PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Lakeland University men's basketball team attempted to rally from a double-digit for the second straight game but was unable to get over the hump in a 90-82 loss to the University of Northwestern (Minn.) Saturday afternoon at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies spent most of the game in chase mode and whittled substantial leads down to four points on a number of occasions but could get no closer in dropping to 1-2 on the season. Northwestern earned its first win of the season and improved to 1-2.

Less than 24 hours after coming back from 17 points down to defeat Martin Luther (Minn.) College, Lakeland trailed by as many as 15 points Saturday against MLC's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference rival. The Eagles took control of the game with a 15-3 run in the early stages of the first half to go ahead 19-8 on Jonah Burnett's jumper with 11:23 left in the half, and UNW would never trail again in the game.

Northwestern led by as many as 13 points before the Muskies closed back within four at 25-21 after a tip-in by Peyton Mrotek (Sr.-Luxemburg, Wis.) with 5:55 left in the first half. The Eagles upped the lead to 15 with a 13-2 run capped by a jumper by Japheth Nyamari, and Northwestern took a 40-29 lead into halftime after an opening 20 minutes when Lakeland shot just 31.4% (11 of 35).

The Eagles largely maintained their lead and went up by 14 on four different occasions before the Muskies made some headway midway through the second half. A quick 7-0 run included four points by Asanjai Hunter (Sr.-Racine, Wis.) and then a three-pointer by R.J. Hines Jr. (Jr.-Gainesville, Fla.) to close within 61-56 with 11:02 left in the game.

The teams traded baskets for the next four minutes but Northwestern then used a 9-0 spurt to go ahead 76-62 on Burnett's layup with 5:14 left. Lakeland chipped away in the final minutes and drew within four on two occasions in the last minute, the last time when Hunter made two free throws with 26 seconds left, but the Eagles finished making eight straight free throws in the last minute to salt the game away.

Hunter scored a game-high 26 points, including making 10 of 12 free throws, and added seven rebounds and six assists. Mrotek also scored 17, Hines added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench and freshman Max Justic (Chicago, Ill.) also scored 11 points off the bench.

Lakeland finished shooting 37.0%, making 27 of 73 shots, including 10 of 35 from three-point range (28.6%). The Muskies also made 18 of 24 foul shots (75.0%).

Nyamari led Northwestern with 23 points and 10 rebounds and was one of five to score in double figures. Former Marquette University lacrosse player Will Foster, a graduate transfer to UNW this year, also added 17 points. The Eagles shot 45.5% (30 of 66) and hit 26 of 30 from the free throw line (86.7%).

Lakeland goes on the road for its next game Tuesday night at Ripon College at 7:30 p.m.