Tech Finishes Off Regular Season with 63-50 Win at NMU

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MARQUETTE, Mich. — Michigan Tech led from wire to wire in a 63-50 victory at rival Northern Michigan tonight in GLIAC women's basketball. Jillian Ritchie scored 22 points to help the Huskies wrap up the regular season at 24-2 overall and 20-2 in league play.

"It was a 100 percent team effort," said Tech coach Kim Cameron. "Our ball movement was really good on offense against a tough defense. We did nice job responding to their baskets and punching back at the right times."

Tech held the Wildcats (17-9, 15-7 GLIAC) to two points during a 10-minute stretch of the first half to grab a 12-point advantage. The hosts worked back within six under a minute before Brenna Heise scored just before the buzzer for a 28-20 advantage.

The Huskies got a 3-pointer from Kelli Guy and a jumper from Morgan Anderson to extend the margin to 13 in the first 80 seconds after halftime. NMU pulled within 35-26 at the 15:36 mark, but Guy answered with another triple for a 12-point lead. The margin stayed in double figures the remainder of the contest.

Michigan Tech shot 49 percent for the game and held the hosts to 38 percent. The Huskies also had eight blocked shots and 12 steals while forcing 20 Wildcats turnovers.

Ritchie's 22 points came on 7-of-10 field goal shooting. Anderson (11 points), Guy (10), and Heise (10) also reached double figures. The only starter to not score in double figures, Danielle Blake, had perhaps the best game. She posted game highs of 10 rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and four steals to go with just two points. Blake was also responsible for defending NMU's Alyssa Colla.

Colla tallied 22 points, but shot just 8-of-25 with five turnovers.

"This is a great win for us to give us some momentum heading into the postseason," added Cameron.

Michigan Tech, which won 20 conference games for just the second time in school history, owns home court advantage throughout the GLIAC Tournament.

The top-seeded Huskies will host No. 8 seed Hillsdale in a tournament quarterfinal Wednesday (Mar. 4) at the SDC Gym. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

Notes: Tech earned the season sweep of the Wildcats … Ritchie has scored 67 points over the last three games for a 22.3 average … Tech's only other 20-win season in the GLIAC was in 2009-10 (20-2).