NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College women's basketball team lost a tough defensive battle against St. Olaf by the score of 57-51 on Tuesday.

The two teams made life difficult for the each other in the first half with strong defensive play as they went into the break tied 18-18. The Knights forced 16 St. Olaf miscues in the first half, while the Oles held MLC to 17.2 percent from the field in the first two periods.

The offense picked up for both teams in the second half, as the Oles started fast but the Knights closed strong to take a 36-35 lead into the fourth quarter.

Jade St. Germaine put MLC ahead 49-48 with 1:50 to play in the game, but the Oles closed the game with a 9-2 run to secure the win.

The Knights did a good job of getting to free throw line against the physical St. Olaf defense, but made just 12 of 25 attempts from the charity stripe. In the half court, the Oles' length presented problems for the Knights with 16 blocked shots.

St. Germaine led MLC with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Moriah Hackbarth added 10 points and four assists. Grace Schultz battled foul trouble and finished with nine points to go with three steals.

MLC fell to 1-3 on the season in defeat. St. Olaf improved to 1-3 with the win.

The Knights will return to action on Monday, November 27, when they host Gustavus Adolphus College in a game scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m.