FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Peyton Madl (Fr.-New Lenox, Ill.) scored a career-high 17 points to lead a big performance from the bench as the Lakeland University women's basketball team closed out the regular season with a 66-54 victory at Marian University Saturday afternoon at Marian's Sadoff Gymnasium.

The Muskies finished a season sweep of the Sabres and go into the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament on a good note. The No. 8 seed in the eight-team tourney, Lakeland now gets ready to take its shot at top-seeded St. Norbert College in the quarterfinals Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in De Pere.

The Muskies (12-13 overall, 9-7 NACC) withstood a good start by the host Sabres to take the lead by halftime and then answer every Marian charge in the second half.

The Sabres (7-18 overall, 5-11 NACC) led almost the entirety of the first 20 minutes and were ahead by as much as 10 early in the second quarter after Chelsea King hit a three-pointer for a 22-12 lead. Lakeland would battle back, though, and took its first lead since 2-0 when Alexis Johnson (Jr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) scored back-to-back layups, the latter giving the Muskies a 31-30 lead they would take into halftime.

Lakeland tied a season high with nine three-pointers made in the game, and the Muskies opened the second half with back-to-back triples by Sadie Grabow (Fr.-Bourbonnais, Ill.) and A.T. Bartlett (Jr.-Farmington Hills, Mich.) to go ahead 37-30. Marian would close back within one point on two occasions, but Johnson and Madl would lead what would prove to be the deciding run.

Johnson scored on a layup to make it 44-41 with 3:20 left in the third quarter, and Madl followed with back-to-back three-pointers, the latter putting Lakeland ahead 50-41 with 2:13 left in the period. The Muskies would maintain a nine-point lead going to the fourth quarter and the Sabres would get no closer than seven over the final 10 minutes.

Madl came off the bench to make 5 of 10 shots, including 5 of 8 from three-point range, and the five triples are the most by a Muskie this season. Johnson also scored 15 points off the bench and Meghan MacPhee (So.-Marquette, Mich.) added six points and five rebounds as Lakeland posted a 40-10 advantage in bench points. Lydia Levra (Fr.-Elk Mound, Wis.) also came off the bench and in 27 minutes without a shot attempt contributed five rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Bartlett and Halle Boldt (Sr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) both also added nine points each and Boldt paced the Muskies with seven rebounds. Lakeland finished shooting 34.3% (23 of 67) including 9 of 28 from three-point range (32.1%).

King led Marian with 17 points and 13 rebounds and Lexi Brakebush added 13 points, but the NACC's top three-point shooter made just 1 of 9 from long range. The Sabres shot 33.3% (21 of 63) including just 3 of 26 from three-point range (11.5%).