FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College dropped an 81–58 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference contest to Marian on Wednesday at Sadoff Gymnasium.
The Sabres (4-3, 2-1 NACC), who never trailed in the game, set the tone early with an 8-0 run to pull away from a 14-11 lead with 13:35 remaining in the first half. MU later strung together another 8-0 stretch to build a double-digit lead with five-and-a-half minutes to play after the Warriors had come within four. Marian led by as many as 15 points in the first half, before WLC came within 10 following a late first-half triple from freshman
Bryce Appel (Edgerton, Wis.). The Sabres took a 43-31 advantage into halftime behind 59.3 percent shooting.
Out of the break, MU delivered the decisive blow—a 15-0 run beginning at 16:41—stretching its lead to 59-33. Wisconsin Lutheran found a rhythm late with a 6-0 burst capped by a three-pointer from junior
Trey Luehring (Cedarburg, Wis.) at 5:31, but could not trim the deficit below 20.
The Warriors (3-6, 1-2 NACC) shot 29.4 percent (20-for-68) from the field, including 33.3 percent (7-for-21) from three. Luehring and sophomore
Sam Hans (Hartland, Wis.) paced WLC with nine points apiece, while Luehring led the team five rebounds. Sophomore
Lucas Anamndu (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) added seven points, four assists, and three steals.
Marian finished the night shooting 53.8 percent (28-for-52) overall and 42.9 percent (9-for-21) from beyond the arc. The Sabres were led by Marvin Haslett's game-high 23 points, while Andrew Ayeni posted a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds. MU owned a 36–18 scoring margin in the paint, a 23–5 advantage in fast-break points, and a 43–22 edge in bench scoring.
Wisconsin Lutheran returns home on Wednesday, December 17, when it hosts MSOE (4-3, 2-0 NACC) at 7 p.m. at Time of Grace Center. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
