ST. PAUL, Minn- Northwestern men's basketball team hosted the Martin Luther Knights for the first UMAC Tournament game Wednesday night in the Ericksen Center. The Eagles offense was on fire as they powered their way to a 112-78 win. Northwestern was dominant on the boards and their passing game was exceptional.
After both teams failed to find a bucket in their first possession,
Caleb Hoilien (Minneapolis, Minn./Hope Academy) would find the first basket of the game for both teams. The Knights would respond with a three pointer to find their first and only lead of the game.
Caleb Waldeck (Newhall, Calif./Hart High) would knock down back-to-back threes and a layup to give the lead back to the Eagles. Northwestern kept shooting the three ball and it kept falling as they continued to extend their lead throughout the first half and took a 60-37 lead into the lockers.
Kyle Kaemingk (Woodbury, Minn./New Life Academy), Hoilien, and Waldeck each knocked down four three pointers in the first half. As a team, UNW shot 53.3 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. They dominated Martin Luther on the boards as they won the first half battle 31-13. It was also a half of giving as the Eagles had 19 assists with 24 shots made.
Although the Knights found the first bucket of the second half, they would never find a deficit lower than 20 points. The Eagles closed the game, eclipsing 100 points for a final of 112-78 and advanced to the Semifinals.
Overall, the Eagles finished shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 39 percent from the three point line. They continued to dish the ball as they had 31 assists as a team. They finished with 58 rebounds, including 21 offensive boards which resulted in 32 second chance points.
Leading the team in points was Hoilien who finished with 22 while Kaemingk had 21. Waldeck was the third best scorer with 19 points along with a team leading seven assists.
Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) had a strong game on the boards as he had eight rebounds to go with his 15 points.
Henry Fahnbulleh (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) had a double-double with 11 points and 14 boards.
Northwestern will be advancing in the UMAC Tournament on Friday as they host Bethany Lutheran College for some Semifinal action, tip-off is set for 7:30 pm. For all things UNW Men's Basketball, fans can follow along at www.unweagles.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @unwmbb.
