Huskies fall to #5 Lakers 61-45
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Michigan Tech (13-9,8-6 GLIAC) | 13 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 45 |
|
#5 Grand Valley State (21-1,14-1 GLIAC) | 14 | 12 | 19 | 16 | 61 |
ALLENDALE, Mich. - Michigan Tech women's basketball held the lead in the first half but fell to No. 5 Grand Valley State 61-45 Saturday afternoon at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. The Lakers notched their 16th straight victory and swept the season series against the Huskies.
Ellie Droste led GVSU with 19 points but Grand Valley State's country-leading defense proved pivotal as they held Tech to just seven fourth quarter points to pull away. Alex Rondorf helped the Huskies with 11 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Michigan Tech fell to 2-3 to conclude a five-game road trip and is 13-9 overall (8-6 GLIAC).
"I thought we competed hard against a really good Grand Valley State team," commented head coach Sam Clayton. "We were sharp defensively in the first half and got some good looks at the rim. Credit to Grand Valley though for really slowing down our offense in the second half. We weren't able to create points in the paint like we needed to. I think we are taking steps in the right direction on defense. Hopefully, we can put it all together next week at home."
Tech grabbed an early edge in the game and shot 56-percent through the first half. Neither side pulled away by greater than seven points, but the Huskies took a 29-26 edge into the locker room.
The Lakers bounced back with a 6-0 run out of the break and outscored MTU 19-9 in the third quarter. Grand Valley State shot 56-percent in the fourth and held the Huskies under the 10-point mark in both second-half quarters. Droste shot 7-for-11 from the floor and Rylie Bisballe added a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
GVSU pounded the paint with 38 points and forced 16 turnovers.
Michigan Tech shot 16-for-46 (34-percent) in the game but connected just 3 of 12 from the field in the fourth quarter. The Huskies also went 3-for-13 (23-percent) from beyond the arc. Ellie Mackay scored eight points while Isabella Lenz and Sara Dax posted six apiece. Dax added a team-high six rebounds, but the Lakers won the category 39-29.
The Huskies return home on Thursday, February 17 when they host Saginaw Valley State at 5:30 p.m. inside SDC Gymnasium. Grand Valley State (21-1, 14-1) travels to Davenport next week. MTU has five conference games remaining in the regular season.