PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Nicolas Ortiz scored 23 points for Illinois Institute of Technology and the Lakeland University men's basketball team dropped a 92-77 decision Wednesday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies returned to play after more than a week off but dropped to 0-2 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference and 2-4 overall. Illinois Tech won for the first time this season and claimed its conference opener will moving to 1-3 on the season.

Ortiz made 10 of 12 shots from the field and added five rebounds and four assists. He led an efficient IIT offensive attack as the guests shot 63.9% for the game, making 39 of 61 field goals.

Tech scored nine straight points to take a 16-7 lead just over four minutes into the contest, and the Scarlet Hawks would never trail again. Illinois Tech led by as many as 16 late in the first half and took a 49-36 lead into halftime after Lakeland's Parker Braun (Jr.-Brillion, Wis.) hit a three-pointer with 22 seconds left before the break.

The teams spent much of the second half trading baskets. The Muskies chipped away some and got within nine at 63-54 when Braun made two free throws with 12:37 left in the game. The Scarlet Hawks scored the next four points, though, including a dunk by Isaiah Dudley, and Lakeland never got closer than 10 points again.

Asanjai Hunter (Sr.-Racine, Wis.) scored 20 points to lead the Muskies, including making 12 of 13 from the free throw line. Lakeland shot 41.5% as a team (22 of 53) but stayed around by making 25 of 28 free throws (89.3%).

Jaxson Dillon (Sr.-Menasha, Wis.) also scored 17 points and Braun added 15 points plus a game-high nine rebounds, just missing his first career double-double.

John Davis III and Bryce Shoto both added 13 points for Illinois Tech. The Scarlet Hawks scored 70 of their 92 points in the paint and also finished with a 34-5 advantage in bench points.

Lakeland is on the road Saturday to face Wisconsin Lutheran College at 1 p.m. in Milwaukee.