Courtesy of Adam Hussman/MLC SID

ST. PAUL — The Martin Luther College women’s basketball team was in it until the final possession nearly all of their game at St. Catherine University on Wednesday evening. The Knights overcame a 58-46 deficit with just under five minutes left to play and tied up the game 58-58 on a Lauren Paulsen putback on an offensive rebound with 42 seconds remaining. MLC looked like they may take the game into overtime, but Kaylee Miron of St. Kate’s hit a clutch 3-pointer and then stole the following inbounds play to put the Wildcats over the top 63-58.

The Knights jumped out to a 9-1 lead early in the first quarter, but St. Kate’s responded and regained the lead for most of the first half. The Wildcats’ full-court pressure forced MLC into 17 turnovers in the first half, but still, MLC made a late push and made it 32-29 heading into halftime.

St. Kates’ defense held MLC to just 7 points in the third quarter and started to go up double-digits near the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Despite the loss, MLC showed a lot of resilience to come back in the first half and also when the game seemed out of reach in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

MLC outshot the Wildcats from the field (38.7 percent) and from beyond the arc (38.9 percent), but their 28 turnovers and a free throw disparity which saw St. Kate’s take 26 compared to just four attempts for MLC proved to be deciding factors.

Fifth-year senior Emma Dorn picked up a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) and junior Lydia Feidt was the leading scorer for the Knights, finishing with 14 points. Mya Morris and Paulsen had 11 points apiece and both were active on the glass, grabbing seven and nine boards respectively.

MLC falls to 2-2 overall and finds themselves back at home against Mount Mary at 5 p.m. Friday.