Women's 83-67 win highlights hoops

Game #3 of the young season went mighty well for the UMM women's basketball team. Playing in the MIAC/UMAC Challenge, the Cougars took command vs. St. Catherine's ("St. Kate's"), building a 24-point lead twice en route to an 83-67 win. The action was in St. Joseph.

The success got UMM back on a more upbeat plane after the loss they were dealt by St. Benedict.

Emily Mehr was a productive Cougar with her 20 points. She was one of four in double figures, joined by Jenni Noordmans (13 points), Alyssa Silva (12) and Karlee Erickson (11).

The Cougars were superior in shooting proficiency, posting a 45 percent stat from the field compared to 36 percent by the foe.
St. Kate's did have the advantage in rebounds, 42-37, but turnovers hurt them and were readily exploited by the Cougars. The St. Kate's turnover total was 21.

It was St. Kate's scoring the game's first field goal but that was hardly a prelude of things to come. The Cougars followed with eleven straight points. A Kelsey Erickson freethrow gave UMM the nine-point lead.

St. Kate's wasn't down for the count just yet. They actually wrested the lead away from UMM, and the game took on an even complexion for a while.

Karlee Erickson gave some spark, making a "3" with 2:21 left in the first half to make the score 33-30 with UMM up. From there, the Cougars asserted themselves to keep the edge, even pulling away. The Cougars were buoyed by runs of ten and nine straight points.

Back on home court

Game #4 of the season had UMM matched against an imposing Jamestown College Jimmie team on 11/22. The home court wasn't enough to help UMM overcome the foe. Playing on the Jim Gremmels floor, the Cougars were bested by the Jimmies 80-60.

Jamestown was imposing with a large front court and an aggressive defense. Those strengths held UMM down quite noticeably in the first half, when UMM managed just 31 percent shooting. UMM would end the game at 40 percent.

The halftime score was 49-27.

The Jimmies are one of the most highly regarded teams in the NAIA. Their two post players took a toll on UMM as they combined for 23 points. UMM had futility in the paint, getting outscored there 40-18.

One plus for UMM was all 12 players getting playing time, and especially encouraging was that all 12 scored.

The Cougars showed a much better caliber in the second half but obviously too much damage was done by then.

Alyssa Silva (from Maple Grove) scored a team-best eleven points. Montrose's Kendra Wykoff put in ten. UMM was close in many stat categories.

UMM men dealt defeat

The UMM men's basketball team didn't fare any better in the 11/22 action vs. Jamestown. There was a nightmarish seven-minute stretch in the second half in which Jamestown seized the decisive "mo." The Jimmies won this game 80-64 on the Gremmels court.

The Cougars were in this game most of the way, leading by five midway in the first half and being within one early in the second. UMM's fortunes quickly sank with a 22-1 run by the suddenly-focused Jimmies.

UMM actually had a shooting advantage, 48% to 46%.

Derek Schmidt (from East Grand Forks) spurred UMM's offense out of the starting gate as he scored the first eight UMM points. Hancock's Brendon Foss made a pair of freethrows to give UMM a lead. A Jeremy Burns (Fall Creek WI) jumper made the score 19-14 with UMM looking good.

But Jamestown enjoyed a 6-0 run and seized the lead for the rest of the game.

Schmidt finished the night with 15 points, the same total as teammate Zach Meyer, a Cottonwood product.

The Jimmies led 38-31 at halftime. The Cougars enjoyed a burst at the start of the second half, getting within one with the score at 38-37. But the Jimmies were about to find that game-deciding momentum.

Click on the link below to review the University of Minnesota-Morris debut basketball games for 2011 - a 1-1 start for both the men and women:

http://ilovemorris73.blogspot.com/2011/11/its-snowing-and-umm-hoopsters-are.html

- Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com