NEW ULM, Minn. – Greg Barber (Sr.-Miami, Fla.) came off the bench for career highs of 16 points and 13 rebounds and the Lakeland University men's basketball team picked up its first win of the season with a 79-73 victory at Martin Luther (Minn.) College Saturday afternoon.

Barber made two free throws with 28 seconds left in the game for the go-ahead points and the Muskies scored the final eight points of a game that was close the entire way. Lakeland bounced back after a loss to Crown (Minn.) College the night before to move to 1-1 on the season.

The Muskies found a way despite shooting just 34.2% (26 of 76) from the field, and much of that way included rebounding. Lakeland out-boarded the Knights (0-2 overall) 48-39, including 20 offensive rebounds, including Barber pulling down seven offensive caroms, and the result was the Muskies attempted 17 more shots than the hosts.

Neither team could shake the other throughout in a game that featured 13 ties and 10 lead changes. The final in both of those categories came in the game's final two minutes, first with Lakeland knotting the score at 73-73 after Aiden Polzin (Fr.-Clintonville, Wis.) made two free throws with 1 minute, 49 seconds remaining.

Both teams missed opportunities over the next minute plus, with the Muskies going empty on two trips down and Martin Luther committing a turnover and then missing the front end of a one-and-one free throw chance. MLC would turn it over again with 35 seconds left with a steal by Travis Kohlmann (Fr.-Kiel, Wis.), and Barber eventually was fouled after initially missing a free throw but grabbing the offensive board.

Barber made both free throws for a 75-73 lead and the Knights missed a go-ahead three-point try with 16 seconds left. Cam Jaeger (So.-Oostburg, Wis.) then rebounded and made two foul shots with 11 seconds left, and MLC missed again and Barber hit two free throws with two seconds left for the final margin.

Lakeland led most of the second half and by as much as seven with 13:55 left before Martin Luther closed back in. The Knights eventually tied it with 4:53 left and then took the lead the next time down, edging back in front each time as the teams were tied three more times late until Barber's go-ahead free throws.

The Muskies led 43-38 at halftime after an opening frame where MLC took an early six-point lead before Lakeland rallied in a half which included eight ties. Jaeger and Tylan Huff (So.-Milwaukee, Wis.) scored 13 points each and Barber added 10 points in the opening 20 minutes.

Jaeger scored a game-high 21 points and Huff added 17. Barber's totals off the bench included 4 of 7 shooting, a perfect 6-for-6 mark from the line plus four steals.

Joseph Hirsch led Martin Luther with 19 points and Micah Kieselhorst added 14 points as four scored in double figures for the Knights, who shot 45.8% (27 of 59) but committed 17 turnovers.

Lakeland now gets ready for its home opener on Wednesday when it welcomes Finlandia (Mich.) University for a 5 p.m. tip in the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.