RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Concordia University Chicago heated up from three-point range and put together a big second half to rally past the Lakeland University women's basketball team 66-58 Thursday night at Geiseman Gymnasium.
The Cougars made seven three-pointers in the second half and outscored the Muskies 37-22 in the final 20 minutes, coming back from a seven-point halftime deficit to win the lone meeting between the two teams this season. Concordia also snapped Lakeland's six-game winning streak within the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, dropping the Muskies to 6-8 overall and 6-3 in conference.
The Cougars (3-10 overall, 2-7 NACC) went on spurts at the start of both the third and fourth quarters, including a 13-2 run to start the third quarter plus the first nine points of the fourth quarter. The latter gave Concordia a 55-47 lead with 7 minutes, 35 seconds left in the game, and CUC would push the lead even higher when Annika Rae made a three-pointer for a 60-51 lead with 5:43 left.
Lakeland whittled the Cougars' lead back down to three points at 60-57 after
Kacey Gardner (
So.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) made two free throws with 1:18 left. The Muskies would get no closer, though, as Rae hit a pull-up in the lane late in the shot clock to make it 62-57, and Concordia made all four of its free throws in the final 27 seconds.
The teams swapped the lead nine times and were tied on three more occasions. Lakeland got off to a fast start, taking a 12-4 lead midway through the first quarter, but the teams were close the rest of the first half. The Muskies finished the half on a good note, though, as
Janai' Farr (
Jr.-Racine, Wis.) hit a three-pointer in the final seconds to put Lakeland up 36-29 at the half.
The Muskies got big games off the bench from Farr and
Morgan Zenon (
So.-Twin Lakes, Wis.), as Farr scored 15 including three three-pointers and Zenon added a career-high 13 points plus seven rebounds.
Megan Will (
Jr.-Lake Mills, Wis.) also added 16 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots and
Amanda Majewski (
Sr.-Peshtigo, Wis.) also finished with a career-high nine assists.
Lakeland outshot Concordia, hitting 39.6% from the field (21 of 53) to the Cougars' 37.5% (24 of 64). Concordia hit 11 of 30 from long range, though, while the Muskies made 4 of 23 from deep. Lakeland also committed a season-high 22 turnovers, finishing with more turnovers than its opponent for just the third time in 14 games.
Tara Hastings scored 19 points and hit four three-pointers to lead Concordia. Rae also added 13 points and Charisma Robinson finished with seven steals.
The Muskies are back home Saturday when they host Dominican University at 4:15 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
