PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Alexis Johnson (So.-Sheboygan, Wis.) made all eight of her field goal attempts and scored 16 points to lead five players scoring in double figures as the Lakeland University women's basketball team defeated Illinois Institute of Technology 76-57 Wednesday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies enjoyed their return home after three straight road games, shooting a season-best 53.4% from the field and winning their second straight game and second game in three days. Lakeland also continued its dominance of Illinois Tech, improving to 11-0 all-time against the Scarlet Hawks, and moved to 6-14 overall and 4-7 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference with five games left in the regular season.

The Muskies led for all but four seconds of the game, needing only that long for Johnson to score on a layup shortly after Lakeland won the opening tip. Johnson would have the touch around the hoop all night, making all eight of her baskets in the paint for a strong follow-up after she set a career high with 17 points against Alverno on Monday.

Like they did against Alverno, the Muskies built a big early lead, only to see their opponent get back into the game before rebounding to pull away again late. Lakeland scored the game's first six points and led 23-12 after one quarter, and then pushed the lead out to 21 points in the second quarter when Bree Arsenault (Sr.-Hermansville, Mich.) hit a three-pointer to make it 34-13 with 3:48 remaining in the first half.

Illinois Tech (4-15 overall, 3-8 NACC) made a run late in the half, scoring nine straight points to get within 36-25 late, and the Scarlet Hawks kept the deficit down to 11 at halftime, trailing 40-29 despite the Muskies making 16 of 28 shots (57.1%) in the opening 20 minutes.

Lakeland committed 15 first half turnovers to help IIT stay in the game, and the Muskies turned it over five more times in the third quarter as the Scarlet Hawks drew closer. Allie Sillo made two free throws to cut the Lakeland lead down to 48-44 with 3:07 left in the third, but Alexis Johnson and Lauryn Johnson (So.-Kenosha, Wis.) helped the Muskies begin rebuilding the lead. The two combined for eight points in a stretch of less than two minutes, with Alexis Johnson scoring six and Lauryn Johnson adding two points, two assists and a steal as Lakeland built the lead back to 57-48 after three quarters.

Illinois Tech still trailed by just nine with 6 1/2 minutes left in the game, but the Muskies put it away soon after with a 10-0 run. A.T. Bartlett (So.-Farmington Hills, Mich.) hit two three-pointers, Kerstin Sauerbrei (Sr.-Ripon, Wis.) scored on a layup and Meghan MacPhee (Fr.-Marquette, Mich.) capped the spurt with a short jumper to put Lakeland ahead 74-54 with 2:42 left.

Bartlett and Sauerbrei both finished with 13 points and Lauryn Johnson and Jenna Shea (Fr.-Appleton, Wis.) added 10 points each. The Muskies finished shooting 31 of 58 from the field, including 7 of 17 (41.2%) from three-point range.

MacPhee paced the team with six rebounds off the bench and Lakeland won the rebounding battle 39-28. Alexis Johnson and Lauryn Johnson also both added three steals each.

Julia Bucci scored 17 points to lead IIT, which shot 39.2% (20 of 51) but was just 5 of 19 from three-point range and also committed 24 turnovers.

The Muskies are home again on Saturday when they host Marian University for a 2 p.m. start at the Woltzen Gymnasium.