LISLE, Ill. – Ellie Felsinger (Jr.-Cedar Grove, Wis.) scored a career-high 17 points, Kacey Gardner (Sr.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) came near a triple-double and the Lakeland University women's basketball team picked up one of its best wins of the season defeating Benedictine University 69-65 Saturday afternoon.

The Muskies bounced back in a big way less than 24 hours after their most decisive loss of the season, knocking off one of the top teams in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference and earning a split of a tough two-day road trip to Illinois. Lakeland (12-11 overall, 8-8 NACC) also clinched a home game in the first round of the NACC Tournament and has wrapped up the eighth seed in the tourney which opens next Saturday.

The Muskies showed top-notch resilience after a 45-point loss Friday night to Aurora University, in which the Spartans set a school record for points in a game. Felsinger in particular had a career game against the Eagles (14-9 overall, 12-4 NACC), also adding 10 rebounds to finish with her second career double-double. She outplayed Benedictine's 6-foot-2 Alex Fanning, one of the top players in the conference who came in averaging 14 points and 12 rebounds per game but made just 3 of 14 shots and finished with eight points.

Felsinger scored the go-ahead basket late in the fourth quarter to put Lakeland ahead 56-54 with 4 minutes, 33 seconds to play, and the Muskies would never trail again. She also added a short jumper with 1:55 left after Benedictine had drawn within 60-59, and finished out the Eagles with two free throws with three seconds left for the game's final points.

Lakeland had Benedictine playing catchup virtually the entire day, scoring the first seven points of the game and never trailing in the first half. The Muskies led by nine on two occasions and still held a 35-32 lead at halftime after the Eagles closed within one late in the half. Gardner posted seven points, seven rebounds and six assists in the first 20 minutes alone, on the way to finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds and a season-best eight assists.

The second half was closer with five ties and Benedictine taking the lead briefly late in the third quarter, including a three-pointer by Brianna Lake to go ahead 46-43 with 1:53 left in the third. Lakeland had an answer for every Eagles surge, though, including coming back to lead by one when Gardner made two free throws with a second left in the period for a 49-48 advantage heading to the final ten minutes.

Benedictine briefly tied the score on a free throw by Fanning at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Muskies scored the next five points and never trailed in the fourth. Felsinger's go-ahead bucket started a string of six straight points for Lakeland, and the Muskies made enough free throws in the final minute to hold off a Benedictine team that entered the day tied for second in the NACC standings.

Alexa Yost (So.-Menasha, Wis.) also added 11 points and made 5 of 9 shots from the field, and beyond the Muskies' three double-figure scorers it was a true team effort with all nine players scoring. Lakeland had its best shooting day of the season, making 46.7% of their field goals (28 of 60), and also outrebounded Benedictine 41-38.

Sara Smith scored 13 points to lead the Eagles, who shot 35.8% (24 of 67). Fanning finished with a game-high 13 rebounds and added four assists and three blocked shots.

The Muskies wrap up their regular season on Tuesday with Senior Night against Concordia University Chicago at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium, with the team's seniors being honored before the 7 p.m. tip-off.