ROCKFORD, Ill. – Reserve guard Nia Wilkerson scored 17 points off the bench with some red-hot three-point shooting and Rockford University defeated the Lakeland University women's basketball team 61-51 Wednesday night in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game.

The Regents as a team made nine three-pointers while the Muskies struggled from long distance and dropped their fifth straight game. Lakeland lost the first game of a three-game road trip and dropped to 4-13 overall and 2-6 in the NACC.

Wilkerson came in with 13 made three-pointers and shooting 25.5% from three-point range on the season, but the freshman made 5 of 7 from behind the arc on this night. That included hitting all four of her three-point tries in the first half as the Regents (7-11 overall, 3-6 NACC) took control in the second quarter of a game that was close early.

The teams traded the lead seven times in the first 12 minutes, with Lakeland taking its last lead at 16-15 on a layup by Jenna Shea (Fr.-Appleton, Wis.) 48 seconds into the second quarter. The Muskies would go on a dry spell for the next 7 minutes, 26 seconds, though, and in that time Rockford scored 19 straight points. 15 of those points came on three-pointers as the Regents as a team made five triples in the second quarter and finished 8 of 14 from three-point range in the first half in taking a 34-20 lead into halftime.

Rockford would eventually lead by as much as 20 in the second half, though Lakeland made a run in the third quarter to get back within striking distance. The Muskies went on a 14-4 run with Alexis Johnson (So.-Sheboygan, Wis.) scoring six points, including a jumper with 3:34 left in the third quarter to cut the Regents' lead to 44-34.

Rockford would answer with a 15-4 run over the next six minutes, though, pushing the lead out to 59-38 after a hoop by Katie Paredes with 7:25 left in the fourth quarter. The Muskies would limit the Regents to two points the rest of the game, getting back within 10 points for the final margin after a layup by Caris Jaeger (Fr.-Oostburg, Wis.) with 25 seconds left.

The two teams finished with similar overall shooting percentages with Lakeland at 39.2% (20 of 51) and Rockford finishing at 39.7% (25 of 63). The Regents finished 9 of 24 from three-point range, though, and also pulled down 18 rebounds as part of a 40-33 rebounding advantage.

The Muskies had their worst three-point shooting game of the season, hitting a season-low two triples in 17 attempts for a season-worst 11.8% from deep. Johnson scored a team-high 12 points, making 6 of 11 from the field, and A.T. Bartlett (So.-Farmington Hills, Mich.) added 10 points plus four assists and four steals. Kerstin Sauerbrei (Sr.-Ripon, Wis.) also added seven points and Brooklyn Wayer (So.-Pewaukee, Wis.) pulled down five rebounds.

The Muskies are on the road again Saturday when they travel to face Benedictine University at 2 p.m. in Lisle, Ill.