2nd meeting, Lakeland leads 1-0

The Muskies and Spartans play for just the second time ever and the first time since Nov. 18, 2001. Lakeland defeated Dubuque 72-54 in the championship game of the Lakeland Tip-Off Tournament, as Jill Dewane scored 26 points and Chelsea Bjarnson added 15 points off the bench. The Muskies under coach April Arvan would go on to win a school-record 26 games as well as Lake Michigan Conference regular season and tournament championships, and earned their first and so far only NCAA Division III Tournament win that season over Millikin (Ill.). Dubuque is a member of the American Rivers (formerly Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic) Conference, and Lakeland is playing a member of the conference for the first time since hosting and falling to Simpson (Iowa) 77-58 Nov. 14, 2015.

Lakeland last time out: Lost to Wisconsin-Stout 74-56 Sunday
The Muskies concluded their two games in the UW-Eau Claire Tip-Off Tournament by falling to the Blue Devils on Sunday. Lakeland stayed with Stout for most of the game, leading by a point late in the first half and trailing by just two midway through the third quarter, but the Blue Devils pulled away in the latter stages with a 21-4 run. Alexis Johnson scored a career-high 24 points and also added six rebounds and four steals. Lauryn Johnson and Jenna Shea added six points each and Meghan MacPhee also contributed four points and tied for team honors with six rebounds off the bench. The Muskies had a better showing than their season opener the night before when they were defeated by host school UW-Eau Claire 83-52, falling behind 41-19 at halftime and committing 34 turnovers in the game.

About the Muskies: Lakeland plays at home for the first time this season tonight. The Muskies entered this year after a 12-14 record last year that included a 9-7 mark to finish eighth in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. Lakeland challenged regular season champion and top seed St. Norbert before falling 58-52 in the NACC Tournament quarterfinals, and the Muskies under third-year coach Ashley Lona return three starters from last year-A.T. Bartlett, Alexis Johnson and Lauryn Johnson. In all Lakeland returns eight of its 11 players who averaged at least 11 minutes per game last year.

Dubuque last time out: Won at Marian 74-67 Saturday
The Spartans made their first of two trips across the state to eastern Wisconsin to open the season and held off the Sabres in Fond du Lac. Dubuque outscored Marian 23-12 in the third quarter to break open a close game and lead 61-46 after three periods, but the Sabres would crawl back into it late and get as close as five points. Avery Green led the Spartans with 18 points and eight rebounds, Christina Simonetti scored 13 points and added nine rebounds off the bench and Grace Brumley also added 11 points and eight boards. Dubuque shot 43.3% and made 11 of 29 tries from three-point range.

About the Spartans: Dubuque finished 10-16 overall last year and posted a 7-9 record in conference play to tie for fifth in the American Rivers Conference. The Spartans have a new coach this year in Madeline Jansen, who comes to Dubuque after spending the last four years as an assistant at UW-Oshkosh, including last year when the Titans advanced to the NCAA Division III Final Four. Jansen also played collegiately at UWO and is a native of Middleton, Wis.