New Ulm, MN - The MLC men's basketball team took Bethany down to the wire in last season's meeting in Mankato, before falling to the Vikings 95-93. On Wednesday, in front of a raucous environment inside the LSC gymnasium, the Knights knocked off Bethany
(78-72) for their first win over the Vikings since
February 3, 2015, when they defeated their rivals 65-57.
Wednesday's win gives the Knights some momentum back after dropping their previous two conference games. MLC outplayed the Vikings, especially in the second half, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and outscoring Bethany 49-39 in the half. The game featured eight lead changes and nine ties, with much of the second half going back and forth.
Benjamin Pearson and
Ethan Kjenstad hit a pair of key 3-pointers around the 9 and 10-minute marks to give the Knights a little cushion over Bethany.
MLC jumped out to its biggest lead with just under three minutes to play, going up 70-63 following a sequence that featured an
Adam Loberger layup and a steal off an inbound pass from
Benjamin Vasold, which the sophomore converted on with a layup near the hoop.
From there, the Knights went 6-of-8 from the free-throw line down the stretch to put away Bethany for the six-point conference victory.
MLC showed a lot of grit and hustle on the court, fueled by the energy of the crowd, and held a 17-6 advantage in 2nd chance points. MLC also produced near the rim, outscoring the Vikings 38-18 from points in the paint.
Pearson was active on both ends of the court and recorded a double-double (21 points, 13 rebounds). The guard was also efficient from the floor, shooting 54 percent, while hitting five shots from deep. Loberger also secured a double-double (21 points, 10 rebounds) and led the Knights in assists (4).
Thomas Balge was aggressive, going to the rim on his drives, and totaled 19 points and six rebounds, while Kjenstad had nine points. Vasold led MLC defensively with three steals.
MLC will be back on the court next Wednesday, January 28, at 7:15 p.m. in a road game at North Central.
