Mike Barrett, LSSULakers.com
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — Starting off the 2018-19 season with an exhibition game at home, the Lake Superior State women's basketball team, under 2nd year head coach Brandon Lokken, took on Olivet College on Saturday, October 27th. The Lakers rode a strong first half to a 97-75 final score.
The Lakers came out firing on all cylinders, hitting several big shots. Olivet held with the Lakers in the opening quarter, and trailed by just 7 points before Lake Superior poured on the offense in the second quarter. A 36 point quarter, which saw Lake Superior shooting 70.6 percent, put the home team out in front by a wide margin. Despite a late push by Olivet, the Lakers went into the second half with a 63-37 lead.
The second half started out as a sharp departure from the fast paced action that ruled the first half. Lake Superior's defense continued their strong play, but they had their own difficulties on offense. As a result, neither team could successfully establish a good tempo. Gradually, Olivet climbed closer, though the Comets still trailed 75-57 after 30 minutes.
While the fourth quarter started out sluggish for both teams, the squads both returned to the high tempo game demonstrated during the first half. Lake Superior and Olivet both dug deep and managed to finish the game strong. The Lakers finished just shy of the century mark, as they completed the 97-75 win.
Leading the Lakers was junior Claire Radtke with 17 points, followed by sophomore Rebecca Villanueva, who had 16 off the bench. Sophomore Jenna Gregory had 5 rebounds.
Olivet was led by Tammy Lee, who had 13 points. Shawnee Dame, who had 12 points of her own, grabbed 7 rebounds to lead the Comets.
Lake Superior shot 56.7 percent from the field and went 17 for 24 at the charity stripe. The Comets had a 46.7 field goal percentage, and went 7 for 15 at the line.
Like the Laker men, the women's team will be on the road for the month of November. They will play the first of seven straight away games at the GLIAC/GMAC Crossover against Walsh on Friday, November 9th. They will return home for a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) matchup against Saginaw Valley State on Thursday, December 6th. Tip-off time is at 5:30 p.m. EST. Tickets may be purchased at the Norris Center Ticket Office or at lssulakers.com/tickets.