FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Lakeland University shot 64.3% in the second half but Marian University was even better in that time and outlasted the Muskies 96-90 in a high-scoring Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference men's basketball tilt at Sadoff Gymnasium.
The Sabres shot 67.9% over the final 20 minutes and scored 57 points in a second half where neither team missed often. Marian took the lead midway through the half, though, and held it the rest of the way to drop Lakeland to 6-15 overall and 4-10 in the NACC with four games left in the regular season, all at home at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
The Muskies led by five early in the second half after a three-pointer by
Cam Jaeger (
Jr.-Oostburg, Wis.) made it 53-48, but the Sabres would gain control soon after. Marian (3-18 overall, 3-11 NACC) outscored Lakeland 12-4 over the next four minutes, including Eli Vogel's three-pointer to put the hosts ahead 58-57 with 13 minutes, 2 seconds left in the game.
The Sabres would never trail again, and would slowly build the lead as the teams frequently traded baskets in the second half. Marian pushed the lead to 71-64 after a layup by Tavaris McCullough with 10:08 left, then soon after the Muskies closed to within three the Sabres stretched it out to nine at 84-75 after Mahlik Hall hit two free throws with 5:14 to play.
Lakeland made one final push, and
Isaiah Hammond (
Jr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) converted a three-point play with 1:13 left to cut Marian's lead to 88-85.
Brayden Kennedy (
Fr.-Manitowoc, Wis.) then hit a three-pointer to get the Muskies within two at 90-88, but Lakeland could get no closer. A pivotal play in the final seconds came when Hall missed a three-pointer with 25 seconds left, but McCullough grabbed the offensive rebound and scored to make it 92-88.
The teams swapped the lead 13 times, were tied on seven other occasions and were never separated by more than nine points at any point. The first half included 10 lead changes and five ties alone, with the Muskies going on a 7-0 run late and taking a 42-39 lead into the halftime break.
Both teams shot at least 55% in the game, including Lakeland right at that mark (33 of 60). The Muskies also hit 13 of 24 from three-point range, including Jaeger canning 6 of 8 from long range on his way to 22 points. The junior also moved into sole possession of third place on Lakeland's all-time list for career three-pointers made with 189, breaking a tie for third with Kyle Vogt (183 from 1998-2002).
Hammond and
Jaxson Dillon (
So.-Menasha, Wis.) also scored 17 points each,
Asanjai Hunter (
So.-Racine, Wis.) scored 12 and added 10 assists and Kennedy finished with 11 points. Jaeger also chipped in a team-high eight rebounds.
McCullough led Marian with 23 points and eight assists, Vogel scored 19 and Hall added 18. The Sabres shot 59.3% for the game, making 32 of 54 shots, including 13 of 27 from long range (48.1%) and 19 of 21 from the foul line (90.5%).
The Muskies finally get to balance out a schedule that has been heavy on road games all season with 13 of their first 21 games on the road. Lakeland plays its last four at home starting with hosting Dominican University Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
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