GRAND RAPIDS — Ellie Mackay led the way with 25 points and Michigan Tech women’s basketball overcame a slow start to down Davenport 71-51 at DU Student Center Thursday night in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.
The Huskies (13-8, 8-5 GLIAC) swept the two-game regular-season series against the Panthers.
Sara Dax also made it to double figures with 11 points, nine rebounds. The Huskies shot a perfect 8 for 8 from the free-throw line.
Davenport shot 28% from the floor and fell to 2-21 overall (1-14 GLIAC).
Neither team led by more than three in the first quarter until Toni Grace hit a shot with four seconds left to give Davenport a 16-12 edge. The Panthers limited first-quarter turnovers to three and held the Huskies to 33% shooting. DU’s lead grew to six but Tech chipped away at the deficit and went ahead 26-25 after Sloane Zenner’s shot in the lane. The Huskies then assembled an 11-0 run to push the advantage to 31-25 by halftime. Mackay scored 14 first-half points and limited the Panthers to 14% shooting in the second quarter.
The flurry of offense continued into the third quarter and culminated in a 23-1 run for a 43-26 lead with 7:12 to play in the third quarter. Davenport cut it back to a six-point deficit heading into the final 10 minutes of play but the Huskies shut the door with a 24-13 scoring edge in the fourth quarter to erase any potential comeback attempt.
“I was happy with how we played after the first quarter,” said head coach Sam Clayton. “Ellie played a strong game and a lot of others contributed tonight as well. I think this helps us build some confidence as we head into a difficult matchup with Grand Valley State on Saturday.”
