A fast start helped the Lakers past Fremont, 58-28.
The Lakers (5-2, 2-2 NECC) jumped out to leads of 15-6 after one quarter and 31-8 at halftime to cruise home against the Eagles (1-5, 0-3).
Lakeland was led by impressive freshman Abby Neff, who scored 15 points, but other Lakers got into the act as well.
Sophomore center Nicole Murphy had the best game of her young career, scoring 14 points inside on 7-of-8 shooting. Murphy also had a team-high five rebounds.
Casey Leu had 11 points and eight assists, and Brittney Bateman scored eight points and made seven steals for Lakeland. Fremont turned the ball over 29 times in the game.
For the Eagles, Megan Tresenriter had nine points to lead the way. Elizabeth Homes scored all six of the Eagles� first-quarter points and finished with eight. Lisa Ricica scored seven for Fremont.
The Lakers responded with perhaps their best half of the season, outscoring Churubusco 39-18 in the first half and cruising to a 57-29 Northeast Corner Conference victory.
The win gives Lakeland (11-9, 6-5 NECC) a winning league record and guarantees the Lakers a winning season. Lakeland opens sectional play Tuesday vs. West Noble at Northridge.
Against the Eagles, Brittney Bateman set the tone with two three-pointers to give Lakeland a 10-2 lead in the first four minutes of the game. Jessica Marshall added a three a minute later to push the lead to 15-4 and send Churubusco to a timeout.
�They hit outside shots right off the bat,� Churubusco coach Carter Jones said. �We really weren�t expecting them to do that, so we started out in a zone (defense).�
The Lakers were coming off a 9-of-46 shooting performance against DeKalb Tuesday. Coach Sherry Severson was happy to see her team shooting the ball better.
�It felt good to play a half like that after our shooting performance against DeKalb,� Severson said. �We wanted to get after them defensively and put pressure on them. Making 24 baskets after making nine is quite an improvement.�
The Lakers forced 14 first-half turnovers, and Abby Neff was the biggest recipient of the Eagles� generosity. She made three steals and 8-of-11 field goals in the first half, many of them on fast breaks.
�We had a goal to shoot 20 free throws tonight, and we only shot four,� Severson said. �But we had a lot of layups.�
Sophomore post players Lauren Terwilliger and Nicole Murphy provided a boost off the bench for Lakeland. Terwilliger scored 10 points, and Murphy added seven to go with four rebounds and two blocked shots. �They both had excellent offensive games,� Severson said. �Hopefully, this will be a real confidence boost for them.�
The Lakers led 21-4 after the first quarter. Eight points from Neff and six from Terwilliger, including a buzzer-beater at the first-half horn, gave the Lakers a commanding 21-point lead at the half.
�(Lakeland) really dictated everything that happened out there tonight,� Jones said. �It�s hard to take any positives out of this game. We did play a little better in the second half and the girls kept playing hard.�
Neff took just one shot in the second half, but had a game-high 16 points. Bateman didn�t make a field goal after her two triples to open the game but finished with eight points.
Casey Leu turned in her usual steady performance for Lakeland with eight points, six assists and two steals.
Tuesday night, Gallmeyer simply did what superstars do � snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Gallmeyer�s three-pointer with six seconds left in regulation sent Tuesday�s battle with county rival Lakeland into overtime. In the extra session, she sank two more threes to lead the Warriors past the Lakers, 68-67.
�A great player made a great play,� Lakeland coach Sherry Severson said. �We had done a nice job containing Jamie up to that point. We switched to a zone but she made a great shot.�
After Abby Neff made two free throws with 24 seconds left to give Lakeland a 57-54 lead, Westview (10-2, 6-1 Northeast Corner Conference) called timeout before working the ball to Gallmeyer on the left side. She shot-faked, took a dribble, then stepped back for a three-pointer that hit nothing but net.
Gallmeyer opened the overtime with another three-pointer, but Lakeland (6-5, 3-4) used the free-throw line and an offensive rebound putback by Nicole Murphy to take a 65-62 lead. Gallmeyer then came back with another three to tie the game, and Westview inched ahead, 66-65, on a Cheri Borkholder free throw.
Lakeland called timeout with 27 seconds left, and took its time looking for a shot. But Jessica Marshall was called for an offensive foul with 12.1 seconds left, and Gallmeyer�s two free throws with eight seconds remaining proved to be the winning points.
�At crunch time, we executed very well,� Westview coach Randy Yoder said. �Jamie made a huge three, and we didn�t panic. That�s one of the things this team does well. We�ve won three games in overtime and another by one point.�
The loss spoiled a remarkable comeback by the Lakers, who trailed by 15, 47-32, near the end of the third quarter before going on a 16-1 run to tie the game with 5:11 left on a Casey Leu bucket.
Gallmeyer came back with a tough basket in the lane, but Leu scored and drew a foul for Lakeland. Her free throw gave Lakeland its first lead at 51-50, and the Lakers expanded the lead to four, 55-51, after two baskets by Neff.
Allyse Fisher�s three-point play cut the lead to one, and Westview fouled Neff. After her free throws, the game rested in Gallmeyer�s hands.
Gallmeyer led three Warriors in double figures with 22 points. Emily Lamkin connected on five of her first six attempts and had 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Fisher scored 13 points and had five assists.
For Lakeland, Neff scored 17, and Murphy and Marshall each had career-bests with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Lauren Terwilliger had 10 for Lakeland.
Severson will be glad to see Gallmeyer graduate, although she wouldn�t mind another shot at the Warriors in next month�s NECC Tournament. �I will not miss Jamie Gallmeyer at all,� Severson said. �In all my years, I can�t think of a better opponent than her other than (2002 Miss Basketball) Shanna Zolman. That�s a pretty high compliment. She�s always kept a cool head and been a tough competitor.�