The Aurora University Spartans began their quest for a fourth consecutive Northern Athletics Conference Championship and bid to the 2010 NCAA Division III Championships by defeating the Lakeland College Muskies  86-57 on Tuesday, February 23 at in AU's Thornton Gymnasium.

The contest started out slowly for both teams with the Spartans holding a narrow 12-9 lead eight minutes into the contest.

The Muskies would tie the game and take a one-point lead (15-14) on a three-point basket by freshman guard Jamie Koebe with 10:26 to play in the opening half.

The basket awoke the host Spartans as they started to pull away with a 12-0 run over the next four minutes and with seven minut

es left in the first half. The Muskies were forced to take a time out after senior forward Lance Robinson had a steal and easy lay-up to make the score 26-15.

AU was able to stretch the lead to 15 with 1:46 to play on a lay-up by Robinson and the Spartans would lead 36-22 entering halftime.

Leading performers for the Spartans in the first half were Robinson (11 points and four assists) and senior guard Dusty Magee added 10 points.

Both teams came out firing in the second half and two minutes into the half AU led 40-

26.

The Muskies would not go away quietly and started to crawl back and with 15 minutes to play in the second half, Lakeland cut the Spartans lead to six at 41-35.

But the Spartans silenced this come back in the making with a vengeance due to a 14-0 run to make it 55-35. Four Spartans scored in the run and all but sealed the contest with 10 minutes to play.

The Spartans continued their tear and increased the lead to 73-43 with six and a half minutes left in the game on a three-point bucket by Magee.

AU would lead by as many as 32 with 30 seconds

to play and held on for the 86-56 victory.

With the win, AU advances to the NAC Tournament Semi-Final round and will host Milwaukee School of Engineering on Thursday, February 25, 2010 in Thornton Gymnasium.

The Spartan were led by the starting five seniors and a nice performance off the bench by freshman forward Martin Lamar.  Robinson led the way with a double-double on a game-high 21 points and 12 assists; Forward Shane Roland finished with 18 points, Magee had 16, guard Ari Iventosch had 12, forward Brandon Scott had seven points and seven rebounds and freshman forward Martin Lamar had eight points and seven rebounds in the Spartan victory.