ROCKFORD, Ill. – Senior John Cording scored an efficient 21 points and the MSOE men's basketball team shot 55.8 percent from the field to roll to a 73-61 win over Rockford Saturday afternoon at the Seaver Center.

The Raiders (16-4, 11-4 NACC) closed the first half and opened the second on a 22-3 run to run away and clinch their place in the 2014 NACC Tournament with the win.

Cording shot 8-of-9 from the field, including making both three-point attempts, in the game. He added eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Sophomore Austin Stueck scored 15 points and sophomore Connor Patterson chipped in 11 for MSOE.

David Dixon paced the Regents (9-12, 5-11 NACC) with 16 points. John O'Bryan added 14 and Zach Wallace scored 10 for the home team.

Rockford took an early lead, going on a 9-0 run to open a 10-point advantage at 16-6. It built a 12-point edge at 23-11 by the midway point of the half. The score was 30-22 at 5:32 when the Raiders mounted a comeback, closing out the first half on a 14-6 run to force a 36-36 tie heading into halftime.

MSOE scored the final five points of the first half and opened the second half on a 17-3 run for a commanding 53-39 lead on a Stueck jumper at the 12:29 mark. The Red and White would increase their lead as high as 18 down the stretch, while not allowing the home team closer than 10 the rest of the way.

The Raiders return to action Wednesday, hosting first-place Marian at the Kern Center. MSOE currently hold the No. 3 seed in the league standings, just a half game out of second and three games ahead of No. 5. The top four seeds clinch home games in the tourney quarterfinals.