FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Isaiah Hammond (So.-Milwaukee, Wis.) scored a career-high 23 points as part of another double-double but the Lakeland University men's basketball team came up just short in an 82-78 loss at Marian University Tuesday night at Sadoff Gymnasium.

The Muskies put up a fight but saw their postseason hopes ended after being eliminated from the race for a spot in the six-team Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament. Lakeland is now 12-11 overall and 6-9 in the NACC, and can do no better than a tie for sixth with Rockford University, which owns the tiebreaker over the Muskies after a 92-88 win in the teams' lone regular season matchup Feb. 4.

Defending NACC champion Marian (14-9 overall, 12-4 NACC) finished a season sweep of Lakeland, having also won the first meeting 86-70 on the Muskies' homecourt Jan. 17. The Sabres never trailed this time, but Lakeland fought back from a 15-point first half deficit to get back in the game.

The Muskies closed the first half outscoring Marian 8-2 to trail 40-33 at halftime and then were hot on the trail for virtually the entire second half. No less than five times did Lakeland cut the Sabres' lead to four points, the last time on two free throws by Jaxson Dillon (Fr.-Menasha, Wis.), but the Muskies could never get closer until Cam Jaeger (So.-Oostburg, Wis.) made a three-pointer with 3:57 left to draw within 72-70.

Marian would have just enough answers to always stay one step ahead. The Sabres received a combined 40 points from their dynamic backcourt of Tyler Gouin (24 points) and David Britton (16), and reserve freshman Tyler Bunkoske also proved to be a thorn in the Muskies' side. Bunkoske tied his career high with 12 points, making all five of his field goal attempts including two three-pointers, and his short jumper with 3:30 left put Marian up 74-70. Gouin then scored on back-to-back possessions to put the Sabres up 78-71 with 2:07 left.

Lakeland still was not done. Kai Buliox (So.-Milwaukee, Wis.) converted a three-point play with 1:13 left, and Hammond scored inside with 25 seconds left to make it 78-76. Marian would make its final four free throws, including two by Britton with 11 seconds left for the game's final points.

The Muskies played from behind almost the entire night, only tied once at 2-2 briefly in the opening two minutes. Lakeland trailed 26-11 after two foul shots by Britton with 9:08 left in the first half, and was down by double digits most of rest of the half until a late rally.

Hammond made 9 of 15 shots from the field and added 12 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season. Asanjai Hunter (Fr.-Racine, Wis.) also scored 16 points, Buliox scored 12 and Dillon added a career-high 10 points plus four assists off the bench.

The Muskies finished shooting 48.2%, making 27 of 56 shots, as well as 19 of 27 from the free throw line (70.4%). Marian also shot 46.9% (30 of 64) and also posted a 39-29 rebounding advantage.

Lakeland wraps up its season Saturday when it hosts Concordia University Wisconsin for Senior Day at 2 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.