ASHLAND, Wis. –Tanner Hackl (Sr.-West De Pere, Wis.) scored 19 points and the Lakeland College men's basketball team fought off Northland College for a 59-55 win in a non-conference game Thursday night.

Two nights after the Muskies lit it up for 114 points, they were held to just over half that. Lakeland led the entire second half but weathered some nervous moments against the winless LumberJacks to improve to 6-3 overall.

Northland dropped to 0-10 but gave another opponent a tough game, losing for the sixth time this year by 10 points or less and the third time by five or less. Lakeland shot just 37.9% (22 of 58) and also was outrebounded 44-39, but also limited the LumberJacks to 33.9% shooting (20 of 59).

The Muskies led by 12 after Joshuan McNeal (So.-Chicago, Ill.) hit a three-pointer to cap an 8-0 spurt to make it 46-34 with 9:35 left in the game. The LumberJacks refused to go away, though, chipping away and cutting the lead all the way down to one point after a layup by Bryshaun Brown made it 53-52 with 36 seconds remaining.

Northland had possession with a chance to take the lead after Brandon James (So.-Rockford, Ill.) missed a layup, but James made up for it with a steal with 14 seconds left and fed McNeal for a layup to make it 55-52.

The final 10 seconds then a series of fouls committed by both teams, with the hosts attempting to get possession back and the Muskies aiming to keep the LumberJacks from shooting a three-pointer. Northland made a pair to cut the deficit to one, but Pat McDonald (Fr.-Port Washington, Wis.) made two free throws. The LumberJacks then made one of two before James added two more with one second remaining to close out the game.

Northland held the largest lead by either team in a close first half, going ahead by six points in the early minutes before Lakeland settled in. The Jacks held their last lead by a point late in the half before Hackl triggered a 6-0 run to make it 25-20, on the way to the Muskies taking a 29-25 halftime lead.

McDonald scored 12 points and James added 10, while no other Muskie scored more than six points. James also added seven rebounds and Hackl chipped in six boards plus a game-high three steals.

Brown led Northland with 12 points and added eight rebounds and three assists. Thomas Whiting also registered 10 points and 10 rebounds for the LumberJacks, NCAA Division III members of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference.

Lakeland now gets a break over Christmas and will next take the court Dec. 30 when it travels to face Finlandia (Mich.) University in Hancock, Mich., at 3 p.m. Central time.