PLYMOUTH, Wis. – It's commonplace to beat a team once in a season. Twice can be somewhat difficult. Three times is a real challenge. However, the No. 5 seeded MSOE men's basketball team pulled it off. The Raiders survived a late Lakeland run to down the No. 4 seed on the road, defeating the Muskies for the third time during the 2019-20 campaign.

RESULTS
MSOE – 79
Lakeland – 76

HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half between No. 5 MSOE (14-12, 10-10 NACC) and No. 4 Lakeland (13-13, 11-9 NACC) was a closely contested affair. The Raiders shot 37.2 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes while Lakeland was just a little bit better at 43.3. However, it was the Red & White that were up by two heading into what could have possibly been the last second half of the season. The Raiders came out hot though, starting the frame on a 19-4 run to grow their lead to 18 points at one point. Lakeland would not be silenced though. The Muskies made things very interesting very late in the ballgame. LU got within ten with three minutes left to play, cut that deficit in half with under a minute on the game clock, and made it just a two-point Raiders advantage with a made three pointer with 16.5 left to go. Josh Herzog pushed the MSOE lead back up to three thanks to a made free throw with 11 seconds left, but missed the back end giving Lakeland a shot. Fortunately, their attempt from downtown missed the mark, punching the Raiders ticket to the semifinals with a three point win.

MSOE STAT TRACKER
Points – Matthew Kirmse (27)
Rebounds – Michael Pitrof (11)
Assists – Sammy Linn (3)
Steals – Michael Pitrof (5)
Blocks – Sammy Linn & Gabe Wear (1)

WHO'S ON DECK
The Raiders will now head back on the road to take on top seeded Benedictine in the NACC semifinals on Thursday. Game time from Lisle, Ill. is scheduled for 7:00 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.