The Tiffin University women's basketball team surrendered 25 1st quarter points in their matchup with Northern Michigan University, 35% of the Wildcats total points, as the the Dragons fell 71-59. The Dragons struggled with ball control all evening, committing 19 turnovers that led to 31 Northern Michigan points.
The Wildcats started the game like a house on fire, hitting 57% of their field goal attempts, including a 4 for 6 performance from three. On the other side of the floor, Tiffin's offense took some time to knock the rust off as they netted only 13 points. Turnovers didn't help Tiffin's cause in the quarter, committing five miscues in the first 10 minutes of play.
The 2nd quarter was much better for the green and gold, scoring 17 points while using all three facets of scoring as they hit from the field, three, and from the charity stripe. The Dragons' defense really dug deep as they held the Wildcats to 31.3% shooting from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc. The Dragons finished the half on a 7-0 run as they trimmed their deficit to 37-30 as the halftime buzzer sounded.
The Wildcats and Dragons played even basketball in the 3rd quarter, as both sides managed to net 17 points. The only difference was how each team got to their total. Tiffin used the field and especially the three point line to net their points, hitting 3 of 5 three point attempts. The Wildcats relied on charity in the 3rd quarter, going 6 for 6 from the stripe.
With a seven point lead in tow the Wildcats entered the 4th quarter, and quickly pushed their lead to double digits at 58-47 with a pair of made buckets. The Dragons countered with a quick 6-0 run to pull within five points at 58-53. The momentum that Tiffin had quickly evaporated, as their offense became inconsistent and the Wildcats became efficient as they finished the game on a 13-6 run to defeat Tiffin 71-59.
The Dragons' turnovers were numerous in the final quarter, committing seven miscues in the 4th to bring their game total to 19. Tiffin's miscues enabled the Wildcats to score 44% of their total points. The free throw line played a crucial part in the game as Tiffin struggled to get to the line while the Wildcats had no problem getting to the stripe. Tiffin took only nine attempts from the free throw line while the Wildcats nailed 18 of 27 attempts.
Individually, Tiffin was led by Ali Schirmer's double-double, scoring 19 points and snagging a team high 10 rebounds. Sarah Cummings had a nice game for the Dragons, scoring 10 points and collecting eight boards.
The Dragons fall to 5-9 overall and 1-5 in the GLIAC. Tiffin will remain in the Upper Peninsula for their next game, taking on Michigan Tech University on Saturday afternoon.