Box Score

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky.- The UIndy women's basketball team fell 69-52 to No.22 Michigan Tech in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional championship game at Bank of Kentucky Center on the campus of Northern Kentucky University Monday night.

The MTU (26-6) lead was as many as nine in the early going with the 22nd-ranked Huskies holding onto a 14-5 margin just over five minutes in. UIndy (24-9) then proceeded to rattle off a dozen straight points to wrestle away the advantage.

The Huskies used the three-ball to gain the momentum again, hitting a blistering 8-of-10 from distance to make the score 38-21 with a minute-and-a-half remaining. MTU took a commanding 43-21 lead at the half.

MTU stretched its lead to as many as 25, holding that advantage just under five minutes into the second frame. UIndy methodically went to work on whittling down the deficit. A 14-4 run over the next 5:00 helped trim it to 15. Katie Dewey hit a three then fed Samantha Meissel with a nice pass underneath in a key stretch in that run.

The crowd became energized when Jessica Canary, who was held scoreless in the opening half, connected from the top of the key and the lead was just a dozen. MTU battled to get it back to 60-44, seemingly deflating the air in the Greyhound balloon.

The Greyhounds would not give in. Canary hit a tough runner in the lane as the score got back to within a dozen at 62-50 with 4:19 to play. The defensive tenacity intensified and the Hounds forced a pair of turnovers keeping the Huskies off the board.

Despite the stops, the Greyhounds couldn't generate the offense needed to overcome the large margin. MTU closed out the game, making half of their shots in the contest, both from the floor (24-of-48) and from three-point range (9-of-17).

The Greyhounds were led by Meissel, who ended up with 16 points on the night. Canary chipped in 11 points, while Dewey led on the boards with five.

Meissel and Canary were named to the region's All-Tournament team, joining a trio of Michigan Tech players. The region's Most Outstanding player award went to the Huskies' Katie Wysocky, who had 19 points and 16 rebounds on the night. Sarah Stream and Katie Zimmerman were also named to the All-Tournament squad.   

The Huskies will advance to play Minnesota State-Mankato in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, being held Mar. 24, 25 and 27 in San Antonio, Texas' Greehey Arena. The contest will tip at 1:00 Eastern time in next Tuesday's quarterfinal round.

Notes: The Greyhounds were 7-1 in neutral sites games this season ... UIndy is 5-7 all-time in the NCAA tournament ... UIndy was making its first-ever appearance in the Sweet 16 ... the game was the final in the career of senior Isabell Rhenwrick, who ended her tenure in a Greyhound uniform with 700 total points.