As the Knights started showing their fatigue in the second half, the Norse stayed fresh and converted takeaways into points on the way to a 75-60 win in a nonconference women’s basketball game.

The Knights (6-4) finished with 18 turnovers in the game to the Norse’s 19, but the Norse (5-3) got 23 points off turnovers to the Knights’ 15. The Norse also got 17 points from their bench, while the Knights got just one free throw off the bench from Heather Wendt.

“I think our legs kind of went away from us there in the third quarter and fourth quarter,” Knights head coach Dan Gawrisch said. “We made a nice push at the end of the third quarter, but ultimately we gave up 26 points and that’s too many to give up in the third quarter.”

MLC was led by Mya Morris’ 24 points. The Knights worked the ball in the paint well with Ava Stein, who finished with 11 points, but it became clear in the second half they would have to start connecting from the 3-point line in order to stay with the Norse.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Martin Luther College’s Ella Schmidt (30) passes the ball out traffic during Wednesday evening’s women’s basketball game against Luther College at MLC.

They did that in large part due to Morris hitting five 3s in the second half, but turnovers and lapses on defense dug too big of a hole for the Knights in the end.

Wilhelmina Wenz finished with 14 points and seven rebounds for the Knights, while Lydia Feidt added 7 points and five rebounds.

The Norse ended up outshooting the Knights 45.3% to 35.5% from the floor.

“It’s not that we weren’t taking good looks when we had them,” Gawrisch said. “We trust our shooters and those shots will fall, but in the first half, our offensive contribution for points, it really was Wilhelmina Wenz and Ava Stein. Willy from the outside and Stein eating up the paint. In the second half it mostly was just Mya, so we need to get better ball movement so we get more people involved. I thought out pace of play on the offensive end was a little slow tonight.”

Natalie Beaver led the Norse with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Kaylie Strum had 17 points, nine rebound and seven assists. Abigail Panka added 9 points and nine rebounds for the Norse, who also controlled the boards 42-24.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Martin Luther College’s Lydia Feidt goes after a ball alongside Luther College’s Kenai Holien (30) during the first half of Wednesday evening’s women’s basketball game at MLC.

After opening the game with a quick 6-0 lead following a 3 from Ellie McMann, the Norse watched the Knights answer with a 3 from Wenz and a layup from Stein. The Knights took the lead, 10-8, following a Wenz 3 and a layup by Stein. After losing the lead to end the first quarter, the Knights got it back in the second quarter and extended it to 25-16 following a fast-break bucket in the paint from Feidt. That was the largest lead of the night for MLC as Luther went on a run to end the half up 27-25.

Despite a shaky start to the third quarter, the Knights ended it well. After falling behind by as much as 15 in the quarter, the Knights trailed just 53-48 to end it. Their final four shots in the quarter came by way of the 3, two by Morris, one by Wenz and one by Feidt.

The Norse started the fourth quarter with a 3 and a free throw from Panka to lead 57-48, but Ella Walz buried a 3 to have the Knights down 57-51. A 3 from Beaver and a layup by Panka gave the Norse a double-digit lead again, however, less than a minute later.

A steal and 3 by Beaver opened up a 9-0 run moments later to give the Norse their largest lead of the night, 71-54.

“We won the turnover battle, we forced more than they did, but we didn’t convert like they did,” Gawrisch said. “They were converting turnovers and that takes the air out of your lungs, too. That causes more fatigue than you need. If we can flip that script, that brings the energy, motivation and everything else. We’ll be OK.”

The Knights are still without junior guard Anna Kieselhorst, who has been out with a hand injury sustained in the second game of the season. Gawrisch said the team is looking to get her back into practice after Christmas break, giving the Knights a welcomed boost of leadership, quickness and physicality back.

The Knights travel to Northfield to take on Carleton at 5 p.m. Friday.