by RIVER FOREST, Ill. (WLCSports.com) – Sophomore Margie Stevens (Oneida, Wis.) scored a game-high 17 points and Wisconsin Lutheran College used a big third quarter to pickup its third straight Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference win on Saturday, a 66-45 triumph over Concordia Chicago at Geiseman Gymnasium.
The Warriors (8-7, 5-1 NACC), who won their 16th straight regular season conference road game, outscored the Cougars 24-7 in points off turnovers.
Senior Kara Troxel (Bonduel, Wis.) gave WLC its largest lead of the first quarter at 8-3 after her second three-pointer midway through the opening period. Wisconsin Lutheran, which fended off a pair of early ties, netted 12 of its 14 points from beyond the arc to take a 14-10 advantage into the second quarter.
A free throw from senior Janiyah Goner (Milwaukee, Wis.) two-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter put the Warriors in front 18-12, their biggest advantage of the quarter. CUC came within a point at 18-17, as WLC was limited to two made field goals in the period. Despite shooting 13.3 percent from the floor, Wisconsin Lutheran was able to hold onto a 23-19 halftime lead.
The Warriors used a 13-0 scoring run midway through the third quarter to take control of the contest with a 47-22 advantage. WLC, which scored 28 points and made 11 shots in the quarter, extended its lead to 26 points at 51-25 on a Stevens three-pointer in the final minute of the period. Concordia Chicago made just one field goal and was outscored 9-0 off turnovers and 12-2 in the paint.
Stevens gave Wisconsin Lutheran a 30-point cushion with a jumper one minute into the fourth quarter. The lead reached a game-high 31 points with just over two minutes remaining when sophomore Courtney Park (Rockford, Ill.) hit a jumper in the paint. The Cougars concluded the contest with 10 consecutive points to bring the final margin to 66-45.
Stevens scored a game-high 17 points, Goner finished with 15, and Troxel contributed 11. Junior Jayden Hill (Kenosha, Wis.) collected a game-high 10 rebounds, along with seven assists, five points, and five steals. Goner added four steals, while Troxel distributed four assists. The Warriors, who recorded a season-high 21 assists, shot 33.8 percent (25-for-74) from the floor for the game.
