ERIC THIELE STAFF WRITER
Led by a balanced attack on the offensive end of the floor, the Knights dispatched the Simpson Storm by a final score of 85-71 Saturday.
“I thought we played very well offensively and that we were very efficient in the first half,” head coach Dick Peth said.
The Knights scored 40 points in the first half and followed with a strong 45-point second half. The Knights shot 51.7 percent from the field for the game.
The Knights also combined for 21 assists.
“Our point guards did a great job of setting up our shooters,” Peth said.
The Knights had four players in double figures and were led by Cole Danielson, who had 20 points, 15 of which came from beyond the arc. Ross Timmermans added 16 points for the Knights.
Jordan Sathoff helped the Knights with 14 points and seven rebounds.
It was a tale of two halves for the men’s team as they took on Buena Vista last Wednesday. The Knights struggled in the second half, falling to the Beavers 89-79.
The Knights were in control throughout the first half. With solid defensive play good three-point shooting, the Knights were up 11 at the half.
In the first half the Knights shot 43.8 percent from beyond the arc and converted seven treys while the defense held the Beavers to 41.2 percent shooting.
Coming out of the locker room changed the game completely. The Beavers came out on fire and determined to set the tone on the defensive end of the floor.
The Beavers hung around the whole second half and took the lead for good with just over five minutes left in the game.
The Beavers held the Knights to a mere 29 points in the second half while scoring 50 of their own.
The Beavers shot 62.1 percent in the second half, including 10-15 from three-point land. The Knights were held to 37.9 percent shooting in the second half, and shot only 21.4 percent from behind the arc.
The Beavers also dominated the Knights in rebounding, outdoing the Knights 42-27 on the glass.
The Knights were led by Kelly McCarville, who had 18 points and six rebounds while dishing out four assists. Danielson added 16 points.
Looking ahead, Peth said that team wants to see consistency at every position and every play. He doesn’t want his team to try and take any shortcuts.
The Knights will try and keep consistent as they head to Decorah on Wednesday to take on Luther with tip-off set for 8 p.m.
Photo: Kelly McCarville dribbles past a Simpson defender en route to a Knight's victory on Saturday. Photo by Amanda Gahler