Northern Michigan 73, Davenport 47 (Jan. 4)
The Davenport women’s basketball team opened the new year with a 73-47 setback against Northern Michigan on Thursday night at the Student Center. The Panthers were unable to control the glass and it was a major factor in their defeat. The Wildcats finished with 47 rebounds including 15 on the offensive glass. Davenport finished with 25 rebounds and four offensive boards. This stat led to the Wildcats having a 19-2 advantage in second-chance points for the game.
Davenport started strong early with a 6-1 lead at the 7:39 mark of the opening quarter. The Wildcats however then went on a 20-0 run for the rest of the first quarter to take a 21-6 lead after 10 minutes of action. The run grew to 23-0 as Jacy Weisbrod made a three-pointer to open the second quarter. Makenna Bryant nailed a three-pointer at the 9:28 mark which was the first field goal in over an eight-minute span for the Panthers to make it 24-9. That run gave the Wildcats a comforable lead they would hold for the rest of the game. The Panthers were down 38-17 at halftime and the lead for Northern Michigan was 20-plus points for the remainder of the contest.
Isabel Lindo led the Panthers with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-4 behind the arc. It was the fourth time this season she led the team in scoring and the third straight game. Lillee Gustafson added 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting for her best shooting performance of the season.
Michigan Tech 59, Davenport 51 (Jan. 6)
The Davenport University women’s basketball team could not make enough plays down the stretch in a 59-51 loss to visiting Michigan Tech.
Five lead changes and seven ties highlighted the first half as neither side could build a lead following a 12-12 scoreline at the end of one. The back-and-forth battle resumed in quarter two, DU managing to mount the Huskies’ advantage and create a three-point lead of their own with 5:39 remaining (21-18). However, Tech continued to find open looks and built a 32-28 advantage going into the break, led by Katelyn Meister’s 10 points and three rebounds. Mary Liedel kept the Panthers within striking distance with a then-team-leading eight points to go along with three boards.
Tech shot a low 37.5% from the floor in the third quarter but extended their lead to eight points (47-39), preventing DU from evening the scoreboard following a 15-11 point total. However, DU persisted in the final period as a lead that swelled up to 11 points for the Huskies at the 7:11 mark was brought down to six points with 2:41 remaining.
Almost two minutes of scoreless action surpassed until an intentional foul by Isabel Lindo sent Isabella Lenz to the free-throw line, who converted both freebies and pushed the Tech lead back to eight (56-48). Costly turnovers in the final minute of the contest resulted in a fourth-straight loss for DU.
Liedel and Lillee Gustafson were the team leaders in points with 13 apiece, Gustafson falling shy of a double-double with a team-high nine rebounds for a team total of 37. Alexa Kolnitys was the only other Panther to score in double figures with 11 points, the team shooting 18-of-53 from the floor.
