Staff photo by Steve Muscatello Martin Luther College’s Faith Otte (10) takes a shto over a St. Scholastica defender during the first half Wednesday at MLC in New Ulm. For more photos of this event go to cu.nujournal.com

NEW ULM — St. Scholastica edged Martin Luther College 52-50 on Wednesday in a Upper Midwest Athletic Conference womens’ basketball game.

The Knights didn’t help their cause by having 17 turnovers in the first half. Making only 1 out of 13 3-point shots hurt as well.

The contest contained a wild finish. Danielle Cieluch hit a free throw for a 51-46 lead. Grace Schultz canned a 3-pointer.

Faith Otte hit a 2-point shot with 19 seconds left for a 51-50 score. The Knights had two golden opportunities to get the win. Schultz tried to score on spin move left handed layup, but the ball refused to drop.

Emily Witkowski got the rebound, she tried to hit a jump shot, but the ball rolled in and out without a score.

Holly VanKempen made one of two free throws. The Saints inbounded the ball and ended MLC’s shot at a win.

“We had a relentless effort down the stretch,” MLC head coach Dan Gawrisch said. “We executed very well in the final seconds of the game.”

MLC’s Jade St. Germaine had 23 points and 10 rebounds. Grace Schultz added 15 points and 11 rebounds with three assists and four steals.

“We have to convert down the stretch,” St. Germaine said. “The ball didn’t fall at the end and I’m proud of our defense.”

Gawrisch credited the Saints for implementing a zone defense that collapsed on St. Germaine. The Knights could not come up with an answer for it when they couldn’t make outside shots.

Both teams played even in the first quarter with MLC holding one lead and there being one tie. The Saints led 12-10.

Schultz hit a shot to give MLC its first lead of the night early in the second quarter which held up to halftime with MLC holding a 23-20 lead.

There were two ties and two lead changes in the third quarter with MLC being ahead 40-39.

VanKempen’s basket with 6:55 left in the game gave the Saints the lead for good at 41-40. St. Scholastica went on a 4-0 run to increase its lead to 48-42.

The Saints were 18 of 50 for 36 percent on field goals and shot 34.8 percent from 3-point range. They had 19 turnovers.

MLC shot 32.3 percent from the field and committed 25 turnovers.

MLC (4-9, 2-3) will host the University of Minnesota-Morris on Wednesday.