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Muskies don't get NCAA invite, but leave mark in record book


Athletics - posted on 3/3/2008

The bad news is that the Lakeland men's basketball team - admittedly a long shot to make the NCAA Division III Tournament field - did not receive an at-large bid.

The 59-team field was announced Monday. Northern Athletics Conference champion Aurora, the team Lakeland beat in overtime on Saturday to win the NAC Tournament, did earn one of the coveted Pool B berths and will open tournament play Thursday at Augustana.

That hasn't dampened the buzz on campus of the way the Muskies wrapped up the 2007-08 season - three overtime wins, all on the road, against the tournament's top three seeds to capture Lakeland's first NAC Tournament crown.

And these Muskies didn't just add to the trophy case this season - several of them have left their mark in the program's record book as well.

Senior guard Kris Saiberlich, who played in 106 games in his four-year career, starting 104, finished with 1,494 points, good for ninth on the all-time scoring list.

Saiberlich also wraps up his career as one of the best free throw shooters in Lakeland history. He made 89 of 95 free throws this season, and that 93.7 percent clip is the best single-season percentage in school history. He graduates with the first, third and sixth best free throw percentages in a season.

He also closes his career as one of the program's best 3-point shooters. He made 110 3-point field goals this season, and finished his career with 324 3-pointers, which are both believed to be school records.

Saiberlich is ranked third in the nation in NCAA Division III in free throw percentage and fourth in the nation in 3-point field goals made per game (3.8).

Senior teammate Aaron Regal recorded the second-best single season performance in Lakeland history from the free throw line. He made 98 of 107 free throws this year for 91.6 percent to earn his spot in the record book. Regal is ranked fourth in the nation in NCAA III in free throw percentage.

Senior Danny Ehnert grabbed 653 rebounds for his career, good for seventh on Lakeland's career rebound list.

Junior Peter Worth made 76 of 123 field goals this season, a shooting percentage of 61.8 percent that's seventh best on the single-season list.

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