FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Meghan MacPhee (Jr.-Marquette, Mich.) scored a career-high 20 points and the Lakeland University women's basketball team defeated Marian University 60-52 Monday night in its final game of the 2025 calendar year.

The Muskies never trailed in the game but had to hold on late to win their third straight game and improve to 4-7 overall. Lakeland also defeated the Sabres in a rare non-conference game between the two Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference rivals, in a contest scheduled just before the season after both schools' contests scheduled against Alverno College were canceled after the Inferno canceled their season.

The Muskies received a career game from MacPhee, the junior forward who came in averaging 3.2 points per game as part of a rotation of players in the post. MacPhee made her first six shots and finished making 10 of 14 from the field and also added six rebounds.

Lakeland came out hot, making 9 of 19 shots in the first quarter in taking a 23-10 lead after 10 minutes. The Muskies would continue to hold a comfortable double-digit lead over the second and third quarters, and stretched it out to 20 points twice late in the third quarter, first on two free throws by Alexis Johnson (Sr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) making it 51-31 with 2:16 left in the third and again on MacPhee's offensive rebound and putback with 35 seconds left in the period.

Lakeland carried a 53-35 lead into the final quarter, but the Sabres (1-9 overall) scored seven straight to get within 53-44 after two free throws by Ava Kreger with 6:32 left. MacPhee scored twice to help preserve the lead, including a layup with 5:25 remaining to make it 57-47, but Marian's Cassandra Arndt made a three-pointer to cut the lead to 57-52 with 2:03 to play.

The Sabres would not score again, though, and MacPhee provided insurance with 56 seconds left, hitting a short turnaround jumper in the lane to make it 59-52. Johnson added a free throw with 11 seconds remaining to close it out.

Johnson also scored 15 points, hitting 4 of 8 shots including both three-point attempts plus 6 of 8 from the free throw line, and also added four assists. Jenna Shea (Jr.-Appleton, Wis.) added six points and five rebounds, Sadie Grabow (So.-Bourbonnais, Ill.) pulled down six rebounds and Lydia Levra (So.-Elk Mound, Wis.) finished with three points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals a team-leading 26 minutes off the bench.

Lakeland finished shooting 35.8% (24 of 67) and posted a 48-31 rebounding advantage that led to a huge 26-4 margin in second chance points. Marian also shot 35.8% (19 of 53) and was led by Chelsea King with 14 points.

The Muskies next will travel to face Dominican University on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. in River Forest, Ill.