HAMMOND, Ind. – The Michigan Tech women's basketball team saw 17 points from Alyssa Wypych, 16 from Ella Mason and a dominant 32 points in the paint en route to a 63-59 decision over Purdue Northwest on Thursday evening.
Kendall Standfest joined Wypych with a team-leading nine rebounds to go with nine points, while Kloe Zentkowski produced nine points going 5-5 from the free throw line in her sixth consecutive start.
The Huskies improve to 15-6 overall and 9-6 in the league as the Pride drops to 3-20 and 1-14 in the loop.
"Another slow start where we just weren't shooting well and when we're not shooting it well, we're just not getting productivity at the rim and that's been the case for a few weeks now," said Tech head coach Sam Clayton. "I thought Dani brought an awesome spark off the bench and made it hard for them to get into their actions."
The Huskies got off to a good start with layups by Wypych and Mason before PNW strung together an 11-2 run, sparked by three 3-pointers, before finishing the opening quarter going 3-of-4 from the free throw line to maintain a 16-11 advantage. Riley Milausnic had eight points for the Pride as Mason (6) and Wypych (4) led the Black & Gold.
Milausnic continued to have the hot hand in the second quarter, with nine of the Pride's 12 points, hitting two 3-pointers and converting an and-one to give PNW a nine-point edge with 1:59 to play in the first half.
Wypych had six points and an assist off a 3-pointer by Mason in the quarter as Dani Nuest accrued two steals and an assist as the Huskies entered halftime trailing 28-23.
After Milausnic went off for 17 points in the first half, the Huskies held her to just two points in the second half.
Michigan Tech won the third quarter 15-7 with Nuest and Zentkowski chipping in five points to lead the way. A fastbreak and-one by Zentkowski gave the Huskies a 34-33 edge before a bucket in the paint by Maja Kozlowska made it 38-35, as the two teams went scoreless the final 2:38 of the third quarter.
The Black & Gold led by as much as five points three times in the fourth quarter, although the Pride kept it interesting, with Alyssa Cole connecting on two free throws to tie the contest at 53-all with under two minutes to play.
The two teams traded trips to the free-throw line with Zentkowski and Ciara Sims each going 2-2 before Mason hit a pull-up jumper and Cole turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, forcing the Pride to foul down the stretch. Timms, Mason and Wypych went a perfect 2-2 from the 36-second mark to the final seconds, prevailing in a 63-59 victory.
Nuest impressed off the bench with a team-leading three steals and five points as Kozlowska finished with five points and two rebounds.
Milausnic led three players in double-figure with 19 points as Sims added 11 and Cole finished with 10. Caley Strahan recorded a team-best seven rebounds.
Up Next
The Huskies complete the road weekend on Saturday, traveling to Detroit, Michigan, for a date with Wayne State, slated for a 1:00 p.m. tipoff.
