MILWAUKEE – The MSOE men's basketball team led by as many as 17 points but had to hold off a late-game surge to protect a 64-60 victory over Rockford Saturday at the Kern Center.

The Raiders (5-2, 5-1 NACC) pushed a 15-point halftime lead to 17 in the early minutes of the second half before the Regents (5-4, 3-2 NACC) mounted a comeback that would pull them as close as two possessions down the stretch.

Sophomore Jake Gebert had a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Sophomore Matthew Kirmse hit four three-pointers in the game for a team-high 14 points while Jason Palesse Notched 10 points and five assists.

Tony Diemer had a game-high 23 points as he and Trae Blumhorst with 14 points powered the comeback. The duo combined for 31 of Rockford's 42 points after halftime.

MSOE controlled the first half, limiting the visitors to just 25 percent shooting in the frame and opening a 33-18 lead at halftime. The early minutes were tight, with the Red & White holding a slight 10-8 lead at the 15:16 mark before rattling off 10-straight points over a three-minute span to build a 12-point advantage.

Senior Nolan Henton opened the second half scoring with a basket at 18:56 before momentum in the game evened out. The Raiders' lead remained at double-figures until the final five minutes or regulation as a 12-3 Regents run pulled them within five with 1:42 remaining.

Gebert answered the run with a basket and foul with 1:13 to make it 61-54. It was the team's first basket in 3:05 and its final of the game. Rockford was able to edge closer in the final minute as the Red & White struggled at the free throw line.

Freshman Brian Dorn hit a pair of clutch free throws with 20.6 seconds remaining to make it 64-58 and, seemingly, put the game out of reach. Rockford hit a quick layup to make it a four-point game but, after a pair of missed free throws, a three-pointer was off the mark and Gebert grabbed one last rebound to end the game.

MSOE shot 43.3 percent from the field for the game, including a 7-for-20 clip from three-point range. The Regents shot better in the second half, though ended at just 33.9 percent for the game and 2-for-18 from three-point range. The big difference was at the charity stripe, where Rockford went 16-for-19 and the home team just 5-for-14.

The Raiders return to the court Thursday, hosting Concordia Wisconsin.