Kocer hits 1,000 to help Cougars to first victory
The University of Minnesota, Morris women's basketball team snapped a four-game losing streak, while picking up win No. 1, when the Cougars defeated Mayville State Saturday in Mayville, N.D. The winning was short lived however, as the Cougars fell to Valley City, N.D. on Monday night.
UM-Morris 70
Mayville 63
Senior Tynell Kocer scored 13 points for her second-straight game, giving her exactly 1,000 points in her Cougar career, to help UMM to a 70-63 win over Mayville State.
The Cougars jumped out to a 32-27 lead at the break connecting on 50 percent (13-26) in the first 20 minutes.
The Comets kept the game close, but UMM shot 52 percent (13-25) in the second half to keep on top.
The Cougars had three players in double figures, led by a 20-point effort from senior Coressa Leighty, who was 6-for-6 at the free-throw line.
Jenni Noordmans had 11 points.
Also scoring were Kaila Lindsey and Joy Heysse with six apiece, Steph Roggenbuck with five, Nikki Washek with four, Kara Norris with three, and Diane Blommel with two.
Roggenbuck led the Cougars with eight rebounds, while Norris grabbed seven.
Senior Jamie Rainey dished out nine assists and grabbed three steals.
Kocer becomes the 18th player in UMM women's basketball history to reach the 1,000-point mark. She leads the Cougars in scoring through five games with 84 points, averaging 16.8 points per game.
At that pace, she will have a chance to finish in the top five in all-time scoring at UMM.
Cindy Lonneman is the all-time scoring leader for women's basketball at UMM with 1,949 points from 1979-83.
Valley City 85
UM-Morris 72
Despite three Cougars scoring in double figures Monday night at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse in Valley City, UMM was defeated 85-72.
The Cougars were shooting at 50 percent (16-32) in the first half, but dropped down to 34.6 percent after the break.
Valley City maintained an average over 42 percent throughout the game.
Roggenbuck and Kocer each contributed 17 points. Roggenbuck also had six rebounds.
Noordmans added 16 points.
Leighty had nine points to go along with six rebounds.
Also scoring for the Cougars were Heysse and Washek with four apiece, Rainey with three, and Blommel with two.
Rainey had four steals for the Cougars.
The Cougars open Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play this weekend when they travel to Bethany Lutheran Friday and Martin Luther Saturday.
