The Muskies and Knights have become familiar foes in recent years, with this being the fifth straight year the teams will have played and all but one of their meetings coming since 2012. Lakeland has largely held the upper hand in the series but Martin Luther won last year's meeting 91-79 on Nov. 19, 2024 on its home court in New Ulm, Minn., as Adam Loberger scored 36 points for MLC. The Muskies won the last time the teams met at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium, coming back from four points down in the final minute of regulation and prevailing 100-90 in overtime on Nov. 21, 2023. Lakeland won the first five meetings in the series, including a 67-52 win in the first-ever meeting Nov. 20, 2004 in Minneapolis, MInn., in the Bethel University Tip-Off Tournament.

Lakeland last time out: Lost to Lawrence 93-79 last Friday
The Muskies opened their season at home one week ago but were defeated by the Vikings, who shot 73.1% in the second half and pulled away down the stretch. Lakeland started the game fast, taking a 12-3 lead less than three minutes in, but Lawrence took the lead by midway through the first half and led most of the rest of the way in a game that was never the less close most of the night. Asanjai Hunter and Peyton Mrotek scored 17 points each to lead five Muskies scoring in double figures, with Jaxson Dillon (15), Parker Braun (11) and Tim Ward (11) also all reaching that mark. Lakeland made 11 three-pointers and committed just 10 turnovers while turning 19 Lawrence turnovers into a big 23-3 advantage in points off turnovers, but the Muskies shot just 8 of 19 from the free throw line and the Vikings finished hitting 55.2% from the field.

Martin Luther last time out: Defeated St. Mary's (Minn.) 88-81 Tuesday
The Knights won for the first time this season, rallying from a three-point halftime deficit to defeat the Cardinals. Martin Luther shot 60% in the second half and also made all 13 of its free throws in the final 20 minutes on the way to making 18 of 19 from the line for the game. Adam Loberger scored 29 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Benjamin Pearson added 15 points and nine rebounds. MLC improved to 1-1 against Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams early in the season after falling to Augsburg (Minn.) at the buzzer in its opener last Friday.

Martin Luther finished 8-17 overall last year and posted a 3-11 record in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. The Knights lost six games by six points or less and boasted one of the better scorers in NCAA Division III in Loberger, who averaged 20.3 points per game as a freshman and scored in double figures in all 25 games.