PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Asanjai Hunter (Sr.-Racine, Wis.) scored 25 points and Parker Braun (Jr.-Brillion, Wis.) added a career-high 15 points including a big second half as the Lakeland University men's basketball team came back to defeat Martin Luther (Minn.) College 88-83 Friday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

Braun scored 13 points after halftime including the go-ahead hoop plus a pair of big clinching baskets in the final minute. The Muskies rallied after trailing by 17 points in the first half and earned their first win of the season, improving to 1-1 overall.

A game that saw swings of momentum in favor of both teams wound up coming down to the wire with six lead changes and three ties in the final four minutes. Martin Luther (1-2 overall) had come back from nine points down early in the second half to take the lead on three occasions late, the last time on a short jumper in the paint by Luke Fix with 1:34 left in the game.

Lakeland answered with the 10th and final lead change of the game when Braun scored on a driving layup with 1:12 remaining to make it 81-80, and the Knights missed a layup their next time down. The Muskies then ran down the shot clock and Hunter drove into the lane, drove two defenders and Braun popped out at the top of the circle and drained a three-pointer with 26 seconds left to make it 84-80.

Martin Luther's Adam Loberger was fouled with 16 seconds left, and the sophomore who scored a game-high 34 points made the first free throw but missed the second to leave the score at 84-81. Emmitt Konieczny (So.-Marshfield, Wis.) pulled down the rebound and Lakeland broke out quickly, with Peyton Mrotek (Sr.-Luxemburg, Wis.) threw the ball ahead to Braun, who threw down a two-handed dunk to effectively put the game away. Loberger hit a rebound basket with three seconds left to cut it to three, but Konieczny made two free throws with 1.3 seconds left for the game's final points.

Martin Luther led almost the entire first half and ran out to a 34-17 lead with 7:32 left in the period, capping a 20-4 run with a layup on the fast break by Trey Lauber. The Knights still led 36-19 after two free throws by Luke Fix, but a defensive switch to some token pressure combined with improved shooting helped the Muskies get back in the game

Lakeland went on an 18-3 run of its own to get within 40-37 in the final minute of the half after a three-pointer by Gage Cornell (Sr.-Manitowoc, Wis.). MLC hit a three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to go ahead 43-37 at the break and Loberger scored the first bucket of the second half to push the guests' lead to eight, but the Muskies followed with another big run to take control.

Lakeland outscored Martin Luther 25-8 over a stretch of just over 4 1/2 minutes to turn an eight-point deficit into a nine-point lead. The Muskies started out missing 14 of their first 15 three-point shots but hit their final two of the first half and then knocked down four in the early second half spurt, with Braun hitting a pair and Mrotek hitting to cap the run and make it 62-53 with 15:06 to play.

Hunter scored 17 of his 25 points in the first half and also added six rebounds, six assists and three steals. Jaxson Dillon (Sr.-Menasha, Wis.) also scored 15 points and Mrotek added 11 points.

The Muskies finished shooting 41.5% (34 of 82), including finishing 10 of 31 from three-point range (32.3%). Lakeland also committed just five turnovers, 12 less than MLC's 17 turnovers, and turned it into a 21-4 advantage in points off turnovers.

Loberger scored 34 points for the Knights, including 15 of 17 from the free throw line, plus 13 rebounds. Trey Lauber also scored 14 points off the bench for Martin Luther, which shot 45.6% (26 of 57) but hit just 6 of 21 from three-point range (28.6%).

Lakeland plays its second home game in two days tomorrow when it hosts the University of Northwestern (Minn.) at 3 p.m.