MILWAUKEE – The Mount Mary University basketball team lost to Northland College tonight at the Blue Angels Tip-Off Tournament. The Lumberjills (1-0) defeated the Blue Angels (0-1) by a final score of 93-64.
Erica Williams (Jr./Bloomington, Ill.) led the team in scoring tonight against the Lumberjills. The junior forward hit 5-of-8 from the field and 12-of-18 from the free throw line for a total 22 points. After tallying 11 double-doubles last season, Williams managed to collect her first of the year this season as she also added 13 rebounds.
Guard Rae Grubbs (Sr./Covington, Ind.) added 16 points to the team's totals tonight as she hit 8-of-10 from the free throw line and 2-of-8 from outside the three-point line. Teammate Lucy Pavelko (Sr./Muskego, Wis.) added nine points off the bench.
In her first game for the Blue Angels Zyah Burnett pulled in 10 rebounds. The five-eleven forward got the start for MMU and played a total of 23 minutes in the contest.
The Lumberjills took the first lead of the game and were able to hold it for the full 40 minutes. Up 7-4 three minutes in, Northland outscored MMU 20-13 in the high-scoring quarter. Grubbs scored seven points in the first ten minutes of play leading her team's offense. On the other side of the court, Northland hit 9-of-19 on their way to taking the opening quarter 27-17.
In the second quarter, the Lumberjills continued to full-court press at high intensity. The Blue Angels finished the high-pressure quarter with 16 turnovers, but were able to hit from the line going 7-9 collectively from the free throw line.
With score 53-28 at half, the Blue Angels responded in the third quarter with their best frame of the evening. MMU hit 7-of-13 from the field and 5-of-9 from the charity stripe on their way to a 21-18 quarter. Williams who hit 3-of-4 from the field and 3-of-5 from the line instigated that surge. The junior forward added four rebounds in the quarter on the way to her first double-double of the season.
The Blue Angels hit 9-of-15 from the free throw line in the final 10 minutes of the home opener. The continued pressure from the Lumberjills forced 11 more MMU turnovers in the final quarter. The aggression through the lane led to Northland scoring 22 points in the last quarter of the night as they went on to win 93-64.
The Blue Angels will return to action tomorrow afternoon as the Blue Angels Tip-Off Tournament continues. Game one of the tournament begins at 3:00 pm. MMU will begin their tournament finale against Blackburn Saturday at 5:00 pm. Live stats and video are available at MtMaryAthletics.com.
