Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks (5-12 overall, 3-8 NACC)
at Lakeland University Muskies (9-9 overall, 7-4 NACC)
Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023Â Â 4:15 p.m.
Woltzen Gymnasium
Lakeland/IIT WBB Game Notes  PDF
The Lakeland University women's basketball team will attempt to climb over the .500 mark overall for the first time this season when it hosts Illinois Institute of Technology Saturday afternoon at 4:15 p.m.
Broadcast Information:
Live video & live statistics:Â
http://www.lakelandmuskies.com/muskieslive. Andy Damp is again calling the play-by-play for all Lakeland home basketball games this year.
Series history:Â 10th meeting, Lakeland leads 9-0
The Muskies are aiming for a sweep of Illinois Tech for the second straight season, having already topped the Scarlet Hawks 86-70 three weeks earlier in Chicago. Lakeland also defeated IIT twice last year, winning 79-45 at home Jan. 23, 2022 and 66-50 in Chicago six days later. The teams became conference foes when the Scarlet Hawks joined the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference in 2018, and the Muskies have won all seven meetings since. The schools first squared off Jan. 5, 1994 as Lakeland routed Illinois Tech 78-34 at home in the Wehr Center Fieldhouse.
Lakeland last time out: Defeated Marian 76-51 Wednesday
The Muskies got off to a fast start and were sharp from three-point range in one of their most convincing wins of the season. Lakeland built leads of 10-2 and 20-4 in the first quarter, never led by less than seven the rest of the way and stretched it out in the second half, outscoring the Sabres 34-20.
Kerstin Sauerbrei made a career-high seven three-pointers on the way to a season-best 23 points,
Alexa Yost scored 12 points and
Jenna Caterino added nine points on three three-pointers.
Kacey Gardner also dished out a career-high 10 assists to go along with eight rebounds and three steals. Lakeland hit a season-high 13 three-pointers and committed just seven turnovers in winning the first of two meetings between the teams over a two-week span.
Illinois Tech last time out: Lost to Benedictine 64-51 Wednesday
The end of the third quarter proved to be the difference in the Scarlet Hawks' loss at home to the Eagles Wednesday night. IIT had rallied from 11 points down in the second quarter to get within two midway through the third, but Benedictine finished the period on a 14-4 run. The Eagles would lead by double digits the rest of the way to win despite Julia Bucci scoring 22 points for Illinois Tech. The Scarlet Hawks shot 40.4% but were outrebounded 45-33 and committed 22 turnovers.
Recapping the first meeting: The Muskies produced one of the best shooting performances in school history, draining 59.3% of their shots in handling the Scarlet Hawks. The Muskies finished not far off the best single-game mark in school history of 62.7% set against Mount Mary Dec. 29, 2003.
Lauren Downs scored 15 points,
Kacey Gardner contributed 14 and
Mackenzie Miller added 13 points and 11 rebounds. Chloe Churilla scored 23 points to lead IIT, which shot 37.5% but stayed in the game in part due to 23 Lakeland turnovers.
Personal best, near record: Kerstin Sauerbrei's seven three-pointers versus Marian was the most by a Muskie since Janai' Farr hit seven triples Feb. 5, 2020. The seven triples also is the second-most in a game in school history. Peggy Keiper set Lakeland's single-game record Dec. 7, 2007, when she hit eight threes against MSOE. Keiper also hit seven threes against Maranatha Baptist that year, and Sara Langenhorst also made seven threes Feb. 8, 2005 against MSOE.
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