Michigan Tech wins 6th straight

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Ellie Mackay scored 31 points and Michigan Tech used an impressive first quarter to sweep Ferris State 63-55 at Jim Wink Arena Saturday in GLIAC women's basketball. It was the sixth straight victory for the Huskies and a two-game road sweep over Ferris State.

The Huskies opened the game with an impressive 14-0 run and led 22-9 at the end of the first quarter. Over the nearly seven-minute stretch, Mackay scored 10, including a pair of 3-pointers. Ferris State stormed back with a 19-9 run in the second quarter and narrowed the margin to just three points by halftime. Several critical defensive stops late in the fourth quarter and two made free throws by Mackay helped MTU stay ahead and secure the victory.

"I was so proud of our team's heart in today's road win," said head coach Sam Hoyt. "Ferris really battled back after the slow start and that put us on our heels for a bit. Our defense came through again in the end and I felt our seniors, Cassidy (Trotter) and Baillie (McGirk) did a great job defending FSU's top scorers again tonight."

The Huskies shot 21-for-61 (34.4-percent) overall, including 5-for-18 (27.8-percent) from beyond the arc. Mackay finished 10-for-21 from the field with three made 3-pointers and 8 of 9 free throw attempts. Mackay and McGirk also reeled in six rebounds apiece. McGirk chipped in six assists.

"Ellie had a phenomenal game for us," Hoyt said. "She stepped up and made big shots and free throws late. This was a good win against a really good team."

Michigan Tech held GLIAC top scorer Kadyn Blanchard in check for the second straight game and the freshman scored 13 points (5-for-16) with one 3-pointer. Jordan Ludescher finished with nine points, eight rebounds, including an important defensive rebound late in the fourth quarter. Alex Rondorf played 24 minutes off the bench and had seven points, six rebounds, and two steals for the Huskies.

Blanchard and Mallory McCartney shared the Ferris State team lead in points with 13 apiece. Samantha Krauss contributed eight points off the bench with five rebounds, and four assists. The Bulldogs shot 22-for-63 (34.9-percent) and 5-for-26 (19.2-percent) from the 3-point arc.

Ferris State took in the most rebounds 36-35 but Michigan Tech nabbed seven steals compared to six. Notably, the Huskies limited turnovers to 10 and forced 18 Bulldog turnovers.

NEXT UP: Michigan Tech (8-1, 8-1 GLIAC) travels to Saginaw Valley State Friday and Saturday, January 5-6. Ferris State (3-6, 3-6 GLIAC) is at Grand Valley State next weekend for a pair of games. The last time the Huskies won six straight games was in February, 2019. Their streak ended at nine games in a row.