Morris, MN – The University of Minnesota-Morris men’s basketball team ended a two game losing streak with a 58-51 win over Presentation College in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) college men’s basketball action Tuesday.
The Cougars, averaging just over 81 points per game entering the contest were held to a season low 58 points, but held the Saints to 51, their best defensive effort of the season and the 20 field goals allowed was a season best as well for UMM.
Minnesota-Morris got off to a good start hitting four of their first six shots in the game and took a 9-4 lead three and a half minutes into the first half after a jumper from Steve Farmer.
Presentation then scored seven unanswered and grabbed a two point lead at 11-9 three minutes later.
UMM then got hot again and opened up a 14 point advantage at 27-13 on the strength of six three’s by four different players.
Then Presentation found their shooting touch and cut the Cougar lead to single digits at 35-31 at the half.
The second half was a very evenly played 20 minutes of basketball and played at a somewhat slower pace.
Minnesota-Morris built their largest lead of the half at eight, 49-41 with 7:55 to play on a pair of free-throws by James Carr but could not push the lead into double digits as the Saints just refused to go away.
Presentation twice made it a two point game, at 51-49 and 53-51 late in the game the later at the 3:09 mark of the second half, but Corey Kelzenberg came up with a huge basket with a 12 foot jumper just inside the free-throw line as the shot clock was winding down to give the Cougars a 55-51 lead with 47 second remaining.
He followed that with a pair of free-throws a short time later and Steve Farmer added one of two at the line to make the final 58-51.
Defensively the Cougars held PC to just 25.9 percent shooting (7-27) in the second half and 37.7 percent for the game. UMM also tied a season low with eight turnovers in the game and the two teams combined for just 43 second half points as the Cougars outscored the Saints 23-20 over the final 20 minutes.
Steve Farmer led the way for UMM with 11, Brendan McNally and Corey Kelzenberg each added 10.
Marcus Robinson led all scorers with 16 for the Saints, but only seven in the second half.
Minnesota-Morris (9-9, 4-3 UMAC) is now a tie for third place in the conference and the Cougars will host Northwestern College in UMAC action this Friday at 7:30 at the P.E. Center. The Eagles defeated UMM 66-64 two weeks ago in St. Paul in a great game.