ST. PAUL – The University of Northwestern men's basketball advanced to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament Championship with a 76-60 win over Minnesota Morris Wednesday night inside the Ericksen Center. UNW will host the College of St. Scholastica in the championship game Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. with a trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

The Eagles got off to a quick start, building a 17-point advantage midway through the first half, but the Cougars chipped away, cutting the deficit to single digits heading into the half. UMM pulled within six in the first minute of the second half, but the Eagles would go on a 10-2 run to build a 48-34 lead and would hold in the semifinal contest.

Will Gisler (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) had a huge night, as the senior finished with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting, while also pulling down 10 rebounds to secure a double-double. Peter Maring (Harris, Minn./Cambridge Christian) continued his strong play, notching a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards, while Porter Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Home School) contributed 17 points – all in the second half to aid the Eagles' offensive efforts.

Northwestern once again shot well, hitting 52.5 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Cougars hit 39.7 percent of the their shots from the field and 38.9 percent from long range.

Fans can find more information on the men's basketball program at www.unweagles.com or by following @unwmbb on Twitter.