Women’s Basketball Drops Tight Game against Ashland

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Lake Superior State women’s basketball team fell to the Ashland University Eagles in a close game, by a final score of 78-66, on Friday, Feb. 26 in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. in the first game of a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) weekend series.

First Half: 

In the first half of the game, the Lakers scored 29 points while the Eagles recorded 35 points. 

The Lakers outscored Ashland, 19-18, in the first quarter. Senior guard Taylor Bryant got the Lakers on the board with a layup to tie the game at two. Makenzie Bray scored her first three pointer of the game in the next minute to give the Lakers a 5-2 lead. Mattison Rayman followed with a layup and Jaden Wilder made a shot from behind the arc to hold a 10-4 lead over the Eagles in the first three minutes of the game. 

Lake Superior’s strong shooting would continue later in the first quarter as Jozie Bontrager made a three to give the Lakers a 19-12 lead with just over a minute remaining. Ashland would add a pair of three pointers in the final minute to trail by a point (19-18) at the close of the first quarter.

The Eagles would regain the lead within the first minute of the second quarter and would score seven straight points to build a five point lead over LSSU (25-20). Wilder would add her second three pointer of the game to bring the Lakers back within a pair of points (25-23). In the final five minutes of the first half, the Eagles would outscore the Lakers, 10-6, to hold a six point lead at the half (35-29). 

Second Half:

The Lakers would have a strong third quarter, outscoring the Eagles 18-15 to cut Ashland’s lead to three points after 30 minutes of play.

Bray would add a layup in the first minute and Sadie DeWildt followed with a three pointer to bring the Lakers within three points of tying the game (37-34). The Eagles extended their lead to six points (43-36) but Bray would lead the Lakers as she scored eight of the team’s next nine points. With 3:25 left in the third quarter, the Lakers trailed by only two points, 46-44. 

Bray, who led the team in the third quarter with 11 points, would score on a layup with just over a minute remaining (48-47). The Lakers would enter the final quarter, trailing 50-47.

With exactly nine minutes left in regulation, Bray netted a shot from beyond the arc to tie the game at 52 and Wilder would tie the game at 54 less than a minute later on a layup.

DeWildt, who had a solid game for the Lakers, added another three point basket for the home team to pull within two points of Ashland (59-57). With 4:57 left, the Lakers were able to capitalize on a steal by Kelly Olthof as Wilder made a three point jump shot (63-60).

In the final four minutes of the game, the Eagles offense would secure the win as Ashland outscored LSSU, 13-4. The game ended in a final score of 78-66 with the Eagles earning the win. 

Breaking Down the Game:

Bray led the team with 19 points in the game, setting a new season-high for the forward. Bray, who has recorded ten games with double-figures in points, has strung together four consecutive games with 10 or more points. The sophomore went 8-for-17 in the game, including 3-for-7 from three. Bray would add four rebounds and a steal for the Lakers. 

Rayman and Wilder were tied for second on the team with 11 points each in the game. Rayman went 4-for-7 and made three of four free throw attempts while also adding four rebounds for the Lakers. Wilder, who was tied with Bray for the lead in three pointers in the game with three, played 40 minutes for the Lakers and went 4-for-6 in the game. 

Senior guard Sadie DeWildt went 3-for-7 in the game including 2-for-5 from behind the arc. DeWildt added a team-leading 12 assists in the game for the Lakers. 

The Lakers finished the game with a 46.3 shooting percentage, going 25-for-54 against Ashland. On the other end of the floor, the Eagles went 30-for-56 in the game to total a 53.6 shooting percentage. Lake Superior was outrebounded by Ashland, 29-27, in the game.

What’s Next

The Lakers and Eagles will close out the weekend series, and the GLIAC regular season,  tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Following the game, the Lakers will hold a ceremony honoring the senior class of Eileene Naniseni, Rebecca Villaneuva, Taylor Bryant and Sadie DeWildt. 

omen’s Basketball Drops Tight Game against Ashland