PLYMOUTH, Wis. –
Aiden Polzin (
So.-Clintonville, Wis.),
Christian Knox (
Sr.-Ypsilanti, Mich.) and
Kai Buliox (
So.-Milwaukee, Wis.) combined for 58 points and the Lakeland University men's basketball team topped Lake Forest (Ill.) College 98-72 in both teams' season opener Tuesday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
Polzin scored 21 points, newcomer Knox tallied 19 and Buliox added 18 in the Muskies' wire-to-wire win. Lakeland scored the first 10 points of the game and never looked back in winning the first meeting between the teams since the 2012 season opener.
The Muskies shot 54.5% for the game, making 36 of 66 shots, including a scorching-hot start. Lakeland made 14 of its first 18 shots, shooting 77.8% over the first 9 1/2 minutes, and a layup by
Asanjai Hunter (
Fr.-Racine, Wis.) gave the hosts a 37-21 lead with still 10:34 left in the opening half.
The teams spent much of the rest of the first half trading baskets and rarely missing, with Lakeland shooting 60.6% (20 of 33) in the first 20 minutes in taking a 56-42 halftime lead. The Foresters actually shot even better, making 18 of 28 field goals (64.3%), but the Muskies hit eight three-pointers in the opening half to Lake Forest's one.
The Foresters briefly made runs several times in the second half but Lakeland always had an answer. Lake Forest got its closest on a layup by Johnny Roeser making it 71-61 with 10:49 left, but Hunter came back with another layup and
Travis Kohlmann (
So.-Kiel, Wis.) made an off-balance three-pointer to push the lead back to 15. Roeser's three-point play with 7:26 left closed the guests back within 79-68, but the Muskies scored the next eight points and closed the game on a 19-4 run.
Polzin made 8 of 15 shots, including 5 of 8 from three-point range. Knox made 7 of 12 from the field and Buliox hit 4 of 6 shots and also 9 of 10 from the free throw line. Kohlmann also added 11 points,
Tylan Huff (
Jr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) scored nine and
Caleb Fuller (
Jr.-Oshkosh, Wis.) added seven points and four rebounds off the bench.
Buliox also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds as Lakeland outrebounded Lake Forest 40-31.
Isaiah Hammond (
So.-Milwaukee, Wis.) also added seven rebounds plus six assists.
Roeser led the Foresters with 26 points and eight rebounds, but Lake Forest cooled off shooting just 30.6% (11 of 36) in the second half and finished at 45.3% (29 of 64). The Foresters also were just 2-for-16 from three-point range (12.5%).
Lakeland is in action again next Tuesday when it travels to take on Finlandia University in Hancock, Mich., with a game starting at 4:30 p.m. Central time, 5:30 p.m. in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
