ASHLAND, Wis. - The Martin Luther College men's basketball team lost 76-65 at Northland College on Saturday.

The Knights started strong and led 20-17 at the midway point of the first half, but the LumberJacks made a run in the final 10 minutes of the half to take a 76-65 lead into the break.

MLC kept within striking distance throughout the second half, but were unable to cut the deficit lower than nine in the final minutes before Northland closed out the win.

The Knights shot 47.3 percent from the field compared to 49.0 percent for the LumberJacks, but were outscored 21-10 at the free throw line, and 21-9 from beyond the three-point arc. 

Richard Eckmann led MLC with 17 points on 7-12 shooting from the field, and also led the team with nine rebounds. 

Jack Heichelbech and Jonathan Riebe joined Eckmann in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

MLC fell to 5-12 on the season and 2-6 in UMAC play in defeat. Northland improved to 7-11 overall and 5-4 in league play with the win.

The Knights will return to action on Wednesday, January 23, when they host Bethany Lutheran in a game scheduled to tip off at 7:15 p.m.