The series between Lakeland and Concordia Chicago dates all the way back to 1950. The Muskies have won 18 of the last 21 meetings, but the Cougars have won two of the last three, including a 79-67 win at home in River Forest, Ill., just over a year ago on Jan. 3, 2024. Lakeland won the most recent meeting at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium on Feb. 9, 2022, as Jequan Pegeese hit a short jumper in the lane with 39 seconds left for the winning basket in a 76-75 victory in a game that was close the entire way, with 17 lead changes and neither team leading by more than seven points. CUC also posted an 87-82 win at home Jan. 5, 2022; before that, the Muskies had won 17 of 18 from 2010-20. The series included a 43-year break from 1957 to 2000, and the two schools have met 29 times since 2000, with the Muskies winning 23.

Lakeland last time out: Lost to MSOE 93-71 Wednesday
The Muskies played at home for the first time in 2025 but fell to the hot-shooting Raiders, who set a blistering pace especially in the second half. MSOE shot 70.4% over the final 20 minutes and 61.4% for the game, more than enough as Lakeland had a cold shooting night. The Muskies led for a good portion of the first half and still were within 73-65 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the game, but scored just six points the rest of the way. Jaxson Dillon scored 21 points, Asanjai Hunter totaled 16 and Emmitt Konieczny, Cliff McCray and Peyton Mrotek added nine points each. McCray also led the team with a season-high nine rebounds. Lakeland played without injured starters Isaiah Hammond and Tim Ward, and the Muskies also dropped to 0-7 at home on the season, with all three of their wins away from home thus far.

Concordia Chicago last time out: Lost to Benedictine 75-69 Wednesday
The Cougars lost in painful fashion at home earlier in the week, going scoreless over the final 4:28 as the Eagles rallied from eight points down and ended the game on a 14-0 run. CUC led 69-61 after a layup by Aaron Brown with just under 4 1/2 minutes left and was in front the entire second half until Benedictine's Ryan Tucker hit a three with 1:42 left. Concordia missed its final seven shots and lost for the fourth time in five games. Joel Watts led the Cougars with 18 points and Jacob Collicott added 11 points and 13 rebounds.

About the Cougars: The Cougars are 5-7 overall and 3-4 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, with wins coming over Illinois Tech, Edgewood and Aurora. CUC finished 13-13 overall last year and 9-9 in conference, falling to No. 2 seed St. Norbert in the NACC Tournament quarterfinals. Concordia features the No. 2 scorer and top rebounder in the conference in Collicott, who enters averaging 20.6 ppg and 9.3 rpg.