Recap: Huskies handle Davenport 79-52 in Quarterfinal

WESTVILLE, Ind. – Ellie Mackay and Jordan Ludescher scored 15 points apiece and No. 1 seed Michigan Tech defeated No. 8 seed Davenport University 79-52 in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference quarterfinal Thursday afternoon at Dworkin Center. The Huskies assembled a 10-2 run to start the game and played a strong third quarter to extend a five-point halftime lead to win comfortably. Sara Dax played well off the bench and finished with 12 points.

The Huskies (18-1) will play in the semifinals Friday at 5 p.m. against the winner of No. 4 Saginaw Valley State and No. 5 Wayne State.

Tech scored seven straight points to begin the game, then extended the lead to 13 before the Panthers climbed back to a 39-34 deficit by halftime. MTU put the game out of reach in the early stages of the third quarter after outscoring Davenport 23-8 over a 10-minute span.

"I thought for three quarters we defended them exceptionally well," said head coach Sam Hoyt. "In the first, third, and fourth quarters we communicated really well and executed and that led to more offense. I always feel the first two or three minutes usually sets the tone. We saw that with too many turnovers but also in the success we had on offense. Anytime you can come out and create early confidence, that bodes well for the rest of the game."  

"Jordan was really physical and uses her lower body strength really well to keep the other team off the block. She can also contest with either hand to make opponents miss shots. She's extremely versatile for us. Our bench was also really important and I felt comfortable using our bench in any situation."

Michigan Tech shot 29-for-55 (52.7-percent) overall, including 6-for-14 (42.9-percent from the 3-point arc. The Huskies also made frequent trips to the free throw line and converted 15 of 17 tries. Ludescher made 6 of 12 shots and nabbed seven rebounds, one steal, and one block. Katelyn Meister scored four points with seven rebounds and one block. The Huskies had 10 players contribute off the bench. Dax led the way with 12 points, two rebounds, and one assist. Alex Rondorf pitched in seven points, two boards, and Kylie Mogen was efficient with six points in the second half.

Davenport struggled to score with 33.3-percent shooting (21-for-63) and just one made 3-pointer on 15 tries. Toni Grace led the Panthers with 13 points (4-for-15). Scout Nelson posted nine points and shot 4-for-12. The Panthers made 9 of 12 free throws. 

The Huskies committed 19 turnovers and passed 21 assists. Davenport finished with 14 turnovers and eight assists. Michigan Tech has won 16 games in a row dating back to January 15 and is ranked No. 9 in NCAA Division II nationally, No. 1 in the Midwest Region.