Huskies damage Pride 80-46
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Purdue Northwest | 8 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 46 |
|
Michigan Tech | 17 | 19 | 23 | 21 | 80 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech cruised on offense and received 45 points off the bench for an 80-46 victory over Purdue Northwest Thursday night at SDC Gymnasium in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. Twelve players scored at least two points and the Huskies collected 47 rebounds (including 13 offensive boards) to stay unbeaten (11-0) at home this season.
Ellie Mackay led the team with 16 points, including 3-5 from beyond the arc. Katelyn Meister contributed 15 points in 17:22 off the bench and was an efficient 7-11 from the field.
The Huskies (21-5, 12-3 GLIAC) swept the season series against the Pride (7-18, 3-12) with 36 points in the paint.
"I was happy with our performance," said head coach Sam Clayton. "Everyone executed defensively and forced them to take tough shots. We played confident from top to bottom. Even after a slow start, I was glad all of our players were able to contribute to the win."
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a slow offensive start for both sides, Mackay downed three of her first four 3-point attempts and the Huskies took a 17-8 after ten minutes. Mackay finished the first half with 11 points and Tech shot 42-percent from the field with a commanding 30-15 lead in rebounds. The Huskies pushed their advantage to 18 inside one minute remaining in the second quarter.
"I really thought things changed when we brought in some fresh players," Clayton said. "From Emma (Anderson), Lydia (Schaible), Tessa (Leece), Katelyn (Meister), Soraya (Timms) and others; everyone who came in helped spark our team.
Mackay and Alex Rondorf found the offense glass to open the third quarter and Katelyn Meister banked in a turnaround jumper for a 46-24 edge by the final media break of the penultimate frame.
Mackay converted a four-point play in the fourth after she was bumped to the floor following a three at the left wing. Soraya Timms and Lydia Schaible added back-to-back triples, followed by a reverse layup from Maja Kozłowska.
The Huskies never trailed and pushed the margin to a game-high 37 with 6:28 to play in the fourth quarter.
"We knew we had to contain their guards and I thought everyone did a really good job of being in the right position on defense," Anderson said. "I think it's really helpful when everyone can contribute. It takes a lot of pressure off our starters."
BY THE NUMBERS
The Huskies never trailed, shot 50 percent (34-68) overall, and converted 36.8 percent (7-19) of attempts behind the arc. Sara Dax nabbed three of Tech's nine steals and the Huskies passed 20 assists while limiting turnovers to 10.
Dash Shaw led the Pride with 15 points but shot 4-for-17 overall. Mercedes Simmons posted 10 points. Purdue Northwest finished 15-for-53 (28.3 percent) from the floor and connected 4 of 20 three point tries (20 percent). PNW committed 15 turnovers with seven assists.
Michigan Tech hosts Wisconsin Parkside (16-8, 11-3) Saturday at 1 p.m. at SDC Gymnasium. The Huskies conclude the regular season next Saturday at home against Northern Michigan. Purdue Northwest plays at Northern Michigan next.
