Huskies women can’t overcome tough start in loss Lakers
Disappointing Start and Tough Defeat
The Michigan Tech Huskies women’s basketball team had a disappointing start to their game against the No. 2 Grand Valley State Lakers on Saturday, shooting only 18.2% in the first quarter at the SDC Gym. Despite improvement in their shooting percentage, they were unable to overcome a five-point deficit in the second half and ultimately fell to the Lakers with a score of 57-46. The Huskies’ overall record dropped to 15-11 and their GLIAC play record fell to 11-7 after the loss on Senior Day.
Michigan Tech forward Mia Kozlowska attempts a layup during a game against Grand Valley State Saturday at the SDC Gym in Houghton. (David Archabeau/For the Gazette) “image credit: mininggazette“
Coach’s Perspective
“I thought we competed really hard,” said Huskies coach Sam Clayton. “Obviously, (we) didn’t shoot it great. I think if we, you know, hit a few more shots, just a totally different game. But, I thought, in general, especially after the first quarter, we executed our offense better and got better looks.” When the Huskies faced the Lakers earlier this season, they lost 74-30, so the 11-point loss Saturday showed a lot of progress for the Huskies overall. Clayton felt that the Huskies found a way to deal with how tough the Lakers can be defensively. “They’re a really good defensive team, a really good defensive team,” she said. “So, credit to them, they do make it tough.”
Impact of Turnovers
The Huskies’ performance in the game was significantly impacted by their tendency to commit turnovers. Despite the Lakers’ offensive struggles in the initial half, the Huskies repeatedly handed them chances to score by ceding possession of the ball. “According to Clayton, the team struggled with giving up the ball too frequently in the first half, recording 16 turnovers. However, they managed to improve their performance in the second half, reducing the number of turnovers to seven. The main issue was the long passes, which the opposing team’s athleticism made it difficult to handle. Despite this, the team learned from their mistakes and made adjustments in the second half to better protect the ball.”
Fighting Spirit and Adjustments -Lakers
Huskies women can’t overcome tough start in loss Lakers
Clayton liked that her team found a way to outscore the Lakers over the final 10 minutes, 16-14. She felt that the Huskies showed they could be effective with the press when necessary. “I loved the fight the fourth quarter there,” she said. “We did outscore them in the fourth quarter. We did some press, some passing lane, some trapping, and our girls did, they fought. They wanted it bad, obviously, for our seniors playing at home here, but they competed and we showed that we can compete with one of the best teams in the nation, if not the best team in the nation.”
Standout Performances
Isabella Lenz, a junior guard, scored 14 points to lead the Huskies. However, the standout performance came from Sara Dax, a fifth-year forward who returned from injury and scored 10 points. “To have Sara back is a huge help,” Clayton said. “I mean, as a leader on and off the floor, just for her to be able to step in and just have that presence, that calming presence of a fifth-year senior, where she’s going to make good decisions, she’s going to hit those shots, we can post her up, she can hit the three. So, it was great to have her back. I think she’ll get better and better as she gets to play more.” With Dax back in the lineup, the Huskies were also able to experiment with their floor setup by playing both Dax and junior forward Emma Anderson at the same time. “I do like that lineup just because they both can post up and both really shoot the three well,” said Clayton. “Like I said, no matter who matches up on them, I feel like you have an advantage offensively one way or another. So, yeah, we’re trying that out. We like it. They play well together, so it’s good.”
