MORRIS, Minn. -- The UW-Superior pushed its winning streak to five consecutive games with a 72-66 victory over Minnesota Morris at Jim Gremmels Court on Saturday.
 
With the win, which saw three UWS players land in double figures, the Yellowjackets moved into a tie atop the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference standings at 8-6 overall and 4-1 in the league by virtue of Bethany Lutheran's 83-79 loss at Northwestern.
 
Superior built a 13-point first-half lead before allowing the Cougars (7-6, 3-2) to creep back into the game by halftime. Minnesota Morris shot 55.6 percent in the first half on 15-of-27 from the field and was down, 37-34, at the break as junior Joey Barker (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) hit a running 3-pointer at buzzer. Barker finished with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
 
Tied at 11-11 in the early going, UWS engineered a 15-2 run over 6:54, shooting 6-for-9 from the field while limiting the Cougars to 2-of-8 with six turnovers to take a 26-13 with 7:26 remaining in the half. UWS received points from six different players then. Senior Josef Fahrenholtz (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) scored six of his game-best 19 points in the stretch.
 
From there, though, Minnesota Morris used a 19-12 run of its own, earning a 32-28 advantage on a Paul Dak jumper with 2:24 to play in the half. 
 
UWS never relinquished the lead in the second half, however, rebuilding it to as many as nine points a handful of times -- the first of which came when Barker ripped down an offensive rebound and put it up and in for a 52-43 lead with 13:55 on the clock. UWS held a 39-33 edge on he glass on the day, including 18-9 on he offensive end, leading to 17 second-chance points.
 
The Cougars, who shot just five free throws in the game to 23 for UWS, got as close as 70-66 with a Jaret Johnson trey with 1:07 left, but the 'Jackets held on for the win.
 
Fahreholtz shot 9-for-19 from the floor, adding five boards, while junior J'Vaun Walker (Rosharon, Texas/Manvel) scored 12 points with four boards and three steals.
 
Noah Kannegiesser (14) and Johnson (10) also scored double digits for UMM.
 
The Yellowjackets next head to Finlandia on Tuesday for the make up of a Dec. 6 postponement. Tip time at the Paavo Nurmi Center in Hancock, Mich., is 3 p.m.