NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College men's basketball team came out on the wrong end of a back-and-forth battle with Lakeland University in a 79-73 defeat on Saturday.

The game went back and forth throughout, with 13 ties and nine lead changes over the course of 40 minutes. 

Lakeland took a 43-38 halftime lead, but MLC opened the second half with a 10-5 run to tie the game 48-48. 

The Knights finally took the lead for the first time in the second half on a Joseph Hirsch layup with 4:24 to play in the game, and still held on to a 73-71 lead with two minutes remaining. 

The Muskies took control from there, holding the Knights scoreless over the final two minutes while making eight straight free throws on the other end to finish the game on an 8-0 run and escape with the win.

MLC shot a better percentage from the field (45.8 to 34.2 percent) and from beyond the three-point arc (38.1 to 26.5 percent), but Lakeland made up the difference by creating and taking advantage of extra possessions. The Muskies outscored the Knights 17-8 in off turnovers, and also held a 16-6 edge in second-chance points.

Hirsch had a big day for the Knights with 19 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists. Micah Kieselhorst added 14 points, while Ezra Blumer and Jack Heichelbech joined them in double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Blumer also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. 

MLC fell to 0-2 to start the season with the loss, while Lakeland improved to 1-1 with the win.

The Knights will return to action on Tuesday, November 9, when they host Macalester College in a game scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.