Lakeland University built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and cruised from there to a 69-26 win over Illinois Institute of Technology in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference women's basketball contest Wednesday night.

The Muskies closed in on their second 20-win season in three years, improving to 19-5 overall and 15-4 in the NACC. Lakeland also now needs just one more win in its season finale Saturday against Alverno College to clinch the No. 2 seed and a bye into the semifinals in the NACC Tournament next week.

Amanda Majewski (Jr.-Peshtigo, Wis.) scored 14 points and hit four three-pointers. Lakeland had plenty of opportunities from long range as the undermanned Scarlet Hawks played a sagging zone most of the game, and the hosts made 12 of 41 from behind the three-point line.

The Muskies led 16-4 after one quarter and built a 35-16 halftime lead. Lakeland held Illinois Tech to single-digit point totals in three of the four quarters.

Miranda Jacobson (Sr.-Felch, Mich.) also scored nine points and added 10 rebounds. Megan Will (So.-Lake Mills, Wis.) added eight points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots and Kaity Birkholz (So.-Watertown, Wis.) added seven points. Twelve different players scored for Lakeland, including six players scoring between six and nine points.

The Muskies shot 33.8% (23 of 68) and held Illinois Tech (0-23 overall, 0-19 NACC) to 24.0% shooting. Erin Efimoff scored a game-high 15 points and added eight rebounds for the Scarlet Hawks.

Lakeland will close out the regular season Saturday when it hosts Alverno College at 6 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium. It will be Senior Night and the final home game for Jacobson and Asia Danforth (Seymour, Wis.), the two seniors on this year's team.