NEW ULM, Minn. – The Northland College Men's Basketball team fell 66-82 to Martin Luther College in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference contest Saturday afternoon in New Ulm, Minn.
 
Damian Cejka started the scoring for the LumberJacks with a layup. Donovan Washington followed by scoring the next points for NC, tying the game at four. A nine-point run by the Knights allowed them to pull ahead. Tyler Tuura ended the rally with a 2-for-2 performance at the free-throw line. Shortly after, MLC took its first double-digit lead of the game. The Knights continued to go on small runs, but the Jacks responded with a single basket each time. Late in the first half, Ian McFaggen hit Northland's first three-pointer. Hayden Harmoning added a pair of free throws to close out the half.
 
Northland began to gain ground in the second half with a 7-3 run. The LumberJacks followed that up with a seven-point rally, with contributions from Cejka and Stephen Kesti, cutting the lead to 13. Points were traded back and forth, but MLC's lead grew back to 19 with under nine minutes remaining. Harmoning sparked another Northland rally with two made free throws, followed by four points from Jahlani Thornton. Ari Pierson connected on a three-pointer to bring the Jacks within 12. However, an 11-point run by MLC sealed the game, as they went on to win 82-66.
 
Thornton led the Jacks both offensively and defensively with 18 points and nine rebounds. He shot 7-for-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. Cejka and Washington finished with nine and eight points, respectively. Grant Vessey scored his first collegiate points on the final shot of the game. The Jacks blocked three shots, with Thornton, Kesti, and Washington each recording one.
 
The Jacks play next on Wednesday at home when they host the University of Northwestern at 5:30 p.m.
 
Northland College is an NCAA Division III institution located in Ashland, WI. The LumberJacks and LumberJills sponsor 14 varsity sports and compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.