Box Score Box Score
DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica men's basketball team dropped a close one with Minnesota-Morris by a final score of 76-73 at Reif Gymnasium on Friday night.
After the first minute of the game neither team led by more then four points until a #Derek Anderson# layup gave the Saints (9-15, 6-7 UMAC) a 39-34 lead going into the locker room. The first half featured eight ties, and eight lead changes. Also, the Saints would muscle their way to 22 points in the paint in the first half, while Morris (13-11, 9-4 UMAC) got eight points inside.
Morris' Steve Birman had a game-high of 19 points, going 5-for-5 behind the arc in the first half. The Cougars shot 39-percent from the field, while the Saints shot 59-percent. #Danny Schmitz# led CSS with 10 points in the first 20 minutes.
The Cougars started the second half on a 9-0 run to take back the lead. Midway through the second half the Saints went on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 59-59. Morris regained the lead and went up by six with five minutes to go.
Danny Schmitz (Hinckley, Minn./Hinckley-Finlayson HS) hit a 3-pointer to cut the margin to one with 3:31 remaining in the game. However, Morris would go 5-for-6 from the free throw line to hold on to a 76-73 win.
The Cougars shot 41-percent from the field, while the Saints shot 53-percent. Morris went 19-for-21 from the charity line, while the Saints went just 4-for-5. St Scholastica would continue to dominate from the paint, collecting 42 points inside, while Morris got 22 points. Morris took advantage of its second chance opportunities by getting 20 off of offensive rebounds, and the Saints only got four.
Danny Schmitz (Hinckley, Minn./Hinckley-Finlayson HS) had a game-high of 28 points, which also ties season high. #Brett Tester# and #Jonah Dahlman# each contributed with double-digit points tonight for the CSS with 12 and 14 points, respectively. Dahlman also dished out six assists. Steve Birman led the Cougars with 21 points.
With the Martin Luther men winning tonight, the Saints have been eliminated from UMAC Tournament contention. The Saints will finish up their season tomorrow when they host Presentation College for Senior Day at Reif Gym. The action is set to begin at 5 p.m. and can be seen live, courtesy of the iFan Sports Network, at csssaints.com.
