Chicago, Ill. — Illinois Tech women's basketball was looking to build on their conference-opening win last week against Rockford when Lakeland University came to the Keating Sports Center Wednesday night. Unfortunately for the hosts, the Muskies jumped out to a 17-13 first quarter lead and never let up, defeating the Scarlet Hawks 68-39. 

Illinois Tech is now 2-5 overall and 1-1 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play. The Muskies move to 1-5 overall and 1-0 in NACC competition.

How It Happened

The game began with both the Scarlet Hawks and the Muskies exchanging early turnovers, setting a tense tone. Berit Rusing opened the scoring for Illinois Tech with a layup at 8:48. Lakeland responded quickly, with Alexis Johnson hitting a 3-pointer at 8:35 to take the lead. Halle Williams' jumper at 5:22 put Illinois Tech ahead, but Sydney Nimsakont's 3-pointer at 4:37 shifted the momentum back to the Muskies. Despite Illinois Tech's efforts, Lakeland led 17-13 at the end of the first quarter, with a series of free throws by Rusing narrowing the gap in the final seconds.

Lakeland extended their lead early in the second quarter, with Alexis Johnson scoring a layup off a steal just nine seconds into play. Jenna Shea then knocked down a 3-pointer at 9:25, pushing the visitors ahead 22-13. The momentum continued with Lauryn Johnson converting a fast-break layup and a subsequent free throw at 9:03. Illinois Tech struggled offensively, managing only six points in the quarter, two of which came from a tip-in by Grace Goodnough at 8:40. Lakeland's Sadie Grabow capped the quarter with a layup in the final 15 seconds, securing an 18-6 quarter advantage.

Lauryn Johnson's layup assisted by Jiaryatou Cisse set the tone early in the third quarter for the Muskies, bringing the score to 37-19. The Scarlet Hawks responded with Chloe Churilla scoring a layup at 8:54, assisted by Camden Joko, narrowing the gap to 39-21. Halle Williams contributed with two consecutive layups at 7:47 and 7:16, assisted by Berit Rusing, helping Illinois Tech stay competitive at 41-25. Despite their efforts, the Muskies maintained control, with Amari Banks converting two free throws at 3:24 to extend their lead to 47-27. Lakeland outscored Illinois Tech 14-10 in the quarter, ending with a 49-29 advantage.

In the fourth quarter, the Muskies extended their lead with efficient shooting, going 8-of-13 from the field, including three successful 3-point shots. Jenna Shea opened the quarter with a layup at 9:34 to push Lakeland's lead to 51-29. Illinois Tech's Halle Williams responded with a tip-in at 8:33, closing the gap to 51-31. However, Lakeland maintained control as Amari Banks nailed a 3-pointer at 5:13, assisted by Lydia Levra, expanding the lead to 60-34. A late layup by Miabella Spica at 2:41, assisted by Camden Joko, was not enough to mount a comeback, as the Muskies secured a 68-39 victory.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Halle Williams
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- 11 points
- 3/3 free throws made
- 2 steals

Berit Rusing
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- 10 points
- 4/4 free throws made
- 3 steals

Lyla Barr
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- 7 rebounds

Lakeland Top Performers

Alexis Johnson
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- 18 points
- 5 steals
- 5 rebounds

Sydney Nimsakont
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- 9 points
- 3 steals
- 5 rebounds

Jiariatou Cisse
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- 4 points
- 2 steals
- 8 rebounds

Game Notes:
- The Scarlet Hawks dropped to 0-12 lifetime versus the Muskies.
- The Muskies shot 45% from the field; the Scarlet Hawks shot 25%.
- Lyla Barr - Set a career-best with a total of 7 rebounds.
- Halle Williams - Set a season-high with 11 total points.
- Chloe Churilla - Collected at least 6 total rebounds in 7 consecutive games.

Up Next
In their next game, Illinois Tech will face off against Aurora University on Saturday, December 6th at 1 p.m. at the Keating Sports Center in another NACC matchup.