Box Score MILWAUKEE – One bad quarter proved to be the difference in the game as the Lakeland University women's basketball team fell to Milwaukee School of Engineering 66-51 Wednesday night in its return to play after a holiday break.
The Muskies outscored the Raiders in two quarters and the teams were tied in another, but MSOE outscored Lakeland 21-4 in what proved to be the deciding third quarter. The Raiders pinned the Muskies with their first Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference loss, dropping Lakeland to 5-7 overall and 2-1 in conference.
The Muskies led or were tied for almost the entire first half, with the teams deadlocked at 12-12 after one quarter and Lakeland holding a slim 26-25 lead at halftime. The Muskies led by as much as seven in the second quarter when
Halle Boldt (
Sr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) hit a short jumper to make it 22-15 with 5 minutes, 43 seconds left in the half, and
Peyton Madl (
Fr.-New Lenox, Ill.) hit a three-pointer and then one of two free throws in the final 1:14 to keep the lead at the break.
Everything turned in the third quarter, when Lakeland couldn't buy a shot and the Raiders (6-6 overall, 2-1 NACC) suddenly caught fire after a cold first half. MSOE went on a 15-0 run as the Muskies went scoreless for more than 7 1/2 minutes to start the half. The Raiders hit 8 of 14 shots in the quarter and built their biggest lead of the game at 46-28 on Mahima Chokshi's jumper with 35 seconds left in the period.
Lakeland was able to cut into the lead in the fourth quarter, first getting within ten points when a layup by
Jenna Caterino (
Sr.-Stanton, Mich.) made it 46-36 with 8:31 left in the game. The Muskies would draw within 10 points four more times but would get no closer as MSOE made 12 of 16 free throws in the fourth.
A.T. Bartlett (
Jr.-Farmington Hills, Mich.) led Lakeland with 11 points, with Boldt scoring eight points and
Alexis Johnson (
Jr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) and
Lauryn Johnson (
Jr.-Kenosha, Wis.) adding seven points each.
Lauryn Johnson also led the Muskies with seven rebounds, Boldt pulled down six boards and
Sadie Grabow (
Fr.-Bourbonnais, Ill.) added four points plus five rebounds off the bench.
Lakeland finished shooting 27.3% (15 of 55), including 3-for-15 from three-point range and 18 of 31 from the free throw line (58.1%).
Lana Kerley posted game highs with 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead MSOE, which finished shooting 40.0% (20 of 50) as well as 75.9% from the free throw line (75.9%). Halena Hill also added a season-high 16 points.
The Muskies play at home for the first time in the new year and the first time in nearly a month when they host Concordia University Chicago Saturday at 3:15 p.m. at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
