PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Lakeland University women's basketball team had its best shooting performance of the season and finished an undefeated month of December with a 68-55 win over the University of Northwestern (Minn.) Saturday afternoon at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
The Muskies set season highs for shooting percentage and three-pointers made and go into the holiday break on a four-game winning streak after improving to 7-4 with the non-conference win. Lakeland also completed a 4-0 month of December, with the team now on break until the new year.
The Muskies easily sliced up the Eagles' zone defense all game long, regularly getting open looks on the wings and knocking them down. Lakeland shot over 50% for most of the contest and finished making 26 of 56 shots (46.4%), including 13 of 29 from three-point range (44.8%).
The Muskies started to take control in the second quarter, hitting seven of nine shots over a stretch of five minutes in to take a 33-26 lead. Lakeland held a 35-30 lead going into halftime, and quickly built the lead to 12 early in the second half when
Kerstin Sauerbrei (
So.-Ripon, Wis.) hit two three-pointers and
Alexa Yost (
So.-Menasha, Wis.) added another, the latter putting the Muskies up 44-32 with 6 minutes, 29 seconds left in the third.
Northwestern (4-3 overall) closed back within 46-41 with a 9-2 run capped by a Megan Roberts three-pointer but would get no closer.
Lauren Downs (
Jr.-West Bend, Wis.) and
Hayley Walding (
Sr.-Bradenton, Fla.) hit back-to-back threes on the Muskies' next two possessions, and after leading 52-43 after three quarters Lakeland would hit four more threes, the last by Walding giving the hosts their largest lead at 64-47 with 5:04 to play. The Muskies would cool off in the final minutes but the Eagles got no closer than nine points late.
The game was close early, and in fact it was Northwestern getting off to a good start taking an early 11-4 advantage. Lakeland answered with 11 consecutive points, led 15-14 after one quarter and took the lead for good on a Sauerbrei three-pointer putting the Muskies ahead 22-21 with 7:19 left in the first half.
Sauerbrei scored a game-high 18 points and made 6 of 10 three-point tries, Yost scored 11 points with three three-pointers and Walding added 10 points including two triples.
Kacey Gardner (
Sr.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) also added 10 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Lakeland's 13 three-pointers was well ahead of its previous high of nine made in the second game of the season against Finlandia (Mich.) University and far ahead of the team's average of 4.7 threes per game coming in. The Muskies' 46.4% overall shooting also topped their previous best of 41.5% against Finlandia.
Hailey Paup led Northwestern with 12 points and eight rebounds and Roberts added 10 points and 10 boards. The Eagles shot 41.8% (23 of 55), held a big 38-20 advantage in points in the paint and outrebounded Lakeland 34-30. Northwestern committed 17 turnovers, though, and also shot 4 of 19 from three-point range.
Lakeland now has a more than two-week break over the holidays before playing again Jan. 4, 2022 against Concordia University Wisconsin at home at 7 p.m.
