Box Score AURORA, Ill. – The Lakeland University women's basketball team put a big scare into one of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference's top teams before taking its first loss in the month of February, falling to Aurora University 83-75 Wednesday night at Thornton Gymnasium.

Alexis Johnson (So.-Sheboygan, Wis.) and A.T. Bartlett (So.-Farmington Hills, Mich.) both scored career highs with 22 points each and the Muskies cut a 21-point second half deficit down to four late before finally succumbing. Lakeland saw the end of its five-game winning streak, dropping to 9-15 overall and 7-8 in the NACC and setting up a huge game in its regular season finale Saturday against Benedictine University.

The Muskies enter Saturday and Senior Day knowing a win will clinch a spot in the eight-team NACC Tournament, as they enter the season's final day one game ahead of Rockford University in the standings. A Lakeland loss would leave it needing help to make the field in the form of hoping for a Rockford loss to Dominican University in its finale.

The Muskies got the better of the Spartans (19-6 overall, 12-4 NACC) for long portions of play on Wednesday but were essentially done in by two Aurora runs, including a rough six-minute stretch in the third quarter.

Lakeland hung with the hosts throughout the first half and trailed just 37-35 at halftime, cutting a 10-point deficit late in the half to two when Johnson made three free throws in the final 1 minute, 14 seconds. The Muskies had three possession to tie or take the lead early in the third quarter but came up empty, and the Spartans went on a run soon after.

Beginning with Delani Kosner's basket for a 39-35 lead with 8:37 left in the third, Aurora outscored Lakeland 24-5 over the next 4:47. Macy Kocen made three consecutive three-pointers in the stretch, and Kosner scored again to make it 61-40 with 3:54 left in the period.

The Spartans led by 21 again when Kocen hit another three-pointer making it 64-43 with 3:05 left in the quarter, but the Muskies would not go quietly. Lakeland finished the third on an 11-0 run, including a three-point play by Bartlett with 14 seconds left to make it 64-54 heading to the fourth quarter.

Lakeland continued to chip away and closed within 71-65 when Jenna Shea (Fr.-Appleton, Wis.) made a three-pointer with 5:27 left in the game. Johnson answered an Aurora score with another three-pointer the next time down to make it 73-68, but the Spartans would push the lead back out to 10 when Kocen made her seventh three of the game to make it 78-68 with 3:21 to play.

The Muskies would close in one final time, and Bartlett's three-pointer trimmed the Aurora lead to 79-75 with 40 seconds left. The Spartans then missed two free throws, but a Lakeland three-point attempt with 23 seconds left was off target and Aurora closed the game making four free throws in the final 21 seconds for the final margin.

Lakeland opened the game scoring the first seven points before the Spartans went on their first big run. A 19-2 spurt capped by a short jumper by Sam Barrett put Aurora ahead 19-9 with 2:45 left in the first quarter, but in a response that would establish their persistence throughout the game, the Muskies followed with seven straight points and trailed 19-16 after 10 minutes.

Johnson made 6 of 12 shots from the field including 2 of 3 from three-point range and 8 of 10 free throws. She also added a career-high nine rebounds plus three steals. Bartlett also made 7 of 14 from the field including 2 of 5 from long range plus 6 of 7 from the foul line, and also added three steals.

Shea also scored 12 points and Caris Jaeger (Fr.-Oostburg, Wis.) pulled down a career-high nine rebounds off the bench. The Muskies shot 42.4% (25 of 59) from the field and 19 of 23 (82.6%) from the free throw line, and also outrebounded Aurora 44-38.

Kocen led the Spartans with 21 points, making 7 of 12 from three-point range and leading a three-heavy offensive attack. Gabrielle Wolff also scored 20 points including four three-pointers, and Aurora made 13 of 38 from three-point range.

Lakeland will host Benedictine at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Moose & Dona Gymnasium. It will be Senior Day for three Muskies: Bree Arsenault (Hermansville, Mich.), Sadie Conway (Monroe, Wis.) and Kerstin Sauerbrei (Ripon, Wis.).