Women’s basketball: NMU defeats LSSU
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MARQUETTE, Mich. – Freshman Elizabeth Lutz (Marshall, Wis.) scored a career-high 19 points and displayed a perfect night of shooting as she helped lead the Northern Michigan University Women’s Basketball Team to a 60-56 victory over Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe Lake Superior State University.
Lutz finished the game 6 of 6 from the field and finished 5 of 5 from the three-point line, which were both career-highs. She also went 2 of 2 from the free throw line.
Junior Taylor Hodell (Wausau, Wis./DC Everest) added 11 points. Sophomore Jessica Schultz (Mineral Point, Wis.) chipped in with nine points and tied a season-high with nine rebounds. She also posted a career-high four assists.
Junior Emily Schramek (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy) and freshman Lexi Smith (St. Germain, Wis./Northland Pines) each posted eight points.
Smith scored the first basket of the game, but LSSU answered with a three-pointer. The teams then traded points until Schultz hit a three-pointer to put NMU up 9-7, and Hodell sank two free throws to make it 11-7 less than four minutes into the game. Smith extended the lead, and after Hodell answered a Laker basket, NMU was leading 15-9 at the first media timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Lakers narrowed it with a three, but Lutz answered with her first three of the game making it 18-12. After LSSU made a layup, sophomore Baleigh Delorit (Algoma, Wis.) hit a three-pointer. In the closing seconds, the guests made a layup to make it 21-16 after the first 10 minutes.
To open the second quarter, Hodell sank two free throws, then made a layup to put NMU ahead 25-16 less than two minutes in. LSSU answered with four points, but Lutz hit her second three to make it 28-20 halfway through the quarter. Hodell and the Lakers traded layups, then Smith gave the Wildcats their largest lead of the game, a 32-22 lead with just over two minutes left in the half. The teams traded buckets again in the final minute, but an LSSU three on their final possession made it 34-27 at the break.
Lutz hit her third three to start the third quarter, but the guests answered with five points. Schultz then made a layup, but the Lakers responded and eventually took a 41-39 lead with 4:38 left in the third. On the next NMU possession, Schramek gave the Wildcats the lead back with a three-pointer and Hodell made a layup to make it 43-41 with 3:37 to go in the quarter.
The Lakers answered with back-to-back three-pointers, then a layup to go ahead 49-43 in the last minute of the quarter. Lutz narrowed the gap with another three, but two free throws at the end put LSSU up 51-46 as the teams entered the final quarter.
Schramek narrowed the gap on the first NMU possession with a three, but the guests answered with a layup. Lutz responded with her fifth three-pointer to make it a 53-52 Laker early in the quarter. Schultz then followed it with a layup to give NMU back the lead, and the teams exchanged baskets and leads, with Lutz making a layup to make it 56-55 at the media timeout.
Junior Sydney Dillinger (Houghton, Mich.) extended the NMU lead with two free throws, making it 58-55 with 3:18 to play. The teams then went scoreless until an LSSU free throw made it 58-56 with less than a minute to play. In the final seconds Lutz secured the game by hitting two free throws, making it 60-56 for the game’s final score.
NMU improves to 12-13, 8-9 in the GLIAC while LSSU fell to 2-20 on the season, 1-16 in conference play. The Wildcats look to make it three wins in a row as they host Ferris State University Saturday in the Berry Events Center. Tickets for the game can be found at the Marquette First Bank.
