Site: Livonia, Mich. (Activities Center)
Score: Madonna University 60, Indiana Tech 59
Records: MU 9-14 (5-6 WHAC); IIT 10-17 (3-8 WHAC)
Next MU event: Saturday, February 13 at Cornerstone (Mol Arena), 1pm

BOX SCORE

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - -Freshman Heather Pratt (Flushing, Mich.) made just one field goal during Wednesday night's (Feb. 10) game but it was the most important one of the night for the Madonna University women's basketball team as the Crusaders used Pratt's game winning three with less than a second left in the game for a 60-59 come-from-behind win over visiting Indiana Tech inside the Activities Center.

Senior Kim Olech (Canton, Mich.) led MU with 13 points and a season-high 14 rebounds and junior Tabatha Wydryck (Wyandotte, Mich.) joined Olech with a double-double of her own with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Wydryck also led the way with seven assists, just missing her second triple-double of the season. Freshman Shantelle Herring (Macomb, Mich.) rounded out the quartet in double figures with 10 markers and four rebounds. Julie Stetzel led all players with 19 points off of the bench for the Warriors.

The first 14 minutes was a back and forth battle with neither side holding a lead of more than three. Freshman Kaylee McGrath (Livonia, Mich.) put the home side on top by two with a put back in the lane to make it 20-18 MU with 5:09 left.

Tech answered back with a 6-0 run to go up by four at 24-20 with 1:43 left in the half. Madonna got back to with in one on a three from junior Katie Mount (Waterford, Mich.) but Tech knocked down three free throws to close the half and took a 27-24 lead into intermission.

Coming out of the break the Warriors opened the first four minutes on a 10-5 run to go on top 37-29 with just over 16 minutes left, their largest lead of the game to that point. The Crusaders answered back with an 8-1 run of their own to pull back to with in one at 38-37 but the Warriors had an answer for that in the form of an 9-1 run of their own to take their largest lead of the night - nine points - at 47-38.

Madonna kept the game close, getting to with in two twice, the final coming after Olech knocked down a pair of free throws that made it 57-55 Tech with 2:20 to go. After Tech missed a pair of free throws on its next passion, Herring forced the eighth tie of the game on a runner in the lane to make it 57-all with 52 seconds left.

On the Warriors' next possession, Olech registered one of her season-high six blocks and started the break. The Crusaders could not convert and ended up fouling Latoya Noble who converted both of her free throws to put Tech up 59-57 with 16 seconds left.

On what proved to be the Crusaders final possession, Wydryck drove the lane before finding Pratt at the top of the key and the rookie knocked down the triple with .04 showing on the game clock giving MU the dramatic one-point win after Tech's last ditch three went long.

The Crusaders return to the road for the final time in the regular season, traveling to Grand Rapids for a 1pm tip at Cornerstone on Saturday (Feb. 13).

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834