Mid Michigan Women Capture Outright Northern Conference Title in Front of Raucous Home Crowd

Mt Pleasant - The women's basketball team at Mid Michigan College etched its name into the record books Tuesday night, defeating Bay College 89-72 in front of a raucous home crowd to claim its first outright conference championship since 2023.

The victory gives the Lakers their fifth overall Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) title, having previously shared the crown in 2018, 2024 and 2025. This time, however, there was no sharing — the Lakers ran the table, finishing a perfect 14-0 in league play to secure the program's first-ever undefeated conference season.

Ranked No. 12 in the country and now sporting a 25-3 overall record, Mid Michigan extended its winning streak to 16 games. Even more impressive, the Lakers have not lost a home game at Morey Courts in three seasons — a testament to the program dominance in recent seasons. 

For the first time in over a month, Mid Michigan found itself trailing at the end of the first quarter. Bay College brought intensity early, and the contest remained tight through halftime. But what was once a tense battle quickly transformed into a 17-point rout as the Lakers overwhelmed the visitors in the second half.

Abigail Lautzenheiser led the charge with a dominant performance, pouring in 20 points on an efficient 9-of-13 shooting while hauling in a staggering 16 rebounds. Her presence on both ends of the floor shifted momentum and ignited the decisive run.

Current MCCAA Northern Conference Player of the Week Delaney Seaman paced all scorers with 23 points, attacking the basket and knocking down key shots. Madison Smith added a strong double-double effort of 16 points and 11 rebounds, further showcasing the Lakers' balanced attack.

First-year head coach Tanner Smith credited the team's relentless depth as a defining factor.

"I think the continued waves of subs wore them down," Smith said. "We are going to play a big rotation that might not always look pretty, but it pays off in the second half when the opposing team gets tired — and I think you saw that tonight."

That depth proved decisive as the Lakers' energy never dipped, while Bay began to fade under constant pressure.

The road now shifts to postseason play. Mid Michigan will compete in the MCCAA League semifinals Friday against the Western Conference champion Lansing Stars, who enter with a 24-2 record and a No. 5 national ranking.

A win would set up a championship showdown Saturday against the nationally second-ranked Schoolcraft Ocelots.

With momentum, confidence, and history already secured, the Lakers now turn their focus toward adding one more chapter to an already remarkable season.