PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Lauren Downs (Sr.-West Bend, Wis.) stepped up with a career-high 17 points but the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh defeated the Lakeland University women's basketball team 60-43 in both teams' season opener Wednesday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The nationally ranked Titans of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference shot 45.7% for the game and led almost wire-to-wire. The Muskies hung tough much of the way, though, with an encouraging effort against a team that finished in the final eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament last year and enters the season 22nd in the D3hoops.com top 25 preseason poll.

Lakeland fell behind by 17 points on two occasions in the second quarter but kept fighting back and chipping away at the UWO lead.

The Titans led 31-14 late in the second before seven straight points including a three-pointer and a layup by Downs sandwiched around a basket by Sydney Walker (Jr.-Flint, Mich.) brought the Muskies within ten. UWO would take a 34-21 lead into halftime and pushed the lead to 15 points early in the third quarter, and the hosts would crawl back within eight points and then within seven at the end of the quarter when Downs made two free throws to make it 42-35.

Oshkosh scored five straight to push the lead back to 13, but Lakeland back to within 48-40 after a Downs layup with 4:58 left in the game. The Titans had an answer throughout the contest, though, and responded with nine straight points to finally put the game away. UWO also held the Muskies to just three points the rest of the way coming on a three-pointer by A.T. Bartlett (Fr.-Farmington Hills, Mich.).

Lakeland stayed with UWO despite a cool night shooting, making 15 of 48 shots from the field (31.3%). The Muskies held their own on the boards with a 32-31 rebounding advantage and turned 14 Titan turnovers into 17 points.

Downs made 6 of 10 shots, including 3 of 5 from three-point range. Ellie Felsinger (Sr.-Cedar Grove, Wis.) added 10 poitns and seven rebounds, Walker chipped in five points and five rebounds and Brianna Jones (Sr.-Indianapolis, Ind.) added four points, a game-high nine rebounds and three assists.

Allison Forney paced UW-Oshkosh with 15 points and added five assists and Jenna Jorgensen added 12 points and eight rebounds. Kayce Vaile also scored 10 points, including six straight in the fourth quarter after the Muskies had closed within eight.

Lakeland is home again on Saturday when it hosts Ripon College for a non-conference game at 2 p.m.