Top-seeded teams win in UMAC men's basketball tournament quarterfinals
ST. PAUL, Minn.—The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) men’s basketball 2021 postseason tournament started off in exciting fashion with close finishes in several games that saw the top four seeds emerge victorious to advance to the semifinal round Saturday.
No. 4 Bethany Lutheran College surged late in the second half to narrowly defeat No. 5 University of Wisconsin-Superior 71-70 to open the evening before No. 1 College of St. Scholastica cruised to a 86-71 win over No. 8 Northland College. In the second half of the evening, No. 2 University of Northwestern held off an attack from No. 7 Martin Luther College in a 71-60 win, before No. 3 North Central University needed a late-game comeback to defeat No. 6 University of Minnesota Morris 65-57.
Tournament Championship Page |
Bracket |
No. 1 St. Scholastica def. No. 8 Northland, 86-71 | Box Score |
After No. 8 Northland scored the first basket of the game, No. 1 St. Scholastica didn't take long to gain the lead and never looked back on the way to victory thanks to an outstanding night on the glass and strong shooting.
- St. Scholastica controlled the boards out-rebounding Northland 46-27 with 12 offensive rebounds that led to 16 second-chance points. The Saints also shot 50 percent from the field and scored 44 points in the paint.
- Nick Carlson led the Saints with 14 points while Jack Silgen recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Jarod Wilken also added 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
- Ryan Rawlings led the LumberJacks and the game with 21 points and shot 8-of-17 from the field. Four other players scored in double digits including George Butvilas with 15 in just 19 minutes played.
No. 2 Northwestern def. No. 7 Martin Luther, 71-60 | Box Score |
No. 2 Northwestern had its work cut out early in the tournament as No. 7 Martin Luther put in a solid effort in not allowing the Eagles to take a double-digit lead until nearly halfway through the second half. The Eagles managed to keep the Knights at bay, though, to advance to the semifinals.
- The Eagles held the advantage on the glass out-rebounding the Knights 45-37. They also took advantage of opportunities at the line going 13-0f-17 while the Knights had just six trips to the charity stripe.
- Noah Alm led all scorers pouring in 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting with nine rebounds and four assists. Kyle Kaemingk added 14 points for the Eagles with three blocks and six boards.
- Jack Heichelbech carried the Knights with 15 points on 70 percent shooting from the field. Joseph Hirsch shot 6-of-8 and had 14 points to add to the Knights' offense.
No. 3 North Central def. No. 6 Minnesota Morris, 65-57 | Box Score |
In a low-scoring affair with defense at the forefront for both teams, No. 3 North Central used a late-game comeback to hold off No. 6 Minnesota Morris for an impressive victory in the quarterfinal round.
- North Central was out-rebounded 49-33 but managed to force the Cougars into 22 turnovers which led to 16 points. The Rams also made a living at the free throw line going 17-of-24.
- Three players scored in double digits for the Rams with Micah Filer leading the way with 16 points and added four steals. Justin Castro and Jalen Dunlap scored 15 and 14 points, respectively, while Cameron Thomas pulled in a fame-high 12 rebounds.
- Dillon Haider led the Cougars with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. Jarey Johnson added 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting with four rebounds.
No. 4 Bethany Lutheran def. No. 5 Wisconsin-Superior, 71-70 | Box Score |
In the closest matchup of the night, No. 4 Bethany Lutheran managed to hold off No.5 Wisconsin-Superior in a closely contested contest that never saw either team lead by more than seven points. A last-second 3-pointer for the Yellowjackets left them still one point short of tying the game and sent the Vikings on to the semifinals.
- Wisconsin-Superior led by as many as seven points in the first half and had a 31-30 lead at halftime before Bethany Lutheran took over late in the second half.
- The Vikings' Brian Smith scored 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field with eight assists and five rebounds. Three other players scored in double figures for the Vikings who tallied 21 points off of turnovers.
- J'Vaun Walker led the Yellowjackets in scoring with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
**Game times vary due to institutional COVID-19 protocols and schools hosting multiple games.
Quarterfinal Round – Thursday, March 4
- No. 1 St. Scholastica def. No. 8 Northland, 86-71 | Box Score |
- No. 2 Northwestern def. No. 7 Martin Luther, 71-60 | Box Score |
- No. 3 North Central def. No. 6 Minnesota Morris, 65-57 | Box Score |
- No. 4 Bethany Lutheran def. No. 5 Wisconsin-Superior, 71-70 | Box Score |
Semifinal Round – Saturday, March 6
Championship – Monday, March 8
- Lowest remaining seed at highest remaining seed; Location and time, TBD
SPECTATORS
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UMAC Institutional Spectator Policies |
Tournament Championship Page