Watertown, SD - MLC men's basketball made the trip west to Great Plains Lutheran High School in Watertown, South Dakota, on Wednesday evening. There, the Knights took on Trinity Bible College (North Dakota) and survived a comeback from the Lions to win 65-61.

MLC had trouble getting into the lane and getting high-quality shots off to start the game, as the Lions' defense was long and athletic with their zone. After struggling to score 10 minutes into the game, MLC settled in and got their offense together and came back from a 21-11 deficit with a 24-7 run to close out the first half.

With MLC up 35-28 heading into the second half, the Knights extended their lead to as many as 19 points after Benjamin Pearson tipped a shot back in (57-38) with 9:01 remaining.

However, Trinity fought their way back into it and forced multiple turnovers, which led to easy transition points for the Lions. Within a moment's notice, Trinity went on a 22-0 run to eventually recapture its first lead since the 7-minute mark of the first half.  

Despite the comeback from Trinity, MLC was able to regroup and grab the lead back from a 3-pointer and a blocked shot from Ethan Kjenstad, who came back to play at his high school. MLC knocked down a few more free throws after going up 62-60 and hung on for the 65-61 win. Neither team shot the ball at a high clip, but the Knights out-rebounded Trinity 58-31 and shot well from the free-throw line to overcome 29 turnovers.

Adam Loberger (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Pearson (18 points, 13 rebounds) each had double-double performances. Kjenstad added 12 points and six boards, while Luke Fix was active on the glass,  finishing with 14 rebounds.

MLC will now host Spurgeon College on Friday, December 5, at 7 p.m.