NEW ULM, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran women's basketball team Wednesday posted a strong defensive effort holding Martin Luther to their lowest point total of the season in a 61-50 victory. With the win the Vikings move to 7-13 overall and 6-3 in the UMAC while the Knights fall to 13-7 overall and 6-3 in the conference. 

After MLC got the early advantage to claim a 5-2 lead, Bethany would lock in defensively and used back-to-back three pointers to claim an 8-5 lead. They would add three more points to extend their lead to six, but the Knights would respond with the next eight points to go up 13-11. The Knights would continue to play well down the stretch in the first and would hold a 17-14 lead after one. 

The second quarter was controlled by the Bethany defense as well as Gianna Klarenbeek, as the Vikings would hold MLC to 1-of-11 shooting to open the frame and Klarenbeek would score eight points as part of a 12-2 run to put Bethany up 26-19 with 2:30 to go. Each team would find just one more basket in the final two minutes, as the Knights would get a layup and Klarenbeek would bury her third three of the frame as the Vikings held a 29-21 lead at the half. 

After the Knights opened the third quarter with five straight points to bring the lead down to three, Bethany would answer with five of their own to lead 37-29. After an MLC free throw, Megan Wegner would then step into a three-pointer as Bethany claimed a 10-point lead for their biggest lead of the contest before building on that a few minutes later thanks to a Lexiss Trygg bucket with time winding down in the quarter to hold a 43-32 lead after three. 

Though the Knights would get the lead back within seven four minutes into the fourth, Bethany was quick to put the game away after that. Trygg would finish her own miss to extend the lead to nine points before two free throws from Wegner followed by an and-one from Kaylee Hunter extended Bethany's lead to 14 with 3:49 left. MLC would get the lead back to 10 points with 2:30 left but the Vikings would hold on from there as they claimed the 61-50 win. 

Klarenbeek had a big day for the Vikings as she posted her first collegiate double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Trygg posted her second straight with 13 points and 12 boards. Wegner also had a big day as she connected on three triples, adding 11 points for Bethany. 

The Vikings will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Northland for a 2:45 p.m. contest.