MEQUON, Wis. – The Lakeland University women's basketball team halted a string of achingly close losses early in the season, getting the last word in a 62-54 win over Concordia University Wisconsin Tuesday night.

The Muskies scored the game's final 17 points, completing a comeback from 14 points down in the second half to get their first win of the season. Lakeland improved to 1-6 overall and 1-2 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference by winning at Concordia's R. John Buuck Fieldhouse for the third time in the Muskies' last four trips there.

Abby Nylund (Jr.-Crystal Falls, Mich.) made two free throws with 30 seconds left in the game to give the Muskies just their second lead of the contest and their first since a brief 2-0 lead for seven seconds in the first quarter. Lakeland made six more consecutive foul shots from there to win despite not making a field goal in the final 4 minutes, 24 seconds.

The Muskies held Concordia (1-4 overall, 1-2 NACC) without a point for the final 8:30, as the hosts missed their final 10 shots. The Falcons also committed eight of their 23 turnovers in the final quarter.

Lakeland's rally was stunning after CUW led for nearly 37 minutes in the contest, including by double digits for much of the third quarter. The Falcons took a 28-19 lead into halftime and went ahead by 14 on two occasions in the third quarter, the second when Emily Hafemann hit her fifth three-pointer of the game for a 49-35 lead with 2:30 left in the period.

The Muskies heated up to make 8 of 12 shots in the third quarter, but Concordia shot even better and made 10 of 18 from the field. Lakeland scored on its first two possession of the fourth quarter, though, to cut an 11-point deficit to six, and chipped away from there, getting within a point on a layup by Megan Will (Jr.-Lake Mills, Wis.) with 4:25 left before both teams went scoreless for the next 3:55.

Will finished with 18 points and eight rebounds and Nylund added 11 points and seven boards. Kacey Gardner (So.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) added nine points plus four assists, Janai' Farr (Jr.-Racine, Wis.) scored eight points off the bench and Rachel Hasko (Sr.-Racine, Wis.) and Amanda Majewski (Sr.-Peshtigo, Wis.) added seven points each, with Hasko also adding a game-high five assists.

Lakeland shot a season-best 44.0% from the field, making 22 of 50 shots. The Muskies also made 14 of 20 from the free throw line (70.0%), posting a 20-2 advantage in free throw attempts over the Falcons.

Lakeland is on the road again Saturday when it heads west on Highway 23 to face Marian University at 4:15 p.m. in Fond du Lac.