Men's Basketball Claims Outright NACC Title With Comeback Win At Lakeland

PLYMOUTH, Wis. (WLCSports.com) - Graduate Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.) scored a game-high 28 points and No. 16 Wisconsin Lutheran College overcame a 13-point deficit to get past Lakeland 87-84 in its Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference regular season finale on Saturday at Woltzen Gymnasium. 

The Warriors (23-2, 16-2 NACC), who clinched the outright NACC title, held the lead for just 5:41 of game time but outscored the Muskies by 12 points in the second half.

In a back-and-forth first half that featured nine lead changes, WLC's largest lead came within the opening minute-and-a-half when it held a pair of slim two-point leads. LU went in front 16-11 before a 10-4 spurt by Wisconsin Lutheran gave them a 21-20 edge at the 10:17 mark following a layup from Goetz. Lakeland answered with three straight three-point buckets for an eight-point advantage  The Warriors were able to come within four points on two occasions, but an 8-0 run by the Muskies pushed their lead to double-digits for the first time, 39-27, with 2:53 remaining. Their lead grew to a game-high 13 points twice, but WLC netted the final four points of the opening half to trail 44-35 at the break. LU shot 51.5 percent (17-for-33) from the floor over the first 20 minutes. 

Wisconsin Lutheran started the second half on a 10-2 scoring run behind three triples from graduates Jacob Hefle (Germantown, Wis.) and Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.) to come within one. Lakeland responded with six straight points and later pushed its lead to eight three different times. A 13-4 run by the Warriors gave them a one-point lead at 65-64 with 6:39 left. After the lead exchanged hands three more times, WLC grabbed the lead for good, 81-78, on a three-point play from graduate Ryan Broeckel (Chilton, Wis.) with 1:52 on the clock. The Muskies came within two points twice, but Goetz answered with buckets both times to maintain a two-possession game. Broeckel hit a pair of free throws with 0:05 seconds left to push the margin to six, before a last-second three by LU had the final score reading 87-84. Wisconsin Lutheran shot 54.3 percent (19-for-35) in the second half.

Goetz scored a game-high 28 points in his return to the lineup. Stoltz finished with 24 points, five rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Broeckel recorded his ninth double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while senior AJ Vos (Lombard, Ill.) added 10 points and eight rebounds. The Warriors, who shot 47.2 percent (34-for-72) from the floor, outscored Lakeland 42-32 in the paint and 17-7 in points off turnovers.

Isaiah Hammond scored 22 points and Cliff McCray recorded a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double for the Muskies (7-18, 6-12 NACC), who shot 49.2 percent (30-for-61) from the floor in the game.

Top-seeded WLC hosts eighth-seeded Rockford (14-11, 9-9 NACC) in a NACC Tournament Quarterfinal on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com. In their only prior meeting this season on February 1, Wisconsin Lutheran downed the Regents 93-83 on the road.