MILWAUKEE – You never know what to expect when you face a team only once in a season. That was the case tonight when MSOE took on Dominican inside Hotchkin Arena. Only having game tape to draw from, the Stars used their long-range attack to build up a first half lead that was just too much for the Raiders to overcome in a five-point loss.  

RESULTS
Dominican – 68
MSOE – 63

HOW IT HAPPENED
It's not uncommon to see a team average around eight three pointers per game. It's less common to see a ballclub nearly reach that figure in the first half. Dominican (11-13, 7-12 NACC) shot 43.8 percent from behind the arc, making seven of 16 shots. The Stars average eight per game, so those first half points helped set the tempo in their favor. However, the first half was also a period of big runs. With MSOE (12-12, 9-10 NACC) down by double digits, the Raiders went on a 15-4 run to take the lead by two. Unfortunately, DU answered right away with a 14-0 run of their own to help them take a 12-point lead into the locker rooms. The Raiders again went on a big run halfway through the second period and tied the game at 56 with just under eight and a half minutes left to play. The lead was traded back and forth, but MSOE could never get more than a one-point advantage. The last Red & White point was scored with 27 seconds left off a Travis Ballard free throw which put the good guys down by four. The Raiders were unable to make a shot from the field in the time remaining and fell to Dominican by five.

TOURNAMENT TRACKER
To host an opening round playoff game the Raiders will have to win on Saturday against Marian and Lakeland will have to lose to Dominican the same day. A Muskies victory will put the fourth seed out of range for the Red & White, as they would be one game back of LU. If the fourth seed were to be put out of reach, they would be in a battle for the fifth and six seeds, both of which would be opening round away games. Those tiebreakers are a lot less clear and will be sorted out after action has concluded on Saturday afternoon.

MSOE STAT TRACKER
Points – Matthew Kirmse (22)
Rebounds – Travis Ballard (12)
Assists – Travis Ballard & Michael Pitrof (3)
Steals – Josh Herzog (3)

WHO'S ON DECK
The Raiders will take on Marian this Saturday in a must win situation if they want to have the chance to host a NACC tournament game. Tipoff from Fond du Lac, Wis. is slated for 2:00 pm.

For up-to-the-minute MSOE Raiders news, visit us at www.go-raiders.com. You can also follow the Red & White on Twitter @MSOE_Raiders and @msoe_raiders on Instagram.