It took over 30 minutes for the Cougars to get going, but the Minnesota-Morris men’s basketball team fought off a stubborn and determined Trinity Bible College team Thursday in a 80-58 win over the Lions in non-conference action at the P.E. Center.
The first half saw 11 ties and 12 lead changes and when the two teams headed to the locker room at the half, nothing had been settled as the game was tied at 35.
Turnovers plagues UMM in the first half as they turned the ball over 12 times in the first 20 minutes and had just 11 field goals, which matched the number of free throws made in the half for the Cougars. Minnesota-Morris was a perfect 11-of-11 at the line in the first half and that is what kept the game close.
Turning up the defensive pressure to start the second half, the Cougars forced the Lions into two turnovers and four missed shots in the first 3 ½ minutes of the second half.
But the Cougars did not completely take advantage of those figures as they led by just one at 45-44 after a Jonas Musgrave (So. Indian AK) basket for TBC with 13:16 left in the game.
Over the next six plus minutes, the Cougars hit five of eight from the field and three of four at the line and put together a 15-1 spurt to open up a double digit lead at 60-45.
The Barnesville, Minnesota duo of Brent Durensky (Jr.) and James Carr (Jr.) each had a big three-point basket during that stretch for the Cougars.
Minnesota-Morris committed just six turnovers in the second half and shot 54 percent from the floor in the second half going 15-for-28 and hit 12-of-16 from the charity strip in the half.
For the game, UMM shot 47 percent, 26-of-55 and 23-for-27 (85%) at the line. The Cougars out rebounded Trinity 42-28 and held the Lions to just 37.7 percent shooting in the game.
The 58 points allowed and the 37.7 percent field goal shooting were season best defensive efforts by the Cougars.
For the seventh time in nine outings this season, the Cougars had at least four players in double figures, and it was the fourth game that they had at least five.
James Carr led the balanced attack with 15 and he added seven boards and three assists.
Brent Durensky had 11, and four others had 10.
Brendan McNally (Jr. Lindstrom, MN) recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, Will Jensen ((Jr. Eau Claire, WI), Phil Allen (Fr. Clarissa, MN) and Steve Farmer (Fr. Fridley, MN) all added 10.
The Cougar bench outscored the Lions bench 36-7 and UMM had a 24-9 advantage in points-off-turnovers.
Rex Causey (Sr. Houston, TX) led the way for Trinity with a game high 17 points.
Minnesota-Morris (3-6) winners of three of their last five games, is off for finals and the Christmas break until January 2nd when they travel to Valley City, ND, looking for a little revenge in a 7:00 ball game. The Vikings defeated the Cougars 80-74 in the second game of the season at the Presentation Classic November 19th in Aberdeen, SD.
The Cougars will open up Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action at home January 6th & 7th against St. Scholastica and Northland College.