Michigan Tech forward Janie Tormanen attempts a layup during a game against Northwood Friday at the SDC Gym in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — The Michigan Tech Huskies women’s basketball team has only played three home games this season, but sophomore guard Ella Mason has set a new career high in scoring in each of them. Friday night, she racked up 25 points as the Huskies held off the visiting Northwood Timberwolves, 89-87, at the SDC Gym.

It was, by no means, easy.

“(I am) really proud of our team,” said Huskies coach Sam Clayton. “I think Northwood is an incredible team, well coached. They have some dang good players. I thought our team just responded every time they made a run, and they made a lot of them. Obviously, a super high-scoring game, but just proud of the way we continue to respond and respond.”

The win, which put the Huskies at 8-2 overall, was something the Huskies really wanted before their 11-day break into the New Year.

“I think it’s a huge win in the sense that, ‘OK, we were able to beat a really good team at home,’ and hopefully have a nice break where our girls get to go spend some time with family,” Clayton said, “but also keep in the back of their mind, ‘OK, we’re playing No. 1 in the nation next’ and, ‘Hey, we’re capable of beating really good teams.’

“We’re going to be training for that over break. So, I think it builds confidence and hopefully helps us in season.”

Mason agreed with her coach.

“It’s really important,” she said. “(We) have a long break, a long two-week break, before we get to play again. If we had lost that game, and they’re a dang good team, and to win at home, is always really nice.”

Mason took to reading what the defense was showing her. She then used that knowledge to her advantage.

“They were denying me the ball quite a bit, so just backdoor cutting and ripping by people,” said Mason. “I was finding Alyssa (Wypych), everybody, on backdoor cuts, and then, when they went to the zone, I was able to find a couple open seams in it to hit a few 3s. But, I feel like them overplaying me, and then getting good looks at the rim because I was backdoor cutting (helped).”

Mason averaged 4.0 points per game last season coming off the bench. This year, in a starting role, she is averaging 14.9 points per game after Friday night’s win.

“It feels good,” she said. “I think I’ve shown a lot of growth from last year. I feel like I’m comfortable. I’m comfortable in the offense we’re running. I’m comfortable with my teammates around me, and I know that I can score. So, I feel like my teammates are doing a good job of finding me. I feel like I know that I can contribute. So I go into every game with confidence.”

Four other players finished in double figures for the Huskies as Wypych, a junior guard, put up 16, sophomore guard Kendall Standfest made 15, senior guard Soraya Timms added 14, and senior forward Janie Tormanen put up 12 before fouling out.

“I think that makes it super tough to guard, because it’s not like, oh, you can shut down this one player, these two, and then you’ll be fine,” said Clayton. “Really, anyone can go off any given night, so (that) makes us tough to guard. Anybody can create for anybody else. We can score at the rim, from 3. It was our starters today, but it’s not even always our starters that end up with double digits.”

Despite all the success on offense, which included the Huskies scoring 30 points in the first quarter and 51 in the first half, the Timberwolves (8-4 overall) hung around and chipped away at the Huskies’ 11-point first-quarter advantage, getting it down to six, 51-45, by halftime.

In the third, the Huskies scored another 22, but the Timberwolves continued to make free throws and key shots all over the floor to stick around.

The Huskies led by 12, 73-61, with 10 minutes left, but Northwood opened the fourth quarter with five straight points from Karie Keefer, who finished her night with 18 points. Just over a minute later, Northwood’s top scorer, Maeve St. John, who scored 25, hit a key 3-pointer to answer one from Mason.

St. John kept finding ways to score, whether by free throw or layup over the final seven minutes, and had the game in her hands at the buzzer when she tried a nearly half-court shot. The ball hit the glass and then bounced off the front of the rim, sealing the win for the Huskies.

Up next

The Huskies are off until Thursday, Jan. 1, when they host the No. 1 team in the country, the Grand Valley State Lakers, at the SDC Gym.