Benedictine University Eagles (2-2 overall)
at Lakeland University Muskies (2-4 overall)
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024Â Â 7:15 p.m.
Woltzen Gymnasium
Lakeland/Benedictine Game Notes  PDF
The Lakeland University women's basketball team opens the conference season with an instant measuring-stick game when it hosts Benedictine University Wednesday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
Broadcast Information:
Live video:Â
http://www.lakelandmuskies.com/muskieslive. Andy Damp is again serving as the Voice of the Muskies calling the play-by-play for Lakeland home basketball games this year.
Live statistics:Â
http://static.lakelandmuskies.com/custompages/stats/wbb/LS/xlive.htm
Series history:Â 33rd meeting, Benedictine leads 18-14
The Muskies and Eagles finished the 2023-24 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference season against each other back in February, and they open a new league slate facing each other in the same place as Benedictine's 71-67 win at the Woltzen Gymnasium Feb. 17 that kept Lakeland out of the NACC Tournament. The Eagles swept two meetings against the Muskies earlier this year, also winning 66-53 at home in Lisle, Ill., on Jan. 27, hitting 11 three-pointers. Lakeland's last win in the series came Feb. 11, 2023, with a wire-to-wire 69-49 victory. The series dates back to Jan. 9, 1988, when the Eagles posted a 67-57 win at Lakeland. Benedictine won the first six meetings before the Muskies' first victory, a 55-42 win at home Jan. 26, 2008.
Lakeland last time out: Lost to Wisconsin-La Crosse 93-54 Nov. 23
The Muskies have been idle for 11 days since hosting and falling to UW-La Crosse at home on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Lakeland shot just 25.0% from the field, including 17.9% in the first half in a dismal offensive game. UW-L was the opposite, hitting a strong 54.7% from the field including a strong start that netted a 23-6 lead after one quarter and a 44-18 margin by halftime.
Alexis Johnson was a bright spot for the Muskies, leading the team with 10 points and four steals and adding five rebounds.
A.T. Bartlett also scored eight points,
Halle Boldt added six points and seven rebounds and
Lauryn Johnson finished with four points and seven boards as Lakeland dropped to 0-3 against Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams this season.
Benedictine last time out: Lost at North Central (Ill.) 76-63 Nov. 26
The Eagles also have been off for more than a week, since falling to the Cardinals last week Tuesday in a non-conference match on the road in Naperville, Ill. North Central scored the game's first four points and never trailed, though Benedictine hung around much of the way. The Eagles trailed 33-28 at halftime and in the fourth quarter cut an 18-point deficit down to seven on two occasions before the Cardinals stretched it back out in the final minutes. Makenzie Carroll and Alexis Schueler both scored 13 points each and Allison Jarvis added 12 points for Benedictine, which shot 41.0% but made just 10 of 22 (45.5%) from the free throw line.
The Eagles are 2-2 this season and have one common opponent with Lakeland, having defeated Beloit 73-42 on Nov. 20. Benedictine finished 9-17 overall last year but went 9-7 in the NACC to finish seventh in the regular season before being knocked out by St. Norbert College in the NACC Tournament quarterfinals. The Eagles lost three starters as well as their top three scorers from last year's team, but this year have three freshmen (Allison Jarvis, Alexis Schueler and Hailey Bachmann) among their top five scorers early on.
Homestand: Lakeland is in a stretch of games that will result in the Muskies not having to play a game on the road for nearly an entire month. Wednesday's game is Lakeland's second of a four-game homestand, with games to come at home yet on Saturday against Alverno and again next Friday versus Northland. The Muskies then will go on a dry spell of home games almost as long, with Dec. 13 marking their last appearance at home until Jan. 11. Lakeland will play just three games in that stretch, though, including no games from Dec. 21 until returning to play in 2025 against MSOE on Jan. 8.
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