For Immediate Release: February 20, 2008 Morris, MN – After a one year absence, the University of Minnesota, Morris men’s basketball team makes a return trip to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) post-season tournament.
The 2008 tournament will have a different look to it than years past however as a play-in game was added this year, so five teams advanced to the 2008 tournament.
After Tuesday’s regular season came to an end for all eight teams, four teams had finished the year with identical 9-5 league records, Minnesota, Morris, Bethany Lutheran, Martin Luther and St. Scholastica.
Northwestern College was the No. 1 team finishing with a 12-2 conference record.
Martin Luther earned the No. 2 seed by virtue of the conference tie-breaking system. So that left UMM, CSS and BLC. A coin toss was done to determine the No. 3 seed and St. Scholastica won the coin toss.
The league athletic directors agreed to a proposal by the coaches to adopt a change to the post-season tournament and include a play-in game.
So after the coin toss, Minnesota, Morris will now meet Bethany Lutheran on Thursday, February 21st at 6:00 at Northwestern College. The winner of that game will meet Northwestern on Friday at 8:00 p.m. Martin Luther and St. Scholastica will meet Friday at 4:00 p.m.
The Cougar men’s team has been in the UMAC post-season tournament in three of the past four seasons, including 2004-05. That year the Cougars finished 19-8 overall and 11-3 in the conference (2nd) and went on the win the post season championship. UMM did not advance to last year’s tournament.
Minnesota, Morris wrapped up regular season play Tuesday, February 19th with a thrilling 65-60 come from behind win in overtime over presentation College.
UMM finished the regular season 14-11 overall and 9-5 in the UMAC.
Phil Allen (Jr. Clarissa, MN) leads UMM and the UMAC in scoring averaging at 18.1 ppg. He now has 836 points in his career and will have a chance to put his name on the Cougar men’s 1,000 point career scoring leader board next year.
Will Jenson (Sr. Eau Claire, WI) adds 15.6 pgg and Eric Dalbey (So,. Mora, MN) is thie third Cougar averaging in double figures at 14.8 ppg.
Tournament Website
