MILWAUKEE – The Lakeland University men's basketball team couldn't get started on offense, shooting 38.2% from the field in a 68-55 loss to Milwaukee School of Engineering Wednesday night at the Kern Center.

The Muskies made just 21 of 55 shots on the night, including 3 of 14 from three-point range, and were held to a season-low point total in seeing their postseason hopes take a hit. Lakeland is now 8-13 overall, and at 6-11 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference is now two games out of the sixth and final spot in the NACC Tournament with three regular season conference games to play.

The Muskies played from behind the entire second half, briefly trimming a five-point halftime deficit to three early in the second half before the Raiders (10-11 overall, 9-8 NACC) slowly pulled away. Lakeland never got closer than eight points in the final 11 minutes as it shot just 10 of 28 (35.7%) in the second half.

Lakeland led briefly several times in the first half minutes, but never by more than two points. The last lead came when Brandon James (Jr.-Rockford, Ill.) hit a jumper to make it 16-15 with 4:23 left in the first half, but the Raiders then went on a 9-0 run and would eventually go on to lead 28-23 at halftime, even after James hit a three-pointer in the final seconds.

James scored 23 points and made 8 of 15 field goals plus all four of his free throws. Joshuan McNeal (Jr.-Chicago, Ill.) added 11 points, but no other Muskie scored more than seven points. Mark Gryszkiewicz (Sr.-Sussex, Wis.) also added 10 rebounds to go along with six points and three steals.

MSOE was led by Matthew Kirmse, who came off the bench to score 14 points, including three three-pointers. The Raiders shot 44.4% for the game, hitting 24 of 54 shot attempts.

Lakeland is on the road Saturday when it travels to face Illinois Institute of Technology at 2 p.m. in Chicago for a non-conference game.