NEW ULM, Minn. – Martin Luther erased a 41-27 halftime deficit to nip the UW-Superior women's basketball team 69-67 at Luther Student Center on Friday.
 
The Knights limited UWS to just 26 points in the second half on a 25.8 percent shooting to win for the first time against Superior since the Yellowjackets joined the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference for the 2015-16 season, a span of 14 games.
 
Superior entered the fourth quarter with a 52-49 advantage before MLC's Kortney Behnke gave her team its first lead since 3-2 with a jumper in the paint that made it 55-53 with 7:29 to play. Allie Zimmer (Waconia, Minn./Waconia) responded on the next possession with a 3-pointer off of a Brianna O'Donnell (Richfield, Minn./Richfield) assist to retake the lead. Emma Nelson later gave Martin Luther (7-13, 3-6 UMAC) a 60-58 edge with 4:07 remaining.
 
A pair of free throws from Emily Rothfuss and layup by Nelson pushed the deficit to six at 64-58, but the 'Jackets used a 6-2 run to knot the game at 66-all when Kaija Davies (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) hit a pair of free throws with 19 seconds left.
 
Anna Treder drew a foul with eight seconds on the clock and sank the ensuing free throws to wrest the lead away once again. Treder returned the favor, though, fouling Davies on the next trip. Davies missed the front end of the two at the line while Grace Keiselhorst hit one of two of her own for a two-point edge. 
 
UWS had one last chance on sideline in-bounds play with 1.2 seconds remaining but the pass was tipped away at the buzzer.
 
Kaelyn Christian (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville Senior) scored a game-high 18 points to pace the Yellowjackets, and Davies added 10 points and 12 rebounds for Superior's second double-double of the season. Nelson scored 12 points to lead the Knights, while Behnke and Treder tallied 11 apiece in the win.
 
The Knights buried 20 of their 24 free throws in the second half and shot 41.7 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes.
 
UWS (5-13, 4-5 UMAC) returns to action Saturday at 3 p.m., taking on UMAC-leading  Bethany Lutheran in Mankato, Minn.