MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away late and secure a 59-54 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference victory over MSOE on Wednesday at Time of Grace Center.
The Raiders (12-5, 7-3 NACC) jumped out to an early edge in the opening quarter, using a 7-0 run midway through the period to take their largest lead of the night. MSOE led 14-13 after one, despite being outshot by the Warriors 45.5 percent to 38.5 percent.
Defense took center stage in the second quarter as both teams struggled to find rhythm offensively, combining to shoot 5-for-28 from the floor. WLC grabbed its first lead of the game at 17-16 on a layup from senior
Jayden Hill (Kenosha, Wis.) at the 7:20 mark, A layup from freshman
Kenly Frey (Brookfield, Wis.) and two late free throws from Hill had Wisconsin Lutheran taking a slim 21-19 advantage into halftime.
The Warriors (13-5, 10-1 NACC) used a 9-0 scoring run in the first few minutes of the second half to build their largest lead of the game at 30-21. The Raiders responded, however, with a 14-0 run, the largest of the game from either team, to lead by five points with a minute-and-a-half left. Freshman
Maddie Ratzow (Oconomowoc, Wis.) scored the final four points of the quarter for WLC, but MSOE still held a 37-34 lead heading into the final frame.
Wisconsin Lutheran netted the first five points of the fourth quarter to reclaim the lead for good. With the score knotted 45-45 with 4:39 remaining, the Warriors went on a decisive 8-0 run to lead by eight with two minutes to play. The Raiders came within two at 53-51, but Frey finished a driving layup and WLC made four free throws in the final 0:09 seconds to secure the victory.
Wisconsin Lutheran finished the night shooting 34.4 percent (21-of-61) from the field and 20.0 percent (4-for-20) from 3-point range. Frey led the Warriors with 18 points, while Ratzow added 11 off the bench. Hill posted her first double-double of the season with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Junior
Margie Stevens (Oneida, Wis.) also chipped in 10 points and four steals.
MSOE shot 37.0 percent (20-of-54) overall and 32.0 percent (8-for-25) from beyond the arc. Halena Hill scored a game-high 19 points, while Dani Mendez chipped in 11 points. Hill also pulled down a team-best nine rebounds.
WLC returns to action on Saturday, January 31, when it travels to Illinois Tech (2-16, 2-10 NACC) for a 1 p.m. tip. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
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