FORT WAYNE, Ind. – In a game of runs that saw five ties and five lead changes, it was the Indiana Tech women's basketball team that had the last laugh in a 67-59 victory over Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference foe, Lourdes, at the Schaefer Center on Saturday afternoon.

It was an inauspicious start for the Warriors (6-7, 5-2 WHAC) as the Gray Wolves (5-6, 1-5 WHAC) opened the contest on an 11-0 run before a Linsey Masnari jumper at 14:46 put Tech on the board, sparking a 19-2 run for the Orange and Black, giving them a six-point lead. An 8-0 run by the visitors put Lourdes up 21-19 with 4:19 left in the half. A jumper with 2:56 left pushed the Warriors deficit to four, but a Alexjandra Marquez-Lopez three-pointer gave Tech the lead and a jumper at the buzzer gave the Warriors the 28-25 lead at the break.

The Gray Wolves scored the first four points in the second half to take a two-point lead, but a Masnari jumper tied the score again and two minutes later Baylee Rinehart drained a shot from behind the arc to put Tech up for good. Lourdes got to within one point twice more in the half, but a trey by Taylor Seiss and a Marquez- Lopez jumper immediately extend the Warriors lead each time with the latter sparking a six-point run for the Warriors to push the lead to seven and seal the victory. Tech hit seven of nine free throws in the final minute of regulation to salt away the 67-59 win.

Tech held a slim margin in points off turnovers, 12-11, and fast break points, 5-4, but outscored Lourdes 17-10 on second chance opportunities, including 8-0 in the first half. The Warriors bench was key, outscoring the Gray Wolves 25-4 in the contest.

Tech finished the contest 22-for-65 (33.8%) from the field, converting 10-of-35 (28.6) three-point attempts while knocking down 13-of-18 (72.25) free throws. The Warriors collected 42 rebounds and had 16 assists in the win.

Rinehart led the team in scoring with 17 points while Marquez-Lopez finished with 15. Masnari (14) and Rayana Villalpando (10) also finished in double-figures with Marquez-Lopez leading the team with eight rebounds while three others tallied seven.  

The Warriors begin a three-game road trip when they hit the court on Saturday, Dec. 13 against Aquinas in Grand Rapids, Mich. with tip scheduled for 1 p.m.

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