MORRIS, Minn. – The Bethany Vikings (17-5, 10-3) lost on Saturday evening to the MN-Morris Cougars (9-12, 8-4).  It was the first loss in almost a month for the Vikings who still sit in second place in the UMAC standings.
 
The first quarter was back and forth for ten minutes of play. The Vikings and Cougars were tied at 16 points each before Emily Skrien buried one of her four makes from deep on the night to give Bethany a 19-16 lead at the break. Neither team led by more than three points as they traded baskets throughout the second quarter of play. At the half, the Cougars held a slight advantage, leading 36-35.
 
The Vikings had a solid first half on offense, shooting 46.2% from the field, 4-11 from three-point range, and 7-8 from the free throw line.
 
The Cougars were on the board first in the second half with a pair of free throws, but the Vikings quickly gained the lead after a three-pointer from Emily Skrien and a low-post move from Hanna Geistfeld. Once again the two teams found themselves trading baskets, but the Cougars gained a bit of separation towards the end of the third quarter, building their lead to six points. The Vikings played from behind in the fourth quarter and cut the Cougar lead to one point on a few different occasions, but they were never able to regain control. The Cougars made their free throws down the stretch and held on for a 74-66 win.
 
Hanna Geistfeld and Haley Sandin led all Viking scorers with 14 points apiece. Geistfeld was 6-9 from the field while Sandin also added four assists. Emily Skrien gave the Vikings 12 points off the bench, connecting on four of her nine attemps from behind the arc.
 
The Vikings remain alone in second place even after the loss to Morris. The Cougars are still 1.5 games behind the Vikings in the standings. The Vikings trail conference leader Wisconsin-Superior who is currently 13-0.
 
Up Next: The Vikings will play in front of their home fans again on when they host Crown College on Wednesday, February 7. Tipoff is set for 7:30 PM.
 
As part of the events that evening, there will be a fundraiser for the family of women's basketball player Emily Skrien. A fire at the family home on the morning of Tuesday, January 16 caused extensive damage and losses. A free will offering, free will bake sale, and tennis ball toss contest at halftime of the men's game will aid the fundraising effort. Additionally, proceeds from all ticket sales and concession sales will be donated to the family.