MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Lakeland University men's basketball team improved to 3-1 on the season with a 104-94 win over North Central (Minn.) University Friday afternoon.
The Muskies won their third straight game and won for the second time in three games played in the state of Minnesota this season. Lakeland also improved to 2-1 against Upper Midwest Athletic Conference teams this season, with wins over North Central and Martin Luther (Minn.) College and a loss to Crown (Minn.) College.
The Muskies led most of the way, taking the lead for good on a basket by
Greg Barber (
Sr.-Miami, Fla.) for a 15-14 lead with 13 minutes, 37 seconds left in the first half. Lakeland would lead by as many as 15 points in the first half before taking a 56-45 lead into the halftime break.
The host Rams (0-3 overall) would briefly close back within five points on three occasions early in the second half, the last time at 65-60 when Micah Filer made a jumper with 16:07 left in the game. The Muskies would score the next eight points and would eventually lead by as much as 17, with North Central getting no closer than seven points the rest of the way.
Cam Jaeger (
So.-Oostburg, Wis.) and
Travis Kohlmann (
Fr.-Kiel, Wis.) both scored 21 points each to lead Lakeland. Jaeger made 6 of 13 from the field and 7 of 8 from the foul line, while Kohlmann came off the bench to hit five three-pointers and add five rebounds and four assists.
Aiden Polzin (
So.-Clintonville, Wis.) added 14 points,
Earl Lewis (
Jr.-Madison, Wis.) contributed 12 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Barber made it five Muskies in double figures with 10 points plus a game highs of 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Lakeland shot 44.3%, making 35 of 79 shots, and also hit 16 of 42 from three-point range (38.1%). The Muskies also outrebounded North Central 42-39 and hit 18 of 21 from the free throw line (85.7%).
Justin Castro scored 23 points to lead the Rams, who also featured five players scoring in double figures. North Central shot 47.4% (37 of 78) but went to the free throw line just 12 times, making eight (66.7%).
Lakeland will take to the road again Tuesday when it travels to face the University of Wisconsin-Stout at 7 p.m. in Menomonie, Wis.
