Staff Photo by Ari Selvey Martin Luther College’s Micah Kieselhorst goes up for a basket against Bethany Lutheran College in a men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon.

By Michael Fromm

Journal Sports Correspondent

NEW ULM — Bethany Lutheran College defeated the Martin Luther College Knights 95-61 in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference men’s basketball game on Saturday.

The Knights played hard the whole way through, being led by freshman guard Thomas Balge, who had 17 points, and junior guard Ezra Bumer, who had 12 points and three 3s. Despite the work ethic of the Knights’ players on both ends, the Vikings balanced their offensive attack with four starters scoring in double figures, being led by sophomore guard Drew Sagedahl with 15 points and seven rebounds.

The Vikings showcased a defensive game plan focused on guarding the Knights’ ball-handlers up on the 3-point line, limiting the Knights’ driving opportunities. With little scoring early on for both teams, the Vikings jumped to a 10-3 lead at the 13:42 mark. Early on, junior guard Xavier Patterson of the Vikings drove hard off the dribble to contribute free throws and get an offensive flow.

The Knights responded with freshmen Ethan Kjenstad and Balge scoring on back-to-back possessions at the 12-minute mark to cut into the deficit. Later, the Knights got contributions from sophomore guard Seth Veers and junior guard Paul Frick with crafty finishes around the rim in consecutive possessions to have the Knights down 36-17. The first half saw BLC take advantage of height with senior center Hunter Nielsen’s dunk and defensive presence, leading to a 10-0 run and a 43-22 lead at halftime.

The second half saw the Vikings jump to a 17-5 run, capitalized on a powerful slam dunk from junior forward Mason Ackley, extending BLC’s lead to 60-27. The Knights still produced offense from various players using efficient sets that used backscreens, cuts, and curls to score 39 second-half points and convert all six free throw attempts, but they could not overcome their shooting percentage from the field (29.2%, 21 of 72) and from the 3-point line 17.6% (17.6%, 6 of 34). The Vikings’ depth was evident, with 36 bench points for the game and the 95-61 win.

Saturday was also Parent’s Day at MLC.

Martin Luther College (2-16, 0-8) will look to bounce back when they travel to UW-Superior to take on the Yellowjackets on Friday.