Trista Barron (Sr.-Escanaba, Mich.), Bailey Grayvold (Jr.-Norway, Mich.) and Miranda Jacobson (Fr.-Felch, Mich.) combined to score 56 points and the Lakeland College women's basketball team held off Concordia University Chicago 80-72 Saturday afternoon at the Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies overcame an early deficit to build a double-digit second half lead and then withstood a late rally by the Cougars to move to 9-8 overall this year. Lakeland also improved to 8-4 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference and is now in a three-way tie for fourth in the league standings.

Barron and Grayvold scored 20 points each and Jacobson added a career-high 16 points off the bench. Barron and Grayvold also combined to make seven of the team's nine three-pointers in another sizzling shooting display from outside for the first three quarters.

The Muskies made 8 of their first 17 tries from three-point range, with Barron's fourth three-pointer giving them their biggest lead at 54-41 with 6:38 left in the third quarter. Lakeland finished 9 of 23 from long range (39.1%).

The Muskies did go cold in the fourth quarter, missing 10 straight shots at one point, and that allowed Concordia (6-10 overall, 4-8 NACC) to make a run. The Cougars closed within two when a layup by former Muskie Teaira Miller made it 71-69 with 2:48 left.

CUC recorded four missed shots and a turnover on its next five possessions, though, and Lakeland closed out the game by making seven of eight from the free throw line. Grayvold also hit an important short jumper as well to make it 75-69 with 1:29 left and firmly put Concordia in chase mode.

The Cougars got the jump early, scoring the game's first nine points before the Muskies rallied for a 20-17 lead at the end of the first period. Concordia bounced back and led 30-24 midway through the second, but Lakeland finished the half on a 20-5 run and led 44-35 at the break.

Jacobson scored 12 of her 16 points in the opening 20 minutes, including a three-point play with 3:34 left in the half that put the Muskies ahead for good at 32-30. She finished 5 of 5 from the field and 6 of 8 from the free throw line and also added six rebounds in 19 minutes of play.

Kayla Clark (Jr.-West Bend, Wis.) added 10 points and a team-high four assists while Rachel Stankevich (So.-Goodman, Wis.) scored nine and added a game-high 15 rebounds. Lakeland shot 37.7% for the game (23 of 61) and also was 25 of 37 from the charity stripe (67.6%).

Angelik Young and Miranda Rogers led the Cougars with 18 points each, with Rogers hitting six three-pointers. Concordia shot 37.3% (25 of 67) but was hurt by shooting 14 of 25 from the foul line (56.0%).

Lakeland now plays its next three games on the road, starting with a trip to face Marian University Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Fond du Lac.