NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College women's basketball team put together its best performance of the season in a 70-66 win over the College of St. Scholastica (CSS) on Saturday. 

The Knights started strong, but trailed 30-26 at the half after a frustrating second quarter on the offensive end in which they shot just 20 percent (4-20) from the field.

MLC quickly erased the deficit early in the third quarter and took a 48-46 lead into the fourth. In the final period, the Knights pushed the lead as high as 11 points with 3:13 to play, and then held strong down the stretch to secure the four-point win.

Erika Gosch was critical to the team's strong second half, scoring 20 of her game (and career) high 23 points. After starting the game 1-5 from the field (1-3 from beyond the three-point arc), Gosch went 7-11 overall and 3-5 from downtown in the second half. She also made a pair of critical free throws in the final minute to help ice the win for the Knights.

After  shooting 25.6 percent from the field, including 20.0% (3-15) from beyond the three-point arc, in the first half, the entire MLC team seemed to pick things up coming out of the locker room for the second half. The Knights shot 48.5% in the second half and made 50.0% of its three-point attempts in the final two quarters. 

Gosch led all players with 23 points, while Emily Witkowski (15 points) and Emma Nelson (12) joined her in double figures. Nelson also played a critical role in helping the Knights dominate the glass as they out-rebounded CSS 51-36 and out-scored the Saints 19-2 in second-chance points. Both Nelson and Anna Treder finished with 11 rebounds. 

MLC improved to 2-8 on the season and 1-4 in UMAC play with the win. CSS fell to 0-5 overall and 0-4 in league play in defeat. 

The Knights will return to action on Thursday, February 25, when they host Bethany Lutheran College in a game scheduled to start at  7 p.m.