ASHLAND, Wis.: The UW-Superior men's basketball team was on the verge of completing a 19-point second-half comeback against Northland on the road at Chapple Family Gym Wednesday.
 
Instead, down, 74-73, Mac Reykdal's (Washburn, Wis./Washburn) driving layup with five seconds remaining, hit the rim and bounced away as the Lumberjacks escaped defeat by the slimmest of margins.
 
Superior placed four players in double figures, and shot 55.6 percent in the second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 43-24 Northland lead early in the final 20 minutes. The loss snapped the 'Jackets' three-game winning streak. 
 
Montroy Scott (Fridley, Minn./Columbia Heights) scored 18 points, Reykdal had 17 and Adam Arroyo (St. Paul, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran Academy) added a career-high 14 points and eight rebounds as UWS fell to 5-14 overall and 3-7 in the UMAC.
 
The Yellowjackets whittled the deficit down to single digits with six minutes to play and scored six consecutive points – five from Joseph Kramer (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) – to cut it to a 65-61 game at the 5:36 mark. After a pair of Modesta Britten free throws, Kramer drained a 3-pointer off of an Arroyo pass to slice the Northland lead to 67-64. Northland knocked down two more from the line before Kramer and Reykdal used a five-point run, sandwiched a Britten layup, to get the 'Jackets within 71-69.
 
Then, Ronny Galvan (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Turner) stripped Brandon Galland and Scott knocked in a jumper for the tie with 2:06 remaining. But, on the next possession, Benny Larry Jr., hit a trey, giving Northland the lead for good. Reykdal followed with a pair of made free throws, before his layup attempt in the final seconds.
 
Britten scored a game-high 19 points, adding 11 rebounds, while Ethan Rycenga (15 points) and Galland (12) also chipped into the Northland cause. With the win, the Lumberjacks improve to 8-11 overall and 6-4 in the UMAC.
 
Superior led by as many as six points in the early going of the first half as Arroyo converted a layup less than three-and-a-half minutes in for an 8-2 lead. Northland rallied for a 10-10 tie and took the lead 16-13 with 11:06 left in the half when Gus Farrell ran off four straight points. Britten and Hunter Moe extended the spurt with a layup and 3-pointer, respectively, to make it 21-13 with 8:48 to go. 
 
The Lumberjacks led, 41-24, at the break.
 
UWS returns home to host Martin Luther Saturday at 4:45 p.m.