Standfest leads Huskies with 13 points
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Despite holding the top-ranked team to its lowest point total since Nov. 21, 2024, the Michigan Tech women’s basketball team could not overcome Grand Valley State, ultimately falling 69-51 to the Lakers inside the SDC Gymnasium on Alumni Day.
“I thought we competed hard and I was a lot happier with our urgency and our fight than I was on Thursday,” head coach Sam Clayton said. “We defended them really well for three and a half quarters. Now, too many offensive rebounds—giving up 20 offensive rebounds for 14 second-chance points is tough and makes it hard to win any game, but credit to Grand Valley, who is a really physical team who beat us up on the boards.”
Michigan Tech (9-11, 6-6 GLIAC) earned seven points off Grand Valley State (22-1, 12-0 GLIAC) turnovers in the opening frame as the top-ranked team struggled to score early. However, the Lakers found their footing for a 14-7 lead after the first quarter despite shooting just 28.6 percent from the field.
The two teams shot better from the field in the second quarter, although turnovers remained a factor as each team recorded five apiece. Despite pulling ahead by 10 to head into halftime, leading the Huskies 31-21, the Lakers struggled majorly at the charity stripe, making one in six attempts from the free throw line. Nicole Kamin recorded five points in each of the two opening quarters to lead GVSU with 10 points into the halftime break.
Guards Isabella Lenz and Alyssa Wypych accounted for 12 of the Huskies 14 points in the second half, each recording a 3-pointer.
Michigan Tech won the scoring battle in the third quarter, shooting 50 percent from the floor (7-for-14) with 20 points as Maja Kozlowska (six points) and Janie Tormanen (five points) began to break through in the paint against a tough Lakers team. However, the sizable lead showed the Huskies still trailing by nine points with one quarter to play as GVSU scored 18 points, including 4-for-4 at the foul line after a first-half showing of just 1-for-6 through halftime.
Down the stretch, the Lakers once again showed flashes of a top-team outscoring the Huskies 20-10 in the final quarter, pulling ahead decidedly at the 3:48 mark following a layup by the reigning GLIAC Player of the Year Rylie Bisballe. Kamin and Paige Vanstee would also convert on buckets in the final minutes to decide the score at 69-51.
First-year guard Kendall Standfest had four of her team-leading 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Emma Anderson led the team in rebounds with six while chipping in six points.
Kamin and Vanstee each recorded a team-high 14 points for the Lakers, with Vanstee also grabbing a team-leading eight boards.
Up Next
The Huskies travel downstate for the final time in the regular season next week, facing Wayne State on Thursday and Saginaw Valley State on Saturday.
