PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Coming through in the clutch on both ends in the fourth quarter, the Lakeland University women's basketball team made the big plays late for a hard-earned 59-54 win over Concordia University Chicago Wednesday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies made the big plays late to win a game that was close all the way and toppled one of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference's top teams so far this season. Lakeland also extended its winning streak to four games and has now recovered from a 0-5 start to reach the .500 mark for the first time this season, improving to 7-7 overall and 5-2 in the NACC.

Though just past the halfway point of both teams' seasons, the Muskies and Cougars contested a game that had a bit of a tournament feel throughout. Neither led by more than five points in the first three quarters, when the squads combined for eight ties and seven lead changes, and the teams were tied at 42-42 going into the final period.

Lakeland took the lead 47 seconds into the fourth on a layup by Sydney Walker (Jr.-Flint, Mich.), and added to it two minutes later when Brianna Jones (Sr.-Indianapolis, Ind.) hit a jumper to put Lakeland ahead 46-42. The Muskies' defense also made a difference early in the period, with Walker and Jones coming up with steals and along with Kacey Gardner (Sr.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) leading an effort pressuring Concordia (7-6 overall, 6-2 NACC) into missing six shots and committing two turnovers on its first eight possessions of the period.

Lakeland would take its biggest lead of the game at 50-44 when Gardner found Mackenzie Miller (Fr.-Schoolcraft, Mich.) for a layup with 5:31 left in the game, but the Cougars would responded to twice cut the lead to two, the last time at 52-50 after a jumper by Mikalah Ellis bounced and then crawled over the front of the rim with 2:57 to play.

The Muskies had the answers when needed in the final minutes, though. Kerstin Sauerbrei (Jr.-Ripon, Wis.) drove and scored to make it 54-50, then split two free throws with 2:03 left for a 55-50 lead. Alisyn MacGregor hit two foul shots with 1:07 left to get Concordia back within three, but Alexa Yost (Jr.-Menasha, Wis.) hit a driving layup ten seconds later to make the lead five again.

MacGregor scored on a layup with 38 seconds left to draw the Cougars within 57-54, but with the shot clock winding down the guests began fouling and Gardner went to the line with 3.9 seconds left. The senior calmly hit both free throws for the final margin.

Concordia led 32-29 at halftime after a first half when the teams were within a single possession for all but 2:21, two brief stretches when Lakeland held leads of 9-4 and 11-6. The Cougars would take their biggest lead shortly after halftime at 36-31 and led for most of the third period, but Ellie Felsinger (Sr.-Cedar Grove, Wis.) scored to knot the score at 42-42 with 34 seconds left in the quarter.

The Muskies might have thought they received a break at the start of the night when Concordia's Katherine Benes was not in the lineup. Benes is the leading scorer in NCAA Division III, averaging 25.6 points per game on the season, but CUC's Alexis Desjarlait was almost as explosive. Desjarlait scored 20 points through three quarters, mixing in jumpers in the paint with a trio of long range shots from well behind the three-point arc. Lakeland shut her down in the fourth quarter, though, holding her scoreless in the final 10 minutes.

Miller finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, making 6 of 8 shots from the field. Felsinger combined with Miller to give the Muskies a very effective game from their posts, adding nine points and 10 rebounds.

Jones also scored nine points and added five rebounds and Walker scored five points and added four rebounds off the bench. All nine players to see the floor scored at least three points and Lakeland's bench outscored CUC's reserves 25-5.

Gardner also added eight points plus five rebounds and six assists. She now has 337 career assists, putting her three helpers from tying Kayla Clark (2013-17) for Lakeland's all-time career record for assists.

Lakeland finished shooting 39.7% (23 of 58) and held Concordia to 30.6% shooting, with the Cougars hitting 22 of 72 shots. The Muskies also battled to a narrow 45-44 win in the rebounding battle.

Lakeland is home again on Saturday, facing Aurora University at 4:15 p.m. It also is Alumni Day for the team, and an alumni game will be contested in the morning, before the start of the men's/women's doubleheader.