MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College built a commanding early lead and never looked back on Wednesday, cruising to an 88–61 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference victory over Lakeland at Time of Grace Center.
The Warriors (11-5, 8-1 NACC) seized control from the opening tip, jumping out to an 11-2 lead less than three minutes into the game. Sophomore
Abby Cole (Fond du Lac, Wis.) netted 11 of the team's first 13 points and WLC used a 9-0 run to open up a 17-point lead at the 3:02 mark. Wisconsin Lutheran shot 64.7 percent (11-for-17) in the first quarter, carrying a 29-16 lead into the second period.
The Warriors' lead hovered between 13 and 19 points for the first seven minutes of the second quarter. The Muskies (7-10, 4-5 NACC) used a late 7-0 spurt to come within 12 points, but WLC tallied four straight before halftime to head into intermission ahead 47-31.
The decisive stretch came late in the third quarter, when Wisconsin Lutheran put the game out of reach with an 11-0 scoring run to increase its lead to 30 points. The Warriors limited LU to just 21.4 percent shooting on three made field goals, while shooting 50 percent from the floor. WLC entered the fourth quarter in front 68-38.
Wisconsin Lutheran extended its lead to a game-high 33 points early in the fourth quarter following a three-point play from junior
Margie Stevens (Oneida, Wis.). The Warriors' lead never dropped below 24 points in the final frame, as eight players reached the scoring column, including sophomores
Taylor Ignatowski (Germantown, Wis.) and
Raeanne Nevad (Merritt Island, Fla.) who each buried a three-pointer.
WLC finished the night shooting 48.5 percent (32-for-66) from the field and an impressive 47.4 percent (9-for-19) from three-point range. Cole led all scorers with a season-high 22 points, while freshman
Maddie Ratzow (Oconomowoc, Wis.) added a season-high 17. Freshman
Madeline Leffel (Germantown, Wis.) chipped in nine points and freshman
Kenly Frey (Brookfield, Wis.) tallied seven points and a game-high five assists. Senior
Jayden Hill (Kenosha, Wis.) led Wisconsin Lutheran on the boards with a season-high 13 rebounds.
Lakeland shot 33.9 percent (19-for-56) from the floor and 22.7 percent (5-for-22) from long range. A.T. Bartlett paced the Muskies with 17 points, and Sydney Nimsakont added 14. Bartlett grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
The Warriors return to action on Saturday, January 24, when they host Rockford (1-15, 1-7 NACC) at 1 p.m. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
