SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State women's basketball team fell to the Northern Michigan by a final score of 83-66 on Sunday, Jan. 31 in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. in the closing game of a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) weekend series against the Wildcats.
First Half
After neither team scored in the first minute of play, Taylor Bryant evened the score (2-2) with a layup with 8:30 left in the first quarter. The Wildcats offense would then take over the game, scoring 15 consecutive points to take a 17-2 lead over the Lakers by the halfway point of the opening quarter.
Lake Superior State would respond by scoring nine of the last 13 points in the quarter, including a three pointer by Carson Nitz after being set up by Hailey Voelker in the final minute of play. The first quarter ended with the Lakers trailing by 10 points, 21-11.
In the first scoring play of the second quarter, Makenzie Bray netted a three point basket to bring the Lakers within single digits of the Wildcats (21-14). With six minutes left in the first half, sophomore Kelly Olthof made a layup for the Lakers but Northern Michigan's offense would once again take over the game. The Wildcats scored on six of the game's next seven scoring plays to build a twenty point lead.
The first half ended with the Lakers trailing, 42-19. Bryant led the Lakers with five points and four rebounds in 13 minutes on the floor in the first half.
Second Half
The third quarter saw lots of offense from both teams with the Lakers scoring 23 points and the Wildcats, 29. The Lakers were led by junior guard Carson Nitz, who scored a team-leading eight points in the quarter. Nitz registered two three pointers and was two-for-two on free throw attempts in the quarter. Freshman Abbey Krugh also added a three pointer in the quarter for the Lakers.
In the final quarter, the Lakers were unable to rally back from the lead that the Wildcats built in the first half and the game ended with the Wildcats winning by a final score of 83-66.
Breaking Down the Game
Nitz led the team with a season-high 17 points in the game as she went 6-for-8 including three-for-five from beyond the arc. Nitz also added two rebounds, 1 assist and three steals for the Lakers.
The Lakers finished the game with a 44.2 shooting percentage, going 23-for-52 against Northern. On the other end of the floor, the Wildcats went 33-for-66 in the game to total a 50.0 shooting percentage. Lake Superior outrebounded Northern Michigan, 34-31, in the game.
What's Next
The Lakers will return to the road next weekend as the team travels to Grand Rapids, Mich. to take on the Davenport Panthers in a two game GLIAC series. The first game is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 5 at 5:00 p.m. and the second game is set for a 1:00 p.m. tipoff. Both games will be played at the DU Student Center.
Follow the Lakers
Due to State of Michigan, GLIAC and Lake Superior State University mandates, fans are not currently permitted to attend any Laker sporting events. Even though spectators cannot currently attend Laker home games, there are still a number of ways that fans will be able to follow the game action. All Laker home games during the 2021 season will be available to watch live on Stretch TV. For more information or to sign up for a subscription, visit https://portal.stretchinternet.com/lssu/. Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 1400, the official radio station of Laker basketball.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com
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