SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State women's basketball team fell by a final score of 87-59 to the Northwood University Timberwolves on Saturday, Feb. 13 in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. in the second game of a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) weekend serie
First Half
The first twenty minutes of the game featured strong play from both the Timberwolves and Lakers offense as the half ended with the Lakers trailing, 45-34.
Sophomore forward Mattison Rayman opened the scoring with a layup in the first minute to give the Lakers an early 2-0 lead. Jaden Wilder would score the next two baskets for the Lakers, both layups to put the Lakers ahead 6-4 with 6:28 left in the first quarter.
Rayman would score her second layup of the quarter with 4:20 left as she brought the Lakers within a point of Northwood (11-10). Sadie DeWildt would regain the Laker lead with 3:36 left in the first quarter as she scored from beyond the arc (13-11).
With 1:29 left to play in the first quarter, Carson Nitz would make the score 17-16 in favor of the Lakers with a three point jump shot. Kelly Olthof would score on two free throw attempts in the final minute of the first quarter but the Timberwolves would add a layup after to hold a 20-19 lead after the first ten minutes of play.
In the first two minutes of the second quarter, the Timberwolves would come out strong to build their lead over the Lakers to eight points (28-20). DeWildt's second three pointer of the game, assisted by Taylor Bryant, would cut the Lakers deficit to five points (28-23) with 8:16 left in the first half.
Minutes later, DeWildt's solid shooting would see her score her third shot from behind the three point line (33-26) but Northwood would respond and would take their first double digit lead of the game (38-26).
Rayman would score the Lakers next seven points, including a three point jump shot, to bring LSSU back within seven points of the Timberwolves (40-33) with under three minutes to play in the half. The sophomore would lead the Lakers in the first half with 13 points.
The first half ended with the Lakers trailing by 11 points, 45-34.
Second Half
After Northwood scored the first four points of the second half, Rayman made a layup after getting her own offensive rebound (49-36). The Timberwolves offense would dominate the third quarter as Northwood outscored the Lakers, 21-8.
In the closing minute of the third quarter, senior guard Rebecca Villaneuva would make a three pointer for the Lakers. The Lakers would enter the final quarter of play trailing, 66-42.
In the fourth quarter, the Lakers would score 17 points while the Timberwolves added 21 points to secure the win. Villanueva and Mackenzie Kalchik would lead the Lakers in the fourth quarter with five points each.
Breaking Down the Game
Rayman led the team with 15 points, marking her fourth consecutive game with double figures in points. Rayman also added three rebounds, one steal and one block against the Timberwolves. Sadie DeWildt ranked second among the Lakers with nine points in the game as she went 3-for-4, with all four attempts from behind the arc. DeWildt and Bryant shared the lead in assists as both players recorded four.
The Lakers finished the game with a 39.6 shooting percentage, going 21-for-53 against Northwood On the other end of the floor, the Timberwolves went 36-for-766 in the game to total a 54.5 shooting percentage. Lake Superior was outrebounded by Northwood, 34-25, in the game.
What's Next
The Lakers will travel to Big Rapids, Mich. for a single game against the Ferris State Bulldogs at the Jim Wink Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 6:00 p.m. The two GLIAC teams played the first game of their season series earlier this year in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium with the Bulldogs winning, 83-65.
Follow the Lakers
Due to State of Michigan, GLIAC and Lake Superior State University mandates, fans are not currently permitted to attend any Laker sporting events. Even though spectators cannot currently attend Laker home games, there are still a number of ways that fans will be able to follow the game action. All Laker home games during the 2021 season will be available to watch live on Stretch TV. For more information or to sign up for a subscription, visit https://portal.stretchinternet.com/lssu/. Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 1400, the official radio station of Laker basketball.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com
Follow Laker Basketball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for news, updates & more!