WAVERLY, Iowa – Men's basketball closed out the season with a crucial 80-61 home victory over Coe College on Saturday, Feb. 22 that clinched a spot in the American Rivers Conference Tournament for the Knights. Wartburg finishes the season 15-10 overall and 8-8 in A-R-C play, while Coe moves to 14-11 overall and 8-8 in A-R-C play.
 
Game Summary

• First Half
  • Coe opened the game with a three pointer before three-straight buckets from the Knights with two scores from Marshun Williams and a layup from Luke Ladwig
  • The game was tied 6-6 after four minutes of play before Coe broke the tie with a layup
    • Isaac Besh gave Wartburg a 9-8 lead after he answered with a three pointer the next possession
  • Minutes later, Ethan Yungtum made a three pointer that sparked a 10-0 Wartburg run that put the Knights ahead 19-8 with 11:54 left in the half
    • Yungtum and Williams each scored five points during the run
  • Austine Bienemann scored the next four Wartburg points, but the Knights were outscored 9-4 over the next three minutes to make the score 23-17 with 8:40 left to play in the first
  • Over the next four minutes, Wartburg pushed its lead to 30-20 with 3:40 left in the half after a Besh three pointer and scores from Bienemann and Yungtum
  • Besh made another three before half to help give Wartburg a 35-22 lead at halftime
• Second Half
  • Williams and Ladwig combined for seven points two minutes into the second half to keep Wartburg in front 42-27
  • Coe began to chip away at the Wartburg lead with an 11-4 run over the next three minutes of play to make the score 46-38 before Yungtum connected on another three pointer to keep the Knights in front 49-38
  • Following a timeout, Coe cut the lead to eight points before Bienemann exploded offensively for the Knights with nine of the team's 11 points in just under four minutes to push Wartburg to a 60-46 lead
    • Bienemann made two three pointers and converted a three-point play during the run
  • Minutes later, Bienemann made another three pointer to give Wartburg a 63-46 lead with 7:52 remaining
  • Coe outscored Wartburg 9-6 over the next three minutes, but still trailed by 14 with 4:47 left to play
  • The Knights closed out the home win with a 11-6 run to make the final score 80-61
    • Gabe Trujillo, Richie Rosenblum, Clay Nielsen, Bienemann and Williams all scored in the final minutes to close out the win

 
Top Performers

• Marshun Williams
  • 23 points
  • Four rebounds
  • Two steals
  • One assist
  • One block
• Austin Bienemann
  • 20 points
  • One rebound
  • One assist
• Ethan Yungtum
  • 12 points
  • Eight rebounds
  • One assist
  • One steal

 
Notes/Streaks

• Knights clinch A-R-C Tournament berth after missing last season
• Wartburg has improved from 3-22 (2-14 A-R-C) a season ago to currently 15-10 (8-8 A-R-C) this season
• First win against Coe since the 2021-22 season
  • Largest margin of defeat against Coe since 2015-16 season
• Williams recorded his 16^th 20+ point performance of the season
• Second time scoring 20 or more points for Bienemann this season
• First game with 10+ made threes as a team in last five games
  • Have made 10 or more threes in 14/25 games this season
• Wartburg led Coe 37-13 in bench points

 
Next Time Out
The Knights will be back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 25 for a first round A-R-C Tournament matchup against Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa at 7 p.m.