In a game dominated by defense, the Lakeland University women's basketball team made the strongest statement last to defeat Benedictine (Ill.) University 54-43 Saturday afternoon in a key Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game.

The Muskies held the Eagles to one field goal and four points total in the game's final 8 minutes 24 seconds, enabling them to slowly pull away in the final minutes and win for the ninth time in 10 games. The win allowed Lakeland to move into a tie with Benedictine in the NACC standings, with both teams now 11-3 in league play with six regular season games left.

That the Muskies (13-7 overall) finished the game off with the defense leading the way was appropriate in a game where both defenses got the better of each other's offense. Lakeland limited the Eagles to just 13 made field goals in 61 shot attempts, 21.3% shooting, more than offsetting the Muskies' own cold shooting with 14 makes in 47 attempts (29.8%).

The Muskies also won the game at the free throw line, shooting 77.8% in making 21 of 27 attempts. In contrast, Benedictine shot 55.6% at the stripe, making just 10 of 18 foul shots.

Lakeland led almost the whole way, getting off to a hot start in building an 18-7 lead after one quarter. The Muskies still led 25-22 at halftime, with Bailey Grayvold (Sr.-Norway, Mich.) scoring 10 points and Kayla Clark (Sr.-West Bend, Wis.) adding nine points, including three three-pointers.

The slim lead held until early in the fourth quarter, when the Eagles hit back-to-back three-pointers, the second by Venita Parsons tying the game at 39-39 with 8:25 left. Benedictine never would get over the hump, though, as Grayvold split two free throws and Amanda Majewski (Fr.-Peshtigo, Wis.) hit a floater on the baseline, sparking a 7-0 run to give the Muskies control again. The Eagles never got closer than six the rest of the way, missing eight of their final nine shots from the floor.

Grayvold scored a game-high 20 points, including making 13 of 15 free throws. Rachel Stankevich (Jr.-Goodman, Wis.) added 10 points, Clark scored nine and added three assists, and Miranda Jacobson (So.-Felch, Mich.) finished with six points and 12 rebounds. Maddy Doll (Jr.-Florence, Wis.) also added five blocked shots, part of the team's total of nine blocks.

Venita Parsons led Benedictine with nine points. Alena Moro finished with a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Muskies are home again on Wednesday when they welcome Concordia University Wisconsin for a 7 p.m. tip at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.