ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of Northwestern men's basketball team matched up against Martin Luther for a Saturday evening UMAC tipoff at the Ericksen Center. The Eagles capitalized on a first half run and balanced scoring to cruise to a 99-68 conference win.
 
After a back-and-forth start and an early five-point deficit, the Eagle offense kicked it into high gear. Northwestern went on a 13-0 run to go up 28-17 with nine minutes remaining.
 
The Eagles continued to jive offensively, entering the half up 50-34 sparked by 11 inside points from Brady Bellefeuille (Frazee, Minn./Frazee) and two three-pointers apiece by Michael Moore (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) and Noah Alm (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake).
 
 It was midway through the second half that the Eagles once again found their rhythm. A complete team scoring effort that featured five Eagles recording double-figures helped the Eagles coast to a 49-34 second half advantage.
 
Brady Bellefeuille (Frazee, Minn./Frazee) and Noah Alm (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake) led the scoring effort with 15 points apiece. Bellefeuille shot seven of nine from the field and pulled down four offensive boards. Alm knocked in three shots from beyond the arc – his third game in a row making three or more.
 
Tanner Youngberg (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area) added 13 points on the night, while Caleb Hageman (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) recorded 12 and Michael Moore (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) finished with 10. Moore dished out a season-best eight assists in the contest. Brady Peterson (Princeton, Minn./Homeschool) pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and added nine points on the night.
 
With the win, Northwestern improves to 10-6 overall, 6-1 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. The Knights drop to 5-10 on the year, 2-5 in conference play. UNW leads the all-time series against Martin Luther, 45-5 and have won 22 consecutive games against the Knights.
 
The Eagles will return to action on Wednesday, January 16 when they travel to Morris, Minn. to take on the Cougars. Tipoff is slated for 7:15 p.m. Follow the game via live stats and live video.