ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich.--Freshman Dede Smith returned from an injury to spark Lawrence Tech with a team-high 17 points off the bench, but the Blue Devils couldn't overcome a sluggish start and suffered a 65-59 loss at the hands of Rochester on Saturday in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference women's basketball play at Garth Pleasant Arena.

The Blue Devils fall to 2-5 overall and 2-3 in the WHAC, while the Warriors even their record to 5-5 on the season and 2-2 in the conference.

Lawrence Tech Highlights

• Smith made 7 of 14 field goal attempts for 50 percent, grabbed six rebounds, dished two assists and had two steals.
• Senior Jade Faris (8 points) posted game highs of 12 rebounds and five assists.
• Sophomore Gracie Bobo added 15 points on five treys off the bench and senior Addie Nagel chipped in 11 points.

Rochester Highlights

• Celeste Marshimer scored a game-high 18 points, followed by Imari Martin with 12 and Melanie Moore had 10.
• Moore led the team with seven rebounds and had a game-best four steals.

How it Happened 

• The host Warriors, who never trailed, jumped out to 17-5 first-quarter lead while shooting 44.4 percent from the field (8-18) and holding LTU to just 18.2 (2-11).
• The Blue Devils, who trailed 34-21 at halftime, won the second half 38-31 to get back into the game.
• After trailing by as much as 17 points, Lawrence Tech fought back to within five points, 61-56, on a three-pointer by sophomore Kate Jacobs (8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks) with 1 minute and 39 seconds to go.
• But the Warriors sealed the win with four free throws while forcing two LTU turnovers.
• Lawrence Tech enjoyed a 42-34 rebounding edge, but committed 24 turnovers that resulted in 24 points for Rochester who had 18 steals.
• The Blue Devils had superior depth by outscoring the Warriors' bench 32-17 and also led 16-8 in second-chance points.
• For the game, LTU shot better from the floor than RU (40.0 percent to 39.3) but the Blue Devils missed 11 free throws.

Beyond the Boxscore

• Lawrence Tech has allowed an opponent--Indiana Tech--to shoot 50 percent or better from the field in a game just once this season.
• Rochester leads the all-time series 10-4, including victories in the last eight meetings.
• Bobo already has eclipsed her total for treys made from last season (14 to 6) and tops the WHAC in three-point field goal percentage at .560 (14-for-25).

The Blue Devils will be at Concordia-Ann Arbor for their next WHAC matchup next Saturday, starting at 1 p.m.