Box Score Box Score
NEW ULM, Minn. – The St. Scholastica men's basketball team closed out the regular season with a 66-59 win over the Martin Luther College Knights.
The win gives CSS (9-16 overall, 6-8 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference) the fifth seed in the upcoming UMAC Men's Basketball Tournament. They will travel to Aberdeen, South Dakota to take on the fourth-seeded Presentation College Saints on Tuesday. Martin Luther fell to 7-16 overall and 4-10 in the UMAC. The Knights garnered the final spot in the conference tourney.
Martin Luther held the lead for most of the first half, starting with a 7-0 run at the beginning of the game. CSS chipped the lead two, aided by a #Logan Schultz# (Jr.- Perham, Minn.) free throws. The Saints kept pace with the Knights offensively, and with MLC up 16-14, #Chris Hamers# (Jr.- Onamia, Minn.) scored to get the game back to even at the 7:24 mark. After the Knights regained the lead at 18-16, a #Derek Anderson# (Jr.- Cook, Minn.) layup knotted up the game. A #Danny Schmitz# (Jr.- Hinckley, Minn.) free throw gave the Saints its first lead of the game, a lead they only surrendered just once the remainder of the game. CSS lead at the break 26-23.
CSS stretched its lead to nine, seven minutes into the second half, with help from a pair of #Pat Franko# (Fr.- Rochester, Minn./Century HS) and Schmitz baskets. The Knights were able to respond on the offensive end, as neither team had a double-digit lead at any point in the game. After the Knights gained a one-point lead with six minutes to go, the Saints responded with clutch shooting from #Max Dibrell# (Sr.- Duluth, Minn./East HS). Seven of his 10 points came in the final five minutes of the game. MLC got the lead to one under two to go, but free throws from Schultz, Hamers and #Brett Tester# (Fr.- Andover, Minn) held the Knights at bay, giving CSS the 66-59 win.
Schmitz led CSS with 13 points. Hamers, Tester and Dibrell all had 10. Tester and Schultz led CSS with 7 rebounds apiece. MLC's Greg Holzhueter was the game's high scorer with 18.
The Saints' UMAC Tourney tilt with Presentation gets underway Tuesday at 7:30 pm in Aberdeen.
