RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Kacey Gardner (Sr.-Evergreen Park, Ill.) authored a senior masterpiece with a career-high 26 points and the Lakeland University women's basketball team clinched a spot in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament with a 70-57 win at Concordia University Chicago at Geiseman Gymnasium.

The Muskies ensured their spot in the six-team NACC Tournament and eliminated the Cougars from contention, and with some help Wednesday night also now are a win away from hosting a game in the tourney's first round. Benedictine University defeated Edgewood College 49-42 Wednesday, and with that result the stakes in Lakeland's regular season finale at home against Concordia University Wisconsin Saturday are clear, with the winner earning the right to host a first round game Tuesday.

Normally stuffing the stat sheet and contributing in most every other area as the Muskies' point guard, Gardner smashed her previous career high of 20 points, making 10 of 15 shots from the field and all six of her free throw attempts. She also added 10 rebounds and five assists, and with 585 career rebounds has now surpassed Steph Sprenger (577 boards from 1993-96) for 14th on the school's all-time rebounding list.

The Muskies (14-10 overall, 12-5 NACC) gained the upper hand almost right out of the gates, scoring 11 straight points to take an 11-2 lead just over five minutes into the game. Lakeland would never trail again, though the hosts would stubbornly hang around for the first three quarters.

Concordia (10-12 overall, 9-8 NACC) used an 11-4 run to get back within two points near the end of the first quarter before Gardner hit a pull-up jumper with six seconds left to give the Muskies a 17-13 lead after one period, the start of a Lakeland trend of clutch buckets to end quarters on the night. The Cougars would then tie the score at 21-21 in the second quarter, and were down just two with a minute left in the half before Lauren Downs (Sr.-West Bend, Wis.) swished a three-pointer and Gardner hit another jumper at the buzzer for a 34-27 halftime lead.

Gardner scored 14 points in the first half and didn't cool down a bit after halftime. A jumper and a layup in the first 52 seconds of the third quarter put Lakeland ahead 38-27 and led to a Concordia timeout, and she scored eight of the Muskies' first nine points of the third quarter. Gardner topped her previous career best with a jumper with 5:19 left in the period for her 21st and 22nd points, and Lakeland beat the buzzer again with an offensive rebound and putback by Mackenzie Miller (Fr.-Schoolcraft, Mich.) for a 51-41 lead after three quarters.

The Cougars received a three-point play from McKayley Hopkins to open the fourth to get back within seven, but the Muskies began to pull away soon after. A short jumper by Jenna Caterino (So.-Stanton, Mich.), two free throws by Gardner and a score inside by Ellie Felsinger (Sr.-Cedar Grove, Wis.) gave Lakeland a 57-44 lead, and Kerstin Sauerbrei (Jr.-Ripon, Wis.) splashed her first three-pointer of the game with 7:10 left to make it 60-46. The Muskies would lead by as much as 16, with CUC briefly cutting the deficit to 11 late before another Sauerbrei three with 38 seconds left for the final dagger.

Miller also had another huge game off the bench with 20 points and eight rebounds in just 19 minutes, hitting 7 of 11 from the field and 6 of 7 from the line. Sauerbrei added eight points and Alexa Yost (Jr.-Menasha, Wis.) finished with four points plus eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Lakeland shot 39.3% (24 of 61) and held a big advantage at the free throw line. The Muskies made 19 of 23 foul shots (82.6%) while the host Cougars attempted just six free throws, making three.

Concordia shot 24 of 70 (34.3%) and was led by Hopkins with 12 points off the bench. Mikalah Ellis added a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The Muskies host Concordia Wisconsin on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium. It will also be Senior Day for the team, with six seniors honored before the game.