Michigan Tech forward Maja Kozlowska drives to the basket during a game against Roosevelt Saturday at the SDC Gym in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — With a win over Roosevelt Saturday, the Michigan Tech Huskies women’s basketball team closed the season on a happy note, ending a four-game losing skid with a 70-51 victory over the Lakers.

More important to coach Sam Clayton was the way the Huskies accomplished it.

“I thought Thursday we came out flat,” she said. “Offense wasn’t great, and we had a couple games like that where we just couldn’t get it rolling offensively, couldn’t get into a rhythm. But, it was great Saturday just to kind of see the exact opposite of that. (We) came out with a ton of heart, ton of energy, and got some great looks at the rim early.

“All of our players were aggressive, confident, and if we can do that, we can be any team in this conference.”

With the win, the Huskies improved to 16-12 overall to close out the season. They finished 10-10 in conference play.

When asked what was different about the Huskies’ performance against Roosevelt than against Wisconsin-Parkside in a loss Thursday, Clayton mentioned that confidence was a huge part of the equation.

“I think looks at the rim, and making looks at the rim (made a difference),” she said. “Soraya (Timms) had some good attacks. We had some good cuts, some good finishes. Obviously, hit some threes early. That doesn’t hurt either. If you’re feeling confident from three, then people have to come out and guard.”

Of course, with it being Senior Day, the team was also motivated to win for their teammates.

“I think, obviously, playing for Janie (Tormanen), Kaiza (Salani), Maja (Kozlowska), our seniors,” said Clayton, “now it’s that time, win or go home, tournament time, March Madness. (We want to be) continuing to play with that type of passion.”

Clayton pointed to confidence as being something the Huskies have had to battle with all season long, as seen in the performances of junior guard Alyssa Wypych, and sophomore guard Kendall Standfest, both of whom found their offensive confidence in the second half of the season.

“That has been a battle all year,” Clayton said. “I think with coaching women, that is a big thing, being able to get them to play confidently. Those are conversations we have with the team. Those are conversations we have with our leadership team. So much of that is, I think, the time you put in, and if you’re getting your shots up, and you’re putting in the time, you can’t control whether they go in or not. But, you can always have the mindset of, ‘Oh, I know the next shot’s going to go in. I put up all these shots, I’ve gotten these reps.’

“So, being able to play with that, and then understanding your significance, and your value outside of basketball, I think that helps you play with confidence, knowing, ‘Hey, I miss a shot, I still have this value. I know my teammates love me. My family loves me.’ Those types of things. I think that really helps. Just having that core, strong foundation, maybe in your faith as well, that can help you play outside of just that moment.”

Another player who has seen her confidence grow by leaps and bounds in the latter stages of the season has been Kozlowska. She is not known for her offense, but she put up a season-high 11 points against Saginaw Valley State on Feb. 7, and eight at Northern Michigan on Feb. 19. She closed her final regular season in Black and Gold with seven points in 26 minutes.

“She stepped up,” said Clayton. “Start on her senior night, and grab 10 rebounds, just showed her aggressiveness and fighting for those boards. I thought she played phenomenal. She can affect the game in a lot of ways, especially defensively, just with her length, her strength inside, where you don’t have to help as much off of different posts.

“Excited to kind of see her step up as a senior, and in her last year here. I know she’s super excited to be playing Northern. That’s always a huge game with it being a big rivalry. So, excited to see what she can do this week, too.”

Scouting the Wildcats

The No. 22 Northern Michigan Wildcats finished the regular season 24-6 overall and 15-5 in GLIAC play. They defeated both Roosevelt and Wisconsin-Parkside to enter the GLIAC Tournament as the fourth seed.

They defeated the Huskies in Houghton, 74-46, on Thursday, Jan. 8, and followed that up with a 68-57 win Thursday, Feb. 19.

The Wildcats feature a pair of high scorers offensively in senior guards Jacy Weisbrod and Sarah Newcomer. Weisbrod averages 16.8 points per game. Newcomer averages 11.2.

When the teams met the first time, the Huskies held Weisbrod to just three points, but Newcomer racked up a career-high 27. The second time, Weisbrod had 16, and Newcomer just eight.

“I think it takes a ton of tenacity and grit, and we’re going to throw different players at her (Weisbrod),” Clayton said. “They have to be locked in. You can’t lose her. You can’t relax for a second. She’s a heck of a player, but I think we have the arsenal to do it.”

Game time

The Huskies and Wildcats will battle it out in the GLIAC quarterfinals Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Vandament Arena in Marquette.