AURORA, Ill. – Aurora University built a 21-point first half lead that proved to be too much to overcome for the Lakeland University men's basketball team in an 87-80 loss Wednesday night at Thornton Gymnasium.

The Muskies cut a big deficit down to four points in the final two minutes but got no closer and saw their three-game winning streak stopped. Lakeland also slipped back into a tie with Milwaukee School of Engineering and Rockford University for fourth place in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference with three games to play in the regular season, after both of those teams won in NACC play Wednesday.

The Spartans split the season series with the Muskies (11-11 overall, 9-8 NACC) by doing much of their work inside. Aurora shot 50% for the game and boasted a huge 54-22 advantage in points in the paint.

The Spartans (8-14 overall, 7-10 NACC) shot 58.3% in the first half, making 21 of 36 shots, and went on a 28-8 run late in the half to take their biggest lead of the game at 45-24. Lakeland chipped some of that margin away just before halftime but trailed 47-33 at the break after shooting 32.4% (11 of 34) over the first 20 minutes.

Aurora continued to hold a double-digit lead much of the second half but the Muskies cut it down to 76-67 on a basket inside by Isaac Anderson (Sr.-Linden, Wis.) with 5 minutes, 12 seconds left. The Spartans were still up 11 with less than two minutes left when Lakeland scored seven straight points, including a four-point play by Eric Jordan (Fr.-Chicago, Ill.) and a three-pointer by Carlos Campos (Sr.-Janesville, Wis.) that made it 81-77 with 1:05 left.

The Spartans scored on their next possession, though, on a layup by Shamar Pumphrey at the end of the shot clock. The freshman guard scored the final of his game-high 25 points, and Aurora closed it out making four straight free throws.

Lakeland made 10 three-pointers and hit 17 triples in the game in 41 attempts (41.5%). The three-point attempts and makes were both season highs, and the 17 threes made was one short of the school single-game record of 18 set against Wisconsin Lutheran College Feb. 26, 2008.

Jordan scored 22 points off the bench and hit seven threes in 12 attempts. Trenton Nickel (Jr.-Kiel, Wis.) also scored 17 points and Campos added 12 points. The Muskies shot 43.1% for the game, making 28 of 65 field goals.

Aurora made 36 of 72 shots from the field and also outrebounded Lakeland 47-32. Michael Finley also scored 14 for the Spartans and Will Hrubes finished with a game-high 13 rebounds.

Lakeland next will play its final home game of the regular season when it welcomes NACC co-leader Benedictine University for Senior Day Saturday at 2 p.m.