Dax Attacks

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. - Sara Dax was a force in the paint with 23 points, and Michigan Tech polished off a 63-59 win over Ferris State Thursday night in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball at Jim Wink Arena. Dax shot 10-for-14 and tied her career-high in points with seven rebounds for the Huskies. Tech evened up the season series 1-1 with the Bulldogs and moved to 16-10 overall (11-7 GLIAC). 

"I was so proud of how our team came out, especially after a low energy loss last time out," said head coach Sam Clayton. "We responded with a lot of intensity and fire out there. Sara was so aggressive offensively going right at them and looking for threes. She also passes really well for us. I was really happy with how Sara played, but it was definitely a team effort out there today. Whether it was hitting a basket or getting a stop when we needed it, we came through at the critical moments. Sloane made two huge free throws late and then Daisy came off the bench and was our top rebounder which was great to see. Every single player came in and contributed."

The Huskies jumped out to a 7-0 start and led 14-7 through the first 10 minutes. The Bulldogs fought back in the second quarter and outpaced Tech 16-12 to cut the deficit to 26-23 by halftime. The Bulldogs seized momentum early in the fourth quarter by taking over the lead for the first time in the evening 46-44. Dax countered with a three-point play in the lane to put the Huskies back on top permanently.

Ferris State cut the margin back to two at the 3-minute mark but the Huskies shut the door with 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions from Alex Rondorf and Katelyn Meister, taking the clock down to 1:55. Ansel and Zenner made free throws to keep the Bulldogs at arm's length in the final minute.

Zenner totaled 13 points with four assists. Meister finished with six points, six rebounds, and five assists. Ansel posted a team-best eight rebounds with three assists in 18 minutes off the bench. 

Kadyn Blanchard led the Bulldogs with 14 points and seven rebounds. Zoe Anderson (11 points) and Mallory McCartney (11 points) also made it to double figures. 

The Huskies shot 42.1-percent overall (24-57), including 38.1-percent (8-for-21) from beyond the arc. MTU passed 20 assists compared to 15 turnovers. Ferris State connected on 34.4-percent from the field (21-61) and made 25-percent (5-for-20) of attempts from downtown.

Michigan Tech (16-10, 11-7) closes the regular season Saturday at 1 p.m. at Lake Superior State. The Huskies entered Thursday night in sixth place in the GLIAC point standings. The win Thursday vaulted them into fourth. The top eight teams in the conference will qualify for the conference tournament quarterfinals with the top four seeds hosting.