DECORAH, Iowa -- The Northwestern College men's basketball team played another solid all-around game for the second time in a week, but still suffered an 82-71 loss to Luther College on Friday night. Gabe Jefferson (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southeast) (Lincoln, Neb./Southeast) stepped up for an 18-point performance for the Eagles, but the Norse shot nearly 60 percent from the floor to separate themselves down the stretch.

Both teams battled back-and-forth throughout the first half, each holding respective leads of three points or less in the first 10 minutes. Luther's Dane Larson broke a 20-20 tie with 6:49 left in the first period to spur the home team to a nine-point advantage before the Norse went into the locker room with a 37-32 lead. The advantage ballooned to as much as 13 in the second half before the Eagles went on a 13-2 run to cut the margin to two at 66-64 with 6:58 to go in the game. A couple of minutes later, Luther took its sizable lead back, courtesy of a 11-1 spree to finish the game at 82-71.

Northwestern wrapped up its performance with a 41-percent shooting mark. While Jefferson and Lance Westberg (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) shined, the Eagles' top two scorers in Wade Chitwood (Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell) (Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell) and Tom Gisler (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville) struggled, going a combined 3-19 from the floor. Jefferson finished with 18 points and five rebounds, all of which were on offense. Westberg went 4-6 overall and a perfect 2-2 from behind the three-point line to wrap up a 13-point effort in just 16 minutes, while Brian Lecheler (Abbotsford, Wis./Abbotsford) (Abbotsford, Wis./Abbotsford) and Nate Thompson (Fergus Falls, Minn./Hillcrest Lutheran Academy) (Fergus Falls, Minn./Hillcrest Lutheran Academy) each had 12 points on the night.

Luther seemed like it couldn't miss from long or short range. While the Norse made 31 of their 53 attempts overall in the game, they also were 7-12 from downtown. Larson went off for 28 points to lead his team, while John Androus was a perfect 5-5 from the floor and 7-7 at the free throw line for 17 points.

Following the loss, Northwestern slipped to .500 at 4-4 in 2010-11, the same record that Luther earned with its victory. The Eagles will play one more game before Christmas break when they make the short trip to Minneapolis to take on North Central University on Thursday, Dec. 16. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.