Huskies Fall to NMU in GLIAC Semifinal
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Michigan Tech (19-9) | 25 | 29 | 54 |
|
Northern Michigan (21-7) | 32 | 27 | 59 |
DETROIT – The Michigan Tech women's basketball team fell 59-54 to Northern Michigan on Saturday (March 8) in the semifinal round of the GLIAC Tournament at the Matthaei Center on the campus of Wayne State. The Huskies were down by 12 in the second half but took the lead with 1:14 to go, before the Wildcats scored the final six points.
Tech (19-9) was ranked No. 8 in the latest NCAA Regional Rankings and will await its fate as the region's top eight teams make it to the tournament. NCAA Tournament selections will be made on Sunday (March 9) at 10 p.m.
Trailing by six with 3:00 remaining, Morgan Anderson nailed her third 3-pointer of the game to get the Huskies within three. Paige Albi cut into the lead again with a layup that rattled around and fell through. Danielle Blake then gave the Huskies their first lead of the game with a driving right-handed layup.
NMU (21-7) quickly answered with a layup by Bre Gaspervich after the Wildcats advanced through Tech's full court press to regain the lead.
The Huskies missed a layup and Gaspervich went to the free throw line with 16 seconds left, making two to make it a three-point game.
After a Tech timeout, Jillian Ritchie had a game tying 3-pointer blocked by Abbey DeBruin. Ritchie had her hands on the offensive rebound but couldn't control it. Alyssa Colla sealed the win with a pair of free throws with seven tenths of a second left.
"We missed layups and free throws and that makes it tough," Tech coach Kim Cameron said. "We kept saying we were half a second away. All of our effort was there."
"We had two players come in off the bench and play phenomenal today after some of our starters didn't find their groove. I'm happy for Morgan and Taylor because they kept us in the game."
Annie Rubendunst made back-to-back layups to give NMU its largest lead of the game at 12 (43-31) with 13:00 left.
Tech then answered with a 7-0 run sparked by four straight points from Taylor Stippel as she drained two long jumpers. Anderson capped off the run with a transition 3-pointer to cut the lead to five (43-38).
Lauren Gruber stopped the bleeding for the 'Cats making a 3-pointer. The two teams then traded buckets before a two and a half minute scoring drought.
Colla made a pair of free throws with 5:50 on the clock for a 10-point lead. Tech again answered with seven straight after baskets by Stippel, Blake and a 3-pointer by Anderson.
Colla scored on an old-fashioned three-point play after gathering an offensive rebound to make it a six-point game with 3:00 left.
Tech shot 31.7 percent (20-for-63) in the game and 6-for-19 (31.6 percent) from beyond the arc. The Huskies converted on 8-of-13 free throws.
Blake finished with a team-high 14 points. Anderson was the only other Husky in double figures with 11, one shy of a career-high. Stippel scored six on 3-for-4 shooting while Ritchie tallied eight.
"If you give Morgan a chance to compete she'll give you everything," Cameron said. "She competes at every position and in every possession. She doesn't let anybody push her around."
Rubendunst had 14 points to lead the Wildcats. Colla and Gaspervich added a dozen each. NMU shot 40.9 percent (18-for-44) from the floor and 8-for-19 (42.1 percent) from three.
"You have to pick your poison with Northern, and I think we played how we wanted to on defense," said Cameron. "We just couldn't make a shot."
NMU will face Malone in the GLIAC Championship after the Pioneers defeated Wayne State in the first semifinal.
Visit MichiganTechHuskies.com on Sunday night for the NCAA bracket.
