AURORA, Ill. – The Lakeland University women's basketball team and its winning streak met their match running into a red-hot opponent, falling to Aurora University 87-54 Saturday afternoon.
The Muskies saw their seven-game streak snapped by a surging Aurora team that has suddenly won five in a row and clinched the sixth and final spot in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament. Lakeland is still is tied for fourth in the conference with two regular season games remaining and still has a chance to host a quarterfinal game in the tourney.
The Spartans (13-10 overall, 11-7 NACC) shot 54.4% with a dazzling offensive performance that included a 50-point first half and 11 made three-pointers in 21 attempts. Aurora built a 27-point lead by halftime and never allowed the Muskies to make a run in the second half.
Lakeland (15-8 overall, 12-6 NACC) was unable to keep up, hitting 9 of 27 shots in the first half (33.3%) and 20 of 54 for the game (37.0%). The Muskies outscored Aurora 30-26 in the paint but went 0-for-14 from three-point range and also committed 21 turnovers.
The game actually started well for Lakeland, which led 8-4 near the midpoint of the first quarter. The Spartans scored the next 16 points, though, building a 20-8 lead, and the Muskies never got closer than 10 points again.
Rachel Stankevich (
Sr.-Goodman, Wis.) scored 12 points to lead Lakeland.
Miranda Jacobson (
Jr.-Felch, Mich.) scored 11 but saw her streak of six straight double-doubles ended.
Maddy Doll (
Sr.-Florence, Wis.) also added 10 points and seven rebounds, and as a team the Muskies shot 14-for-15 from the free throw line (93.3%).
Freshman Bailey Kramer set an Aurora school single-game record with 15 assists, while fellow freshman Julie Galauner scored a game-high 18 points. The Spartans also got 26 points from their bench and finished with a 31-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Lakeland is back home Tuesday to host Marian University for a 7 p.m. start at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium. It also will be Senior Night for Doll and Stankevich, the two seniors on this year's team.
