WOOSTER, OH – Less than 24 hours removed from winning a defensive struggle against the College of Wooster, the Houghton Highlanders found an offensive rhythm and continued to play solid defense, defeating the Illinois Institute of Technology Red Hawks, 76-60, on the second day of the Nan Nichols Classic, hosted by the College of Wooster.
The Highlanders opened the game on fire, scoring the first nine points of the game and knocking down 11 of the 16 shots they took (69 percent) in the first quarter, taking a 23-15 lead.
After a
Hannah Siewert layup early in the second quarter put Houghton up by 14 points, the Red Hawks reeled off 12 straight unanswered points, pulling to within two.
With just under three minutes to play before the half, the Highlanders regained their composure, closing out the half on an 8-0 run to put the lead at the half back up to double digits.
While the Red Hawks continue to battle, staying within four points in both the third and fourth quarters, Houghton slowly but surely continued to pull away, eventually completing the 16 point victory.
VITALS
Score: Houghton – 76 | Illinois Tech – 60
Records: Houghton: 3-0 | Illinois Tech: 0-2
Venue: Timken Gymnasium, The College of Wooster | Attendance: 84
NOTABLE STATS
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Emma Cole went 6-for-10 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the line, reeling in a game-high 19 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots. Over the two games, Cole scored 25 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 11 shots. She was one of six players named to the All-Tournament Team.
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Hannah Farley also earned All-Tournament honors, posting 12 points, six rebounds and three steals in today's game, and 24 points and 10 rebounds for the tournament.
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Kayla Camacho regained her shooter's touch, knocking down 7-of-11 shots from the floor for 16 points, while teammate
Abby Guiher added 10 points and four steals.
COACH'S CORNER
"The will to win on this team is unmatched. It's very hard to get up for a game on such a short turnaround, but this team didn't miss a beat.
"Our offense came together much better in today's performance. [However,] what I'm most proud of is our grittiness on the defensive end. When our defense shows up, we will always have a chance to win.
"Over the first three games we have seen different groups of players show up on the offensive end. I'm very excited about our depth and unselfishness. This is just a fun group to be around." – Head Coach
Phil Pellegrino
UP NEXT
The Highlanders travel to Bradford this Wednesday to take on the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Houghton has won three of the last four meetings between the teams, including last season, when they defeated the Panthers, 80-55, in the Nielsen Center.
