The Lakeland women's basketball team played host to the Terra State Titans tonight and came away with a 74-42 victory. With the win, the Lakers stand at 7-7 overall and 4-2 in conference play. The Lakers got off to a fast start as Lauren Perry and Hilda Ismail both hit 3-pointers around a Mya James layup to stake the Lakeland to an early 8-2 lead. Ismail would then draw a charge and get fouled while shooting before connecting on both free throws to extend the lead to 10-2. The Lakers would end the 1st quarter with a 13-6 lead. In the 2nd quarter, Mya James got things started with a steal and a layup to increase the lead to 15-6. Lakeland would then go cold for a couple of possessions which allowed the Titans to climb back into the game at 15-13. Lauren Perry would then drive hard to the basket and make an old-fashioned 3-point play as she hit the layup and a free throw after being fouled. After a Titan miss, Mya James dialed up a 3-pointer to extend the Lakers lead to 21-13. The Lakers would close the quarter strong as both Trinity Jackson and Lauren Perry would score on a couple of layups each. Lakeland went into the break with a 29-17 lead. To start the 3rd quarter, the Titans would take advantage of some Laker misfires and close the gap 36-29 with just under 6 minutes to play in the quarter. The Lakers would then explode and take over the game. The offensive display was keyed by intense Laker defensive pressure.  Trinity Jackson stole the ball and fed Mya James for a quick layup. After a turnover, Perry would drain a 12 footer. The Lakers would force a Titan travel before Jackson fed Monica Devine for a layup. The Lakers defense forced another turnover and Trinity Jackson hit a 3-pointer. After a Titan miss, Lauren Perry would score on a layup. After another Titan miss, Monica Devine would grab an offensive rebound and score on a put back. Trinity Jackson would then steal the ball and hit Mya James for another layup. After a Titan turnover, Layla Von Berndt would sink a 15-footer to give the Lakers a commanding 53-29 lead in a span of under 3 minutes. From there, the Lakers would cruise to the win.

Lakeland had three players finish in double digits. Lauren Perry led the way with 25 points while Mya James picked up 13 points. Hilda Ismail finished her evening with 12 points while Trinity Jackson added 9 points for the Lakers. Akira Lacey, Monica Devine, and Layla Von Berndt each added 4 points in the Laker win.

Gardy's Gab: "It was a little bit of a slow first half, but we played with composure. We had pretty good energy, but really picked it up in the 3rd quarter. i was pleased with our effort and we had good defensive pressure. It was a good bounceback win for us." 

Next Up: The Lakers will travel to Edison State on Saturday (2/3) to face the Chargers. Game time is scheduled for 3:00 pm.