NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College men's basketball team rolled to a 73-54 win over Minnesota Morris on Wednesday. 

The Knights controlled the game throughout, and led for the final 37 minutes of play. After taking a 6-5 lead with 17:18 left in the first half, MLC put the Cougars on their heels with an 18-4 run over the next 10 minutes. The Knights held UMM to only one field goal during that stretch on the way to building a 38-19 halftime lead.

The Cougars tried to make a run in the second half, but the Knights found the answers when they needed to stop the Cougars from ever cutting the lead closer than 13 points the rest of the game.

MLC shot 53.1 percent in the first half and 50.9 percent for the game, but it was the Knights' stifling defense that gave the Cougars fits. MLC held UMM to 30.8 percent shooting in the first half and 32.2 percent for the game. The Cougars also made only three of 23 attempts from beyond the three-point arc.

The Knights found the range from distance on offense by making eight of 17 attempts. Austin DeNoyer and Richard Eckmann each made three from downtown.

DeNoyer led the way off the bench for the Knights with 19 points, and also played a key role (along with Nate Goelzer) in frustrating UMM's leading scorer Noah Grove into only 11 points on the night. 

Eckmann finished with 15 points on the night, while Jack Heichelbech added 14 points and six rebounds. 

MLC improved to 7-15 on the season and 4-10 on the season with the win. UMM fell to 8-14 overall and 5-8 in league play in defeat.

The Knights will return to action on Saturday, February 9, when they travel to Maranatha Baptist in a game scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m.