The Lakeland University men's basketball team shot just 33.9% but found other ways to stay undefeated in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, earning a 73-69 home victory over Marian University Saturday afternoon.

The Muskies did good work at the free throw line and on the boards in defeating their neighbors from down Highway 23 for the third straight time in less than a year. Lakeland also moved to 4-0 in the NACC (5-2 overall), remaining tied with Concordia University Wisconsin for first in the conference early in the loop schedule.

Lakeland made 24 of 28 shots from the free throw line, shooting 85.7% for the game, including making their first 20 foul shots for the game. Shakur Jinad (Jr.-Chicago, Ill.) drilled 14 of 15 from the stripe, and the Muskies posted a 24-5 advantage in points from the line.

Lakeland also outrebounded Marian 43-35, including 14 offensive rebounds. Eric Nygaard (Sr.-Plymouth, Wis.) and Garrett Duffin (Sr.-Princeton, Ill.) both finished with double-doubles, and the Muskies' advantage on the glass was punctuated with sequences in both halves were they grabbed multiple offensive boards and eventually converted.

The details mattered as Lakeland stayed a step ahead of the Sabres (2-5 overall, 1-4 NACC) down the stretch. The Muskies' lead was no more than one possession for most of the final five minutes until Duffin split two free throws with seven seconds left for the final margin, but Marian never could get back over the hump once Lakeland took the lead for good on two freebies by Jinad making it 54-53 with 8 minutes 58 seconds left in the game.

The Sabres cut an eight-point deficit to one on a layup by Tavaris McCullough with 3:34 to play, but Jinad followed with two free throws to push the lead back to three. Marian got back within two on three occasions, but on all three split trips to the foul line. The Sabres' final chance to tie came after Jinad's first miss from the line in 15 attempts came with 22 seconds left, but Duffin's steal with nine seconds left and then ensuing free throw sewed up the win.

The teams were tied six times and traded the lead on nine occasions. Marian took an early 18-14 lead midway through the first half, but Lakeland came back with nine straight points to go ahead, and then finished the half on an 11-4 run with Zach Hasenstein (So.-Sheboygan, Wis.) banging in his fourth three-pointer of the half for a 37-30 lead at the intermission.

Jinad finished with 23 points plus seven rebounds, Nygaard scored 12 points to go with 13 rebounds and Duffin added 11 points and 10 boards. Hasenstein also scored 15 points.

The Muskies made just 20 of 59 shots from the field, while Marian shot 45.3% (29 of 64). Tyrese Pinson scored 20 points and added five rebounds and a game-high seven assists to lead the Sabres.

Lakeland is home for its next game Wednesday when it hosts another neighboring school with Silver Lake College of Manitowoc coming to the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium for a 7 p.m. tip.