Lakeland College

St. Norbert pulls away to defeat Lakeland women in opener

Athletics - posted on 11/16/2012

DE PERE -Leah Eisner (Jr.-Stevens Point, Wis.) scored 18 points but the Lakeland College women's basketball team was unable to sustain a first half lead and fell to St. Norbert College 58-42 in the first round of the St. Norbert Baylake Bank Tip-Off Tournament.

The Muskies lost their season opener and dropped into the consolation game tomorrow at 1 p.m. against the University of Wisconsin River Falls, which lost to nationally ranked Carthage College 57-50 in the tourney's first game. St. Norbert won its opening game and will face Carthage in the tournament championship game at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Lakeland got off to a good start and led much of the first half, shooting 52.4% in the first 20 minutes. Eisner scored 10 points in the first half, but the Muskies cooled off in the second half, making just 6 of 22 shots (27.3%).

The game turned just before halftime, as the Green Knights scored the last seven points of the half to take a 30-26 lead into the intermission. Lakeland briefly closed within three when Aimee Thrune (Jr.-Prairie du Sac, Wis.) hit a three-pointer to make it 32-29 with 17:49 to play, but St. Norbert responded with a 12-2 run to take a 44-31 lead with 10:19 left in the game.

The Muskies came back with six straight points, all by Eisner, to make it 44-37, but would get no closer. Lakeland scored just five points in the final 7:59, committing seven of its 24 turnovers in that time as St. Norbert pulled away.

Eisner made 7 of 12 shots and 4-for-6 from the free throw line, and also led Lakeland with seven rebounds. Becky Mayo (Sr.-Gladstone, Mich.) and Dana Henrichs (Sr.-Fall Creek, Wis.) both added seven points and five rebounds each, and Taylor Jandrin (Jr.-Forestville, Wis.) also added five rebounds.

Lakeland out-rebounded St. Norbert 35-32 and outshot the Green Knights, making 17 of 43 shots (39.5%) to the hosts' 20 of 57 showing (35.1%). St. Norbert committed just 11 turnovers, though, and was led by Krista Hawkinson with 17 points and Morgan Heim with 13.