MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men's basketball team enters the second half of Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play as it hosts Crown College on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m., followed by the University of Northwestern on Saturday at 2:45 p.m.
 
The streams can be found on the UMAC Sports Network or by clicking here. To follow the live stats, click here.
 
The Cougars played one game last week, falling in a double-overtime thriller, 107–105, to Bethany Lutheran College. The loss moved Minnesota Morris to 4–2 in the UMAC, currently sitting in second place. Brian LaRoche Jr. turned in his best performance at UMM, scoring 32 points and tying the program record with nine three-pointers. Kaden Pieper followed with 30 points, while Carvin Fish recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Minnesota Morris ranks third in the conference in scoring, averaging 79.4 points per game. Fish leads the team with 371 points (19.5 ppg), ranking second in the UMAC. Pieper ranks fifth and Matt Thompson ninth in the conference with 338 and 279 points, respectively. The Cougars lead the UMAC in three-point shooting at 35.8 percent, with LaRoche Jr. pacing the team at 66.7 percent. Gustav Gunderson is second in the conference with 73 assists.
 
Defensively, Thompson leads the team with 146 rebounds, followed closely by Fish with 144. The duo ranks fifth and sixth in the UMAC, respectively. As a team, Minnesota Morris tops the conference in rebounding at 40.4 per game. Fish ranks third in the UMAC with 22 blocked shots, while Pieper is seventh in steals with 25.
 
Crown leads the UMAC with a 5–2 conference record and holds an 11–8 overall mark. The Polars defeated the University of Wisconsin–Superior, 72–65, and Bethany Lutheran, 80–67, last week to win five of their last six games, with their lone loss in that stretch coming against Minnesota Morris. Luke Herbert is in his 16th season as head coach of Crown. Anthony Knight leads the team in scoring with 339 points, while Tyler Smith tops the conference defensively with 227 rebounds and 78 blocks.
 
Earlier this season, the Cougars defeated the Polars, 90–75. Fish led UMM with 28 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Pieper, Thompson, and Thomas Tiernan each reached double figures.
 
Northwestern is tied for fifth in the UMAC at 3–4 and is 5–14 overall. Last week, the Eagles fell 89–72 to Martin Luther College in their lone game. Tim Grosz is in his 26th season at the helm of UNW. Japheth Nyamari leads the Eagles in scoring, averaging 19.5 points per game, while Jacob Hoefs anchors the defense with 117 rebounds.
 
In the first meeting of the season, Northwestern defeated the Cougars, 88–79. Minnesota Morris trailed by double digits early in the second half but cut the deficit to three within the first five minutes. The Cougars were unable to regain control and ultimately fell on the road. Fish led the scoring with 29 points, while Thompson recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.