Men's Basketball Outlasts Lakeland

PLYMOUTH, Wis. - The Concordia Wisconsin men's basketball team notched a 77-65 win over the Lakeland Muskies on Saturday afternoon, pushing the squad's record to 9-7 in conference play. Senior Freeman Jackson (Green Bay, Wis.) tallied 21 points for the Falcons in the contest, setting a career-high streak with four consecutive games scoring 20 or more points.

Both teams jockeyed for the lead early in the game, but a layup from senior center Gabe Pruss (North Fond du Lac, Wis.) put the Falcons ahead 16-14, granting Concordia a lead that it would hold onto for the remainder of the half. Senior Zech Hans (Hartland, Wis.) knocked down a pair of triples late in the frame and would go on to boast a 4/5 line from the three-point arc in the game.

The Muskies collected a quick six points at the beginning of the second half, drawing within one after a pair of free throws. However, freshman Mekhi Sutton (San Diego, Calif.) kicked off a 9-2 run immediately afterward, burying a three-pointer on Concordia's ensuing possession. The Falcons would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the game, as the minutes that followed saw them bolster their advantage. Pruss contributed a dunk with just under six minutes remaining to play, and Jackson put away a pair of free throws to give Concordia its largest lead of the game at 13 points.

The Falcons held off a late comeback attempt by Lakeland, as Pruss, senior Sam Meerstein (Green Bay, Wis.), and junior Jonah Jurss (Sheboygan, Wis.) combined to bury four of the team's final five free throws.

Concordia will take on the 16-7 Rockford Regents on February 14 in its penultimate regular season game. With today's results, the Falcons qualified for the NACC Tournament.