by MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris closed out non-conference play on Tuesday night with a solid 81-57 victory over visiting Trinity Bible College. The win moves the Cougars to 7-10 overall on the season.
Minnesota Morris never trailed on the night, opening with the first five points of the game in the first minute on a putback from Jay Kwateh and a three-pointer from Haley Wollschlager. After a bucket from Trinity Bible, the Cougars scored the next six points to go on top, 11-2. In the final two minutes of the quarter, Lexie Winter knocked down a triple and Lexus Eagle Chasing (Omaha/Sioux) made a pair at the stripe to take a 20-9 edge into the second quarter.
The Cougars had a 6-0 and a 7-0 run in the second quarter to continue to widen the gap with the Lions. After Trinity Bible’s Brenna Anderson scored with just over five seconds left in the half, Minnesota Morris rushed up the floor with a lead pass from Winter to Malory Anderson for a three-point play that gave the Cougars a 42-26 halftime advantage.
The three-pointers continued to rain down in the third quarter, with Eagle Chasing and Sondrol each knocking one down in the opening moments of the second half. As the quarter progressed, Grace Olson made a trio of three-pointers, each one putting the Cougars up by 28 points. UMN Morris headed to the fourth with a comfortable 70-45 lead on the Lions.
The final 10 minutes was simply a matter of maintaining the margin that the Cougars enjoyed. Trinity Bible was never able to get any closer than 22 points at any point in the closing stages of the game and Sydney Ottmar scored the final bucket of the night to close the book on an 81-57 win.
Eagle Chasing led Minnesota Morris with 16 points. Olson and Sondrol each reached double-figures as well, scoring 11 points apiece. Wollschlager led the Cougars with six assists, while Ella Van Kempen blocked five shots.
