Huskies suffer road loss to Northwood

Courtesy of MTU Athletics

MIDLAND, Mich. – The Michigan Tech women’s basketball team began its three-game road trip with an 80-58 loss at Northwood on Thursday (Feb. 20). The Huskies fell to 17-7 overall and 15-5 in the GLIAC. Tech remains in sole possession of second place in the conference standings with two games remaining.

“It was such a disappointing night and heart-breaking effort on our part,” Tech coach Kim Cameron said. “They wanted to win this game and we flat out didn’t fight back.”

Down by 30 points with 14:34 to go, Tech scored 19 of the next 20 points to claw back. Jillian Ritchie scored 10 straight for the Huskies in the run.

“We were getting stops during that second half run—which was huge—and we stopped fouling,” Cameron said. “Then we put Dani inside and fed off of her. We were moving the ball but got lost when she fouled out.”

Northwood (13-11, 11-9 GLIAC) responded and scored nine straight to regain control and take a 70-49 lead with 5:34 remaining. The margin never got under 20 from that point, as the Timberwolves snapped a 13-game losing streak to the Huskies.

Northwood took an early 11-2 lead three minutes after tipoff. Tech battled back to trail by three (15-12), after six points by Mackenzie Perttu and jumpers by Ritchie and Danielle Blake.The home team then went on a 21-8 run and led by 16 at the halftime break.

“We got into foul trouble early and that was the difference in the first half,” added Cameron.

Both teams shot under 35 percent from the field in the opening half, but the Timberwolves made 15 more free throws after Tech was whistled for nine fouls.

The lead quickly ballooned to 30 points, after Northwood opened the second half on a 19-5 run in the first five and a half minutes.

Tech shot 31.6 percent (18-for-57) from the field and made only 5-for-18 (27.8 percent) from beyond the arc. The Huskies made 17-of-24 (70.8 percent) from the free throw line and had 12 assists on 18 field goals.

Perttu finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Ritchie and Paige Albi were also in double figures with 12 points each.

Northwood made 40.3 percent (25-for-62) from the field and held a 45-37 rebounding advantage. Emily Kutch and Garbrielle Rivette both had a game-high 20 points while Sarah Susan was also in double figures with 17.

Tech’s final two games of the regular season are in the Upper Peninsula, beginning on Saturday (Feb. 22) at Lake Superior State. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at Bud Cooper Gym. The final game is at Northern Michigan on Feb. 27.

“We need to focus on Michigan Tech and how we can get better,” said Cameron. “We’ll figure that out and be ready to fight on Saturday.”