BELOIT, Wis. — Powered by a dominant performance on the offensive glass and a balanced scoring attack, the Beloit College men's basketball team pulled away in the second half to defeat the Lakeland University Muskies 86-67 this evening at Flood Arena.
The victory improves the Buccaneers' record to 4-5 on the season, while Lakeland drops to 2-7.
While the final score indicates a blowout, the Buccaneers had to weather an early storm. Lakeland came out sharp, shooting 48% in the first half and building an early 15-9 lead. However, the momentum began to swing late in the first period.
Trailing early, Beloit tightened up their defense and began to exploit Lakeland's inability to secure rebounds. Closing the half strong, Beloit took a 37-30 lead into the locker room. The Buccaneers exploded out of the break, outscoring the Muskies 49-37 in the second half. The lead ballooned to as many as 26 points late in the game, turning a competitive matchup into a comfortable victory.
The story of the game was Beloit's physicality. The Buccaneers crushed Lakeland on the boards, winning the rebounding battle 45-34. Most notably, Beloit secured 18 offensive rebounds, which they converted into 14 second-chance points. This relentless pressure allowed Beloit to attempt 22 more field goals than their opponents (76 to 54).
Beloit also controlled the interior scoring, racking up 46 points in the paint compared to Lakeland's 36.
Three Buccaneers scored in double figures, leading an offense that saw contributions up and down the roster. Semaj Roy (Chicago, Ill.) was the engine for the offense, leading all scorers with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting. He filled the stat sheet with 7 rebounds, a block, and a steal in 27 minutes of action. Dae'Quan Davis (Chicago, Ill.) provided a massive spark off the bench. He poured in 18 points on an efficient 8-of-14 shooting performance. Davis was a force on the glass, grabbing a team-high 8 rebounds, 6 of which were on the offensive end. The floor general, Anthony Carter (Greenfield, Wis.) tallied 16 points, creating opportunities and managing the game flow over a team-high 31 minutes. Thomas Glenn (Waukesha, Wis.) contributed an efficient 210 points in just 18 minutes, shooting 4-of-7 from the field.
Beloit's depth was superior, with the bench unit outscoring Lakeland's reserves 33-16. The Buccaneers played a cleaner game, committing only 11 turnovers compared to Lakeland's 19. The Bucs active hands led to 11 steals, with Lathan Lewis (Rockford, Ill.) grabbing a game-high 3 swipes.
