Box Score LIMA, Ohio – Led by a season-high 29 points by Rachael Kruse (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead), the Indiana Tech women's basketball team guaranteed themselves a spot in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament with a 75-62 victory over WHAC foe Northwestern Ohio at the Garage on Saturday afternoon.

Things started well for the Warriors (15-11, 12-6) after winning the tip, Kruse netted her first two points of the contest just 12 seconds into the game. After the Racers (13-13, 10-8) tied the score on a Becca Harshman jumper, a Kruse three and a jumper from Sabine Filippovica (Linibazi, Latvia) extended the lead to five, 7-2. The Racers tied the game three more times at 9-9, 12-12 and 14-14 before a 14-3 run by the Warriors, capped by a Kruse jumper, increased the lead to 11, 28-17 at the 6:46 mark. UNOH cut the lead back to eight but another burst by Tech pushed the lead to a first half high of 12, 39-27, with 57 seconds left. Two Morgan Cnudde free throws with no time on the clock accounted for the nine-point, 41-32 Warrior lead at the break.

Despite being outscored 16-10 in the paint, Tech was able to force seven turnovers and turn them into 14 points while also outrebounding the Racers 24-19 in the period. Kruse led all scorers with 17 points and had a team-high five rebounds while Sammi Dervisevic paced the Racers with eight points and five boards.

In the second half, Tech was able to push the lead back to 11, 36-47, at the 15:56 mark and again at the 12:35 mark, but a 6-0 run by the home team cut the lead to five, 49-44, with 10:08 to play. The experience for the Warriors paid off though, as Tech stayed composed and went on a 20-9 run over the next eight minutes to take their largest lead of the contest, 16-points, 69-53 with just 2:08 to play. The Warriors closed out strong, finishing 6-for-8 from the free throw line in the final 1:50 to seal the 13-point, 75-62 victory.

Tech was outscored in the paint 28-14 in the contest but scored 20 points off 13 Racers miscues while UNOH scored just 12 points on the Warriors 16 turnovers. The Orange and Black finished the contest 25-for-56 (44.6%) from the field, 6-for-16 (37.5%) from three and 19-for-23 (82.6%) from the charity stripe. At the other end of the floor, the defense limited the Racers to just 32.8 percent (21-for-64) shooting including a 4-for-14 (28.6%) mark from behind the arc while converting 16-of-23 (69.6%) free throws.

Kruse's 29 points were a game-high and she added seven rebounds while Chelsea Carradine (Redford, Mich./Thurston) tallied 17 points and eight boards and Ulyssia Richmond (Temple Hills, Md./Riverdale Baptist) added 14 points.

Lauren Hopfner paced the Racers with 18 points while Dervisevic and Kylie Kahlig each grabbed six rebounds.

The Warriors return home on Wednesday, Feb. 12 when they welcome 23rd-ranked Cornerstone to Kline Court for a 5:30 p.m. tip.