CALEDONIA, Mich. – Brynne Katcher nearly doubled her season total in 3-pointers to lead Roosevelt to a vital 64-52 win over Davenport on Saturday in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action in Michigan.
Katcher entered the game with six made 3-pointers in 22 appearances, but she sank four against the Panthers to score a career-best 16 points. The junior put up six points in the fourth quarter, knocking down two critical 3-pointers that helped make the Lakers (7-16, 6-10 GLIAC) comfortable.
She ended a nearly five-minute drought with a triple that also stopped a 7-0 Davenport run and extend Roosevelt's advantage back to 10. She then added a 3-pointer with three minutes left to push the lead to 13 points.
Katcher was one of three Lakers to sink a 3-pointer in the first quarter for Roosevelt's only points in the first quarter. Kelly Boyle and Katcher both scored seven points in the second quarter as the Lakers shot 8 of 14 from the floor to build a six-point halftime lead. The lead grew to 12 after the third quarter when Roosevelt held Davenport to one field goal in the period (1-15) and set the program record for field goal percentage allowed in a quarter (6.7%) despite making only three baskets itself.
Roosevelt's defense had arguably its best performance under Deon Thomas, limiting Davenport to 26.6 percent from the field. That included allowing just two 3-pointers in 21 attempts from the Panthers, both of which came in the first half with the Lakers holding Davenport 0 for 13 from 3-point range after halftime. The Lakers also forced 20 turnovers led as always by junior Marie Outlay, who had seven thefts to leave herself at 99 for the season.
Outlay also scored 14 points, joining Katcher as well as Boyle and Isabella Pitta in double figures for Roosevelt. Boyle chipped in 15 points while Pitta registered a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds. As a team, the Lakers outrebounded the Panthers 40-37 with Katcher adding seven boards and Boyle grabbing five.
The victory was important as it broke a tie with Davenport for seventh place in the GLIAC and moved the Lakers one game behind Parkside for the sixth seed with four games left. Roosevelt could still rise as high as fifth in the GLIAC standings this season with two weeks left in the regular season.
UP NEXT: Roosevelt returns home for its final homestand of the season, which begins Thursday against Wayne State at 5:30 p.m. at the Goodman Center. The contest will be the program's annual Play4Kay Game and donations are being accepted at https://kayyow.com/play4kay/our-reach/?campaign=542555#
