MADISON – A good start for the Lakeland University women's basketball team faded in the second half as Edgewood College pulled away for a 69-49 win Friday night at the Todd Wehr Edgedome.
The defending Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference champion Eagles remained undefeated in North Division play while the Muskies struggled especially on offense for the third straight game against one of the division's top teams. Lakeland dropped to 2-4 overall and is now 1-4 in the NACC North with five more division games to play, including a second at Edgewood Saturday at 5 p.m.
The Eagles (7-3 overall, 6-0 NACC North) dominated the game's final 14 minutes, outscoring the Muskies 26-10 in that stretch to turn a close game into a convincing win. Edgewood picked up its offensive play in the second half, making 51.7% of its shots (15 of 29), and also continued to build on a big rebounding edge that finished in a 54-38 advantage on the glass for the game.
The Muskies' shooting woes caught up to them in the second half, as Lakeland finished the game shooting 26.9% (21 of 78), including 10 of 39 in the second half. Despite struggling to score, the Muskies still fought back after a big Edgewood run in the first quarter and also bounced back from an eight-point halftime deficit to tie the game before the Eagles' finishing kick.
The Muskies scored 12 of the game's first 15 points and built a nine-point lead less than four minutes into the contest.
Kacey Gardner (
Jr.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) and
Lauren Downs (
So.-West Bend, Wis.) hit early three-pointers, and Gardner's short jumper put Lakeland ahead 12-3 with 6:15 left in the first quarter.
Edgewood responded with a 14-2 run, and Lexi Walter's basket inside gave the hosts a 19-16 lead. The Muskies would rally to tie the score at 19-19 at the end of one quarter, but the Eagles built a nine-point lead in the second quarter and led 33-25 at the half, seemingly taking control.
Lakeland rallied again to start the third quarter, though, scoring eight straight points capped by a short jumper by
Megan Will (
Sr.-Lake Mills, Wis.) tying the score at 33-33.
Morgan Zenon (
Jr.-Twin Lakes, Wis.) scored in the paint the next time down for the game's sixth tie coming at 35-35, but from there Edgewood began to take control. A 15-4 run capped by two Diamond Pikulyk free throws gave the Eagles a 50-39 lead with 3:18 left in the third, and Edgewood opened the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to up the lead to 20 points at 65-45 with 7:16 to play.
Gardner finished with 11 points to lead Lakeland and also added team highs with four assists and four steals. Zenon chipped in nine points and five rebounds off the bench, Will added eight points plus seven rebounds and Downs also scored seven points off the bench. The Muskies made just 3 of 19 from three-point range (15.8%) but stayed in the game by committing just six turnovers to the Eagles' 16.
Alyssa Lemirande led Edgewood with 14 points and added six assists. Emma Klein also added 12 points and seven rebounds and Bria Lemirande scored 11 with seven rebounds. The Eagles shot 27 of 60 for the game (45.0%) and defeated Lakeland for the fifth straight time.
