NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College men's basketball team defeated Finlandia 80-72 in a non-conference game Sunday afternoon.

The Knights started strong and held a 38-33 halftime lead, but the the Lions answered with a strong start to the second half and took a 43-42 lead with 14:18 to play in the game.

MLC responded with an 11-2 run pushed the lead as high as 12 points. The Lions cut the deficit to two (70-68) with 3:28 to play, but Ian Paulsen and Richard Eckmann answered with driving lay-ups to extend the lead back to six to help the Knights secure the win.

Austin DeNoyer had a big day for MLC, tying a career high (set Saturday) with 24 points on 9-11 shooting from the field. He also tied a career-high with 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.

Three other MLC players finished in double figures, led by Nate Lindloff with 17 points. Lindloff made five of his 11 attempts from beyond the three-point arc. Eckmann added 16 points, while Paulsen finished with 14 points, four assists and seven rebounds. 

MLC improved to 3-17 with the win. The Lions fell to 4-15 in defeat.

The Knights will return to action on Wednesday, January 31, when they host North Central in a game scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.