CHICAGO – The Lakeland University men's basketball team had a tough shooting day and fell early into too deep of a hole to dig all the way out of in dropping an 82-70 decision to Illinois Institute of Technology Saturday afternoon in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game.
The Muskies shot 29.3% (17 of 58) for the game, their second-lowest shooting percentage of the season, and the Scarlet Hawks earned a split of the teams' season series, turning the tables three weeks after their first meeting. Lakeland won the first matchup 85-67 at home on Jan. 8, but Illinois Tech was in charge virtually the whole way this time and dropped the Muskies to 9-9 overall and 5-6 in the NACC.
The Muskies scored the first basket of the game with a three-pointer by
Kai Buliox (
So.-Milwaukee, Wis.), but never led again as Illinois Tech scored 22 of the game's next 24 points. Lakeland was miserably cold from the field as Buliox's three was the team's lone field goal in the game's first 9 minutes, 22 seconds.
The Muskies continued to struggle throughout the first half, making 6 of 28 shots (21.4%) and the Scarlet Hawks took full advantage. IIT (6-10 overall, 5-5 NACC) shot a sizzling 59.4% (19 of 32), led by as many as 26 points at 43-17 late in the half and carried a comfortable 47-25 lead into halftime.
The struggles continued well into the second half, with Illinois Tech leading by as many as 27 points and still leading 70-46 with less than nine minutes left in the game. Lakeland would make a late push to put some pressure on the Scarlet Hawks, first with a 9-0 run capped by a three-pointer by
Aiden Polzin (
So.-Clintonville, Wis.) to get within 70-55 with 7:26 left.
The Muskies heated up from long range in the second half, making 8 of 17 three-point tries, and would eventually get as close as nine points after another 11-3 run.
Earl Lewis (
Jr.-Madison, Wis.) hit a three with 2:21 left to cut IIT's lead to 77-68, but Lakeland would get no closer, going cold again and missing its next six shots until Lewis's layup with 13 seconds left for the game's final points.
Lewis and Polzin scored 14 points each off the bench to lead the Muskies offensively. Buliox added 13 points including making 10 of 12 free throw attempts.
The Muskies made 12 of 35 three-point tries (34.3%) and also hit 24 of 31 from the foul line (77.4%). Lakeland shot below 30% for the second time this season, including a season-low 27.5% in a loss at UW-Stout Dec. 6.
Caden Gigstad scored 19 points to lead five scoring in double figures for Illinois Tech, which finished shooting 53.7% (29 of 54), its second-best shooting performance of the season behind only hitting 57.1% in a win over Concordia Wisconsin Jan. 15. Kyle Hornacek also added 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds and IIT finished with a 36-31 rebounding advantage as well as a big 38-10 lead in points in the paint.
Lakeland is on the road again Wednesday when it travels to face Milwaukee School of Engineering at 7 p.m. in Milwaukee.
