UMAC Game of the Week: Minnesota Morris vs. St. Scholastica - Men's Basketball
The UMAC Game of the Week runs each week during the conference regular season and breaks down one key matchup from one sport.
The Matchup
Saturday, Jan. 26 - College of St. Scholastica at University of Minnesota Morris, men's basketball, 2:45 p.m. in Morris, Minn.
***UPDATE***
St. Scholastica wins 78-72
What's at Stake
- Postseason hopes - Pending outcomes Wednesday evening, both teams will be in the thick of the race for a postseason spot. Both the Saints and Cougars have been staples in the UMAC postseason in recent history, but the second half of the season could see one of them drop out with Saturday's game having a huge impact.
- Second chance - The Cougars took the first matchup of the season between the team teams to end the 2018 portion of the conference slate. They upset the Saints on their home court 75-69 and will look for the series sweep in Morris Saturday.
- Streaks - The Saints saw their three-game winning streak come to an end Saturday, while the Cougars ended a three-game losing streak Tuesday with a win over Trinity Bible College. The victor will certainly benefit in a momentum shift going into the final three weeks of the season.
Previously in Action
- Minnesota Morris defeated Trinity Bible 111-56 in non-conference action Tuesday. The Cougars are off from conference play Wednesday evening.
- St. Scholastica fell 80-74 in the waning minutes against Bethany Lutheran College Saturday at home. They will look to get back on track Wednesday against North Central University at 7:15 p.m. in Duluth before taking on the Cougars.
Need to Know
- Postseason staples - St. Scholastica hasn't missed the UMAC postseason tournament since 2012-13, while Minnesota Morris has appeared in every UMAC tournament since the UMAC joined NCAA Division III in 2008-09.
- Defensive keys - St. Scholastica is the top defensive team in the UMAC allowing the fewest points per game (72.2) in conference play and are second-best in FG defense (0.417). The Cougars rank eighth in both categories and will need to take advantage of the Saints' weakness on the perimeter (last against the 3-point shot) in order to overcome any defensive struggles they may have.
- Turnovers - The Saints excel in taking care of the ball with only 11.2 turnovers per game, while the Cougars are last in the conference with 16.0. The Cougars will need to take extra care with the ball and work aggressively to take advantage of turnovers and create scoring opportunities.
Players to Watch - Minnesota Morris
- Noah Grove, Sr., G - All-UMAC last season; UMAC Stats: 16.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 40.5 FG%, 2.0 apg
- Jeffrey Halverson, Jr., F - UMAC Stats: 13.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 46.9 FG%, 0.8 bpg,
- James Pendleton, So., G - UMAC Stats: 11.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.0 apg
Players to Watch - St. Scholastica
- Collin Anderson, Jr., G - HM Last Season; UMAC Stats: 15.2 ppg, 44.0 FG%, 38.5 3-pt.%
- Quinn Fischer, Fy., F - UMAC Stats: 12.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.7 bpg
- Brandon Newman, Sr., G - All-UMAC Last Season; UMAC Stats: 16.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 49.5 FG%, 82.3 FT%, 3.3 apg, 1.9 spg
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2018-19 Game of the Week Archives