MANKATO, Minn. – The #2 Bethany Vikings (20-6, 12-4) hosted the #3 MN-Morris Cougars (13-13, 12-4) in the semi-finals of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) tournament on Wednesday. It was a back and forth battle all game, but it was the Vikings who defended their home court, beating the Cougars 76-64.
 
Bethany raced out to a 20-12 lead after the first quarter of play. Morris responded in the second quarter and outscored the Vikings 21-14. At half, the Vikings led the Cougars 34-33.
 
Hanna Geistfeld scored 10 points in the first half of play to pace the Vikings. Haley Sandin added nine points and pulled down five rebounds. The Vikings shot just 34.1% from the field in the first half, but their defense limited the Cougars to 35.5% shooting. The Vikings gained extra possessions by pulling down 12 offensive rebounds in the first half alone.
 
Hanna Geistfeld got the Vikings going right away in the second half with a quick layup. Morris responded quickly with an 11-0 run to take a three point lead over the Vikings, but Hanna Geistfeld and Dakota Ellinghuysen were not ready to let the Cougars get away. The Viking duo combined to score 17 points during the remainder of the third quarter to put the Vikings back on top by three points heading into the fourth.   
 
The Vikings and Cougars traded leads back and forth for most of the fourth quarter, but the Vikings took the lead for good after a jumper from Ellinghuysen with 4:45 remaining. The Vikings were solid down the stretch, getting stops on defense and converting on offense, on their way to a 12 point win.
 
Hanna Geistfeld was unstoppable, scoring a game-high 30 points and pulling down 10 rebounds for the double-double. Dakota Ellinghuysen was another force for the Vikings as she too recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. She also dished out six assists.
 
The Vikings shot 45.7% from the field in the second half on their way to 39.5% for the game. The Vikings finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds and dished out 19 assists as a team.
 
The 20th win for the Vikings is a new single-season record.
 
Up Next: The Vikings will travel to UW-Superior to play in the UMAC championship game with an automatic bid to the national tournament on the line. The game will be Saturday, February 24 in Superior, Wis. at 7:30 PM.
 
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MEDIA: If you need further information, please feel free to contact Dan DeWitt at 507-344-7856 or email ddewitt@blc.edu