RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The Lakeland University women's basketball team shook off a chilly first half and a stubborn opponent to pull away in the final minutes and defeat Dominican (Ill.) University 77-64 Saturday afternoon at the Igini Sports Forum.
The Muskies clinched a berth in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament and remained in the thick of the chase for a top-four finish and a home game for its tourney opener. Lakeland is now 14-7 overall and 12-4 in the NACC, still tied for fourth place with Concordia University Chicago, a 70-52 winner over Marian University on Saturday.
The Muskies had to overcome a slow start and a halftime deficit to defeat the Stars (7-14 overall, 5-11 NACC) for the second time this season. Lakeland had to fight for it, finally gaining some separation late in the fourth quarter in a game that was close for more than 37 minutes and included 12 ties and 15 lead changes.
Dominican led 33-30 at halftime and still held the point deep into the third quarter until
Rachel Stankevich (
Jr.-Goodman, Wis.) scored to put the Muskies ahead 46-45 with 1:55 left in the third. Lakeland would never trail again, but the game remained tight until the final minutes.
It was still a one-possession game after Claudia DeNigris hit a three-pointer with 3:29 left to pull the Stars within 62-59, but the Muskies made their move with nine straight points. Stankevich hit a jumper,
Bailey Grayvold (
Sr.-Norway, Mich.) hit a three-pointer and scored a layup and
Kayla Clark (
Sr.-West Bend, Wis.) added a basket, and by the end of the spurt Lakeland held a 71-59 lead with just over a minute left.
Lakeland warmed up in the second half, hitting 15 of 27 shots (55.6%) after a first half in which it hit just 8 of 29 shots (27.6%). The Muskies pounded it inside in the final 20 minutes, scoring 22 points in the paint on the way to a 32-6 advantage for the game in points in the paint.
Grayvold scored 23 points, including making 15 of 18 free throws, and Stankevich also added 21 points, eight rebounds and three steals.
Miranda Jacobson (
So.-Felch, Mich.) also added 14 points, including 11 in the second half. The Muskies shot 41.1% for the game and hit just 3 of 17 three-point attempts but made 28 of 38 from the free throw line.
Dominican shot 27.8% (15 of 54), including just 20.7% in the second half (6 of 29). The Stars also committed 24 turnovers but stayed in the game by making nine three-pointers and also posting a 43-36 rebounding advantage that included 20 offensive boards.
Lakeland is on the road again Tuesday when it travels to face Milwaukee School of Engineering on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Milwaukee.
