MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Mason Dopirak scored a tourney-record 46 points for Milwaukee School of Engineering and the Lakeland University men's basketball team saw its season end with a 99-82 loss Tuesday evening in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

The eighth-seeded Muskies hung around the entire night against the tourney's top seed but were unable to overcome outstanding performances by Dopirak and MSOE's Jonathan Burroughs and saw their season end with a 9-17 overall record. The Raiders (19-7 overall) advanced to the NACC semifinals and will host Marian University on Thursday, after the No. 5 seed Sabres upended No. 4 Concordia University Wisconsin 72-52 Tuesday.

Dopirak made 15 of 22 shots from the field, including 4 of 7 from three-point range, plus all 12 of his free throw attempts. The MSOE star guard who came in averaging 25 points per game tallied 17 points in the first half and then 29 in the second half, setting a career high and breaking the NACC tourney record of Jordan Johnson, who scored 45 points for Concordia Wisconsin in 2020.

The Muskies never led in the game but stayed in striking distance within 8-12 points most of the night. Lakeland trailed 40-29 at halftime and was within ten points yet when Peyton Mrotek (Sr.-Luxemburg, Wis.) made two free throws to make it 68-58 with 9:46 left in the game. MSOE scored the next five points, though, including a three-pointer by Burroughs, and the Raiders finally pulled away down the stretch.

Lakeland played a largely efficient game offensively, shooting 48.3% from the field, making 28 of 58 field goals, including 13 of 28 (46.4%) from three-point range. The Muskies received 25 points from Mrotek and 21 points each from fellow seniors Asanjai Hunter (Racine, Wis.) and Jaxson Dillon (Menasha, Wis.), the trio combining for 67 of the Muskies' 82 points.

MSOE was even better, shooting 53.2% (33 of 62), hitting 10 of 21 from long distance (47.6%) and 23 of 26 foul shots (88.5%). Along with Dopirak, Burroughs also added 26 points, hitting 8 of 14 shots including 4 of 5 three-point tries plus all six of his free throw attempts. The proficiency scoring of both squads led to long stretches of the teams largely trading baskets, making it difficult for the Muskies to make up ground.

Parker Braun (Jr.-Brillion, Wis.) also added six points, six rebounds and four assists for Lakeland. Dillon and Mrotek both made five three-pointers each, and Hunter and Mrotek added five rebounds each. Hunter finished his Lakeland career with 1,262 points, finishing 21st on the Muskies' all-time scoring list.

The game was the final one for six Lakeland seniors, including Dillon, Hunter, Mrotek, Gage Cornell (Manitowoc, Wis.), Tim Ward (Plainfield, Ill.) and Delon Zollicoffer-White (Milwaukee, Wis.).

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