MILWAUKEE – The Wisconsin Lutheran College women's basketball team used a 34-3 first-half run to turn a five-point deficit into a 26-point lead on its way to defeating the Dominican Stars 79-54 on Saturday afternoon in a Northern Athletics Conference Challenge game at the Recreation Complex.
 
The Warriors and Stars began the game by exchanging leads four times amongst one tie score for the opening 6:59 of the first half. Dominican, champions of the NAC South Division, held its largest lead of the half at 14-9 at the 14:21 mark before Wisconsin Lutheran turned the tempo into high gear. WLC exploded on a 34-3 run over the next eight minutes and took a commanding 43-17 lead with 4:22 remaining before halftime. The 26-point margin was the Warriors' largest lead of the half. WLC went into the halftime break in front 45-20.
 
Wisconsin Lutheran shot an impressive 51.4 percent (19-for-37) in the opening stanza, including 50 percent (7-for-14) from three-point range. The Warriors shutout the Stars' bench by out-scoring them 24-0. Krissy Day (West Allis, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) scored 11 points in the half to lead all scorers. Shavon Dillon (Milwaukee, Wis./Hope School) and Rachel Hoft (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) weren't far behind with nine points each. Rachel Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) had eight rebounds in the half as WLC out-rebounded DU, 26-13.
 
Kayla Blom and Ashley Oliver scored six points each to pace the Stars, who shot just 25 percent (7-for-28) from the floor in the period. 
 
The Stars out-scored the Warriors 13-6 through the first 5:54 of the second half and cut the hosts lead to 18 points. DU would get no closer however as Wisconsin Lutheran went on an 18-5 run to take its largest lead of the game, 69-38, with 8:05 left in the game. WLC's lead never slipped below 24 points as it won its fifth straight game.
 
The Warriors shot 40.6 percent (13-for-32) from the floor in the second half as 11 different players reached the scoring column, led by Dillon and Johnson's six points each. The Stars, who shot 30 percent (9-for-30) in the second half, were paced by Katie Budz's nine points.
 
Day and Dillon scored a game-high 15 points each to lead the Warriors, while Johnson grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. For the game, WLC shot 46.4 percent (32-for-69) and out-rebounded the Stars, 49-34. The Warriors out-scored by Stars' bench by 31 points in the contest, 44-13.
 
Dominican (17-8, 13-4 NAC), which shot 27.6 percent (16-for-58) from the floor for the game, was led by Katie Budz's 14 points. Ashley Oliver added 12.
 
Top-seeded Wisconsin Lutheran (21-4, 17-1 NAC) begins the quest for its second straight NAC Tournament championship when it hosts eighth-seeded Benedictine (10-15, 6-11 NAC) on Wednesday in a conference tournament quarterfinal matchup. Tip-off between the Warriors and Eagles is set for 7 p.m. at the Recreation Complex. Fans unable to attend the game can follow the action via live audio, stats and video at wlcsports.com.