The Lakeland College men's basketball team shot 35% and couldn't quite complete a late rally after trailing much of the game, losing to Wisconsin Lutheran College 62-60 Tuesday night in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game.

The Muskies missed a chance to tie just before the buzzer and lost at WLC for the second year in a row. Lakeland dropped to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the NACC, while Wisconsin Lutheran improved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in conference.

The Muskies were held 28 points below their average through their first five games in a contest in which neither team shot the ball well.

The Warriors finished even worse than the Muskies from the field at 33.3% (23 of 69). Lakeland shot 21 of 60, but was out-rebounded 53-38 and allowed 16 offensive rebounds.

The Muskies also made just 3 of 17 three-point attempts and received little scoring outside of three players. Joey Burris (Jr.-Kiel, Wis.) scored 21 points, Stan McKenzie (Sr.-Racine, Wis.) scored 15 and Justin Ward (Sr.-Wisconsin Dells, Wis.) added 13, but the rest of the team combined for just 11 points.

Lakeland still had a chance down the stretch after it rallied from an 11-point deficit early in the second half. The Muskies knotted the game at 50 on a jumper by Brandon Hagenow (So.-Sussex, Wis.) with 3:51 to play, the closest Lakeland got to leading since a 21-21 tie midway through the second half.

Wisconsin Lutheran stayed one step ahead the rest of the way, though. The Warriors got a free throw and a layup on their next two possessions, and Taylor Chladek followed with a three-pointer to make it 56-52 with 1:59 to play.

Ward followed with a three-point play for the Muskies, but the Warriors' Jake Jarnigo made two free throws with 1:10 left to push the lead to three. After a Lakeland miss, WLC then ran the clock down until Jim Morose got open inside for a dunk and a 60-55 margin with 33 seconds left.

The Muskies chipped away with a pair of layups and the Warriors missed three free throws in the final 14 seconds to give Lakeland a shot, including one with three seconds to play. The Muskies hurried the ball down and Burris got off a shot before the buzzer that would've tied the game but just missed.

Ward added 10 rebounds and three blocks for the the Muskies. Jarnigo led Wisconsin Lutheran with 15 points, one of four Warriors in double figures.

Lakeland is back home Thursday for an important conference game against Concordia University Wisconsin at 7 p.m. at the Woltzen Gymnasium. All gate proceeds for the game will be donated to Toys For Tots, as part of an initiative by the Muskie men's basketball team.