Freshman Aiden Polzin (Clintonville, Wis.) set a new Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference single-game record with 46 points and the Lakeland University men's basketball team ran away from Edgewood College for a 114-83 victory Friday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
Polzin scored the most points by a Muskie player in over 50 years and led Lakeland to a surprisingly easy victory over its NACC North Division rival. The Muskies improved to 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the NACC North, and moved one game ahead of the Eagles (6-6 overall, 3-4 NACC North) in the division standings with three league games to play for both teams.
Polzin's total was the most points by a player in NCAA Division III in the 2020-21 season so far, surpassing the 43 points by Travis Jocelyn of the College of New Jersey vs. Stockton University (N.J.) Feb. 6. He also topped the old NACC single-game record of 45 points, originally set by Larry Welton of Aurora University in 2007 and tied by Marquis Turley of Dominican University in 2010 and Jordan Johnson of Concordia University Wisconsin last year.
The scoring outburst also was the seventh-most in Lakeland history and the most since Mike Hotz tied the school's single-game record with 55 points against Maranatha Baptist Feb. 15, 1971. Waymon Stewart originally set the record with 55 points against Milton on Feb. 13, 1969, and Bob Guy tied the record one day later against Northwestern (Wis.).
Polzin made 16 of 24 shots from the field, including 6 of 9 from three-point range, plus all eight of his free throw attempts. He also added a collegiate-best 11 rebounds, and by the end had the Eagles grasping for any way to slow him down.
Polzin scored 24 points in his collegiate debut against North Central (Minn.) Jan. 16, but he had been quiet of late averaging 5.8 points over the previous five games. He scored 20 points alone in the first half, though, hitting 7 of 10 shots including four three-pointers as Lakeland built a 49-40 halftime lead. He was even more productive in the final 20 minutes, making 9 of 14 from the field plus all six of his free throw attempts
The 6-foot-3 Polzin reached the 30-point mark with two free throws with 12:33 left that put the Muskies ahead 72-57, and that began a run of 11 straight points for Lakeland. A personal 9-0 run included two three-pointers and then a three-point play, putting him over 40 for the game and giving the Muskies an 81-60 bulge with 10:13 left.
Polzin later added three free throws with 7:11 to play to reach 44 points, and he nabbed the NACC record with a layup with 3:19 to play for his 45th and 46th points before exiting the game for good with 2:40 left.
The freshman's outburst was just part of a dominating team effort for the Muskies, who never trailed in the game, held a comfortable lead the entire second half after a close first period, and eventually blew the game wide open in the final 10 minutes.
Lakeland shot 52.7% as a team (39 of 74), including 15 of 32 from three-point range (46.9%). The Muskies also hit 21 of 24 free throws (87.5%), and perhaps most importantly outrebounded the Eagles 40-31. Lakeland set the tone early with five offensive rebounds in the first four minutes and won the rebounding battle for the first time in its last nine games.
Cam Jaeger (Fr.-Oostburg, Wis.) also scored 17 points, and three others scored in double figures with Earl Lewis (Jr.-Madison, Wis.) and Jequan Pegeese (Sr.-Beloit, Wis.) scoring 11 apiece and Trenton Nickel (Sr.-Kiel, Wis.) adding 10 points.
Edgewood shot 50.8% for the game (33 of 65), but was often trading twos for threes with 56 points in the paint but just 4 three-pointers made in 16 attempts. Ryan Buss, Eli Hartjes and Jake Schroeckenthaler all scored 13 points, though Schroeckenthaler was held below his season average of 16.9 in part due to foul trouble.
Lakeland and Edgewood meet again Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Woltzen Gymnasium.