FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The No. 3-ranked Indiana Tech women's basketball team extended its program-best win streak to 22 games on Saturday afternoon as they defeated Madonna University, 73-37, in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) action inside the Schaefer Center.
Kendall Knapke collected her third double-double of the season with a team-high 20 points and 12 rebounds, reaching double digits in both categories in the first half, while picking up three assists and two steals.
Kyra Whitaker chipped in eight points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench while
Rachel Bell had 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Bella Lozano-Dobbs added eight points, six assists and four rebounds.
The Crusaders got out to a 6-2 lead over the Warriors in the first three and a half minutes of the game. A jumper in the paint from Bell snapped a three minute and 32 second scoring drought for Tech and started a 15-0 run for the hosts as they went ahead 17-6 with just over two minutes left in the first. Madonna snapped a seven minute and 31 second scoring drought with a basket at the 1:08 mark as they scored the last five points of the period to make it a 17-11 game at the end of 10 minutes.
The Warriors ratcheted up the defense in the second as they held the Crusaders to just 2-13 (15.4%) shooting in the quarter while outscoring the visitors 15-7. A three-pointer from
Jenna Szostak started a 7-0 run to extend the advantage to 24-13 at the 6:15 mark. Madonna would cut the deficit down to eight points but a triple from Whitaker and a jumper at the buzzer from Lozano-Dobbs put the Orange and Black up 32-18 at the half.
Knapke started off the second half with back-to-back triples while Whitaker followed with an old-fashioned three-point play to grow the Warrior lead to 23 points just two minutes into the third quarter. Tech continued to dominate the rest of the period as they led by 23 at the end of 30 minutes and outscored the Crusaders 19-6 to complete the season sweep of their WHAC rivals.
Tech (23-1, 15-0 WHAC) returns to action next Saturday, February 2 as they host No. 23-ranked University of Michigan-Dearborn in a battle of the top-two teams in the WHAC on Senior Day for the Warriors. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. from the Schaefer Center.
