MORRIS, Minn. – The UW-Superior men's basketball team erased a seven-point halftime deficit en route to a 76-67 victory over Minnesota Morris at Jim Gremmels Court Saturday.
 
Mason Ackley (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) paced three Yellowjackets in double figures with 19 points, six rebounds and three assists to improve to 3-2 on the season. UWS rebounded from a 32-percent shooting effort in the first half, exploding with 46 points in the second for the win.
 
Down, 58-41, with 11:24 minutes remaining in the game, went on an 11-0 run, cutting the Cougars' lead to 58-52 with less than nine minutes left. Josh Reinertsen (Duluth, Minn./Denfeld) punctuated the spurt with a jumper in the paint on a break following a J'Vaun Walker (Rosharon, Texas/Manvel) steal.
 
Minnesota Morris's Dillon Haider responded with a 3-pointer off a James Pendleton assist on the next possession to stop the run momentarily, but Joey Barker (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) hit a layup after an Xavier Patterson (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) steal and was fouled. Barker knocked down the ensuing free throw to cut the deficit to 63-57. Patterson then came up with another steal and went the other way, finishing a layup with contact. He completed the three-point play, making it a three-point game with 6:22 to play.
 
After a pair of Souleymane Gueye (Paris, France/Monsignor Scanlan (N.Y.)) free throws made it 63-62, Gueye drained a 3-pointer off of a feed from Ackley for a lead the 'Jackets never gave up. The Cougars went 1-for-6 from the field from there while UWS extended its advantage to as many as nine twice in the final two minutes.
 
Eli Vogel (Appleton, Wis./Appleton West) (14 points) and Walker (13) rounded out the UWS players in double figures and Gueye added a team-high seven rebounds. Jaret Johnson led the Cougars (3-5) with 19 points and nine boards in a losing effort.
 
The 'Jackets return home to host Northwestern Monday at 7 p.m. at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.