by MILWAUKEE – Joey Burris (Sr.-Kiel, Wis.) and Derick Denny (Sr.-Oneida, Wis.) combined for 41 points and drained 11 three-pointers for the Lakeland College men’s basketball team in a 91-70 win over Milwaukee School of Engineering in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game Tuesday night.
Burris and Denny both played key roles particularly in the first half when the Muskies (12-6 overall, 8-5 NACC) shot 64.5% in building a 23-point halftime lead. The duo helped Lakeland snap a three-game losing skid and clinch a sweep of the season series against the Raiders (9-8 overall, 6-6 NACC).
The Muskies never trailed and built a 16-4 lead in the game’s first 3 1/2 minutes. Burris started the game with a three-pointer, Denny followed with three straight and Travis Kell (So.-Madison, Wis.) added a pair of baskets inside in the team’s quick start.
Lakeland never led by less than 10 points the rest of the way and continued building the lead in the first half. Eric Nygaard (Fr.-Plymouth, Wis.) converted a free throw to make it 24-6 with 12:00 left in the half, and the lead ballooned to 23 when Denny hit another three-pointer to make it 44-21 with 4:10 remaining.
The Muskies led 51-28 at halftime, making 20 of 31 shots in the first 20 minutes. The Raiders were unable to make a serious dent in the second half, getting as close as 14 on two occasions late in the half before Lakeland answered the second time with a quick 11-0 run, capped by yet another triple by Denny to make it 88-63.
The Muskies shot 54.2% for the game, making 34 of 59 field goals, and hit 11 of 22 three-point tries. Burris scored 23 points and hit five three-pointers, giving him 181 for his career as he passed Jake Schwarz (2008-13) for third on Lakeland’s all-time list for career three-pointers made. Denny also added 18 points and made six three-pointers and Kell also chipped in 15 points.
The Muskies also did a good job defensively again on MSOE leading scorer Austin Stueck, who was held to 12 points and made just 5 of 20 from the field. The Raiders shot 43.3% for the game, making 26 of 60 shots, including just 3 of 16 from three-point range (18.8%).
Lakeland is back on the road again Saturday when it travels to face Rockford (Ill.) University at 4:15 p.m.
