by MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College fell short 66-65 to Edgewood in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference-opening game that featured 17 lead changes and nine ties on Saturday at the Time of Grace Center.
The Warriors (3-3, 0-1 NACC) fell behind 7-2 to the Eagles (2-4, 1-0 NACC) with 5:34 left in the first quarter. However, WLC used a 9-0 scoring run to outscore EC 13-6 the remainder of the period and take a 15-13 lead after the opening 10 minutes to action.
The second quarter featured nine lead changes and two ties as neither team held more than a two-point advantage for the first seven-and-a-half minutes. Trailing 25-24, Edgewood went on the biggest scoring run of the game, 10-0, to take a nine-point lead with 1:05 left. Wisconsin Lutheran went into halftime down 34-27 following a sophomore Jayden Hill’s (Kenosha, Wis.) layup with under a minute to play.
A three-point play from senior Meggie Scott (Yorkville, Ill.) past the midway mark of the third quarter knotted the score at 43-43. Just over two minutes later, the Warriors grabbed their first lead since the early stages of the second quarter on another three-point play from Leisemann to lead 50-48 lead with 2:25 remaining. The Eagles scored the next four points and the contest was deadlocked 53-53 entering the final frame despite a 26-point, 61.5 percent-shooting performance from WLC in the quarter.
A four-point spurt halfway through the fourth quarter gave Wisconsin Lutheran a 61-59 lead. EC answered with a three-point play before freshman Margie Stevens’ (Oneida, Wis.) layup put WLC back in front 63-62 with 2:33 to play. The Eagles responded again with a three-pointer on their next possession, but four straight missed free throws kept Wisconsin Lutheran in the game. Trailing 66-64 with five seconds left, Leisemann rebounded junior Mack Hogenson’s (Neenah, Wis.) missed three-pointer and was fouled on her way back up with .3 seconds on the clock. Leisemann knocked down the first and the second attempt rimmed out and fell into the hands of an EC player as time expired.
Leisemann tallied her third double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds, both game highs, while Stevens finished with a season-high 17 points along with seven rebounds. WLC, which outscored Edgewood 14-4 off turnovers and 42-32 in the paint, shot 43.1 percent (25-for-58) from the floor.
Kenzie Senffner led four players in double figures with 15 points for the Eagles, who shot 55.3 percent (26-for-47) from the floor.
