Box Score RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Lakeland University set the tone early on defense, stifling Concordia University Chicago in the first half on the way to a 61-46 win over the Cougars Thursday in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference women's basketball play at Concordia's Geiseman Gymnasium.
The Muskies held the Cougars to 13 points in the first half, building an early double-digit lead that would hold much of the game. Lakeland won the makeup game of a contest originally postponed in January and improved to 10-9 overall and 6-6 in conference.
The Muskies took a 17-7 lead after one quarter and led 27-13 at halftime after holding the Cougars (6-12 overall, 5-8 NACC) to 15.2% shooting in the game's first 20 minutes. Concordia made just 5 of 33 shots from the field, didn't make a field goal until over seven minutes into the game, and concluded the half with one field goal in the final 8:08.
The Cougars started to heat up in the second half and made the game interesting in the third quarter, cutting a 17-point to seven.
Alexa Yost (
So.-Menasha, Wis.) hit a three-pointer to put Lakeland up 32-15 with 7:47 left in the third, but Concordia came back with a 13-3 run over the next 2:05, with Sydney Lloyd's three-pointer drawing the CUC within 35-28.
Kerstin Sauerbrei (
So.-Ripon, Wis.) hit a three-pointer to put the Muskies back ahead by ten, and the Cougars never got closer than nine points again. Lakeland led 41-32 after three quarters and induced the Cougars into another drought with just one field goal in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the fourth period. The Muskies took their largest lead at 53-35 on a layup by
Ellie Felsinger (
Jr.-Cedar Grove, Wis.) with 4:39 left and led by no less than 12 the rest of the game.
Yost finished with 13 points to lead Lakeland, which shot 34.5% (20 of 58) from the field but made 17 of 22 from the free throw line (77.3%). Sauerbrei scored 11 and Felsinger added 10 points.
Brianna Jones (
Jr.-Indianapolis, Ind.) and
Kacey Gardner (
Sr.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) also played key roles on the glass, with Jones grabbing 13 rebounds and Gardner added 10 boards, along with both scoring eight points each.
Concordia finished shooting 27.0% (17 of 63), including 3 of 22 from three-point range (13.6%) and 9 of 20 from the free throw line (40.0%). Lloyd scored 12 points and Mikalah Ellis added 11, but the Muskies held CUC leading scorer Jaylene Wade scoreless on 0-for-9 shooting.
Lakeland is back home Saturday when it hosts Rockford University at 2 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
