MADISON – The Lakeland University women's basketball team erased a seven-point second-half deficit with a big run and held off Edgewood College 55-50 Saturday evening in its return to Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play.
The Muskies outscored the Eagles 15-1 over the game's deciding stretch, a period of nearly eight minute over the third and fourth quarters, and won in their first game in 10 days. Lakeland improved to 7-4 overall and 4-2 in conference, while a vastly improved Edgewood squad dropped to 5-6 overall and 3-3 in the NACC.
The Muskies trailed almost the entire second and third quarters, falling behind by as much as 38-31 when Abby Shane hit a three-pointer for Edgewood with 6 minutes, 10 seconds left in the third period.
Lakeland still trailed 41-35 after Riley Larson made one of two free throws with 2:12 left in the third, but the Muskies responded on both ends. Lakeland held the Eagles without a field goal for the next 10:22, and also went to work inside on the offensive end.
Maddy Doll (
Sr.-Florence, Wis.) scored all nine of her points in the deciding run, including a three-point play just over a minute into the fourth quarter to give the Muskies a 43-41 lead that they'd never give back.
Rachel Stankevich (
Sr.-Goodman, Wis.) also added a three-point play, giving Lakeland their largest lead of the game at 50-42 with 4:24 to play.
Edgewood still battled back and got the lead down to three points twice in the final two minutes. Jennifer Freeman's three-pointer made it 51-48 with 1:31 left, and the Muskies turned it over on their next possession, but
Abby Nylund (
Fr.-Crystal Falls, Mich.) came up with a steal of her own with 41 seconds left and then hit a pair of free throws. The hosts scored inside with 15 seconds left, but Stankevich answered four seconds later with a clinching short jumper to close it out.
Stankevich finished with 21 points plus three steals to lead the Muskies, making 6 of 14 from the field and 9 of 11 from the line.
Amanda Majewski (
So.-Peshtigo, Wis.) also added 11 points and Doll finished with nine points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
Miranda Jacobson (
Jr.-Felch, Mich.) also led the team with 10 rebounds.
Lakeland shot 34.7% from the field, making 17 of 49 shots, but also held Edgewood to 28.6% shooting (18 of 63). The Muskies also won in part because they were the superior team shooting free throws, making 19 of 26 from the stripe (73.1%) while the Eagles were an unsightly 7-for-22 from the line (31.8%).
Delaney Wilhelm scored 13 points to lead Edgewood, which finished 0-25 a year ago but has already won five more games overall and three more in the NACC than last year.
Lakeland is now home for its first game of the new year when it hosts Benedictine University Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
