MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – No. 22 Wisconsin Lutheran College locked down defensively and used a commanding first half to secure a 62–46 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference victory over Aurora on Wednesday at Time of Grace Center.
The Warriors (5-1, 2-0 NACC) set the tone immediately, holding the Spartans to just one field goal in the first quarter. Junior
Margie Stevens (Oneida, Wis.) fueled an early 11-0 run with a pair of threes, and WLC closed the opening period ahead 18-7 after senior
Jayden Hill (Kenosha, Wis.) converted a steal into a late layup.
Wisconsin Lutheran extended its lead in the second quarter with a 19-8 scoring advantage, sparked by an 8-0 burst near the end of the frame. The Warriors defense continued to disrupt AU throughout the period, limiting them to 17.6 percent shooting in the second quarter and just 15 first-half points. Stevens scored 15 of her game-high 18 points before halftime as WLC entered the break leading 37-15.
Wisconsin Lutheran stretched its lead to as many as 32 in the third quarter after a 7-0 spurt midway through. The Warriors posted a 15-11 advantage in the frame to stay firmly in control at 52-26 through three.
Aurora put together its best stretch in the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run late, but the deficit was too large to overcome as WLC closed out its second straight conference win.
Wisconsin Lutheran finished the night shooting 38.8 percent (19-for-49) from the floor, led by Stevens' 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Freshman
Madeline Leffel (Germantown, Wis.) paced the Warriors on the glass with a game-high eight rebounds in addition to 12 points. Senior
Jayden Hill (Kenosha, Wis.) added nine points, seven rebounds, five assists, and five steals in an all-around performance. Freshman
Kenly Frey (Brookfield, Wis.) also finished with nine points.
The Spartans (4-2, 0-1 NACC) shot 24.2 percent (15-for-62) from the field and were led by Krystyna Manzanarez's 12 points. Alina Anderson added 10 points and five rebounds.
WLC returns to NACC action on Saturday, December 6, when it travels to Lakeland (1-5, 1-0 NACC) for a 1 p.m. matchup. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
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