MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College battled early and again after halftime, but NCAA Division I Milwaukee pulled away late for a 76-52 non-conference victory on Saturday at Klotsche Center.
The Warriors (6-3) scored first and never trailed in the opening quarter, building an early eight-point advantage at 12-4 behind back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore
Lily Oiler (Watertown, Wis.) and junior
Margie Stevens (Oneida, Wis.). The Panthers tied the contest for a second time at 17-17, but senior
Jayden Hill's (Kenosha, Wis.) layup in the final minute gave WLC a 19-17 lead after one.
A three-pointer from freshman
Kenly Frey (Brookfield, Wis.) two-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter cut Wisconsin Lutheran's deficit to one at 23-22. However, it was the Warriors' only points of the quarter. WLC was held to 1-for-14 shooting in the period, and MKE closed the half on a 9-0 run to take a 10-point lead at 32-22 into intermission.
Wisconsin Lutheran responded strong out of halftime, trimming a 12-point deficit down to just four points at the 6:50 mark. The Warriors hung around and kept their deficit at four points on two other occasions, including 45-41 with 1:36 on the clock. Milwaukee netted six of the final eight points of the period for a 51-43 lead through three quarters.
The Panthers (4-9) pulled away in the final quarter, shooting a game-high 61.5 percent from the floor and outscoring WLC 25-9 over the final 10 minutes. MKE used an 11-0 scoring run midway through the period, and led by a game-high 24 points with a minute left.
Wisconsin Lutheran finished the game shooting 35.6 percent (21-for-59) from the field. Frey led the Warriors with 14 points and six assists, while Stevens finished with 13 points. Hill and sophomore
Abby Cole (Fond du Lac, Wis.) shared team-high rebounding honors with five apiece.
Milwaukee shot 45.0 percent (27-for-60) overall and was led by Grace Lomen's 21 points and 10 rebounds.
WLC returns to action Sunday, December 28, when they face Messiah (7-2) at 2 p.m. ET in Kissimmee, Florida.
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