Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons (5-4 overall, 4-1 NACC)
at Lakeland University Muskies (7-4 overall, 3-1 NACC)
Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022    2 p.m.
Woltzen Gymnasium

Lakeland/CUW Game Notes   PDF

The Lakeland University women's basketball team returns to the court for the first time in more than two weeks and opens the new year hosting Concordia University Wisconsin Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

Broadcast Information:
Live video & live statistics: http://www.lakelandmuskies.com/muskieslive. Andy Damp is again calling the play-by-play for all Lakeland home basketball games this year.

Series history: Lakeland and Concordia are long-time rivals with a series dating back to when both schools began women's basketball in the 1970s. Complete series records are unavailable, but in Lakeland records dating back to 1982 the Falcons hold a 51-41 lead in 92 meetings. The teams played twice at Lakeland in the abbreviated 2020-21 season, with CUW posting a 55-50 win in both teams' season opener Jan. 22, 2021 before the Muskies came back for a 58-51 win the next night by limiting the Falcons to 26.9% shooting and just 14 made field goals. The teams have split their last 10 meetings, dating back to Lakeland's 64-60 win in the 2017 NACC Tournament championship game at Concordia that clinched the Muskies their most recent NCAA Division III Tournament berth. Before that, Concordia dominated the series from 2007-17, winning 20 of 23 matchups.

Lakeland last time out: Defeated Northwestern (Minn.) 68-55 Dec. 18
The Muskies' last game came 17 days ago, when they capped off an undefeated month of December with a non-conference win at home. Lakeland handled Northwestern's zone defense with ease, shooting over 50% for most of the game and finishing at  a season-best 46.4% from the field. The Muskies also made 13 three-pointers, nearly tripling their season average of 4.7 threes made per game coming in. Kerstin Sauerbrei scored 18 points on six three-pointers, Alexa Yost scored 11 with three threes and Hayley Walding added 10 points. Kacey Gardner also scored 10 points and added 11 rebounds plus six assists, finishing with her third double-double of the season. Lakeland extended its winning streak to four games and finished the month of December with a 4-0 record.

Concordia last time out: Lost at No. 19-ranked Wheaton (Ill.) 59-51 Thursday
The Falcons gave a respectable showing on the road against the nationally ranked Thunder, hanging around after a slow start and then rallying late in a game between the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Wheaton built a 19-7 lead after one quarter, held a double-digit lead most of the game and was up by as much as 16 in the fourth quarter, but Concordia went on a 14-2 run late to get within four points in the final minute before the Thunder closed the game out at the free throw line. Reagan Obry scored 14 points and Lindsey Smitsdorff added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Falcons, who were playing for the first time in 19 days. CUW shot just 28.3% and was outrebounded 57-35, but also held Wheaton to 31.9% shooting.

About the Falcons: Concordia holds a 5-4 overall record coming in but is 4-1 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference games. The Falcons' four losses include three to nationally ranked teams (Wheaton, Wisconsin-Whitewater and NACC foe Wisconsin Lutheran) plus a loss to Wisconsin-Stevens Point, a team that has also defeated Lakeland. CUW and Lakeland also have a common opponent in Wheaton, which defeated the Muskies 61-50 at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium Nov. 16. Concordia is led by Stacey Brunner-Jones, who has won more than 300 games in her highly successful 18-year tenure in Mequon. The Falcons finished 9-6 in the shortened 2020-21, extending their string to 16 consecutive winning seasons under Brunner-Jones.

Long layoff, longer break between losses: Lakeland is playing its first game in more than two weeks, and Tuesday will mark just the second game for the Muskies in 24 days, who also had a full week off before playing Northwestern (Minn.). Lakeland also has gone over a month since its last loss, a 63-43 defeat at St. Norbert Nov. 30.

The Muskies also are continuing a comfortable stretch at home in which they've taken full advantage so far. This marks the fourth game of a five-game homestand, and Lakeland has won its last four home games including a Nov. 27 win over Lawrence.