Maddy Doll (
Sr.-Florence, Wis.) set a career high with 16 rebounds as part of a double-double the Lakeland University women's basketball team lost its latest battle with rival Concordia University Wisconsin 64-49 Saturday afternoon at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
The Falcons took control of the game with an 11-0 run straddling the halftime break and won a rematch of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament championship game back in February. Lakeland won that game to clinch a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament, but Concordia backed up its status as NACC preseason favorites this year and won the conference schedule opener for both teams.
The Muskies (2-2 overall, 0-1 NACC) were icy from the floor, shooting just 30.2% (16 of 53) for the game. That included making 0-for-6 on tries from three-point range, as Lakeland was held without a triple for the first time since Jan. 3, 2007, snapping a streak of 292 straight games with at least one three-pointer.
Lakeland also committed 21 turnovers and saw foul trouble sideline two starters for long portions of the game, including leading scorer
Miranda Jacobson (
Jr.-Felch, Mich.) held to two points and 10 minutes of play total before fouling out. A number of young players also were receiving their first extended taste playing the perennial NACC power Falcons, but despite all the obstacles, the Muskies were right in the game throughout the first half and even into the fourth quarter before Concordia (1-1 overall, 1-0 NACC) pulled away in the final minutes.
Lakeland trailed just 26-25 with 1:12 left in the second quarter after
Rachel Hasko (
So.-Racine, Wis.) made the second of two free throws, but the Falcons got a three-pointer from Arianna Liddicoat and a steal by her leading to a layup by Kaitlyn Foster for a 31-25 halftime lead. CUW then scored the first six points of the second half and held the Muskies scoreless for a stretch of 4:09 in going ahead 37-25.
The hosts chipped away and got the margin down to five points in the fourth quarter when
Rachel Stankevich (
Sr.-Goodman, Wis.) converted a three-point play to make it 48-43 with 6:11 left. Concordia scored on its next five possessions, though, and closed the game on a 16-6 run.
Brianna Wagner finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead the Falcons, who also got a second double-double from Audrey Scharmer with 10 points and 10 boards. CUW shot 40.7% (24 of 59) from the field but took advantage of Lakeland's turnovers, turning them into a 19-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
Doll finished with 14 points, and her rebound total bested her career high of 13 set on Sunday against Illinois Tech. Stankevich added 11 points and
Katie West (
Fr.-Oak Creek, Wis.) finished with six rebounds off the bench. Lakeland finished with a 41-36 rebounding advantage.
The Muskies step back out of conference play Tuesday to host Lawrence University Tuesday at 7 p.m.