Courtesy of Adam Hussman

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MLC 100, Northland 40

ASHLAND, Wis. – The Martin Luther College women’s basketball team punched their ticket to the UMAC tournament on Saturday after defeating Northland 100-40. MLC entered their final regular season game as the No. 5 seed behind Minnesota Morris. Due to tiebreaker scenarios, MLC needed UW-Superior and Bethany to win and those two teams did just that as the Yellowjackets beat Minnesota Morris 65-63 and the Vikings topped North Central 63-43.

Heading into the game, Emma Dorn needed just three rebounds to become the all-time rebounder in MLC career history and the fifth-year senior got that amount against the Lumberjills. Dorn now has 686 rebounds and passes Erica Babinec (2008-12), who held the record for a decade-plus with 685 boards.

The Knights made sure to handle their end of the bargain by beating the Lumberjills in what would be the final matchup between the two schools since Northland is closing after this school year. MLC left no doubt in this one and hit the century mark for the first time this season and a season-high in numerous offensive categories, including points (100), rebounds (69), and assists (22). MLC blew the game open by going up 26-4 after the first quarter and the game was out of reach when the Knights took a commanding 50-12 lead at halftime.

Almost half of the Knights’ points were in the paint and MLC finished with a 42 percent field goal percentage, while holding the Lumberjills to around 23 percent.

Lydia Feidt led all scorers with 16 points and the junior snagged eight boards and two steals. Mya Morris put up 15 points and Wilhelmina Wenz reached double figures for the first time this season, finishing with 10 points in only 12 minutes of playing time. The game also featured the first time that all 16 MLC players scored in the same game.

With the results of today’s contests in the UMAC, MLC has clinched the No. 4 seed in the UMAC tournament and will face off with No. 1 seed UW-Superior in the conference semifinals on Wednesday, February 26, at 7 p.m. in Superior, WI.

MLC (16-9, 9-5) will be playing in their first UMAC tournament game since the 2020-21 season when every team in the conference made it due to COVID and the shortened season.

Wednesday’s game will mark the first time MLC women’s basketball has earned the right to play in the UMAC postseason tournament since the 2016-17 season.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MLC 65, Northland 55

ASHLAND, Wis. – The Martin Luther College men’s basketball team played its final game of the season and its last-ever meeting against Northland College after it was reported earlier this week that Northland would be closing its doors after the school year. The Knights wrapped up their final matchup with them by defeating the Lumberjacks 65-55 on Saturday.

Neither team shot the ball well, but MLC received a lift from Benjamin Pearson, who recorded his sixth double-double of the season, finishing the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals.

MLC went up by as many as 13 points with just under 6:30 remaining in the first half, but the Lumberjacks ended the half on a 17-7 run to cut it to 35-32 at intermission.

Northland would get within one point several times to start the second half, but MLC never allowed them to capture the lead and left with the 10-point victory.

Two main areas where MLC gained a clear advantage in points off turnovers (26-7) and 2nd chance points (17-2). MLC kept many possessions alive by grabbing a season-high 56 rebounds, with 25 of them coming off of the offensive glass.

Joining Pearson, was Adam Loberger, who finished with 19 points and six boards, while Benjamin Vasold led the Knights with in steals (4).

MLC finishes the 2024-25 season with an 8-17 overall, 3-11 UMAC record which ties for the most wins in the MLC men’s basketball program since the 2010-11 season.