MORRIS, Minn. – The Northland College Women's Basketball team was defeated 91-45 by the University of Minnesota, Morris in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference game Saturday afternoon in Morris, Minn. The LumberJills had their best game on the floor shooting 40 percent.
 
The Cougars took the lead after two layups but Tara Sandoval answered with a three ball to cut the lead to one. Madison Mendoza and Britta Josephson made a pair of jumpers to keep the Cougars in sight. With three minutes remaining UMM had a 10-point lead. To end the quarter the Jills went on a seven-point run with Katelyn Altaha hitting a jump shot followed by five unanswered from Kodie Rempp to make the score 16-19 after the first quarter.
 
Josephson started the second quarter with six points to match the pace of Minnesota Morris. The Cougars pulled together a 14-point run to pull away from NC. A free throw from Sandoval broke up the scoring stretch.
 
Altaha made the first basket of the second half with a two-point jumper and in the following possession converted on another two-ball. After only two points in the opening half, Altaha scored six in less than six minutes. Sandoval connected from deep again and Mendoza made a layup to end the third quarter scoring.
 
In the final quarter, Altaha earned herself a trip to the line where she went 2-of-2 from the stripe. Mendoza had the next three points before Josephson reached double-figures scoring on a putback. Sandoval and Altaha made the final two baskets for NC to tie its season-high scoring total at 45.
 
The LumberJills had two quarters where they shot over 50 percent, 53.8 percent in the first and 62.5 percent in the third. Northland finished the game 40 percent from the field, a season-high. Altaha in her second game back led Northland with 12 points and behind her setting a career-high was Josephson with 10. Sandoval and Mendoza chipped in nine and Rempp added five.
 
The LumberJills grabbed 30 rebounds with Rempp leading the way with nine. Josephson was right behind her with six. Altaha and Mendoza combined for six of the team's seven steals.
 
The Jills wrap up the season next week with a pair of road games, starting the weekend with a 5:30 p.m., tip at Bethany Lutheran College.
 
Northland College is an NCAA Division III institution located in Ashland, WI. The LumberJacks and LumberJills sponsor 14 varsity sports and compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, Midwest Lacrosse Conference, and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.