LISLE, Ill. – Andrew Stokes scored the go-ahead layup with 1:43 left in the game and Benedictine University foiled the Lakeland University men's basketball team attempt at a road win, fending off the Muskies 60-54 Saturday afternoon at the Rice Center.
The Eagles scored the game's final six points and held Lakeland scoreless over the final 2:38 to avenge a loss to the Muskies just under a month earlier. Benedictine finished with a season split of the series while Lakeland dropped to 5-14 overall and 3-7 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference after its fifth single-digit loss of the season.
The Eagles (12-7 overall, 9-3 NACC) came back from a 10-point deficit early in the second half to lead by five at one point, and were ahead 54-50 after Trevor Montiel scored inside with 4:07 left in the game. The Muskies rallied to tie, with
Kai Buliox (
Jr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) splitting two free throws and then
Cam Jaeger (
Jr.-Oostburg, Wis.) hit a tying three-pointer with 2:39 left.
Both teams would go empty their next time down the court, but Benedictine regained the lead when Stokes laid it in on a fast break. Lakeland had two chances to tie and another shot to take the lead over the next minute-plus, but Stokes grabbed the rebound after a missed three and converted two free throws with 28 seconds left to make it 58-54. The Muskies missed another three next time down and Brandon McCoy made two free throws with 15 seconds remaining for the game's final points.
Lakeland played its lowest-scoring game of the season, a contest where both teams struggled to score. The Muskies finished shooting 29.0% (20 of 69) while holding Benedictine to 32.4% marksmanship (22 of 68), and both teams connected on fewer than 25% from three-point range as well.
Lakeland held a lead for most of the first half, and stretched it out to as much as nine points late in the half before taking a 32-25 lead into halftime. The Muskies then took their biggest lead of the game at 35-25 after Jaeger hit a three 41 seconds into the second half, but Lakeland would be held to 19 points the rest of the way as the teams slugged it out in a low-scoring affair.
Jaeger finished with 18 points and
Isaiah Hammond (
Jr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) also scored 12 points and added eight rebounds.
Brayden Kennedy (
Fr.-Manitowoc, Wis.) also scored seven points with six rebounds and Buliox finished with six points plus a team-high nine boards.
Stokes led Benedictine with 18 points and added eight rebounds. McCoy also scored 11 and Trevor Montiel added seven points plus a game-high 16 rebounds.
Lakeland is back home Wednesday when it hosts Illinois Institute of Technology for a 7:15 p.m. tip at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
