NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College men's basketball team lost on a heart-breaking buzzer beater to Northland College 75-74 on Saturday.

The Knights led for much of the way, building a 38-33 lead and then pushing that lead into double figures early in the second half thanks to three Ethan Eisenmann lay-ups.

The Lumberjacks came back, however, and took their first lead of the second half at 67-64 with 6:35 to play in the game.

The teams traded the lead back and forth in the final minutes, and Ian Paulsen gave the Knights a 74-73 lead with a pull-up jumper with 6.2 seconds to play. The Lumberjacks would get the last word, however, as Ryan Rawlings closed a brilliant second half with a running jump shot over a set MLC defense that dropped as the buzzer sounded to give Northland the one-point win.

The Lumberjacks entered the game making an average of eight three-point field goals per game, but made 14 against the Knights and shot 37.8 percent from downtown. MLC answered with an inside scoring attack that out-scored Northland 46-16 in the paint and finished the game shooting 52.4 percent.

Paulsen and Eisenmann each finished with 19 points for the Knights. Pauulsen also added nine rebounds and seven assists. Josh Tomlin dished out six assists. 

Rawlings finished the game with 17 points, inclduing 14 points in the second half.

MLC fell to 4-15 on the season and 1-10 in UMAC play in defeat. Northland improved to 5-15 overall and 2-9 in league play with the win.

The Knights will return to action on Wednesday, February 5, when they host Crown College in a game scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.