WATERTOWN, Wis. – Love may or may not be in the air for members of the Luther College men's basketball team, but wins certainly are. The Norse redefined the definition of domination in their Valentine's Day showdown with Maranatha Baptist University. In a midweek nonconference contest, Luther dominated nearly every facet of the game, cruising to a 67-45 win over the Bearcats. With the victory, the Norse are now 9-15 overall and 5-10 in American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) play.
WE HEART WINS
Luther basically led from start to finish, as the Norse wasted no time packing on the points against the Bearcats. Fueled by a 20-2 run, Luther gained a 20-6 advantage before the 10 minute mark, with 10 different student-athletes scoring baskets. The Norse, though, may have gotten a little too comfortable with their significant advantage. By 3:36, the Bearcats managed to cut Luther's lead to 27-17, using a double-digit run of their own to put a sizable dent in the Norse cushion. That reignited Luther's offensive and defensive efforts. The Norse got back to dominating in the final four minutes of the first half, outscoring Maranatha Baptist 9-1 to hold a 35-18 halftime lead.
Luther picked up right where it left off to start the second half, as the team's defense continued to hold the Bearcats to a sub .300 shooting percentage on the night. In fact, the Norse outscored Maranatha Baptist 11-3 on turnovers, forcing 14 while committing just six of their own in regulation. Additionally, Luther's bench accounted for 37 of the team's 67 points, helping the Norse jump out to a 58-30 lead with 8:28 remaining in regulation. Though the Bearcats managed to score a handful of points down the stretch, the damage was already done, as Luther cruised to an impressive 67-45 win in its final nonconference game of the regular season.
TOP NORSE
- Only one player scored double-digit points for Luther Tuesday evening, forward Mat Rohden (Joinville, Brazil / Juan Diego Catholic). The sophomore tallied double-digit points for the fourth straight game, scoring 12 total on 4-7 shooting and a 4-4 mark from the charity stripe.
- Daniel Webster (Plano, Texas / St. Ignatius) added nine points, four rebounds and an assist in the victory, while Ben Gill (Sydney, Australia / Newington College) and Matthew Franzen (Decorah, Iowa / Decorah) lead with five rebounds apiece.
UP NEXT
Luther will play its final game of the 2022-23 regular season on Saturday, and it's a crucial game for the Norse. With a win over the University of Dubuque, Luther has a chance to qualify for the six-team A-R-C tournament for the first time since 2013-14. Tip off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Decorah, Iowa.
