MEQUON, Wis. -- Concordia University Wisconsin's women's basketball team led 23-19 at the half, but a scrambling interior Lakeland College defense keyed a second half surge that paved the way to a 53-51 Muskie victory in Northern Athletics Conference play on Thursday night inside the R. John Buuck Field House.

Lakeland (3-3, 2-2 NAC) scored the first six points of the second half, forcing a pair of CUW post turnovers in the process and it was a dogfight from that point on.

The Falcons (4-3, 4-1 NAC) trailed by from two to four points for most of the half, but the Muskies' Dana Henrich hit a huge three with just under two minutes remaining to give the visitors their largest lead, a 50-45 advantage.

CUW junior Tiffany Hendrickson (Ingleside, Ill.) answered with a trio of free throws at 1:42 to make it a one possession game, 50-48, and the score stayed that way until CUW grabbed a defensive rebound and called time out with 24 seconds remaining.

Unfortunately, LC's Becca Tilleman made the play of the game at that point as she stole the inbounds pass, drove the length of the court for a layup and completed a three-point play after she was fouled on the shot and hit the ensuing free throw.

Facing a five-point deficit, 53-48, the Falcons still had several chances as LC players missed multiple bonus free throws, but CUW was only 1-of-3 from the free throw line and a layup by sophomore Anna Butler (Kewaskum, Wis.) was the Falcons last gasp and made for a 53-51 upset final.

Head coach Stacey Brunner-Jones' post players combined to hit just 5-of-25 shots in the paint, while forward Jessica Genke was 6-of-8 for LC.

CUW had trouble putting the ball in the basket all evening, shooting a woeful 30 percent from the field and missing at least three uncontested layups in the second half.

Lakeland, on the other hand, scored 30 of their 53 points in the paint, and got superior bench play receiving 25 points.

Hendrickson led all scorers with 23 points including 8-for-8 from the free throw line, but nobody else managed double figures for CUW.

Senior Kendall Kerns (Stoughton, Wis.) snared a game-high 14 rebounds for the Falcons but was held to a pair of free throws by Lakeland's double-teaming interior defense.

The Falcons host Aurora University on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. inside the R. John Buuck Field House.