SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - Lawrence Tech University saw a double-digit second-half lead slip away in its home finale Saturday afternoon, as Lourdes University closed on a dominant fourth-quarter run to hand the Blue Devils a 71-60 loss at Don Ridler Fieldhouse.
The Blue Devils entered the fourth quarter in control, leading 55-49 after a 24-point third quarter that showcased their best offensive stretch of the day. But Lourdes outscored Lawrence Tech 22-5 over the final 10 minutes, using a combination of pressure defense and efficient free-throw shooting to flip the game. The Blue Devils were held to just one field goal in the final frame while Lourdes repeatedly attacked the paint and the foul line to pull away.
Lawrence Tech started strong in its last home game of the 2025-26 season. Ella Haupert opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and the Blue Devils edged ahead 18-17 after the first quarter. Lourdes responded in the second, briefly taking a 21-18 lead on an Emma Pedroza jumper and stretching the margin to 24-20 on a Kaylona Butler 3-pointer. The Blue Devils stayed within striking distance, trailing 33-31 at halftime.
The third quarter belonged to Lawrence Tech. Behind a balanced attack and timely perimeter shooting, the Blue Devils outscored Lourdes 24-16 in the period. A 3-pointer by Abby Rey highlighted the surge, and when Kate Jacobs connected from long range with 3:01 left in the quarter, Lawrence Tech pushed the lead to 50-42. The Blue Devils carried a 55-49 advantage into the fourth after holding Lourdes to 41.1 percent shooting through three quarters and controlling the glass with a 35-28 rebounding edge overall, including 14 offensive boards.
Lourdes, however, seized control early in the fourth. Butler scored on a layup with 9:51 remaining to cut the deficit to four, and Tamyah Worthy's tip-in at the 6:19 mark pulled the visitors within 58-55. From there, the Blue Devils struggled to generate clean looks against a tightening defense that forced 22 Lawrence Tech turnovers for the game. Lourdes turned those miscues into transition opportunities, with Camryn Ivy knocking down a jumper for a 63-58 lead at 3:14, and Oliwia Dyja burying a 3-pointer with 2:15 to play to stretch the margin to 66-58. Dyja's free throws in the final 30 seconds capped the 22-5 closing run.
Offensively, the Blue Devils finished 21-of-61 from the field (34.4 percent) and 6-of-29 from 3-point range (20.7 percent). Lawrence Tech was efficient at the foul line, going 12-of-14 (85.7 percent), but could not overcome the turnover differential against a Lourdes defense that piled up 17 steals. Despite creating second-chance opportunities with their work on the boards, the Blue Devils were held to just five points in the final quarter as Lourdes consistently kept them off the free-throw line and out of rhythm.
Lourdes was led by Butler's 26 points on 7-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and a perfect 9-of-9 at the line. Pedroza added 15 points and six rebounds, while Worthy delivered a pivotal two-way performance with 10 points, six rebounds and eight steals. As a team, Lourdes shot 23-of-56 from the field (41.1 percent), 5-of-13 from 3-point distance (38.5 percent) and 20-of-27 at the stripe (74.1 percent), capitalizing on the Blue Devils' giveaways to close out the contest.
In the final home appearance of the 2025-26 campaign at Don Ridler Fieldhouse, Lawrence Tech showed stretches of strong play on both ends, particularly in the third quarter and on the glass throughout the day. However, the late scoring drought and Lourdes' pressure defense proved decisive down the stretch. The Blue Devils now turn their attention to the road and postseason implications as they look to build on Saturday's three-quarter performance and find more consistency in closing situations.
