WAVERLY, Iowa – Men's basketball returned home for the first time in 24 days, where the Knights fell to Cornell College 79-71 on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
 
Game Summary

• First Half
  • Austin Bienemann got the scoring started for Wartburg with a three pointer in the first minute of play followed by a Marshun Williams score in the paint
    • A Richie Rosenblum three pointer made the score 8-6 after three minutes of play
  • The Knights continued to hold on to a 17-12 lead with 12:40 left in the half after a 7-2 run led by an Ethan Yungtum three pointer and baskets from Isaac Besh and Williams
  • Cornell retook the lead, but two more three balls from Yungtum led Wartburg to a 10-4 run to put the Knights in front 27-22 with 6:44 left in the half
  • The Rams tied the game back up at 30 with just over five minutes remaining in the first
  • Luke Ladwig and Williams both scored in the paint, but Cornell took a 37-34 lead into halftime
• Second Half
  • Cornell scored the first seven points of the second half to take its largest lead of the game to that point (44-34) Bienemann slashed in the paint for score to stop the run
  • The Rams lead grew to as many as 14 despite a three pointer from Williams and layups from both Ladwig and Drake Wemark during the run
  • Cornell led 60-44 with 11:36 left to play before Williams and Wemark made back-to-back three pointers to cut the lead to 10
  • The Knights continued to fight back into the game and finally cut the lead under 10 with 3:39 to go after Rosenblum nailed a three pointer
  • Bienemann scored five of the Knights' final seven points, but Cornell was able to hold off Wartburg 79-71

 
Top Performers

• Marshun Williams
  • 19 points
  • 10 rebounds
  • Two assists
• Austin Bienemann
  • 18 points
  • Three rebounds
  • One block
  • One steal
• Ethan Yungtum
  • 11 points
  • Nine rebounds
  • One block

 
Notes/Streaks

• The Knights are now 0-2 against Cornell this season
• Career-high in scoring today from Bienemann
• Ninth game this season with 10+ made threes as a team
• Williams recorded his fourth double double of the season
• Five different Knights made a three today
  • Williams, Bienemann, Rosenblum, Yungtum and Wemark
• Wartburg held a 38-35 advantage in rebounding, including 8-4 in offensive rebounds

 
Next Time Out
The Knights are in action next on Saturday, Jan. 4 on the road against Simpson College at 4 p.m.