MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Junior Sy Staver broke a 47-47 tie with a three-pointer from the top of the key with two seconds remaining, as the Edgewood College men's basketball team upset third-seed MSOE 52-47 in the opening game of the NACC Tournament. Freshman Jake Negus made five three-pointers for career-high 25 points to advance the Eagles to a Friday semifinal game at top-seeded Aurora University.

Edgewood College (11-15) won the game despite a second half shooting slump that threatened to cut short their postseason before it really got started. The Eagles made just three of their first 23 shots in the second half, as MSOE (16-10) trimmed a 14-point lead to just two at 47-45 with 3:22 left to play.

However, the Eagles misfired on their next four possessions and the Raiders came up empty on their next three trips, until MSOE's Tegan Miles scored a layup with 17 seconds remaining. With no timeouts in a tied game, the Eagles put the ball in the hands of Staver. Emil Radisevic set a ball screen near the top of the key, and when his defender started to go under the screen, Staver stepped back and splashed a cold-blooded three-point shot with 2.0 seconds remaining on the clock.

Leading 50-47, MSOE attempted to throw a long inbounds pass, but the ball sailed over its target, giving the ball back to the Eagles under their own basket. Edgewood College inbounded to Negus, who was fouled and made two free throws with 0.7 seconds on the clock to secure the upset victory 52-47.

It was an unusual role reversal for the Eagles, who often rely heavily on their inside game. While Edgewood College made just eight two-point baskets, they scored 10 three-pointers, including seven in the first half. Negus went 3-for-4 from the arc in the first half, while Staver went 2-for-4. Seniors Travis Kell and Arik Anderson also hit a three-pointer to life the Eagles to a 31-18 halftime lead.

Negus finished 5-for-7 from the three-point line and made all four of his free throws on his way to 25 points. Staver was the only other Eagle in double figures scoring 11 points, going 3-for-5 at the arc. Staver also had three assists and three steals. Edgewood College shot just 18.8 percent from the field in the second half, to finish at 29.5 percent for the game, but none of the Eagles will give this win back.

MSOE ha three players in double figures led by Jake Gebert with 12 points and Travis Ballard with 11 points. Matthew Kirmse was the only Raider starter in double figures with 10 points.

It was an outstanding defensive effort that won the game, as the Eagles held the Raiders to 2-for-15 from the three-point line and forced 16 turnovers. The Eagles hadn't held a team under 50 points since defeating Maranatha Baptist 66-45 in the 2012-13 season, and hadn't done so in a postseason game since a 61-49 win over MSOE at the Edgedome way back in the 2002 Lake Michigan Conference Tournament. This was the Eagles first postseason win since defeating Lakeland University in a 2015 NACC Tournament first round game.

Edgewood College advances to the NACC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2015. Under a new format, regular season champion and top-seed Aurora University will host both of the semifinal games on Friday night, and the championship game on Saturday. The first semifinal will feature second-seeded Benedictine University against fifth-seed Concordia University Wisconsin at 5:00 p.m. The Falcons upset fourth-seeded Lakeland University 99-85 to advance. The Eagles and Spartans will get underway at approximately 7:30 p.m.

The champion of the NACC Tournament, receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.