DECORAH, Iowa – The Luther College men's basketball team faced perhaps its toughest opponent of the season Wednesday afternoon. The Norse hosted #3 UW-La Crosse in their final home game before the holiday break. Despite tenacious play on defense early in both halves, Luther was unable to hold the top-3 Eagles at bay, falling by a final score of 70-41. With the loss, the team's overall record now stands at 1-7 and 0-3 in American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) play.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Norse went to work trying to keep the Eagles red hot offense at bay and were successful in their efforts early in the game. Luther held UW-La Crosse scoreless for the first two minutes of play and held its nationally ranked opponent to just six points in the first five. In fact, the Norse trailed just 6-4 at the 15:00 mark, kudos to timely jump shots by Aiden Bailey (Dripping Springs, Texas / Dripping Springs) and Eros Carpio (Tamarac, Fla. / Pine Crest). However, Luther couldn't keep the Eagles at bay forever, as the visitors sprinted ahead on a 12-1 run, jumping ahead 18-5 at the 12 minute mark. The Norse, though, put up quite the battle but still trailed 35-17 entering the locker room at half.
The second half started much like the first, as Luther managed to hold UW-La Crosse scoreless through nearly the first three minutes of play. However, the Norse were unable to capitalize on their offensive opportunities, as they too were unable to score until roughly the 17 minute mark. Unlike the first half, though, the first baskets didn't kick start either team's offense, as points were hard to come by for both teams. Both teams eventually found their strides in the final five minutes of play, but Luther could never catch the Eagles, falling by a final score of 70-41.
TOP NORSE
- Sophomore Mat Rohden (Joinville, Brazil / Juan Diego Catholic) led the team with seven points and also tallied four rebounds and two assists.
- Mikkel Schutte (Houston, Minn. / Pine Island) led the team with seven rebounds, while Daniel Webster (Plano, Texas / St. Ignatius) tallied at least one block for the third game this season.
UP NEXT
The Norse will return to A-R-C action on Saturday, as they travel to Storm Lake, Iowa to take on Buena Vista University. Tip off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CT.
