Michigan Tech guard Alyssa Wypych attempts a layup during a game against Minnesota-Duluth Thursday at the SDC Gym in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — Trailing by three, 61-58, with 42 seconds left in the game at the SDC Gym Thursday, the Michigan Tech Huskies women’s basketball team found a way to get back within one. Then they evened things at 61-61 at the free throw line with just 0.8 left to play, forcing overtime.

In the extra time, the Huskies scored 18 points and came away with a 79-69 win over the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

The Huskies improved to 3-0 overall with the win.

“I think it means everything to be able to win in front of our home fans, our Pep Band, show them what we’re capable of,” said Huskies coach Sam Clayton. “We lost a lot of close games last year, and a lot of that’s on me. But, I thought my staff did a great job just giving me the cues I needed as we were getting late game, and then, obviously, our players came up with big plays late.

“Ella (Mason) getting to the foul line, not being able to shoot them. Kaitlyn (Maxwell) coming in and hitting that free throw, cold. I mean, oh my goodness, that’s impressive. Then Alyssa (Wypych) hitting big shots, getting big rebounds. Just so many things that I’m super proud of. And, just super grateful to come away with a win against a really good Duluth team.”

The Huskies were led offensively by sophomore guard Ella Mason, who had 22 points, but she suffered an injury on the floor driving to attempt to win the game when the Huskies trailed by one, 61-60, with 0.8 seconds left.

Despite the injury, Clayton liked what she saw from Mason.

“I think it says so much about her to play like she did last weekend, and to come in with the confidence that she did this weekend,” Clayton said. “Just that grit to be, ‘Oh, I know I’m a good player.’ That confidence to (be), ‘OK, yeah, I had an off weekend.’

“Nobody saw what she was capable of, but she showed tonight. She can score. She can hit tough shots. She can score at all three levels. But not only that, she’s one of the hardest workers on our team. She puts in so much time. So, she deserves to take that many shots.”

However, the injury kept her from having a chance to even the game, which is where Maxwell came in. She only had three points in the game, but the first one sent the Huskies to overtime.

In overtime, junior guard Alyssa Wypych put the Huskies on her back and she got to work. She drew a foul just 22 seconds in, and sank both free throws, then she drained a 3-pointer right in front of the Huskies’ bench less than a minute later. She followed that up with another trip to the line with 1:28 remaining, where she made both free throws as the Huskies outscored the Bulldogs 18-8 in the extra session.

“That’s our thing, starting games and then halves too,” said Wypych. “We always say, the first three minutes, those are crucial. So, especially, in overtime, when it is only five minutes, if you can come out strong those first three minutes, that’s it.

“I just knew we had to bring all the energy, and the urgency, and if we did that, then there was no stopping us at that point.”

Wypych finished her night with 20 points.

Two more Huskies finished in double figures as sophomore guard Kendall Standfest, who made 5-of-6 free throws in overtime, finished with 13 points, and senior guard Soraya Timms finished with 12.

“I think everyone plays better around Soraya, and that’s just what a good point guard does,” Clayton said. “She creates for others. She finds open people. She gets us where we need to be in our offense. So, she had 12 points, which is great. She was efficient, 4-for-8. But, I think more than that, it’s just those things you don’t even see on the stat sheet that she does that helps us to be successful.”

The Huskies led 16-14 after one quarter, and by three, 30-27, at half time. That lead grew to eight in the third quarter, 43-35, with 5:04 left, but from there, the Bulldogs stormed all the way back to tie things up at 46-46 heading into the fourth.

In the fourth, the Huskies jumped back ahead, only to see the Bulldogs even things again with 1:43 left on a Vanessa Bickford 3-pointer. Then, with 42 seconds left, Grace Counts hit her fourth 3-pointer of the night, which put the Huskies down by three.

Counts led the Bulldogs with 18 points in the game.