Rockford (Ill.) University's Arielle Nichols hit a three-pointer with 2:18 left in overtime for the go-ahead basket and the Lakeland College women's basketball team was defeated 70-63 Thursday night in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play.

The Regents tied the game with 56 seconds left in regulation and then outscored the Muskies 11-4 in the extra frame. Lakeland had four chances at a game-winning basket in the final nine seconds of regulation but was unsuccessful, and Rockford defeated the Muskies for the second straight year.

Lakeland (5-8 overall, 2-6 NACC) started off shooting well but again went ice cold in the second half and overtime. The Muskies shot 43.9% in the first half in playing the hosts to a 35-35 tie, but then made just 10 of their final 53 shots (18.9%) in the second half and overtime.

Lakeland still was in position to win after Leah Eisner (Sr.-Stevens Point, Wis.) scored in the paint for a 59-57 lead with 1:20 left in regulation. Rockford (6-7 overall, 3-5 conference) scored the tying basket with 46 seconds left, though, on a layup by Erin Ryczek, and the Muskies couldn't convert on four shots in the final seconds, sending the game to overtime.

Both teams struggled to score in the extra period until Nichols drilled a three-pointer for a 62-59 Regents lead. Rockford would convert again with a layup by Lindsay Lengjak after a turnover, and the Muskies never got closer than four the rest of the way.

The entire game was close, with neither team leading by more than seven points in regulation, including a second half in which the largest lead was four. The score was tied eight times and the teams swapped the lead 11 times.

Taylor Jandrin (Sr.-Forestville, Wis.) finished with 14 points to lead the Muskies, including three three-pointers. Bailey Grayvold (Fr.-Norway, Mich.) scored 11 points, 10 in the first half, and Trista Barron (So.-Escanaba, Mich.) also added 11. Eisner added a double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds and Vashia Gordon (Sr.-Green Bay, Wis.) finished with eight points and 13 rebounds.

Lakeland finished shooting 28.4% (25 of 88), including 7 of 30 from three-point range (23.3%) and 6 of 12 from the free throw line. The Muskies pulled down a whopping 30 offensive rebounds in holding a 56-48 rebounding edge.

Ryczek finished with 15 points to lead the Regents, who shot 43.1% (25 of 58) from the field and 16 of 22 (72.7%) from the line. The game was played two days later than originally scheduled, after below-zero temperatures forced the closure of Lakeland's campus Tuesday and the postponement of the game from Tuesday to Thursday.

The Muskies will try to get back on track Saturday when they host Dominican (Ill.) University at 4:15 p.m. at Woltzen Gymnasium.