PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Lakeland University men's basketball team faced a strong and experienced team for the second straight game and was defeated by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 91-59 Sunday afternoon at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

Cal Krohn scored a career-high 31 points and the Pointers overcame an early Muskies lead to win their season opener. Lakeland dropped to 0-2 on the season after also falling to Carroll University in its season debut Friday night.

With rain falling outside, the Muskies got off to a sunny start, bolting out of the gate and scoring 11 straight points to take an 11-2 lead just over 2 1/2 minutes into the game. Peyton Mrotek (Jr.-Luxemburg, Wis.) and Brayden Kennedy (So.-Manitowoc, Wis.) both hit three-pointers, Tim Ward (Jr.-Plainfield, Ill.) converted a three-point play and Lakeland held UWSP scoreless on four straight possessions to force the visitors into an early timeout.

UW-Stevens Point settled in from there, answering with a 12-2 run to take the lead, and the teams went back and forth for a time. Mrotek hit his second three-pointer of the game to give Lakeland a 22-21 lead with 11 minutes, 8 seconds in the first half, the fifth lead change in the game's early stages.

The Muskies still led at the midway point of the first half, but the Pointers would step on the gas from there. UWSP went on a 13-0 run to take the lead for good, with a layup by Malik Abdul-Wahid making it 34-22 with 6:44 left in the half. The guests would then close the half on a 12-0 run, with Darrius Bolden banking in a running three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Pointers a 48-26 halftime lead.

Krohn scored 20 points in the first half alone, scored the first basket of the second half too, and Stevens Point continued to pull away. Krohn split two free throws with 12:16 left to give the Pointers their largest lead at 68-32, and Lakeland got no closer than 26 points the rest of the way.

The 6-foot-8 Krohn finished making 13 of 18 shots and 5 of 7 from the free throw line. UW-Stevens Ponit shot 52.9% for the game, making 36 of 68 shots, and also posted a 45-25 rebounding advantage.

Isaiah Hammond (Sr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) scored 14 points and added five rebounds to lead Lakeland, which shot 37.0% for the game (20 of 54), including 10 of 27 in both halves. Asanjai Hunter (Jr.-Racine, Wis.) also scored 12 points, Ward added 11 and Mrotek finished with eight points.

Josiah Butler also scored 17 points and Bolden added 10 for the Pointers of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, who finished 14-13 last year and opened this season receiving votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Preseason Poll.

The Muskies play their third straight game at home to open the season when they host Ripon College on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. at the Woltzen Gym.