SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Lake Superior State women’s basketball team (5-10, 2-5 GLIAC) came away with a decisive 78-65 victory over the Purdue Northwest Pride (5-13, 1-7 GLIAC) on Saturday that witnessed senior forward Mattison Rayman (Otsego, Mich.) record the 1,000th point of her Laker career.
True freshman Grace Bradford (Glen Arbor, Mich.) got the Lakers on the board early, and Rayman grinded her way to the free throw line where she notched the six points she needed to eclipse the 1,000 point milestone for her career, giving her team an early 10-4 advantage. A three from Bradford kept the momentum firmly in the hands of Lake Superior State, and the Lakers closed out the opening quarter of action leading 17-13.
The Pride battled to stay in the game early in the second quarter, but three baskets from Rayman pushed the Lakers back out ahead. Purdue Northwest would once again close to within two. However, this time it was Margot Woughter (Traverse City, Mich.) with the response of multiple buckets, and a pair of layups from Jaden Wilder (Manton, Mich.) gave the Lakers a 46-38 lead going into the halftime break.
Both teams battled coming out of halftime, always seeming to have an answer for each other. The Pride made a push with a 7-0 run, but a pair of baskets down low from Bradford and Woughter maintained a nine point advantage going into the fourth quarter.
Bradford went to the line for a pair of free throws to open the final quarter of play, but both teams would follow that up with several scoreless minutes before Kelly Olthof (Ferrysburg, Mich.) broke the drought. Woughter would then hit a pair of threes to strike the dagger, and the Lakers iced the game away at the charity stripe to secure the 78-65 victory.
Rayman and Woughter each finished with 25 points to lead the way offensively with Rayman also snagging 18 rebounds for the double-double, and Bradford secured a double-double of her own with a 13-point, 14-rebound performance. Meanwhile, Woughter would also lead all players with six assists.
The Lakers return to action on Thursday, Jan. 19 when they travel to the Motor City to take on the Wayne State Warriors with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
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