Staff photo by Ari Selvey: Adam Loberger takes a shot during a recent matchup.
NEW ULM — Martin Luther College faced a tough defeat against Crown College on Wednesday, losing 78-76 in a hard-fought game. MLC had led for most of the match but faltered in the final moments.
Late in the game, MLC was up 71-70. Unfortunately, a turnover allowed Crown’s Micah Ladd to score a crucial layup, sealing the victory for Crown. Ben Pearson was a standout for the Knights, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Adam Loberger also had a strong performance with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. Luke Fix and Thomas Balge contributed 9 points each.
Pearson got off to a fast start, scoring 10 of MLC’s first 14 points, including two 3-pointers. This helped MLC take an early 14-3 lead. Crown fought back, narrowing the gap to 22-18 after a layup from John Gribsby. MLC pushed their lead back to 27-18 with a 3-pointer from Trey Lauber, and by halftime, they were ahead 50-35.
In the second half, Crown came out strong with a quick run that put pressure on MLC. Despite their efforts, MLC managed to keep the lead until Crown’s Carter Behne hit a 3-pointer, bringing the score to 57-50. Tensions rose as Crown continued to close in, and they finally took the lead with a layup from Parker Behne. A timeout by MLC followed as they tried to regroup.
Despite the mounting pressure, Pearson hit a clutch step-back jumper, and Fix converted an and-one play, reclaiming the lead for MLC with just over a minute left. But Crown would not be denied; a late layup by Parker Behne and Ladd’s nail-biting basket in the final second snatched victory away from MLC.
With this loss, MLC’s record stands at 7-15 (2-9). They will host Minnesota Morris on Saturday at 1 p.m., looking to bounce back and secure a much-needed win.
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Local Sports,Late turnover sends Polars over Knights
