MADISON, Wis. – Lakeland University nearly rallied from a 14-point deficit in the final five minutes but ran out of time in a 71-69 loss at Edgewood College Wednesday night in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference men's basketball game.

The Muskies had a three-point attempt to win at the buzzer but dropped their fourth straight in conference in January, including their third straight by four points or less. Lakeland is now 6-8 overall and slipped to 4-5 in NACC play as it nears the midway point on the league loop.

Edgewood earned a split of the season series between the teams, avenging a 74-71 loss to the Muskies less than a month earlier on Dec. 20, 2019. The Eagles (4-10 overall, 3-6 NACC) led for the final 30 minutes in this one, building a 38-27 halftime lead and going ahead by as many as 17 at 46-29 early in the second half.

Lakeland continued to trail by double digits almost exclusively in the second half and was down 14 again after an Avery Lyons jumper for Edgewood made it 66-52 with 4 minutes, 55 seconds left. The Muskies would finish the game on a 17-5 run, though, holding the Eagles to one field goal over the final 4:19.

Isaac Anderson (Sr.-Linden, Wis.), Zach Hasenstein (Jr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) and Trenton Nickel (Jr.-Kiel, Wis.) all hit three-pointers and Hasenstein also made six free throws late. Two came with 25 seconds left to slice Edgewood's lead to 70-67, and after the Eagles' Jacob Miller split two foul shots Hasenstein made two more from the line to make it 71-69 with six seconds to play.

Edgewood's Ben Seefeld was then fouled with five seconds left but he missed the front end of a one-and-one. The Muskies had a final three-point try to win but it was off target.

Lakeland was cool from the field, shooting 37.3% (25 of 67). The Muskies also committed 13 turnovers, their highest total since a loss at Benedictine University in November, and Edgewood scored 17 points off Lakeland turnovers.

Hasenstein led Lakeland with 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Nickel also scored 15 points, hitting 3 of 4 from three-point range, Anderson also scored 14 and added five assists and three blocked shots, and Jequan Pegeese (Jr.-Beloit, Wis.) added 12 points.

Seefeld scored a game-high 22 points and Ryan Buss added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds for Edgewood, which shot 44.1% (30 of 68).

The Muskies now are home for four of their next five games, starting Saturday against Milwaukee School of Engineering. Game time at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium will be 2 p.m., and Lakeland will be looking to even the season series with the Raiders after a loss at MSOE Jan. 4.