MILWAUKEE – Being on the wrong end of a large difference in turnovers caught up to the Lakeland University women's basketball team as it dropped a 60-46 decision to Wisconsin Lutheran College Tuesday night in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play.
The Muskies committed 18 turnovers, including 14 in the first half, and the Warriors took advantage to open up a halftime lead. WLC kept a comfortable margin in the second half and stayed undefeated in the NACC, while Lakeland dropped to 4-3 overall and 1-2 in conference.
The Muskies out-rebounded the Warriors 33-27, got to the free-throw line more than WLC and converted 11 of 13 foul shots (84.6%). Lakeland also built an early nine-point lead in the first quarter, ending a 14-2 run with
Rachel Stankevich (
Sr.-Goodman, Wis.) converting a three-point play to make it 14-5 just over six minutes into the game.
Wisconsin Lutheran (5-1 overall, 3-0 NACC) closed both the first and second quarters strong. The Warriors scored eight straight to wrap up the opening period trailing just 14-13, and they scored the final seven points of the first half to take a 30-22 lead at the break.
WLC took hold of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Muskies 18-14 on the strength of four three-pointers. The Warriors built the lead up to 15 on a layup by Kelly Tramburg making it 39-24, and Lakeland never got closer than eight points the rest of the game, the last time after
Maddy Doll (
Sr.-Florence, Wis.) scored inside to make it 54-46 with 3:51 left in the contest.
Doll led the Muskies with 18 points, hitting 7 of 10 from the field and all four free throw attempts. Stankevich also chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds and
Miranda Jacobson (
Jr.-Felch, Mich.) added 10 points and eight rebounds. Those three accounted for the bulk of the Muskies' scoring, with 40 of the team's 46 points, and Lakeland shot 38.6% for the game, making 17 of 44 shots.
Caitlin Knueppel scored 15 to lead the Warriors, who hit 25 of 57 shots (43.9%), including 7 of 28 from long range (25.0%). Jen Dowden also added 12 points plus a game-high eight assists and Maddie Cruz totaled 11 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Lutheran made just 3 of 7 free-throw tries, but committed just seven turnovers.
Lakeland is back home Saturday when it welcomes Aurora University for a 4:15 p.m. tip-off at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium. The game marks the Muskies' final at home in 2017.
