St. Paul, MN - The Martin Luther College women's basketball team tipped off their 2024-25 season on the road at Macalester College on Tuesday night. The game saw a lot of back-and-forth action as there were 17 lead changes and 13 ties up until the fourth quarter when the Scots moved past the Knights 69-61.

MLC led 50-49 heading into the fourth quarter, but Macalester outscored the Knights 20-11 in the final 10 minutes and didn't let go of the lead following a 3-pointer by Jessica Sabbagh 30 seconds into the period.

Both teams benefited from points off of turnovers, with Macalester having a slight edge 25-17 in that area. The Scots also had a few more bench points 17-10 than the Knights, but received a big lift from Peyton Starks who had a game-high 19 points and nine rebounds on 8-of-8 from the free throw line.

Lauren Paulsen finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and three steals and had two other teammates reach double figures with her in Lydia Feidt and Emma Dorn. Feidt added 12 points, two steals and went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while fifth-year senior Emma Dorn had 11 points and seven boards. Another senior, Grace Kieselhorst, made an impact defensively with a team-high four steals to go along with seven rebounds.

Despite the loss, MLC (0-1) held the lead for a good chunk of the contest against a MIAC school and have a game under their belt as they prepare for a two-game home stand this weekend. The Knights start it off with a 7 p.m. game versus Buena Vista on Friday night.