FOND DU LAC – Bailey Grayvold (So.-Norway, Mich.) made two free throws with one second left in the game and the Lakeland College women's basketball team took a big step towards a spot in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament with a 69-67 win over Marian University Wednesday night.

The Muskies won the only regular season meeting between the teams this season and tied the Sabres at 8-10 in conference play. Coupled with a loss by Aurora (Ill.) University, Lakeland (9-14 overall) is now in a tie for seventh in the NACC standings with two regular season games to play.

The free throws capped a suspense-filled final three minutes of a game in which the teams traded baskets and were tied three times. Marian (12-11 overall) tied the score three times, but every time the Muskies responded.

The score was tied at 67-67 with Marian having the final shot after a Muskie turnover with 15 seconds left, but Trista Barron (Jr.-Escanaba, Mich.) stole the ball with three seconds left. Barron got the ball to Grayvold, who was fouled just before the buzzer.

Lakeland held on to win a game it led most of the way but that was close throughout, with neither team leading by more than seven points. The first half alone saw six ties and six lead changes, but the Muskies scored the final six points for a 37-32 halftime lead.

Lakeland never trailed in the second half and took its largest lead at 46-39 with 15:21 to play after a three-point play by Rachel Stankevich (Fr.-Goodman, Wis.). The Muskies were hardly able to shake the Sabres, though, and the hosts finally tied it back up at 63-63 on two free throws by Amelia Mirsberger with 2:41 left, setting the stage for the back-and-forth final minutes.

Lakeland shot 45.2% from the floor, making 24 of 55 field goal attempts. The Muskies also were outstanding at the free throw line, making 19 of 21 (90.5%).

Marian converted just 21 of 65 field goals (32.3%), and Lakeland slowed down the Sabres' three-point shooting attack. Marian came in 15th in NCAA Division III in three-pointers made per game at 7.9 but made just six triples in 21 attempts. The Sabres committed just six turnovers, though, to finish plus-8 in turnover margin for the game.

Grayvold and Kayla Clark (So.-West Bend, Wis.) both finished with 14 points, with Grayvold also adding seven rebounds and Clark finishing with a game-high six assists. Maddy Doll (Fr.-Florence, Wis.) added 12 points on 6 of 7 shooting, Stankevich scored 11, and the Muskies also got good contributions off the bench with Tiersa Gillie (Fr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) scoring eight points and Mikayla Hilton (So.-Port Washington, Wis.) pulling down eight rebounds.

Lakeland next will face Benedictine (Ill.) University on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.