PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Ellie Felsinger (Jr.-Cedar Grove, Wis.) scored a go-ahead layup with 1:27 left in the game and the Lakeland University women's basketball team won its third straight game, edging Aurora University 60-57 Saturday afternoon at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

Felsinger's basket on an entry pass by Kacey Gardner (Sr.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) into the post over a fronting defender put the Muskies ahead for good, though they had to sweat out a last possession by the Spartans in the final seconds. Lakeland improved to 6-4 overall and is now 3-1 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.

The Muskies led almost the entire way but had to hold on after the Spartans erased a 12-point fourth quarter deficit to tie the game. Aurora (3-3 overall, 2-2 NACC) trailed 51-39 with 7:27 remaining after a basket by Morgan Zenon (Sr.-Twin Lakes, Wis.) but responded with a 10-0 run to get within two, and then finally tied the score at 56-56 with 2:01 left on a jumper by Victoria Perry.

Lakeland missed twice on its next trip down but grabbed the offensive rebound both times, and with the third chance Felsinger scored to put the Muskies up 58-56. The Spartans missed twice on their next time down, and Kerstin Sauerbrei (So.-Ripon, Wis.) split two free throws to put Lakeland up three with 31 seconds left.

Aurora's Gabby Moore then split two free throws with 15 seconds left, and Gardner was fouled with nine seconds to play with a chance to ice the win. She made the first but missed the second, but the Spartans were unable to get a good shot in the final seconds, with Julie Galauner throwing up a heavily contested, off-balance 30-footer just before the buzzer that wasn't close to the basket.

The Muskies trailed only briefly in the game, after Aurora scored the first points of the game for a 2-0 lead. Lakeland followed with the next ten points for a 10-2 lead and would never trail again, staying half a step ahead of the Spartans virtually the whole way.

The Muskies led 15-12 after one quarter, built the lead to eight points at 20-12 only to see Aurora close within 20-18 midway through the second period. Lakeland finished the second quarter on a 10-2 run, though, with Lauren Downs (Jr.-West Bend, Wis.) draining a three-pointer with 38 seconds left in the half for a 30-20 halftime lead.

The Muskies led by as much as 13 in the third quarter and held a 47-35 lead after three quarters. The lead held steady at 12 into the fourth until the Spartans began their rally and made 9 of 17 shots (52.9%) in the final period.

Both teams struggled shooting throughout, with Lakeland shooting 31.9% (22 of 69) and Aurora needing to heat up in the fourth quarter to finish at 31.8% (21 of 66). The Muskies finished with a 34-24 advantage in paint points, though, and also turned 16 offensive rebounds in 16 second-chance points, nine more than the Spartans.

Felsinger finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for her first career double-double, and Gardner also finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Zenon added 12 points off the bench and Sydney Walker (So.-Flint, Mich.) added a career-high seven rebounds off the bench.

Perry scored a game-high 21 points for Aurora. Eliot Dojutrek added 10 points off the bench.

The Muskies now have the week off for final exams before hosting the University of Northwestern (Minn.) next Saturday for a non-conference game at 1 p.m. at the Woltzen Gymnasium.