01/26/07

Down by 12 with only 2 minutes and 19 seconds to play, the Saints valiantly cut into the lead with an 11-0 run that pulled them to within one of host Martin Luther with nine seconds to play, but the Knights were able to hold onto the lead in the final seconds to claim a 70-68 home win over visiting St. Scholastica.

Martin Luther jumped out to a 10 point lead at the half then stretched the margin to 15 early in the second half before the Saints would begin to rally.

An Eric Langdon 3-pointer brought the Saints within seven at the 9:23 mark but the Knights rallied themselves to break out to as much as a 13 point lead at 4:55 in the half.

A Will Maupins layup started off their almost-miracle run. He then made a steal and scored again to cut the lead to eight with a little more than a minute and a half to play.

Following a pair of Akente Ward free throws, a Langdon 3-pointer cut the lead to only three and when Maupins sank a pair of free throws with nine ticks left, the lead was only one and the miracle was still alive.

Forced to foul on the inbounds play, the Saints watched Martin Luther sink one of two from the line, and were then unable to get one last shot off in the remaining six seconds as the Knights pulled even with the Saints in the UMAC standings with the victory.

Maupins had a game-high 27 points while Langdon added 19 including four 3-pointers for the Saints. Martin Luther was led by Jake Schwartz' 18 points.

St. Scholastica will stay on the road for their next game as they travel to Bethany Lutheran College for a late-Saturday afternoon rematch of the 2006 UMAC Tournament title game in which the Saints won 83-64 at the Reif Center in Duluth to capture the postseason title.