Huskies crunch Timberwolves 67-48
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Northwood (3-1,3-1 GLIAC) | 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 48 |
|
Michigan Tech (3-1,3-1 GLIAC) | 14 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 67 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Ellie Mackay scored 18 points and Jordan Ludescher excelled in the paint, assisting Michigan Tech to a 67-48 victory over Northwood University Saturday afternoon at SDC Gymnasium. The bounce back win stopped the Timberwolves three-game winning streak to start the season and the teams split the weekend series in Houghton.
"The energy was phenomenal and all credit goes to our bench," commented head coach Sam Hoyt. "I think they really energized the players on the floor to play well. It was exactly what we wanted because today the emphasis was on how we were going to respond. We got the ball inside, we finished a little better than yesterday, and our movement on offense was much better."
Tech held Northwood to just 24-percent shooting throughout the contest and 22-percent from 3-point range. MTU also produced eight blocks for a total of 18 on the weekend.
The Huskies began with positive energy after Sloane Zenner swatted a shot directly in front of the team bench in the opening minutes. Alex Rondorf's reverse layup helped MTU to a 14-11 lead after the first quarter and by halftime, the margin grew to 32-24. Baillie McGirk and Clara Johnson asserted themselves on offense, then the Huskies broke the game open with a 15-4 run starting the third quarter and closed out when Cassidy Trotter floated in a three to bring the score to 54-47 in the fourth.
Mackay found room in the mid-range and went 7-for-16 for a team high 18 points. She also chipped in six rebounds and one assist. Ludescher continued her impressive start to the season with 15 points, eight rebounds, and one steal. Ludescher shot 7-for-14.
"Jordan was aggressive when we got the ball inside to her," Hoyt said. "She just went right at them and that opened up the perimeter. "Ellie did a good job reading off of screens. They chase her because she is such a good shooter so she got a lot off of curling to the basket and took high percentage shots today so she could finish a few more. Both Jordan and Ellie are leaders and they stepped up for us. They didn't like losing yesterday and that really showed."
Michigan Tech drove to the basket in volume with 46 points in the paint. They also limited turnovers to 12 and passed 15 assists. The Huskies produced 15 Timberwolves turnovers but largely stayed out of foul trouble.
Contrary to an impressive output in their opening three games, Northwood struggled on offense and shot just 15-for-63 (24-percent). Ellie Taylor still made it to double figure points with 10. Maizie Todd took in seven rebounds and Jayla Strickland had a pair of blocks.
The Husky bench was a factor in multiple facets Saturday. On the floor, they produced 16 points. Katelyn Meister picked off seven boards and notched three blocks while Mady Draak contributed eight points and shot 3-for-4.
"I thought we just had better energy," Ludescher said. "Today everyone came out full force from the start and it was a whole different game because of that."
The Huskies finished 29-for-66 from the field and made 3 of 13 long-range tries. MTU improved from yesterday at the free throw line and were perfect at 6-for-6.
The Huskies (3-1) continue their homestand when they host Lake Superior State Friday and Saturday of next week. Northwood (3-1) is home to take on Wayne State.
