The Cougars pounded the glass to the tune of a +22 rebounding margin in the non-conference victory over the Lions.
MORRIS, Minn.– The University of Minnesota Morris men’s basketball team wrapped up the non-conference portion of its 2021-22 regular season slate on Tuesday night with an impressive 97-68 victory over Trinity Bible College. The Lions had plenty of offensive weapons, but the Cougars held them less than 39 percent shooting from the field and enjoyed a large rebounding margin to nab the win. UMN Morris heads back into UMAC play with an overall record of 8-9.
An early 11-2 run that included six points from Will McBee staked Minnesota Morris to a 13-6 lead on Trinity Bible. The Lions answered that with a three-pointer, but the Cougars immediately came back with an 8-0 response that included triples from Maverick Conn and Noah Kannegiesser for a 21-9 edge. The lead grew to 15 points, 42-27, on a three-ball from Jaret Johnson late in the half before the Cougars went to the break with a 45-34 lead.
Trinity Bible refused to go away throughout much of the second half and the UMN Morris advantage was just eight, 63-55, with less than nine minutes remaining when a 14-0 run started and finished by treys from Dillon Haider put the game to bed. The Lions didn’t have enough time for any sort of comeback from there, especially with Jarrett Kujava hitting everything he put up, scoring 10 points in only six minutes down the stretch.
Haider ended as the leading scorer in the game with 18 points. Johnson had 16 points and six rebounds, while Kannegiesser also reached double-figures with 10. Ian Carlin scored seven points and led the Cougars with nine rebounds as Minnesota Morris outrebounded Trinity Bible in the game by a 52-30 margin.
The Cougars are back in action on Saturday at Crown College for a 4:45 p.m. start in St. Bonifacius.
