PLYMOUTH, Wis. –
Jenna Caterino (
Jr.-Stanton, Mich.) capped a career-high performance with the game-winning hoop with four seconds left and the Lakeland University women's basketball team took down its biggest rival on the road, defeating Concordia University Wisconsin 65-64 Saturday afternoon at the R. John Buuck Fieldhouse.
The Muskies officially announced their candidacy for a spot in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament, winning their fifth straight game and improving to 9-14 overall and 7-7 in conference with two regular season games remaining. Lakeland also moved into a tie in the conference with Concordia (10-13 overall, 7-7 NACC), and with Rockford University's loss to Concordia University Chicago on Saturday, the Muskies and Falcons are tied for seventh in the NACC while Rockford slips a game behind Lakeland at 6-8 in league play.
Lakeland led for more than 33 minutes of the game Saturday, building a 12-point lead in the second quarter and holding the point for all but 1:22 of the second half. Like so many of the teams' games, though, the Falcons had a run in them just when it appeared the Muskies would take control, and CUW turned the trick yet again late in this one.
Lakeland was up 63-57 after a layup by
Alexis Johnson (
So.-Sheboygan, Wis.) with 4:22 left in the game, but a mix of cold shooting and being on the wrong end of several close calls led to a cold spell of more than four minutes. Concordia slowly chipped away, and took just its second lead of the second half when Jayden Ross made two free throws with 58 seconds left.
The Muskies were stopped on their next possession, but chose to play defense instead of fouling and forced the Falcons into a tough shot at the end of the shot clock, with Caterino grabbing the rebound with 14 seconds left. After a timeout, Johnson got the ball up top and drove the right side of the lane, nearly losing the ball before corralling it and getting it to Caterino in the right corner. The junior lefty then drove to the middle and put up a running left-handed shot that swished through the net with four seconds left.
CUW rushed the ball up court into its offensive end, and Lindsey Lonigro had the ball outside the three-point line with two seconds left. It was Lonigro who scored the game-winning layup as time expired to knock the Muskies out of the NACC Tournament first round last season, but Lakeland was back quickly on defense and closed out on her, forcing a pass, and the Falcons were unable to get off a final shot.
The teams were close for almost the entire game, including the first half, when the Muskies had the game's biggest run. Trailing by a point early in the second quarter, Lakeland went on a 13-0 run, including eight straight points by
A.T. Bartlett (
So.-Farmington Hills, Mich.).
Sadie Conway (
Sr.-Monroe, Wis.) also scored inside in the run and
Kerstin Sauerbrei (
Sr.-Ripon, Wis.) capped it with a three-pointer, putting the Muskies ahead 33-21 with 4:11 left in the half.
Concordia came back from an early six-point deficit in the first quarter to take a 17-16 lead after one period, though, and the Falcons rallied back again late in the half, trimming the Muskies' margin to 34-30 at halftime. Lakeland continued to hold a slim lead most of the third quarter until CUW came back, with a 9-2 run capped by a layup by Ross to give the hosts a 45-44 lead with 2:42 left in the period. The Muskies answered with seven straight points, through, including a three-point play by Caterino and two buckets by Johnson to go back up 51-45 and put Lakeland in the lead coming down the stretch.
Caterino made 7 of 13 shots for a career-high 17 points and added six rebounds. Bartlett also scored 12 points and added five rebounds and six steals and Johnson and
Jenna Shea (
Fr.-Appleton, Wis.) added nine points each.
The Muskies forced 26 CUW turnovers in the game, finishing with a 27-14 advantage in points off turnovers. The turnover margin helped offset a tough day shooting from long range, as Lakeland made just 5 of 29 three-point attempts.
Lakeland finished shooting 39.7% (27 of 68) and was outrebounded 41-27, but committed just 15 turnovers, nearly five below its season average. Concordia shot 45.6% (26 of 57) and was led by Aubrey DeBauch with 17 points and Erin Viergutz with 14 points and eight rebounds.
The Muskies go on the road for the final time in the regular season when they travel to face Aurora University Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Aurora, Ill.
