MORRIS, Minn. – For the first time in 15 years, the University of Minnesota Morris men's basketball team defeated the University of Northwestern at home. The Cougars topped the Eagles 84–74 on Saturday afternoon in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play in Morris, Minn.
 
Minnesota Morris remains atop the conference at 6–2 and improves to 11–10 overall, while Northwestern falls to 4–5 in conference play and 6–15 overall.
 
The Cougars struck early with a jumper from Matt Thompson as the shot clock expired. The Eagles took their first lead of the game after scoring four straight points, but UMM answered with a pair of free throws from Thompson and layups from Kaden Pieper to regain the advantage. Carvin Fish matched Northwestern's scoring with a basket in the paint. UNW trimmed the lead to one, but Jase Nelson knocked down a three-pointer on the other end. A Brian LaRoche Jr. triple restored a five-point Cougar lead.
 
Thompson followed with a dunk and then a layup off a Thomas Tiernan steal to push the lead to eight. A three-pointer from Tiernan gave the Cougars a double-digit advantage at 12 with under four minutes remaining in the first half. Northwestern responded with nine unanswered points before Fish stopped the run. The Eagles tied the game with less than a minute remaining on a three-pointer, but Gustav Gunderson found Fish down low and UNW added a free throw to give Minnesota Morris a 40–39 lead at halftime.
 
The Eagles opened the second half with a three-pointer to take the lead. Thompson grabbed an offensive rebound and converted the putback to tie the game. The lead changed hands four times early in the half, and Tiernan later converted a three-point play to tie the game at 47–47. Northwestern regained a three-point lead with another triple, but Fish answered in the paint and Pieper added two free throws to swing the lead back to the Cougars.
 
The teams continued to trade baskets, with the lead changing multiple times until the seven-minute mark. The 14th and final lead change occurred when LeRoy Staples-Fairbanks IV converted at the free-throw line. LaRoche Jr. then helped create separation with a three-pointer, and Fish and Pieper extended the lead to six with under five minutes remaining. Fish ignited a late nine-point run, with Pieper and Staples-Fairbanks also contributing, to push the Cougars' lead into double figures. Northwestern scored four points late, but it was not enough as UMM secured the 84–74 victory.
 
All eight Cougars who entered the game scored, led by Fish with 26 points. Pieper followed with 22 points, and Thompson reached double figures with 12. Minnesota Morris finished the game shooting 30-for-65 (46.2 percent) from the field, 5-for-30 (16.7 percent) from three-point range, and 19-for-24 (79.2 percent) from the free-throw line. Gunderson and LaRoche Jr. led the team with three assists each.
 
Defensively, Fish recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. Pieper was one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards. As a team, UMM totaled 42 rebounds, seven more than Northwestern. Thompson and Tiernan each recorded two steals, while Fish and Staples-Fairbanks added two blocks apiece.
 
The Cougars return to action on Wednesday as they travel to North Central University for a 7:15 p.m. tipoff.