Knights face critical weekend games

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- The Martin Luther Knights face a big challenge. Beginning tonight, the MLC women will be on the road for five straight games.

MLC coach Dennis Gorsline said the five games could define the season for the Knights (6-3, 1-1 UMAC). It will begin with a critical two-game swing to Duluth to play St. Scholastica tonight and Mount Senario Saturday afternoon.

"This weekend will be really when we know where we're at," Gorsline said. "I'm a pretty profound guy. I talked to the girls last night and I said one of three things is going to happen -- we're going to win two or lose two, or we're going to split.

"I think we have a chance to win these two."

Gorsline added that winning the St. Scholastica and Mount Senario games will put the Knights in good position for the second half to the season. Winning the two weekend games is also very important because the third straight game on the road will be Tuesday at conference-leading and conference-favorite Northwestern (Roseville).

"If we lose those two, it's going to be the same old, same old," Gorsline said.

MLC will also play Northland and Crown on the road before returning home to play Mount Senario Feb. 3.

The "same old, same old" referred to by Gorsline would mean another sub-.500 season. Given the fact that a win on Northwestern's home floor would require a nearly perfect game from the Knights and a less-than-perfect effort from the Eagles, Gorsline is focusing on the first two games.

While Gorsline stresses the importance of the two games by using phrases like "defining stretch" and "turning point of the season," leading one to think that the Knights may be in trouble, the season to date has been very positive. Several of the teams MLC has beaten have not been of Northwestern caliber, but the Knights are happy with how the season has so far gone.

Before the season, without a go-to girl, Gorsline stressed depth. Depth has been one of the strengths of the Knights.

MLC is currently averaging 63.6 points per game, yet has only one player -- junior Julie Schramm at 10.2 -- averaging in double figures. But senior Emily Hahnke (7.9), freshman Jacqueline Horton (7.7) and junior Juliane Schulz (7.3) aren't far off the pace.

"I think we have nine that are very solid, eight for sure, that are about the same," Gorsline said. "The top eight are really similar. ... There's no primadonna."

The no-star offense is shooting 40.6 percent from the field and has done particularly well on the offensive boards, grabbing an average of 19.2 per game. That's allowed the Knights to outrebound their opponents by a solid 43.5 to 28.4 per contest.

Junior post Sarah Scharf leads the Knights in rebounding, averaging 7.6 per contest. Scharf has been a strong offensive rebounder for MLC with four more offensive rebounds than defensive rebounds.

Sophomore Abby Lindner has also been strong on the offensive glass, grabbing 3.4 per game, and averaging six rebounds total per game -- second on the team to Scharf.

Success for the Knights, though, has been written by their defense. Through the first nine games, MLC is surrendering just 53.7 points per game and opponents are shooting only 36.6 percent from the field.

"If we shoot 40 percent and play defense like we have, we can win both games this weekend," Gorsline said. "We've been playing defense very hard and quite well."

There are concerns, though, as the Knights embark on the second half of the season. Turnovers have been a problem -- MLC is averaging 19.4 per game -- and the Knights' free-throw shooting has been less than hoped for (55.4 percent).

Reasons for concern and areas to work on, according to Gorsline. But not omens of doom for the back half of the season.

"When you win, things are always better," Gorsline said. "So we're winning, but I think we have pretty good chemistry on the team. The girls seem like they get along pretty good, and that's nice."