DE PERE, Wis. – St. Norbert College's Jack Pettit scored the go-ahead hoop with 1:42 left in the game and the Lakeland University men's basketball team lost a hard-fought 65-61 decision Wednesday night in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play.

The Muskies lost their second straight conference contest and dropped to 3-3 overall while the Green Knights won their first-ever game as a member of the NACC. St. Norbert also prevailed in the renewal of one of Lakeland's longest-running series, one dating back to the Muskies' first season of basketball in 1933-34 but that has been largely dormant of late with just one meeting in the previous 26 years.

The teams' first contest since 2010 was a drama-filled grinder down the stretch, with six ties and eight lead changes just in the final 13 minutes. After a layup by Aiden Polzin (So.-Clintonville, Wis.) trimmed the St. Norbert lead to 42-39 with 13:02 to play, the teams were separated by no more than three points at any point until the Green Knights sored the game's final points for a four-point lead with 25 seconds left.

The Muskies took a 57-56 lead with 4:17 left in the game on a three-pointer by Cam Jaeger (So.-Oostburg, Wis.) for what turned out to be their final lead of the game. St. Norbert's Jacob Bolwerk hit a three-pointer a minute later to put his team ahead, but Lakeland still tied the game twice more, the last time on a jumper by Travis Kohlmann (Fr.-Kiel, Wis.) tying it at 61-61 with 2:11 to play.

The Green Knights took the lead on their next possession with Pettit driving and scoring late in the shot clock for a 63-61 lead. The Muskies would finish on a sour note, missing their final six shot attempts, including two with a chance to tie or take the lead. St. Norbert would get a rebound putback by Carson Talbert with 25 seconds left for the final margin and Lakeland missed four shots in the final 11 seconds.

The Muskies overcame a 12-point deficit late in the first half to get in position in the second half. After Lakeland took an 8-2 lead in the game's early stages, the Green Knights established control and led 34-22 late in the half before the Muskies closed with eight straight points to trail 34-30 at the half.

Lakeland was playing for just the second time in 19 days and was held to a season-low 61 points. The Muskies shot 39.0% from the field, making 23 of 59 shots, including 10 of 34 from three-point range (29.4%).

Jaeger scored a game-high 19 points, making 7 of 13 from the field. Polzin also scored 15 points and Matt Sechman (Sr.-Chicago, Ill.) added nine points and a team-high seven rebounds off the bench. Jequan Pegeese (Sr.-Beloit, Wis.) also added five assists in his season debut.

St. Norbert shot 37.9% (25 of 66) but finished with a 43-38 rebounding advantage. Bolwerk scored 15 points to lead four Green Knights in double figures and Pettit added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Lakeland is next on the road Saturday when it travels to face Dominican University at 4:15 p.m. in River Forest, Ill.