New Ulm, MN - The
MLC Knights are coming off of two exhibition matchups where the bench gained some in-game experience. On Wednesday, they faced the
UW-Stout Blue Devils. The two squads last played in December of 2018 when UW-Stout defeated MLC 75-34. The Blue Devils replicated that 2018 performance with an
84-51 win over MLC after never trailing in the game.
In the first quarter the Knights kept up with UW-Stout's pace, trading baskets and played solid team basketball on offense. It was clear that the Blue Devils wanted to attack the basket and ended up outscoring MLC in the post (46-18).
Knight
Emma Nelson followed up her best game of the season against Waldorf with another spirited effort, leading all MLC players with 14 points and 8 rebounds. First-year guard
Lydia Feidt also contributed with 9 points and 5 rebounds.
The Blue Devils had a balanced game from
Raegan Sorensen who led her team with 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor. Sorensen did her damage near the basket, utilizing her ball handling ability to get past MLC defenders, where she would score at the rim. Guard Anna Mutch chimed in with 16 points and made smart decisions around the basket all night long.
Overall, UW-Stout's defense proved to cause issues for MLC, as the Knight's shot 30.2 percent for the game. UW-Stout got into passing lanes frequently and moved their feet well, denying any easy passes for the Knights. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils shot 56.1 percent from the floor and connected on 13-of-16 free throw attempts (81.3 percent).
The
MLC Knights (4-3,0-0) will open the conference season with a matchup against Northland on (Friday, December 9th).
