ASHLAND, Wis. – The Northland College Men's Basketball team was defeated 66-85 by the University of Northwestern in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play on Wednesday night in Ashland, Wis.
 
It was a low-scoring start to the game, with Northwestern scoring six points in the first four minutes. Stephen Kesti got the Jacks on the board with a layup in the paint, assisted by Donovan Washington. The basket kick-started a seven-point rally, which Kesti capped off with another layup. Damian Cejka hit the team's first three-pointer to tie the game at 10. The Eagles responded with a three of their own, but Cejka connected from deep again, leveling the score at 13. Points continued to trade back and forth until UNW started to gain some separation. With just over five minutes remaining, the Eagles had an eight-point lead. Ian McFaggen cut the lead down to five with his first triple, and Cejka converted another three-pointer to end the half, but NC would trail 42-30.
 
Finnley Powell scored the first points for the Jacks in the second half with a three-pointer to stop a four-point run. A layup by Jahlani Thornton, followed by a deep-ball from Cejka, brought the lead to single digits. However, it wouldn't last long, as the Eagles went on several small rallies that the Jacks could not match. Northwestern found themselves up by 20 with eight minutes remaining. The hole was too deep to climb out of, as Northland fell 66-85.
 
After connecting from behind the arc five times, Cejka led the Jacks with 17 points. Hayden Harmoning and McFaggen finished behind him with nine points each. Thornton and Kesti rounded out the top five, adding eight points each. Thornton led the team with five rebounds, while Powell grabbed four. Ari Pierson recorded the team's sole block.
 
The Jacks begin the second half of UMAC play as they travel to the University of Minnesota Morris on Saturday for a 1 p.m. start.
 
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.