NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College men's basketball team was unable to keep pace with Luther in the second half of a 78-58 loss to Luther on Wednesday.

The Knights trailed by only five (37-32) at the half, but Luther pushed its lead into double digits with a 9-2 run to start the second half.

MLC hung within striking distance for much of the second half, but was unable to cut the deficit closer than nine points the rest of the way.

The Knights held the Norse to 42.4 percent shooting in the first half, but Luther was able to shoot 52.0 percent in the second half. The Norse also took advantage of their opportunities at the charity stripe, making 13 of 16 attempts in the second half. 

Ian Paulsen led the Knights with 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Nate Lindloff led the starters with 10 points, eight of which came in the first half. Ethan Eisenmann added nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.

MLC dropped to 1-4 on the season in defeat. Luther improved to 2-2 with the win.

The Knights will return to action on Friday, November 30, when they host Oak Hills Christian for a game scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.