November 17, 2012
For Immediate Release
Box score
Livonia, Mich. – Junior Ulyssia Richmond (Temple Hills, MD/Riverdale Baptist) set a new career-high with 27 points to lead the Indiana Tech women’s basketball team to an 82-79 victory over conference rival Madonna University in the MU Activities Center on Saturday in the WHAC opener for both teams.
The Warriors never trailed on their way to their first win of the season, moving to 1-4 overall and 1-0 in the conference while the Crusaders, who were receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 poll, slipped to 1-2 and 0-1 in the WHAC.
Back-to-back baskets by Rachael Kruse (Ft. Wayne, IN/Homestead) and Richmond gave Tech an early advantage that they would never surrender.
The Warriors increased their lead to as many as nine, 28-19, late in the first half, but the Crusaders trimmed the deficit down to six, 33-27, at halftime.
Richmond quickly pushed Tech’s lead back to nine early in the second half with a three, and the Warriors would take their largest lead of the game 43-31 following a pair of free throws from Sabine Filippovica (Linibazi, Latvia/Independence) with 15:42 remaining in the game.
Tech held a comfortable margin for the next six minutes before Madonna began to chip away at the lead.
The Crusaders narrowed the deficit to five with 7:43 to play, but four straight points by the Warriors extended the lead back to nine, 63-54.
Madonna wouldn’t go away though and made it a three point game with 15 seconds left on the clock, but a pair of clutch free throws by Filippovica sealed the win for the Warriors.
Richmond went 8-for-15 from the field, including hitting 4-of-7 shots from behind the arc. Kruse poured in 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting and added a team-high six rebounds while Kaneisha Bass (Detroit, MI/Lincoln Trail) chipped in 10 points.
Tech shot 52 percent (27-for-52) for the game, and hit 10 three-pointers, compared to the Crusaders’ 40 percent shooting (26-for-64).
Up next, the Warriors travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan on Tuesday, Nov. 20 for a conference clash with Aquinas College beginning at 6 p.m.
For more information on Indiana Tech athletics please call the Athletic Office at 260-422-5561 ext. 2492 or visit our website at http://www.indianatech.edu/athletics
