A nearly dormant rivalry between two schools with a long basketball history against each other was renewed when the Green Knights joined the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference in July 2021. Lakeland and St. Norbert have met twice since then, with SNC winning both meetings, including a decisive 95-56 win at the Woltzen Gymnasium just over a year ago on Nov. 29, 2022 as the guests shot 53.5%, held the Muskies to 32.1% shooting and also outrebounded Lakeland 49-25. The teams also met Dec. 1, 2021, with the Green Knights prevailing 65-61 in De Pere.

Before the last two seasons, the teams had met just once in the previous 27 years, when St. Norbert topped the Muskies 69-58 in December 2010. Lakeland hasn't defeated St. Norbert since a 76-59 victory Nov. 28, 1994 in the Wehr Center fieldhouse. The Muskies' rivalry with the Green Knights dates back to Lakeland's first season of playing basketball in 1933-34, when the school was known as Mission House College and St. Norbert prevailed 20-18 in the first matchup Jan. 10, 1934. The teams played at least twice a season most years from 1934-83, but St. Norbert joined the Midwest Conference in 1983 and Lakeland the Lake Michigan Conference a year later and the teams have played just five times since.

Lakeland last time out: Lost at Edgewood 99-97 (3 OT) Tuesday
The Muskies were dealt a wrenching loss on Saturday to the Eagles on the road. Lakeland took the lead with 10.9 seconds left in the third overtime, but Edgewood went the full court and tied it with 3.2 seconds remaining, then stole the inbounds pass, got up a rushed shot and Drew Houtakker rebounded and laid it in as time expired. The teams were close the entire game, with neither team leading by more than eight points throughout, but the Muskies lost in just the fourth triple-overtime game in school history, and the first since 2012. Asanjai Hunter scored a career-high 27 points and added eight rebounds and eight assists. Cam Jaeger also added 22 points and Isaiah Hammond finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds.

St. Norbert last time out: Lost at Wisconsin Lutheran 79-67 last Saturday
The Green Knights were in control from the start, scoring the first nine points of the game and never trailing against the Stars. St. Norbert shot 59.3% in the first half on the way to a 42-20 halftime lead and pulled back away after Dominican cut a 25-point deficit to eight midway through the second half. Garrett Grzesk scored 13 points and added nine rebounds to lead the Green Knights, the defending NACC champions who are 5-1 this season with their only loss coming to Illinois Tech in a conference game. St. Norbert finished 20-8 overall last year and tied for the conference regular season title before defeating co-champion Wisconsin Lutheran in the NACC tourney final. The Green Knights also defeated Carleton (Minn.) in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament before losing by four to Wheaton (Ill.) in the second round.