Huskies topple Titans 71-67 in exhibition
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
UW-Oshkosh (0-0,0-0 WIAC) | 11 | 19 | 15 | 22 | 67 |
|
Michigan Tech (0-0,0-0 GLIAC) | 15 | 14 | 26 | 16 | 71 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. - Ellie Mackay scored 28 points and Michigan Tech women's basketball grabbed a 71-67 win over University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in an exhibition contest Thursday night at the Student Development Complex Gymnasium. Mackay shot 6-for-8 from beyond the arc and 10 of 18 from the field as the Huskies drew separation in the second half and held on.
The No. 17 Division III ranked Titans held a one-point advantage at halftime behind efficient 3-point shooting by multiple players but the Huskies outscored UW-Oshkosh 26-15 in the third quarter and staved off a late comeback try. Tech was effective with 30 points in the paint. Katelyn Meister made it to double-figures off the bench with 10 points and four rebounds. Sara Dax and Daisy Ansel were visible with six points apiece and freshman Isabella Lenz made a strong first impression with a pair of 3-pointers for six points in the second half.
"We had a lot of fun out there," Meister said. "We worked really hard to get here and it really paid off with a win today. They (UW-Oshkosh) were super tough to guard offensively. They possess a lot of movement whether on off-ball screens, ball screens, or cuts and we knew that we needed to come in and communicate and be really sharp. Defensively, we wanted to come in and be aggressive."
The Huskies shot 43.5-percent (27-62) overall and 47-percent from long range (10-21). The Titans kept the score tight for most of the game by making 10 of 17 shots from downtown (53-percent). UW-Oshkosh also out-rebounded MTU 34-31. Ansel led the Huskies with five assists and Dax hauled in eight rebounds. Kylie Mogen started the game and played well with a pair of blocks, three points, and four rebounds.
"I think we competed hard and brought good energy," commented head coach Sam Clayton. "UW-Oshkosh is a phenomenal Division III program. We knew that coming in and we were excited to compete against them. I felt we could have executed better on both ends of the floor so we will definitely have much to learn from this game. Offensively, we did some good things and we got the ball inside a lot. Our overall movement can and will get better. In certain segments we were really sharp on defense but we still have some work to grow and improve."
Last season's leading scorer Leah Porath assembled 15 points to lead the Titans. Nikki Arneson (13 points), Brooke Freitag (10 points) and Ava Douglas (10 points) also provided offense. UW-Oshkosh shot 41-percent overall (21-51).
The Huskies (0-0, 0-0 GLIAC) begin the regular season in the NMU Invitational on Saturday, November 13 against Lewis University at 11 a.m. est. The conference regular season begins on December 4.
Ellie Mackay was chosen by the media in attendance as the Fine Line Tire Superior Player of the Game.
