PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The longstanding Lakeland University men's basketball record for points in a game was one of several records eclipsed as the Muskies defeated Greenville (Ill.) University 155-127 Thursday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
Lakeland felled a 56-year old school record for points in a game, topping the previous mark of 154 scored by the Muskies Nov. 29, 1966 in a 154-90 win over Judson (Ill.). The 282 points between the two teams also blew away the previous Lakeland record of 250 points in a game, set in a 148-102 Muskies win over Milwaukee School of Engineering Feb. 14, 1995.
The matchup pitting the fast-paced Muskies against the Grinnell System-playing, seven-time defending NCAA Division III scoring champion Panthers lived up to expectations for offensive fireworks. The teams combined for 190 shot attempts, 107 made shots and 33 three-pointers, as well as 83 fast break points and 68 assists.
Lakeland (4-2 overall) led 68-53 at halftime, and it turned out both teams were just getting warmed up. The two squads combined for 161 points in the second half alone, with the Muskies outscoring the Panthers 87-74 after halftime, topping Lakeland's season average of 86.4 points per game in just the final 20 minutes.
The Panthers (0-8 overall) came out hot early, making five of their first seven three-point attempts. The teams swapped the lead seven times in the first six minutes, but a layup by
Cam Jaeger (
So.-Oostburg, Wis.) gave Lakeland a 26-24 lead less than seven minutes into the contest, a lead the Muskies would never relinquish.
Lakeland had 42 points before the midway point of the opening half and stretched the lead out to 18 points on two occasions in the first half. Greenville briefly cut the lead down to 10 in the first minute of the second half, but the Muskies built the lead to 20 a short time later and reached the 100-point mark with 12:23 left in the game with two free throws by
Kai Buliox (
So.-Milwaukee, Wis.) for a 100-80 lead.
The margin stayed around or slightly north of 20 points most of the rest of the way. The teams surpassed 250 combined points on a
Christian Knox (
Sr.-Ypsilanti, Mich.) layup for a 139-112 lead with 3:49 to play, and both squads kept up the scoring pace right to the end. The final points came from
Calvin Walker Jr. (
Jr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) with six seconds left, as he tied and then set the team single-game mark with two free throws to close the game.
Caleb Fuller (
Jr.-Oshkosh, Wis.) scored a career-high 38 points to lead Lakeland. Fuller made 16 of 21 field goals, frequently benefitting with layups after the Muskies broke the Greenville press, but the junior also made 6 of 10 three-point attempts.
Knox also scored 23 points, making 8 of 10 shots including all five of his three-point attempts, and also added 10 assists. Jaeger also scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds,
Aiden Polzin (
So.-Clintonville, Wis.) added 19 points and Buliox scored 18 and posted six rebounds and seven assists.
The Muskies shot 65.9% for the game, making 60 of 91 shots, including 19 of 35 three-point attempts (54.3%). Lakeland also finished with 47 assists, believed to be a school single-game record and tying for the high single-game mark in Division III this season. The Muskies also scored 72 points on the fast break and 80 points in the paint.
Greenville finished shooting 47.5% (47 of 99) and cooled off from three-point range after its hot start, finishing making 14 of 42 from long distance (33.3%). Travis Dickey scored 25 points, making 6 of 8 from three-point range, and Jarred Johnson added 16 points and six assists.
Lakeland returns to Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play Saturday and is home again when it welcomes Dominican University for a 2 p.m. tip at the Woltzen Gym.
