Box Score

Site: Fort Wayne, Ind. (Schaefer Center)
Score: Indiana Tech 79, Madonna 58
Records: MU (7-12, 4-6 WHAC), IT (11-11, 3-7 WHAC)
Next MU event: Wednesday, Jan. 25 – vs. Cornerstone (Activities Center), 7:30 p.m.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - The Madonna University women's basketball team cut a 14-point halftime deficit down to just four but could not get any closer in dropping a 79-58 decision to Indiana Tech on Saturday (Jan. 21) at the Schaefer Center.

Junior guard Michelle Lindsey (Bloomfield, Mich. / Marian Catholic) and junior forward Kaylee McGrath (Livonia, Mich. / Stevenson) led the Crusaders with 14 points apiece while senior center Becca Wojcinski (Waterford, Mich. / Mott) added 10 markers off of the bench to go along with a team-best eight rebounds.

The opening 10 minutes of the contest was back and forth with Tech eventually claiming a six-point lead, 19-13, with 9:27 left. Back-to-back Lindsey jumpers fell and pulled MU within two, 19-17, one minute later.

The momentum was shorted lived as the Warriors went on a 6-0 run to claim a 10-point cushion, 27-17, with 5:48 to go in the opening half. The Warriors maintained their lead, not letting it slip below seven the rest of the half before taking a 42-28 lead into the locker room.

Coming out of the break the Crusaders were the aggressors and after finding themselves down 45-30 just 1:15 into the half, went on a 13-3 run to pull within four, 47-43, with 15:12 to go. McGrath and Lindsey accounted for seven points together to go along with triples from junior guards Shantelle Herring (Macomb, Mich. / Dakota) and Heather Pratt (Flushing, Mich. / Flushing) during the run.

Tech stopped the MU run with a 3-pointer from Sara Didandeh that began an 11-1 run over the next four-plus minutes to put IT back in front comfortably, 58-44.

Madonna trimmed the deficit to nine on a pair of occasions in the half but could not get any closer, falling 79-58, to even the season series at one win each.

Simone Russell led all players with a game-high 25 points for Tech while Ulyssia Richmond scored 18 and Brittnay Jones posted a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Warriors.

The Crusaders return home for a pair of games next week, beginning Wednesday (Jan. 25) with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff against Cornerstone at the Activities Center.

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Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834