PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Ellie Felsinger (Sr.-Cedar Grove, Wis.) dominated inside with 19 points and 10 rebounds and the Lakeland University women's basketball team finished the 2022 portion of its schedule with a 74-53 win over Blackburn (Ill.) College Monday afternoon at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies led nearly from start to finish and went into the holidays on a high note with a victory in their final non-conference game of the season. Lakeland is now off until the new year when it begins the meat of its Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference schedule with a trip to Concordia University Wisconsin Jan. 4.

The Muskies (4-7 overall) trailed only once at 2-0 and took control with big runs at the end of the second and third quarters. Lakeland led by a double-digit margin for most of the final three quarters and put the game away quickly soon after Blackburn briefly closed within eight points in the third quarter.

Felsinger made 8 of 11 shots from the field, 3 of 4 from the free throw line and added three assists and two blocked shots in just 19 minutes. She supplied a good share of the Muskies' offense through the first three quarters, including 13 points in the first half as Lakeland built a 30-18 halftime lead.

The Muskies also held the Beavers to 28.1% shooting for the game, including 16.1% in the first half when the guests made 5 of 31 shots. The defense played a big part in Lakeland going on a 15-2 run over an eight-minute stretch in the second quarter to take a 30-12 lead before Blackburn scored the final six points of the half.

The Beavers cut a 13-point deficit down to eight when Aryanna Harris banked in a three-pointer to make it 33-25 with 6:35 left in the third quarter. The Muskies responded with a 12-2 run capped by a three-pointer by Alexa Yost (Jr.-Menasha, Wis.) making it 45-27, and pushed the lead to 52-31 on a layup by Brianna Jones (Sr.-Indianapolis, Ind.) with 34 seconds left in the period. Lakeland would substitute freely in the final quarter but still made 9 of 13 shots in the final 10 minutes and led by as many as 25 points late.

Jones scored 14 points and finished with three steals and Yost had a season high with 10 points, making all three of her field goal attempts and adding a team-high four assists. Kacey Gardner (Sr.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) also added five points, four rebounds and four steals.

The Muskies finished shooting 43.3%, making 29 of 67 shots including 17 of 34 (50.0%) in the second half. Lakeland also posted a 46-16 advantage in points in the paint, received 29 points from its bench, out-rebounded Blackburn 55-38 and committed just six turnovers in the first three quarters before finishing the game with 14 turnovers.

Blackburn finished making 18 of 64 shots and was led by Elizabeth Morris with 11 points, including three three-pointers in the final quarter.