MINNEAPOLIS - The Martin Luther College women's basketball team rolled to a 83-52 win at North Central University in Wednesday's UMAC opener.

The Knights dominated play from the start and built a 23-10 lead after the first quarter and went into the half with a 43-26 edge.

MLC put the game away for good in the third quarter, out-scoring the Rams 29-5 to push the lead over 40 points on the way to the win.

The Knights took advantage of their size and athleticism up front as they out-rebounded the Rams 61-35. 27 of those MLC rebounds came on the offensive end and led to 27 second chance points. The Knights also outscored the Rams 37-9 in bench points. 

Grace Schultz led the way for MLC with 24 points on 8-11 shooting from the field and a season-best three three-point field goals. She also led the Knights with three assists and a pair of steals.

Jade St. Germaine and Ruth Buchholz each scored 10 points for MLC, with St. Germaine also grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds. 12 different MLC players scored at least two points and made at least one field goal in the game. 

MLC improved to 3-6 on the season and 1-0 in UMAC play with the win. NCU fell to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in UMAC play in defeat. 

The Knights will return to action on Saturday, December 9, when they travel to Northland College for a game scheduled to tip off at 5 p.m.