PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Wisconsin Lutheran College shot 59.3% in the second half and blew open a close game in the final 12 minutes to defeat the Lakeland University women's basketball team 84-50 Saturday afternoon at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
The nationally ranked Warriors scored 47 points in the second half and finished the game on a 30-10 run to improve to 6-1 overall on the season and 3-0 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. Lakeland dropped to 1-6 overall and is 1-1 in the NACC.
The Muskies played well in spurts against a WLC team ranked 22nd nationally in the latest D3hoops.com NCAA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll, including cutting a 17-point deficit down to eight in the second quarter and still hanging within 14 points late in the third quarter. Lakeland finished shooting 33.3% (19 of 57), including 3 of 21 from three-point range, and also was outrebounded 47-28 by the taller Lutheran team.
Wisconsin Lutheran never trailed in the game and led 27-12 midway through the second quarter when the Muskies fought back into the game. A 9-0 run included four points from
A.T. Bartlett (
Sr.-Farmington Hills, Mich.) and a three-pointer by
Sonia Pagan (
So.-Hales Corners, Wis.), and Lakeland was within striking distance trailing 37-26 at halftime.
The Warriors began to stretch it out with seven consecutive points in the third quarter capped by a three-pointer by Margie Stevens to make it 50-32, but the Muskies chipped away and were back within 54-40 when
Sydney Nimsakont (
So.-Glendale Heights, Ill.) drained two free throws with 2:51 left in the period. WLC began stretching it out, though, and finished the game outscoring Lakeland 25-8 in the final quarter.
Alexis Johnson (
Sr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) scored nine points to lead the Muskies, with Bartlett adding eight points and
Lauryn Johnson (
Sr.-Kenosha, Wis.) and
Meghan MacPhee (
Jr.-Marquette, Mich.) also scoring six points each.
Jiaryatou Cisse (
Jr.-Harrison, Mich.) pulled down six rebounds and Bartlett added five boards.
Stevens scored 28 points and added 10 rebounds for one of two double-doubles for Wisconsin Lutheran as Abby Cole added 17 points and 12 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds. The Warriors finished shooting 44.6% (29 of 65) and turned 18 offensive rebounds into a 25-7 advantage in second chance points.
Lakeland is back on the court next Saturday when it hosts St. Norbert College at 1 p.m. at the Woltzen Gymnasium.
