DECORAH, Iowa  – The Luther College men's basketball team seemed destined to win its first American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) win of the 2022-23 season. With a halftime lead over Loras College, the Norse looked poised for a big conference victory after putting up huge numbers in the first half. Sadly, Luther could not sustain those numbers in the second, as the Norse fell to the Duhawks by a final score of 85-73. With the loss, Luther's overall record now stands at 3-10 with a 0-5 record in A-R-C play.

BY THE NUMBERS
The chaos of the women's game carried over to the men's, as the first half between the Norse and Duhawks was dominated by physical basketball. For the second straight game, Luther put up season-best shooting number sin the first half, as the Norse shot .615 from the floor in the first half, including an identical .615 clip from three-point range. It was Loras who had the hot hand early, racing out to an 8-2 lead in the first two minutes of the game. Luther's defense and offense got it together in the closing 18 minutes of play. Ben Gill (Sydney, Australia / Newington College) ignited a 7-0 run for the Norse, which gave the home team a 9-8 lead over Loras. From that point on, it was off to the races for both teams, as neither led by more than five points after that initial six point lead for the Duhawks. It was Luther who eventually gained a two-point advantage, as a late three-pointer by Andrew Lazinabt (San Antonio, Texas / Brandeis) gave the Norse a 43-41 halftime lead. 

The second half was just as physical as the first, as Luther and Loras continued to trade baskets and leads for the first 10 minutes. After the Duhawks jumped out to a 46-43 lead to open the half, Mikkel Schutte (Houston, Minn. / Houston) responded with a big three from the key, tying the game at 46 all. As back-and-forth play resumed, the Norse eventually gained a 51-50 advantage on a layup-and-one by Daniel Webster (Plano, Texas / St. Ignatius). Unfortunately, things went south for Luther at that point, as Loras went on a 7-2 scoring run to take a 57-53 lead. Additionally, the Norse ran into foul trouble, as they were called for offensive fouls on three consecutive possessions, allowing the Duhawks to extend their lead to 68-75 with 8:35 remaining in the half. 

Luther tried valiantly to mount a comeback multiple times, even pulling within nine in the closing minutes on a three from Aidan Bailey (Dripping Springs, Texas / Dripping Springs). However, the Norse were their own worst enemy at times, as fouls proved costly throughout the second half. Still, fans felt as though Luther had a shot for a comeback in the closing minutes, as the team tried to foul to regain offensive possession. While Loras didn't convert its free throw attempts, the Norse were unable to take advantage of offensive opportunities, falling by a final score of 85-73. 

TOP NORSE 

• Four Norse scored in double-digits Wednesday evening, including Andrew Lazinbat (San Antonio, Texas / Brandeis), Mikkel Schutte (Houston, Minn. / Houston), Aidan Bailey (Dripping Springs, Texas / Dripping Springs) and Randall Days (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Widefield). Lazinbat led all Norse student-athletes with 13 points, while both Schutte and Bailey added 12 respectively. Days scored a season-high 11 points after going 3-3 from three-point range in the first half. 
• Schutte and Mitchel Schmieder (Wellman, Iowa / Iowa Mennonite) led with five rebounds apiece, and Lazinbat added five assists to his statline. 

UP NEXT
Luther will face Simpson College in its next A-R-C contest on Saturday, January 7. Tip off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Indianola, Iowa.