Late-game comeback gives No. 5 Knights upset win in quarterfinal over No. 4 Cougars
MORRIS, Minn.---Coming in to Monday's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) women's basketball quarterfinal was sure to thrill as No. 4 University of Minnesota Morris and No. 5 Martin Luther College split the regular season series. With a dramatic comeback in the fourth quarter, the Knights upset the Cougars to earn a trip to Wednesday's semifinal.
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The Cougars came out strong taking an 18-10 lead after the opening quarter of play before pulling out to a 14-point lead with just 8:47 remaining in the half. The Knights, however, weren't going away quietly as they used a 17-6 run to end the half down just 33-29.
In the second half, the Knights closed the gap tying the game just 2:01 in and managed to keep the Cougars close before they closed the third quarter on a 8-2 run for an eight-point lead. Again, the Cougars pushed the lead to double-digits – this time to 13 less than three minutes in – but the Knights clawed back in within four with just over four to play.
The plot thickened to provide a thrilling ending as Martin Luther grabbed a 65-64 lead with 52 seconds remaining before Kendra Raths gave Minnesota Morris a 66-65 lead with just 24 seconds remaining. Then, Jade St. Germaine gave the Knights a 67-66 lead with just seven seconds left.
With one possession left, the Cougars had one last attempt up the floor but the final shot fell short as the Knights advance to the next round of competition and improve to 13-13 on the season, while the Cougars' season ends 14-12.
St. Germaine led the Knights offensively with 16 points off the bench on a 7-of-11 shooting performance, while Leah Nass picked up a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double. She also shot 5-of-10 from the field and had four blocked shots. For the Cougars, Tori Holt finished with 16 points after scoring 12 in the opening half. Kayla Kraemer added 13 points thanks to three-made 3-point buckets.
Monday's quarterfinal sets the stage for two exciting semifinals Wednesday. Quarterfinal winner No. 5 Martin Luther will take on No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Superior at 7:30 p.m. in Superior, Wisconsin, while No. 2 University of Northwestern-St. Paul will host No. 3 Bethany Lutheran College at 7:30 p.m. in St. Paul.
Playoff Schedule
Quarterfinal Round – Monday, Feb. 22
No. 5 Martin Luther defeats No. 4 Minnesota Morris, 67-66 |
Box Score |
MLC Recap |
UMM Recap |
Semifinal Round – Wednesday, Feb. 24
No. 5 Martin Luther AT No. 1 Wisconsin-Superior; Superior, Wis., 7:30 p.m. |
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Live Video |
No. 3 Bethany Lutheran AT No. 2 Northwestern; St. Paul, Minn., 7:30 p.m. |
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Live Stats |
Championship – Saturday, Feb. 27
Lowest remaining seed at highest remaining seed; Location and time, TBD
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