Working toward another LMC Title
On top of conference with an 11-2 record, three teams close behind
Brian Moser
Issue date: 2/9/06 Section: Sports
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"We didn't play extremely well in January," said Head Coach April Arvan. "We had trouble putting the ball in the hoop."
During January, Lakeland only shot 35.4 percent, which is sub-par compared to the 42.1 percent they shot during November and December. In the two games so far in February, Lakeland is shooting 38.5 percent, which is a step in the right direction.
The Muskies are 16-6 overall and 11-2 in the LMC, which earns them first place as of February 7.
"Of the four games left, the two away games are against teams that are at the lower end of the conference, Alverno and Maranatha," said Arvan. "The other two are at home against MSOE and Edgewood, whom we are tied with for first place. If we take care of things at home, then we will host our games for the LMC tournament."
On February 4, Lakeland beat the first of their final four opponents by crushing Alverno (2-12 LMC) with a combination of strong defense and a great offense.
Alverno kept up until 9:02 left in the half when Lakeland went on a 14-1 run, putting Lakeland up 26-11 at the half. The run included two jumpers from Beth Porter and two three pointers from Amanda Thielmann.
Lakeland continued their game with a 7-2 run putting them up by 20 just three minutes into the second half. Kristi Thill hit a three pointer with 11:24 left, putting Lakeland more than 20 points ahead. Lakeland went on to win by 21 points, 55-34.
Four of the Lakeland starters scored in the double digits. Thielmann shot 3-7 from three point land and put up 11 points. Thill was 5-7 from the field and hit two from behind the arc for 12 points.
Jenna Boehm had a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) while Beth Porter was one rebound away from that feat (12 points, 9 rebounds).
Lakeland's win against Concordia gave them the sole possession of first place in the LMC. Lakeland started the game a little slow and was down 15-8 with 9:18 left in the half. Thill would cut the lead to one with a pair of free throw shots with 4:24 on the clock. At halftime, Concordia led 24-22.
Within two minutes of the second half, Jenna Boehm put in a lay-up to tie the game at 26. Thill drained a three pointer on the next possession to go up by three. The teams went back and forth with ties and small leads until Lakeland went ahead 48-40 when Thill put in a lay-up.
Brenda Paulson diminished Concordia's chances when she hit a three pointer with 4:01 left, putting Lakeland up by seven. The Muskies coasted to a 61-51 victory.
Paulson led the team with 17 points on 5-10 shooting with two assists and three blocks. Porter also had three blocks with six points and six rebounds. Thill put up 15 points, four assists and eight rebounds. Boehm also contributed 14 points.
"Brenda is coming on strong in the last few games," Arvan said. "We expect her to play like that more often. We need her to prove that she can do that throughout the year and not just a few games a year."
Lakeland shot 37 percent while keeping Concordia to a dismal 28.6 percent.
The Muskies beat Dominican University on January 28 by a score of 42-31. Lakeland was down 6-11 with 12:31 left, but went on a 14-2 run with Paulson scoring six of those points. Lakeland would lead 20-16 at the half.
Lakeland took control of the game, opening the second half with an 11-0 tear. Boehm contributed five points during that run. The Muskies then coasted to a victory.
Paulson came off the bench to net 16 points, two assists, and seven rebounds. Boehm recorded another double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
"Jenna Boehm is a consistent player for us," Arvan said. "When we get her the ball, good things happen."
Lakeland's one loss in the past two weeks came at the hands of Wisconsin Lutheran 56-45 on January 25. With 12:18 left in the first half, Lakeland broke open the 11-11 tie with a 6-0 run, but Wisconsin Lutheran came right back with a pair of three pointers to tie the game back up. Lakeland was down 25-20 at the half.
The second half started in favor of Wisconsin Lutheran as they went up by 13 with a 10-2 run, making the score 35-22. Lakeland would fight back with Boehm scoring seven of Lakelands 13 points during the next nine minutes to cut the lead to four, 39-35.
Wisconsin Lutheran responded with an 11-3 run and Lakeland never got it going again. Boehm led the team with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Porter and Thill both had over double digits in points with 10 and 11, respectively.
Lakeland only shot 29.8 percent from the field and failed to make a three point attempt. Lakeland was also blocked six times during the game.
Lakeland's next opponent is against Edgewood, which was played on February 7, but could not be printed.
The LMC Tournament will start on Friday, February 17 and Lakeland will most likely host that game.