mark. Earlier this week, the No. 4 Vikings traveled to No. 1 North Central University and upset the top seed, 92-78. The Vikings average 82.3 points per game, with Max Briggs leading the team with 471 total points. Will Walter and Jack Brockmann also average double figures at 13.6 and 12.1 points per game, respectively. Brockmann has a team-high 191 rebounds.
 
This season, the Vikings have defeated the Cougars twice in the regular season. In the first matchup, two overtime periods were needed as BLC earned a 107-105 victory. Brian LaRoche Jr. had the best game of his career with 32 points while tying the program record for three-pointers in a game with nine. Pieper finished with 30 points. In the second game, the Vikings controlled play from the opening tip and won 108-91. Fish led the team with 21 points, while Pieper, Gunderson, Jase Nelson, and LeRoy Staples-Fairbanks IV all reached double figures.