ST. PAUL, Minn. – Isaac Aune made a go-ahead three-pointer with 2:47 left in the game for the University of Northwestern (Minn.) and the Lakeland University men's basketball team was edged 78-74 Friday night at the Ericksen Center.
The Muskies erased a 10-point deficit to take the lead late but came up a few plays short and dropped to 1-2 overall on the season. Northwestern improved to 1-1 after picking up its first win.
In a game that was close throughout, Lakeland had just gone down by the largest deficit by either team at 68-58 with 6:10 left in the game when the Muskies answered with 13 straight points to take the lead.
Landyn Hannah (
Fr.-Mahomet, Ill.) hit a three-pointer,
Carter Koch (
So.-Oconto, Wis.) scored on a pair of layups and
Ben Prochnow (
Fr.-Reedsville, Wis.) added another layup, and
Emmitt Konieczny (
Jr.-Marshfield, Wis.) made a three-pointer to cap the run and give Lakeland a 70-68 lead with 3:11 remaining.
The lead was the Muskies' first since the latter stages of the first half, but it would not last long. Aune hit a three-pointer on the Eagles' next possession, and Lakeland went empty on its next two possessions. A.J. Greene would then score on a layup to put Northwestern up 73-70 with 1:07 to play, and the Muskies again would come up without points on their next possession despite two chances.
Greene made two free throws with 24 seconds left to push the Eagles' lead to five, and Lakeland got no closer than three points the rest of the way. The second time came after a
Xavier Allen (
Fr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) layup with six seconds left, but Greene made one of two free throws with four seconds remaining for the final points.
Lakeland started the game fast, jumping to an early 11-4 lead as Allen and Koch combined for all 11 points. The Muskies would lead most of the first 15 minutes until Blake Dalluge's three-pointer put Northwestern up 36-33, giving the hosts a lead they would hold until late in the second half. The Eagles led 44-39 at halftime, but the game was a single-digit contest the entire way with the exception of UNW's 10-point lead late.
Koch scored 23 points, making 10 of 18 shots from the field, and Allen added 15 points. Hannah also scored 11 points off the bench and Konieczny added nine points, making three three-pointers.
Parker Braun (
Sr.-Brillion, Wis.) scored three points and led Lakeland with nine rebounds and Prochnow finished with four assists.
The Muskies shot 43.3%, making 29 of 67 shots including 10 of 31 (32.3%) from three-point range. Northwestern made 48.3% of its shots (29 of 60) and 13 of 18 free throws (72.2%). Greene scored 19 points and Jonah Burnett added 18 to lead four scoring in double figures for the Eagles.
Lakeland is back home for its next game this coming Wednesday against Ripon College at 7 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
