For Immediate Release: January 13, 2007 Mankato, MN – Bethany Lutheran College took a 39-26 lead into the locker room at the half and went on to an 11 point, 80-61 win over the University of Minnesota-Morris in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) men’s basketball Friday in Mankato.
The Vikings had a pair of five point leads, at 7-2 and 9-4 in the first four minutes of the game but Phil Allen completed an old fashioned three-point play with a lay-up and free-throw with 12:26 remaining in the first half to give UMM a two point lead at 11-9.
Allen’s basket a short time later gave UMM a 15-10 lead capping the Cougars 11-1 run.
Bethany then scored 19 unanswered points over a five minute span as the Vikings took a 29-15 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the first half and never looked back.
A pair of Brendan McNally free-throws cut the BLC lead to nine at 29-20, but the Cougars would get no closer as Bethany led 39-26 at the half.
Bethany shot 45 percent (15-33) from the floor in the first 20 minutes while Minnesota-Morris was 9-31 for just 29 percent in the half.
The Cougars outscored Bethany 43-41 in the second half but the 13 point halftime deficit was to much to over come.
Brendan McNally got things started for the Cougars in the second half with a lay-up as Umm scored eight of the next 10 points and cut the gap to seven at 41-34 with 17:07 left in the second half after a Brent Durensky basket.
The Vikings scored nine unanswered to open up a 50-34 lead and went on to the win.
Minnesota-Morris hit on 14 of 27 (51.9 %) from the floor in the second half, while the Vikings did not cool of very much at all shooting 44 percent (15-34) from the field in the second half.
Brendan McNally led the way for the Cougars with a game high 24, with 11 of his points coming from the free-throw line as he was a perfect 11-11. That tied a single game record for free-throw percentage set by David Holler (11-11) against Concordia-St. Paul on January 31, 2002.
Hudson Brothen added 10 and Kevin Cunniff (Sr. Alexandria, MN) tied a career high with nine assists.
Minnesota-Morris (2-10 0-2 UMAC) take on Martin Luther College today, January 13 at 5:00 in New Ulm.
Newspaper Box Score (Final)
Minnesota-Morris vs Bethany Lutheran (1-12-07)
At Mankato, MN
BETHANY LUTHERAN 80, MINNESOTA-MORRIS 69
MINNESOTA-MORRIS
McNally,Brendan 6-12 11-11 24; Brothen,Hudson 3-4 2-2 10; Allen,Phil 2-4 3-3
7; Cunniff,Kevin 2-5 2-2 7; Kelzenberg,Corey 3-4 0-2 7; Farmer,Steve 3-3 0-1
6; Durensky,Brent 3-12 0-0 6; Conley,Chris 1-3 0-0 2; Carr,James 0-5 0-0 0;
Bosch,Jeremy 0-1 0-0 0; Dalbey,Eric 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 23-58 18-22 69.
BETHANY LUTHERAN
Alfonso Mayfield 6-16 4-5 16; Amun Bordain 6-10 3-4 15; Jeff Zimmerman 4-8
0-0 11; Dewan Grant 4-5 2-4 10; Tommy Saffert 4-9 0-0 10; Jon Monson 2-5 1-4
6; Joe McFarland 2-5 1-2 5; Frederick, Stephone 1-4 2-3 4; Travis Priem 1-3
0-0 2; Ross Libby 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 30-67 14-24 80.
Minnesota-Morris.... 26 43 - 69
Bethany Lutheran.... 39 41 - 80
3-point goals-Minnesota-Morris 5-22 (Brothen,Hudson 2-2; Kelzenberg,Corey
1-1; Cunniff,Kevin 1-3; McNally,Brendan 1-5; Carr,James 0-2; Dalbey,Eric
0-3; Durensky,Brent 0-6), Bethany Lutheran 6-20 (Jeff Zimmerman 3-6; Tommy
Saffert 2-5; Jon Monson 1-3; Travis Priem 0-1; Ross Libby 0-1; Dewan Grant
0-1; Alfonso Mayfield 0-3). Fouled out--Minnesota-Morris-None, Bethany
Lutheran-Amun Bordain. Rebounds-Minnesota-Morris 38 (Conley,Chris 8),
Bethany Lutheran 42 (Amun Bordain 6; Dewan Grant 6; Tommy Saffert 6).
Assists-Minnesota-Morris 13 (Cunniff,Kevin 9), Bethany Lutheran 16 (Tommy
Saffert 8). Total fouls-Minnesota-Morris 15, Bethany Lutheran 19. A-414