Zach Van Engen (Jr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) scored a career-high 23 points in a superb performance off the bench and the Lakeland College men's basketball team shut down Rockford (Ill.) University defensively for a 66-52 win Thursday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies earned an important Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference win, taking a big step towards qualifying for the conference tournament and staying in contention for a top four seed and a home game in the first round. Lakeland improved to 13-8 overall and is now 9-7 in conference play, currently in a deadlock for fourth with Marian University, which is 8-6 in the NACC.

The Muskies led nearly from start to finish, building a big lead early and holding off a challenge from the guests in the second half by finishing strong. Lakeland closed the game on a 13-2 run, holding the Regents without a field goal over the last 6:43 to gain a split of the season series with Rockford.

Van Engen sparked the offense off the bench in the first half with 11 of his 23 points. His three-pointer midway through the stanza gave the Muskies their biggest lead of the game at 24-7 with 10:01 left in the half, and Lakeland would carry a 36-22 lead into the break.

Van Engen also helped the Muskies set Rockford (6-14 overall, 5-10 NACC) aback in the second half, hitting back-to-back three-pointers, the second with 11:53 left to push the lead back to 15 at 49-34. The Regents didn't go away, though, and trailed just 53-50 after a layup by Jeff McChristy, but got no closer as Lakeland dominated the final minutes. Jacob Servais (So.-Coon Valley, Wis.) had all seven of his points in the final six minutes and Rockford could only muster two free throws the rest of the way.

Van Engen shot 9 of 12 from the field, including 3-for-3 from three-point range, and was the only Muskie in double figures while also adding seven rebounds and four assists. Servais finished with a team-high 10 rebounds and Kurt Jansen (Sr.-Wrightstown, Wis.) shared the team lead with Van Engen for assists with four.

Lakeland shot 47.3% (26 of 55) and just as importantly held Rockford to 25.8% shooting (17 of 66) and also out-rebounded the Regents 45-38. Zach Wallace finished with 16 points and nine rebounds to lead the Regents.

The Muskies get a rare weekend off and will next play Wisconsin Lutheran College on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Milwaukee.