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By Ryan Schlehuber, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Sportswriter

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The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Centurions women’s basketball team faced a nationally ranked team at home and felt its superior power, losing 115-49 to the Mid Michigan College Lakers, Wednesday, Feb. 5.ÌýÌý

The No. 6-ranked Lakers (8-0 ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøAA Northern, 20-2 overall) stretched their winning streak to 16 consecutive games with the win over the Centurions (2-5 ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøAA Northern, 3-13 overall), using a balanced attack on offense and defense.ÌýÌý

On defense, Mid Michigan forced 31 ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø turnovers, which the Lakers cashed in 58 points from those turnovers. The Lakers also outrebounded ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø 47-25 and had a 22-1 advantage in the second-chance points category.Ìý

Mid jumped out to a 10-0 lead until sophomore guard Makenna Rautio (Big Rapids, Mich.) knocked down a three-pointer four minutes into the game. The Lakers then went on a 15-0 run until freshman forward Kennedy Schilling (Flushing, Mich.) hit ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s second bucket, a three-pointer, with 2:13 left in the quarter to make it 25-6, Mid Michigan.Ìý

The Lakers went into the second quarter with a 30-11 lead and continued to outscore the Centurions, 18-12, to take a 48-23 lead into halftime.ÌýÌý

In the third quarter, Rautio scored on a jump shot to make the Lakers’ lead 51-25 with 9:18 to go in the quarter. From there, the Lakers went on a 20-0 run, putting a stranglehold on the game with a 71-25 lead until Schilling hit a jump shot at the 4:21 mark.ÌýÌý

In the fourth quarter, the Lakers outscored the Centurions, 26-11. Scoring for ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø in the last quarter were freshman guard Emily Putnam (Sidney, Mich.), who scored six points, while Rautio and freshman guard Madi Longoria (Wyoming, Mich.) each had a bucket.Ìý

Rautio led ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø in scoring for the sixth consecutive game, scoring 22 points and collecting eight rebounds. She was followed by Putnam, who had 15 points while Longoria finished with five points and six rebounds.ÌýÌý

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UP NEXT: The Centurions will travel to the Upper Peninsula to take on the Bay College Norse (6-2 ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøAA Northern, 13-9 overall) in Escanaba Saturday, Feb. 8. Tip off is 1 p.m. The Norse took the win from the first meeting between these two teams, a 92-40 win at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, Jan. 11.Ìý