Senior guard Bennett Deacon scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half as the Raiders knocked off Rockford 78-71 in a road NAC contest Wednesday night. The victory matches the number of conference wins MSOE had last season with two regular season NAC games left to play. The Raiders are ranked No. 7 by the latest NCAA regional rankings in the Midwest Region.

Sophomore forward Victor Bande put in 18 points off the bench as he went 7-9 from the field and 3-5 from three-point range. Senior forward Austin Meier had 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Freshman guard John Cording dished out six assists, scored five points and grabbed five rebounds. MSOE went on a 13-0 run in the second half to take the lead for good after trailing by six at halftime. 

The Raiders (16-6, 10-4 NAC) host Concordia-Chicago Saturday at 4:15 p.m. at the Kern Center.