Michigan Tech guard Ella Mason drives through a pair of Ferris State defenders during a game Saturday at the SDC Gym in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — To say the Michigan Tech Huskies women’s basketball team had a tough weekend last weekend would be an understatement. They faced a pair of nationally-ranked opponents in No. 14 Northern Michigan and No. 22 Ferris State, and dropped both games.

If there was a silver lining for coach Sam Clayton’s team, it was that the Huskies found a way to battle back when they fell behind against the Bulldogs Saturday, something they could not do against the Wildcats on Thursday.

With the losses, the Huskies fell to 9-5 overall and 3-3 in GLIAC play.

“Tough weekend, obviously, two losses at home, that’s always disappointing,” she said. “Now, were they really good teams? Yeah, I think so. They’re both ranked, and they both have phenomenal players that stepped up. I think that both had seniors step up big time with (Sarah) Newcomer (at) NMU, and (Kadyn) Blanchard at Ferris.

“We just fell short against Ferris. I thought being down 20, we made a huge step even from Thursday to Saturday, where Thursday we didn’t really fight back. I thought our energy got low when we got down. But Saturday, I was proud of the fact that, OK, we did fight back. We pulled within five. That’s a team we can compete with. Didn’t play great. Didn’t shoot it great. So, we’re looking forward to next time around when we get to play them both again.”

The Huskies did not have an answer for Newcomer, who put up a career-high 27 points in the game.

“We practiced a ton shutting down (Jacy) Weisbrod,” said Clayton. “That was kind of our goal. Right before the game, I said, honestly though, I think No. 5 Newcomer is their best player, and she proved me right. She can make tough shots, similar to 23 (Weisbrod). Some of her step backs, some of her threes were super contested. Some of them were in transition off of our silly turnovers, which I think, overall, the story of the weekend was our turnovers, taking care of the ball, valuing every possession. If we clear up some of those turnovers, where we are giving up rhythm, threes and layups, I think both are very different games.”

At the same time, Clayton was proud of the way her team found a rhythm against the Bulldogs and turned a 20-point deficit into a five-point one.

“I think it says a lot about their character, their mentality, to be down like that and to continue to fight back, especially after a really disappointing loss Thursday,” she said. “You could easily shut down on a Saturday like that, being down 20, but I think that speaks to our leaders and their ability to get us going, to keep us locked in, to continue to bring energy. That was good to see.

“We’re going to need that, because we’re going to play really good teams all year long. As you get into postseason and things, teams are going to go on runs. Who’s gonna have the longer runs? That’s where Ferris got us. They had a huge run right before halftime, so if we can shorten that run even just a little bit (that will help). A lot of that was turnovers, too, and quick shots.”

One of the reasons the Huskies were better Saturday was the play of senior forward Janie Tormanen. She put up a season-high 21 points in the game.

“Janie did really step up for us as a senior, and I think that was huge,” Clayton said. “Having a double-double, coming in aggressive offensively right away. We got her some touches, and she went right at (Mya) Hiram, who’s another really good post player. So, it was good to just see her.

“She’s really patient in the paint. We saw her footwork. She didn’t have it this way. She took her time, she went to go finish, and she can finish with both hands. It was great to see her going right, going left, catching it deep. So, proud of her for that.”

Scouting the Cardinals

The Saginaw Valley State Cardinals are 4-10 overall and 2-4 in GLIAC play after a weekend that saw them fall to Roosevelt and Wisconsin-Parkside.

The Cardinals are led offensively by junior forward Megan McCalla, who averages 15.2 points per game. Senior guard Lydia Meredith has also been good, averaging 12.8 points per game. Freshman guard Kaitlyn Geurink is having a strong first season, averaging 10.3 points per game and shooting 31.8% from beyond the arc.

Scouting the Lakers

The Lake Superior State Lakers are 4-10 on the season, and 1-5 in GLIAC play. They split last weekend, losing to Wisconsin-Parkside, but beating Roosevelt.

The Lakers are led by senior forward Grace Bradford, who averages 15.1 points per game. She also hits 23.9% from beyond the arc.

Redshirt junior Dara Capaldi has also been good, averaging 11.0 points per game.

Game times

The Huskies and Cardinals will tipoff Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in University Center. Saturday, the Huskies and Lakers are scheduled for a 1 p.m. start in Sault Ste. Marie.