UF women’s basketball team remains unbeaten with win over Michigan Tech

The University of Findlay women’s basketball team got a huge lift from its most experienced players in a key Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference encounter against Michigan Tech Thursday night.

Kayla Brown poured in 19 points, Ashley Andrews dropped in 14 and Tai Dotson scored 10 as the Oilers knocked off the Huskies 73-65 at the SDC Gymnasium.

Brown, a former Riverdale standout, and Dotson are seniors while Andrews is in her fourth year with the program, although she sat out two years ago because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

The trio fueled an offense that shot 46.8 percent (22-of-47) from the field as the Oilers (5-0, 3-0 GLIAC) matched the start of the 2009-10 team, which went on to play in the NCAA Division II tournament for the first time in program history.

UF trailed most of the first half despite staying close and went into halftime down 43-42 after Brown made a layup off of a steal at the buzzer.

The Oilers found themselves in a 50-44 hole with 16:23 to go in the game but refused to back down, chipping away at the Huskies’ lead.

UF went ahead 56-55 with 10:32 left on a layup by Kelsey Lewis and never looked back. The basket was part of a 10-0 run that ended when Brown, the fourth-leading scorer in the nation (23.8 points per game), drilled a 3-pointer to put the Oilers on top 64-55 with 4:12 remaining.

The Oilers held on to end a three-game win streak for the Huskies (4-2, 2-1).

Kaleigh Kenny and Kendra Elam scored 9 points apiece for UF, which made eight shots from 3-point range and forced 19 turnovers.

The Oilers turned the ball over 18 times but held the Huskies to 38.6 percent (22-of-57) shooting. Kylie Moxley led MTU with 15 points.

UF will try to complete a sweep in the Upper Peninsula in a 3 p.m. Saturday contest at Northern Michigan.

FINDLAY (5-0, 3-0 GLIAC)

Wuebker 0-1 0-0 0, Dotson 3-5 4-8 10, Brown 7-16 4-5 19, Beasley 1-6 0-0 2, Andrews 4-7 2-5 14, Maggert 0-1 0-0 0, Kenny 2-3 4-4 9, Klausing 0-1 2-2 2, Elam 3-4 1-2 9, Kessler 1-1 1-1 3, Grevenkamp 0-1 0-0 0, Lewis 1-1 3-4 5, Kras 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 22-47 21-31–73.

michigan tech (4-2, 2-1)

Ritchie 1-5 0-0 3, Stippel 2-13 2-2 6, Veach 2-4 2-3 6, Hoyt 5-13 0-1 14, Albi 3-7 2-2 11, Gaedke 0-0 0-0 0, Moxley 7-9 1-2 15, Perttu 1-5 4-4 7, Traynoff 0-0 0-0 0, Blake 1-1 1-2 3, Harrison 0- 0-0 0. TOTALS: 22-57 12-16–65.

HALFTIME: Michigan Tech, 43-42

3-Point GOALS: Findlay 8-12 (Andrews 4-4, Elam 2-2, Kenny 1-1, Brown 1-2, Grevenkamp 0-1, Beasley 0-2); Michigan Tech 9-23 (Hoyt 4-6, Albi 3-6, Perttu 1-4, Ritchie 1-5, Veach 0-2).

rebounds: Findlay 34 (Wuebker & Dotson 4); Michigan Tech 33 (Stippel & Albi 7). ASSISTS: Findlay 13 (Brown 4); Michigan Tech 18 (Stippel & Albi 7). STEALS: Findlay 6 (Dotson & Andrews 2); Michigan Tech 5. BLOCKS: Findlay 2; Michigan Tech 5 (Stippel 2).

TURNOVERS: Findlay 18, Michigan Tech 19. TOTAL FOULS: Findlay 16, Michigan Tech 21. FOULED OUT: Michigan Tech, Moxley.