Knights Struggle Offensively in Disappointing Loss to Rams: Key Highlights and Analysis

Staff photo by Ari Selvey. Martin Luther College’s Benjamin Vasold makes a shot during a game against North Central University.

NEW ULM — Martin Luther College struggled to find their rhythm on offense, losing to North Central University with a score of 80-57 in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference men’s basketball game.

In the first half, MLC managed to score only 23 points, while North Central exploded with 50 points. The game quickly slipped away from the Knights as they faced an uphill battle.

Adam Loberger led MLC with 10 points and five rebounds. Luke Fix contributed 8 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, while Thomas Balge added 7 points for the team.

The Rams lit up the scoreboard, especially from beyond the arc, sinking 8 of 19 three-point attempts in the first half. Despite not shooting a single free throw, they racked up an impressive 50 first-half points.

Meanwhile, MLC’s first-half performance was tough. With only 10 field goals made and an unfortunate total of 18 turnovers by the end of the game, they struggled to get quality shots off against North Central’s strong defense. The Knights only managed to shoot 39% overall.

North Central started the game with an explosive 16-0 run, hitting four three-pointers. MLC finally got on the scoreboard when Ben Pearson made a mid-range jumper. Loberger quickly followed with a long-range three-pointer, but North Central continued to widen their lead, making it 28-5.

MLC then found some momentum with a couple of putbacks from Fix and a layup from Trey Lauber, cutting the score to 32-16. Loberger hit yet another three-pointer, but North Central retaliated with an 11-2 run, extending their lead to 45-21 before MLC called a timeout.

Despite Fix’s efforts with another putback, North Central finished the half strong, leading at 50-23.

In the second half, MLC showed some improvement, starting with a jumper from Loberger. The teams exchanged baskets for a while, but MLC struggled to close the gap. With the game winding down, North Central maintained their lead comfortably, rotating in subs to rest their starters.

MLC, now sitting at 6-11 overall and 2-5 in the conference, will look to regroup as they prepare to take on Northwestern this Saturday.