Megan Will (So.-Lake Mills, Wis.) split two free throws with 48 seconds left in the game and the Lakeland University women's basketball team withstood a tying three-point attempt at the buzzer to defeat the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 68-65 Tuesday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies defeated the Pointers for the first time in 20 years and earned their second win this season over a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team. Along with a 55-53 win over UW-River Falls in the season opener, Lakeland has two wins against WIAC teams in the same season for the first time since it defeated UW-Superior and UW-La Crosse on back-to-back days Nov. 19-20, 2004.

Will and Miranda Jacobson (Sr.-Felch, Mich.) combined to score Lakeland's final nine points over the last 2 minutes, 27 seconds. Jacobson's fast break layup with 1:26 left tied the game at 63-63, and Will's free throw 38 seconds later gave the Muskies the lead back.

Jacobson then hit four free throws in the final 17 seconds, the last two giving the Muskies a 68-65 lead with three seconds to play. UWSP was able to get a final shot, though, but Carly Cerrato's three-pointer from the right corner spun around the rim and out to save the victory.

Just like the win over UW-River Falls 10 days earlier, the Muskies (3-0 overall) came from behind in the final minutes again. Unlike that victory, the rest of the game preceding the dramatic finish played out far differently, as Lakeland dominated much of the way before the Pointers (2-1 overall) stormed back in the fourth quarter.

The Muskies ripped off a 14-0 run to start the game and led 26-10 after one quarter, draining nine of their first 13 shots (69.2%). The hosts continued to hold the point and led 40-25 at halftime, then stretched it out to 45-27 early in the third quarter.

UW-Stevens Point made brief runs in the second and third quarters, closing within seven points in the second and to 10 at 49-39 late in the third. Lakeland stretched it back out both times, though, and still led 56-41 after three quarters.

The Pointers charged hard in the fourth period, though, with Cerrato scoring seven straight points to make it 56-50 with 7:22 left, and another 11-1 run was capped by Cerrato's triple with 3:00 left that gave UWSP its first lead at 61-59. Will hit a pair of foul shots to tie it back up, but Bailey Collins scored on a putback after an offensive rebound to give UWSP the lead back before the Muskies pulled through in the final minutes.

Will finished with a game-high 18 points and added 10 rebounds plus six blocked shots. Jacobson also scored 15, hitting all six of her free throw attempts. Rachel Hasko (Jr.-Racine, Wis.) also added four assists, and a total of 11 Muskies scored, with all 11 already getting in the scorebook before halftime.

Lakeland shot 50% as a team, making 22 of 44 field goals, and also held UW-Stevens Point to 30.0% shooting (21 of 70), even as the Pointers finished with 19 offensive rebounds and posted a 17-2 advantage in second chance points.

Amber Baehman scored 16 points and added 10 rebounds for UWSP, which forced 27 Muskies turnovers.

The Muskies now get ready to open Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play on Saturday when they travel to face Edgewood College in Madison at 2 p.m.